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Hearty Dinners/ Pork

Easy Homemade Skinless Sausages

January 20, 2018 (Last Updated: July 20, 2021) by Chris Collins

These Easy Homemade Skinless Sausages are super delicious and packed full of flavour. So simple to make and even easier to fall in love with!

But really, I can’t express to you how easy homemade sausages are to make. No sausage casings needed, no meat grinders/sausage making machine and no special sausage meat. Just good old ground pork, some tasty fillings and a frying pan. I guarantee after making these homemade pork sausages, you’ll never get store bought again.

pouring gravy over sausages and mash on white plate

Homemade Sausage Meat

Sure, you could use sausage meat, but personally I think ground pork is the better option. It gives you the opportunity to start with a blank canvas and put your own seasonings in.

For the pork itself you’ll need regular ground/minced pork. It’s important however to make sure it’s non-lean pork. You need the pork to be at least 20% in order to keep the sausages juicy throughout cooking. When it comes to seasoning, here’s the usual victims in my sausages:

What is the best sausage seasoning?

  • Sage, Parsley, Thyme – these 3 herbs go gorgeously with pork. Dried herbs work perfectly.
  • Fennel – fennel and pork is a match made in heaven. Here we’re going to use crushed fennel seeds.
  • Onion & Garlic – two staples in any sort of meatball/burger/sausage. You’ll need a small clove of garlic and large spring onion.
  • Cracked Black Pepper – adds a little kick of spice and works perfectly with pork.

What can I use as a sausage binder?

Once you’ve got the meat and seasoning sorted, you’ll want to use breadcrumbs and egg to bind the meat together. Contrary to popular belief, breadcrumbs (in small quantities) don’t dry out ground meat, the breadcrumbs actually retain moisture to help the meat stay juicy. Egg is also a great binder.

Top Tip #1 – When you mix the meat, ensure you don’t overwork it. Just mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed. If you overwork the meat the sausages will come out tough and dry.

How to make sausage meat - 3 step by step photos

Skinless Sausages

Rule number 1 of homemade sausages club – you do not need sausage casings or a sausage machine to make sausages at home. There, I said it. Skinless sausages are as, if not more, delicious than regular sausages.

How do you make skinless sausages?

You’re essentially making long, thin meatballs. Just divide the filling and roll them into large sausage shapes. It’s important at this stage again not to over work the meat or it’ll go tough and chewy.

How do you cook skinless sausages?

The best method of cooking for skinless sausages is to pan fry. This way you get the extra flavour of the caramelization from the direct heat of the pan.

Can you bake skinless sausages?

I have tried this and they don’t come out as well for 2 reasons. Firstly they tend to lose shape easier. Secondly they don’t brown as well on the outside, and if they do the inside tends to dry out quicker.

Top Tip #2 – Make sure the meat is close to room temp before the sausages hit the pan. Frying cold meat tends to result in it drying out quicker.

How to make sausages - 4 step by step photos

Top Tip #3 – As you fry the sausages I recommend you flip them fairly regularly. Unlike a burger, you can’t just chuck the sausages in the pan and flip once. You need to keep them moving to ensure an even browning.

Can I prep these ahead of time?

Absolutely! You can roll them out, tightly cover and either store in the fridge (24 hours) or freezer (1 month, thaw in fridge) then fry as instructed.

How do I store and reheat leftovers?

Tightly cover in the fridge (2-3days) or freezer (month and thaw in the fridge) then pop in the oven at 180C/356F until piping hot through the centre. They won’t be quite as juicy as before still delicious!

What to serve with Sausages?

