Easy and tasty homemade chicken apple sausage patties with just ground chicken, apple, onion, and spices. Great for breakfast or dinner. Gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, and Whole30.

Chicken sausages have become super popular over the years. I remember when we first moved to Austin and we were getting settled in, we went on a huge kick of Aidell’s chicken apple sausage from Costco.

Let’s just say I don’t think I have had them since and we moved here almost 8 years ago!

But making them at home is a total game-changer. They are made with fresh ingredients like real chunks of apple, diced onion, ground meat, and a little seasoning. There are no surprise ingredients too, which I’m sure you have seen if you have ever turned over your average store-bought sausages patties or links.

The result is a perfect balance – they have a savory flavor with a hint of sweetness from the apple. Since I used chicken, there are lower in fat than typical pork sausage and packed with more protein.

I love making a batch at the beginning of the week and serving them alongside some greens, sauteed veggies, crispy breakfast potatoes, and some eggs. Or if you don’t like eggs or can’t have them, just have 2-4 sausages!

What is chicken apple sausage made of?

Chicken apple sausages are usually made of ground chicken, apple, onion, and some kind of mix of spices. You usually find chicken apple sausage links at the grocery store, but they are super easy to make at home. We opted for patties since they are much easier to make at home and you don’t need any casing.

Is chicken sausage healthy?

When made with the right ingredients, chicken sausages can be a healthy addition to any diet. When making them at home, you have full control over the quality of ingredients. There are no added nitrites or nitrates, fillers, binders, or artificial ingredients. They also aren’t loaded with sodium and just a pinch of sea salt is used for the whole recipe.

Each of these patties has only 60 calories with 10 grams of protein.

Chicken apple sausage ingredients

• ground chicken – I used 97/3
• diced apple
• diced onion
• garlic powder
• ground ginger
• cinnamon
• nutmeg
• oil or ghee/butter
• salt and pepper

How to make chicken apple sausage patties

These homemade chicken sausage patties could not be easier to make. All you need is a bowl, a pan, and about 15-20 minutes from start to finish.

1. Combine your ingredients. In a medium or large bowl, add ground chicken, apple, onion, garlic powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix to combine. Form sausage mixture into 11 equal-size patties (about 2 ounces each).
2. Cook. Heat up a large skillet or cast iron over medium heat. Add oil and let it get hot, about 30 seconds. Add chicken patties in a single layer and cook for 5 minutes, flip, and cook for another 2-3 minutes until browned and cooked through. Serve with your favorite breakfast items and enjoy!

Do I need to peel the apple skin?

I find you don’t need to peel the apple skin. It just adds an extra step to this recipe and it softens some when you cook the sausages anyways. It also boosts the nutrient content as the skin has vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and calcium.

If you really don’t like the skin, you can peel it if you like though.

What to serve with chicken apple sausage

You can treat this recipe as an addition to breakfast or serve them as is with other classic sides. Here are some ideas:

• at breakfast with eggs, toast or potatoes, and veggies
• in a breakfast salad with greens, veggies, poached eggs, avocado, and dressing
• with any kind of roasted or sauteed veggies and roasted potatoes

Meal prep

These homemade chicken breakfast sausages are great for meal prep! Make a batch at the beginning of the week (I love to meal prep on Sunday) and you have an easy breakfast side during the week.

To heat them up, you can lightly pan fry in a little oil (be careful not to overcook and dry them out) or just pop them in the microwave for a minute. I also like to eat them cold.

How long do chicken apple sausages last in the fridge?

Homemade sausage patties will last 4-5 days in the fridge in a tightly sealed glass container.

Substitutions

Here are a few substitutions and modifications if needed.

• ground chicken – ground breasts or thighs work for this recipe. Having some fat with the meat makes them easier to work with (it makes it less sticky) when combining the ingredients. You can also use ground turkey instead of chicken.
• apple – if you don’t have apple, you can swap it out with a pear for a similar flavor.
• spices – you can swap out the spices for ones like fennel or sage to change the flavor.

More healthy sausage recipes

• Paleo Blueberry Breakfast Sausage
• Sausage Peppers and Potatoes Skillet
• Sweet Potato Sausage Hash
• Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

Recipe by Kelly Nardo, Eat the Gains | Photography by The Mindful Hapa

This post may contain affiliate links and I may make a little bit of money if you click on and purchase the products through the links. It doesn’t cost you any extra money. The compensation helps with expenses to keep ETG up and running. I truly appreciate your support!