Ground Beef Breakfast Sausage Patties

With just a few simple seasonings from your pantry, you can create juicy, flavorful Ground Beef Breakfast Sausage Patties that are perfect for your morning meal! They’re easy to make, packed with protein, and use clean ingredients that you can feel good about.

I totally get how frustrating it can be trying to find a breakfast sausage that ticks all the boxes, healthy, tasty, and made with clean ingredients. If you’re avoiding pork or looking for something more customizable, you’ll love making my breakfast sausage patties made with lean ground beef!

Whether you’re on Whole30, keto, or just trying to eat a bit cleaner, this recipe comes together quickly with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. The best part, YOU get to decide the seasoning! Plus, these patties freeze really well, so they’re great for meal prep when you need a protein-packed breakfast on a busy morning.

These have become a staple in my house. I’ll make a batch at the beginning of the week, along with thick cut bacon and potatoes so breakfast is simple, quick, and easy!

🐄Ingredients You’ll Need

• Ground Beef – For this recipe, I used a lean 93% cut because I wanted my sausage to be lower in fat and higher in protein, but you could use any fat percentage of ground beef. You can also use ground chicken, lamb, bison, turkey, or venison. Just make sure its lean!
• Breakfast Sausage Seasoning – I make a homemade blend of breakfast sausage seasoning which can be found below.
• Cooking Oil – To sear these in a skillet properly, a thin layer of oil is needed to coat the pan if you’re using a cast iron skillet. I like using avocado oil.

🧂Homemade Breakfast Sausage Seasoning

There are many ways to make ground beef taste like breakfast sausage. I found that this blend of seasoning works best per 1lb of ground beef.

• 1 tbsp – Fennel Seed
• ½ tsp – Red Chili Flake (if you like spicy sausage)
• 1 tsp – Poultry Seasoning
• ½ tsp – Salt
• ⅛ tsp – Ground Black Pepper

📝NOTE: Poultry Seasoning is great for breakfast sausage as it contains herbs like rosemary, marjoram and sage. You could purchase these ingredients by themselves or you could purchase poultry seasoning on it’s own. I love using this spice blend for chicken and even Air Fryer Turkey Breast for the holidays. 

📖How To Make Homemade Beef Sausage Patties

1️⃣ Prepare Ground Beef: Add your ground beef to a large bowl. It’s best if the ground beef rests at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to make sure it stays tender when cooking. Cooking cold meat in a hot pan will cause the beef to become too tough.

2️⃣ Add In Spice Blend: Add in breakfast sausage spice blend to the bowl with the ground beef.

3️⃣ Blend Sausage and Seasoning: With your hands, mix the ground beef and spices all together. Make sure you’re not overmixing the meat. 

4️⃣ Heat Your Skillet: Add a thin layer of cooking oil to your skillet and turn the heat on medium high. Let heat up for a few minutes.

5️⃣ Form Your Breakfast Sausage Patties: Take seasoned ground beef and make a large log. Portion into 8 even pieces. Take each piece and flatten into patties that are ¼ inch thick.

6️⃣ Cook Breakfast Sausage: Add sausage patties into the heated skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes on each size or until they are cooked through.

👩🏻‍🍳Chef’s Tips

• Avoid Overmixing: Gently mix the ground beef and seasonings to avoid overworking the meat, which can result in tough, chewy patties.
• Rest the Meat: Let your ground beef sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before mixing to make sure it cooks evenly and stays tender.
• Shape Evenly: Make sure the patties are the same size and thickness to ensure even cooking.
• Press Gently: When forming the patties, handle the meat gently as pressing too hard can cause the patties to shrink and become tough while cooking.
• Cook to a Safe Temperature: Make sure the internal temperature reaches 160°F to make sure the patties are fully cooked and safe to eat.
• Avoid Pressing While Cooking: Resist the urge to press down on the patties while cooking, as it forces out juices and can make the patties dry.
• Cook Over Medium Heat: Use medium heat to prevent burning the outside before the inside is fully cooked. This will also help retain moisture in the patties.
• Freeze Uncooked Patties: For meal prep, freeze uncooked patties on a baking sheet, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container. You can cook them straight from frozen by adding a few extra minutes.

🍳Ways To Enjoy

• Chop them into pieces and bake inside this Instant Pot Breakfast Casserole.
• Serve inside a buttery, flaky Air Fryer Biscuit for a sausage biscuit sandwich.
• Crumble them up and use inside breakfast tacos with some eggs and Air Fryer Bacon.
• Mix them into a Green Chile Yellow Squash Casserole for a meaty, high protein version.
• Replace the ground beef with sausage in this Keto Ground Beef Green Bean Casserole.

♻Storing and Freezing

Storage: Once your sausage patties are cooked, let them cool completely before storing. Place them in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Freezing: To freeze your cooked sausage patties, first lay them out in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid (about 2-3 hours). Once frozen, transfer them to an airtight freezer bag or container. This prevents them from sticking together and makes it easier to grab individual patties later. They’ll stay good in the freezer for 4-6 months, so you can always have a batch on hand for busy mornings!

Reheating: When you’re ready to enjoy your sausages again, there are a couple of easy ways to reheat them. If they’re coming from the fridge, you can warm them up in a skillet over medium-low heat, cooking for a few minutes until they’re heated through. If you’re reheating from frozen, it’s best to thaw them overnight in the fridge first, then reheat in a skillet or microwave for the best texture. For reheating in the air fryer, set it to 350°F and cook the patties for 3-5 minutes, or until heated through.

❓FAQ