For me it’s always a classic of Mustard Mash, Red Wine Onion Gravy and either Asparagus or Green Beans!

sausages in frying pan with steam coming off

And there we have it! That’s all the tips I got for you. Just before we tuck into the full recipe make you sure check out my other similar recipes:

Delicious Recipes Using Sausages

Alrighty, let’s dig into the recipe for these homemade sausages shall we?!

closeup shot of sausage sliced open with gravy dripping down with mash and asparagus

How to make Skinless Sausages (Full Recipe & Video)

pouring gravy over sausages on white plate with asparagus and mash

Easy Homemade Skinless Sausages

These Easy Homemade Skinless Sausages are super delicious and packed full of flavour. So simple to make and even easier to fall in love with!
4.77 from 13 votes
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Servings (click & slide): 6 sausages
Course: Dinner / Main Course
Cuisine: Universal
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Calories per serving: 239kcal
Cost per serving: £1.50 / $2

Equipment:

  • Large Frying Pan & Tongs
  • Medium Sized Mixing Bowl
  • Sharp Knife & Chopping Board

Ingredients (check list):

  • 1lb / 500g 20% Fat Minced/Ground Pork, close to room temp (see notes)
  • 1/2 cup Fresh Breadcrumbs
  • 1 large Spring/Green Onion, very finely diced
  • 1 Egg, beaten
  • 1 small clove Garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp EACH dried Sage, dried Parsley
  • 3/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp EACH dried Thyme, Cracked Black Pepper, Fennel Seeds, crushed (see notes)
  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil

Instructions:

  • In a medium sized mixing bowl combine 1lb/500g pork mince with 1/2cup fresh breadcrumbs, 1 tsp dried sage & parsley, 3/4 tsp, salt, 1/2 tsp thyme, cracked black pepper & crushed fennel seeds, 1 beaten egg, 1 diced spring onion and 1 minced clove of garlic. Don't overwork the meat, only mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
  • The mixture should come together nicely, but if for whatever reasons it's too wet to mould (different pork will have different water contents) then just add a few pinches more breadcrumbs.
  • Divide the mixture into 6 (around 1/3cup cup portions). Gently roll into sausage shapes of about 6" length. They will shrink slightly in the pan.
  • Heat up 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add in sausages and turn each one over a few times to sear the outside. Continue cooking, flipping the sausages every now and then until nicely browned on the outside and piping hot through the centre (around 10-12mins).

Quick 1 min demo!

Notes:

a) Lean/Non-Lean Pork - Supermarkets often sell pork mince in the range of 5%-20% fat. When referring to 'lean pork' you're looking at around the 5% mark. The next section they have is sometimes labelled as 'reduced fat' pork (often either 10%, 12% or 15% fat). The optimum range is 20%-25%. Supermarkets will certainly stock the 20% pork, anything higher you're most likely looking to go to a butcher.
b) Room Temp - Important to take the pork out of the fridge around 15mins ahead of time, to bring it close to room temp before the sausages hit the pan. Frying cold meat always causes it to seize up slightly and dry out quicker.
c) Crushing Fennel Seeds - The best way to crush your fennel seeds is with a mortar and pestle. If don't have one, pop in a zip lock bag and crush with a rolling pin. Failing that, on a chopping board mix the seeds with a drizzle of olive oil and dice with a knife. The oil will stop them bouncing off the chopping board.
d) Fresh Breadcrumbs - Feel free to make your own by pulsing up fresh bread (1 large slice should do the trick). You can use store bought dried breadcrumbs, just reduce to 1/3 cup. 
e) Seasoning - I find 3/4 tsp salt hits the sweet spot (sausages do tend to be fairly salty). If you're concerned about seasoning I recommend starting off with less, then make a miniature patty from the mixture and fry it up in a little oil. This will be your seasoning tester, so make adjustments accordingly after you've tasted that!
f) Make Ahead - You can roll these ahead of time, then tightly cover and store in the fridge (up to 24hours), then take out 15mins before frying and cook according to recipe. You can also roll ahead of time, tightly cover and FREEZE (up to 1 month) then thaw in the fridge and fry.
g) Storage - Allow any leftovers to cool, then tightly cover in the fridge (2-3days, longer at your discretion) or freeze (up to 1 month), then thaw in the fridge. From there can just reheat in the oven at 180C/356F until piping hot through the centre. They won't be quite as juicy as freshly cooked but still perfectly fine!
h) Calories - per sausage.

Your Private Notes:

Nutrition:

Nutrition Facts
Easy Homemade Skinless Sausages
Amount Per Serving
Calories 239 Calories from Fat 165
% Daily Value*
Fat 18.35g28%
Saturated Fat 4.814g24%
Trans Fat 0.097g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.233g
Monounsaturated Fat 9.12g
Cholesterol 155mg52%
Sodium 378mg16%
Potassium 230mg7%
Carbohydrates 2.91g1%
Fiber 0.3g1%
Sugar 0.43g0%
Protein 15.55g31%
Vitamin A 130IU3%
Vitamin C 1.1mg1%
Calcium 31mg3%
Iron 1.39mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition is based on the absence of salt unless stated as a measurement in the ingredients. Cost is worked out based on ingredients bought from UK supermarkets, then divided by the number of servings. In both instances these values are just for guidance. Please check out my FAQ Page for more info.
Tried this recipe?Show me how you got on by tagging @dontgobaconmyheart_ on IG and #dontgobaconmyheart
Looking for more?You'll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook 'Comfy'

If you loved this Skinless Sausage Recipe be sure to pin it for later! Already made them or got a question? Give me a shout in the comments and pick up your free ecookbook on the way!

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Recipe Rating




58 Comments

  • Reply
    Lynda
    April 7, 2024 at 6:00 am

    2 stars
    Flavours too strong

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      April 7, 2024 at 12:15 pm

      Sorry these weren’t to your taste, Lynda! C.

  • Reply
    Karen
    October 15, 2023 at 6:35 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe! So many ‘shop-bought’ sausages have preservatives and other additives which I don’t want in my diet. This recipe is exactly what I was looking for – and super tasty! I have made them with pork mince and turkey mince. Both work really well.

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      October 16, 2023 at 11:42 am

      Thanks so much for the review, Karen! 🙂 C.

  • Reply
    Matt
    September 22, 2023 at 9:50 pm

    As Autumn approaches we are looking to replace our seasonal staple with something not ultra-processed… so these look fab! Silly question though.. is ground pork the same as pork mince? If not would UK supermarkets sell it? TIA!

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      September 23, 2023 at 11:07 am

      Hey Matt! Not a silly question. You’re right – it’s pork mince. Sorry for the confusion! C.

  • Reply
    Mike
    June 13, 2023 at 1:00 am

    Do you use ground sage or rubbed sage? Looking forward to making these thanks.

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      June 13, 2023 at 11:38 am

      Hi Mike! It’s ground sage 🙂 C.

  • Reply
    Lisa
    March 6, 2023 at 10:33 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe used it to make sausage rolls in the air fryer, turned out so good

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      March 8, 2023 at 10:38 am

      Ooo I love that idea! Will have to try it myself 🙂 C.

  • Reply
    Carol Anne
    January 19, 2023 at 1:17 pm

    This is such a great idea. I hate the recipes that call for removing the casing off sausage and I think it just makes so much more sense to make your own! I imagine you might also be able to do this with ground chicken or turkey?

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      January 19, 2023 at 5:52 pm

      Hey Carol! I’d definitely give these a go with pork, I’m not sure the flavour profile would suit chicken or turkey. C.

  • Reply
    Rhonda
    October 9, 2022 at 9:50 am

    Hello
    I am making you sausages without casings for Thanksgiving dinner, but I would also like to make hot sausages as well. What can I add to your mixture to make it hot? And how much?

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      October 10, 2022 at 5:44 pm

      Hey Rhonda! Unfortunately I’ve never made these hot before, but I imagine you could do so by adding chilli flakes. Depending on how spicy you want them, I’d guess anywhere between 1/2-1tsp.

      • Reply
        charlie
        November 9, 2022 at 7:25 pm

        5 stars
        You could use Sambal Oelek.

  • Reply
    Duncan Moore
    October 12, 2021 at 12:37 am

    hey Chris,
    Yesterday I tried your recipe for homemade sausages using a 50/50 mixture of pork mince and beef mince.
    i swear to never but store bought sausages again .Best sausages ever (I did use my Easy Kabob Maker to ensure a uniform size sausage)
    Here in New Zealand I may try using minced venison but will probably have to blend with 20% fat pork mince’

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      October 14, 2021 at 2:19 pm

      Duncan, so happy to hear the recipe went down well. I’ll have to try it with half pork/beef myself!

  • Reply
    Dennis Truman
    September 24, 2021 at 10:46 am

    I will definitely try your recipe. Fennel is not available here in Philippines. Every other recipe for sausage calls for ten pounds of pork and I am not trying to feed an army.

    • Reply
      Kevan Brighting
      March 2, 2022 at 6:28 am

      Hi Dennis – I live in Philippines too. I had no problem finding fennel seed on Lazada.

  • Reply
    Evelynn
    July 3, 2021 at 2:22 pm

    5 stars
    First time made this and my family likes them! I don’t have sage, so I replaced it with Oregano instead. Turned out to be as tasty!

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      July 4, 2021 at 10:24 am

      Great to hear they worked with oregano, Evelynn! Thanks so much for the review. C.x

  • Reply
    Amy Fiona Thomson
    December 5, 2020 at 6:24 pm

    I moved to Norway last year and I’ve been struggling to find a decent banger. The closest are the frozen ones from Iceland, and they are a disappointment! I’ve just made these, they are fantastic and I’ll make them again! Thanks for posting

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      December 6, 2020 at 11:01 am

      That’s awesome to hear! Glad you enjoyed the recipe and thank you for popping back and sharing your thoughts! 🙂

  • Reply
    Dave Thomas
    November 24, 2020 at 4:40 pm

    Made these, really tasty and will make these again. Btw..this recipe is also perfect for scotch eggs, which I make in an Air Fryer..thank you very much for this.

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      November 25, 2020 at 3:36 pm

      Dave, I’m definitely gonna have to try this is a scotch egg!! Glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂

  • Reply
    Carol
    November 18, 2020 at 6:29 pm

    5 stars
    I made these for dinner tonight, living in Greece we are deprived of a great British banger but these really hit the mark, I also made the onion gravy to go with them, delicious. Going to make the 2 remaining sausages into sausage rolls. Thank you

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      November 19, 2020 at 10:16 am

      That’s awesome to hear, Carol! Glad they went down well. Thanks for popping back for a review 🙂

  • Reply
    Sandra Smartt
    October 29, 2020 at 12:29 pm

    Hey can you not use fennel? none of our family like it, or can i mix in a different herb?

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      October 29, 2020 at 1:04 pm

      You can just leave the fennel out if you’re not a fan. They’ll still be delicious I’m sure!

  • Reply
    Mary cahill
    October 22, 2020 at 4:00 pm

    Hi Chris, can I use almond flour instead of breadcrumbs to make keto friendly sausages

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      October 25, 2020 at 10:38 am

      Hi Mary! So sorry, I very rarely work with almond flour before so couldn’t predict the results for you. Certainly worth giving it a go though if you usually use almond flour as a sub for breadcrumbs!

    • Reply
      Yas
      February 18, 2021 at 9:22 am

      Potato starch works well x

    • Reply
      Dawn
      November 27, 2021 at 9:23 pm

      I seen others use Keto Friendly Pork Puffs broken up into crumb sized pieces. The ones I’ve seen that might work are Curators Pork Puffs. While They are keto, they might have some vegetable oil in.

  • Reply
    Lily O'Grady
    August 6, 2019 at 11:07 am

    5 stars
    I made this tonight for my family and everyone loved it!! Definitely a recipe I will be using again!

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      August 9, 2019 at 8:54 pm

      So glad you and the family loved them! 🙂

    • Reply
      Kevin
      May 21, 2020 at 9:15 pm

      This has been a life saver, my son will only eat one type of sausage which has been out of stock for weeks due to covid, I made your recipe and he loves them. Thank you so much

      • Reply
        Chris Collins
        May 22, 2020 at 9:45 am

        That’s so awesome to hear, Kevin! Thrilled to hear they’ve gone down well! 🙂

  • Reply
    Che dela cruz
    May 5, 2018 at 5:32 pm

    pleaseeee…the gravy

  • Reply
    Tibbs
    February 5, 2018 at 4:30 am

    You state in the recipe notes that calories are based on 12% fat pork mince. That percentage of fat in pork sausage really is not considered “non-fat” pork that is stated in the recipe ingredient list. That is rather “lean” pork. Generally, most pork sausage recipes call for approximately 20-25 % fat content in the pork used. Pork butt/shoulder is usually used, as it contains the desired fat percentage content for a good sausage results.

    • Reply
      Chris
      February 5, 2018 at 11:56 am

      Hey Tibbs! Totally on board with you, don’t disagree at all! Unfortunately/fortunately that’s a typo which is supposed to state ‘22%’. Thanks for flagging that up! I’ve also added an extra section in the notes to distinguish the two more clearly as you’re right, it’s an important difference. Have a great day wherever you are in the world!

  • Reply
    Jere Cassidy
    January 22, 2018 at 5:42 am

    I love sausage and glad you posted this. I pinned for later because these just look so tasty.

    • Reply
      Chris
      January 22, 2018 at 3:27 pm

      Awesome! Thanks, Jere! 🙂

  • Reply
    Hanady | Recipe Nomad
    January 21, 2018 at 11:45 pm

    5 stars
    Ok you’ve seriously peaked my interest here! I don’t eat pork so I’ll use ground beef… if I go with a fatty beef do you think it’ll work ok?

    • Reply
      Chris
      January 22, 2018 at 3:26 pm

      I haven’t actually tried, but I don’t see why not! The herbs I’ve used are catered towards using pork so maybe have a play around with that. Maybe swap out the 2 tsp of sage for 1 tsp rosemary! Let me know how you get on 🙂

  • Reply
    Debra C.
    January 21, 2018 at 11:43 pm

    5 stars
    Homemade sausages sound delicious, but the gravy? WOW! That’s what takes them right over the top, YUM!

    • Reply
      Chris
      January 22, 2018 at 3:24 pm

      Alllllll about the gravy!!

    • Reply
      Yenny
      June 24, 2019 at 2:41 pm

      5 stars
      Made this twice already. Halved the spices to make it milder for my picky 5 year old. He loves it, and so do I. The combination of spices are just right. The aroma is super mouthwatering and addictive.

      • Reply
        Chris Collins
        June 24, 2019 at 10:42 pm

        That’s awesome to hear! So glad you and the little one enjoy the recipe! 🙂

  • Reply
    Noel Lizotte
    January 21, 2018 at 9:19 pm

    5 stars
    I have a love / hate relationship with sausage… I love the flavor a good sausage. I hate the mess of making them the traditional way. I hate when sausage splatters everywhere when it cooks. I love a good fried sausage.

    Sounds like I need to try your recipe!

    • Reply
      Chris
      January 21, 2018 at 10:27 pm

      Haha sounds like you do!! Enjoy 🙂

  • Reply
    Monica | Nourish & Fete
    January 21, 2018 at 7:50 pm

    5 stars
    These look amazing – I love the idea that they do not have the casings! Not to mention how flexible it would be to adjust to taste with your own seasonings. Definitely pinning this to try soon!

    • Reply
      Chris
      January 21, 2018 at 7:53 pm

      Thanks, Monica! You’re right, so perfect to adjust the seasoning! Enjoy!! 🙂

  • Reply
    Katie
    January 13, 2018 at 6:23 pm

    5 stars
    I absolutely love these!! Made them for the first time today for my 9 month old little girl… I left the salt out, but were still incredibly tasty… She’s not quite sure about them yet as they’ve got lots of new flavours for her, but are so handy for BLW… I’ll definitely be making them again, if not for my daughter, then for me

    • Reply
      Chris
      January 14, 2018 at 11:41 am

      That’s awesome news! So glad you enjoyed them. Fingers crossed the little one will be converted 🙂

  • Reply
    iami21
    February 22, 2017 at 1:41 pm

    I’m going to try this. But have you tried using lean meat? 🙂

    • Reply
      Chris
      February 22, 2017 at 3:23 pm

      I haven’t experimented which lean meat too much, as it runs the risk of them turning out to be dry. However I have heard of techniques to keep them moist such as soaking some extra breadcrumbs in milk, or adding minced mushrooms as they’re packed with water. You could even replace the Spring Onion for grated Onion for the same reason. Either way let me know how you go, would love to hear 🙂

  • Reply
    Reg
    February 22, 2017 at 12:27 am

    Certainly going to try these soon.

    • Reply
      Chris
      February 22, 2017 at 3:24 pm

      That’s awesome, Reg! Enjoy 🙂

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