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This chicken apple sausage will instantly improve your mornings. It’s ready to eat in 20 minutes, packs 13 grams of protein into 2 patties, and has no added sugar… just apples! Paired with ground sage and a hint of cayenne pepper, it has the perfect flavor with minimal effort.
For more variations, try my healthy turkey sausage or chicken breakfast sausage, too.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love this Chicken Apple Sausage Recipe
- It’s ridiculously easy. No chopping involved —just shred an apple and stir everything together in one bowl. It’s ready to cook in less than 10 minutes.
- It has 13 grams of protein per serving. Without eating another chicken breast or hard-boiled egg.
- It’s easy to grab. I love keeping these sausage patties in the fridge, so I can pair them with a batch of Greek yogurt chia pudding. Together, you get 29 grams of protein and 14 grams of fiber with no extra morning effort.
- There’s no added sugar. Breakfast sausage is usually maple-sweetened, but this one uses apples, so you’ll get a little extra fiber plus natural sweetness.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken. This recipe calls for one pound of ground chicken. If you want to use ground turkey instead, I think that’s fine, too.
- Apple. I use sweet apples here, like Fuji or Gala. I usually have to shred two small apples to get 1 cup total, but if you have a large apple on hand, that might be enough. If you use less than 1 cup of apple, you may want to use slightly less salt. Sweet and salt balance each other out!
- Pantry Spices. The rest of this recipe is simply spices for flavor. Ground sage is key to breakfast sausage flavor, so don’t skip that one! Paired with salt, pepper, garlic, cinnamon, and a pinch of cayenne pepper, it becomes even better than store-bought sausage.
How to Make Chicken Apple Sausage (Step by Step)
- Shred the apples using the largest holes on a box grater, avoiding the core and seeds in the center. Transfer the shredded apples to a measuring cup; you should get about 1 tightly packed cup. It’s okay to leave some juice behind on the board.
- Add the ground chicken to a large mixing bowl, then add the shredded apple, salt, sage, garlic powder, cinnamon, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Use a spatula to mix until the mixture is evenly distributed, with no visible chunks of spices.
- Use a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop to scoop the chicken mixture. I like to use 2 tablespoons at a time to make each breakfast sausage patty.
- Heat a large skillet (10 to 12 inches) over medium heat. Once hot, mist it with cooking spray. Add the scooped chicken mixture directly to the pan.
- Use wet fingers or the back of a spoon (grease it) to flatten the chicken sausage into patties about 1/2-inch thick. Repeat with about 4 patties at a time.
- By the time you flatten the last sausage patty, the first one should be ready to flip. Cook on each side about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Use a meat thermometer to check on the sausages. When they reach 165ºF in the center, you’ll know they are cooked through. Repeat with the remaining mixture until you’ve cooked 12 patties total.
- Transfer the cooked sausage to a plate and serve warm. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days for easy breakfast meal prep.
Chicken Apple Sausage Recipe FAQs
What goes well with chicken apple sausage?
It pairs well with Fall-inspired breakfast ideas, like pumpkin oatmeal, chai chia pudding, or apple baked oatmeal. You can also serve it in a healthy breakfast sandwich.
Is chicken apple sausage healthier than regular sausage?
The word “healthy” is relative, but when you make chicken apple sausage at home, you can control the quality of the chicken you use (and the fat content). And with this particular recipe, you’re only mixing it with apple and spices, so there are no added preservatives.
Can you bake chicken sausage in the oven?
Yes, you can flatten these on a rimmed baking sheet (rimmed is important to catch juices) and bake at 400ºF for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the center reaches 165ºF. I’ve also spread this into a flat sheet (almost like kebab) and cut it into squares with a pizza cutter after baking for easy portions. It’s very easy to work with!
Serve These Sausages with…
If you try this chicken apple sausage recipe, please leave a comment and ⭐ star rating below to let me know how you like it. Thanks for visiting!
Chicken Apple Sausage (No Added Sugar!)
This Chicken Apple Sausage is my favorite way to add protein to breakfast, without using eggs. It's made with ground chicken, apples, and simple pantry spices, but it tastes much more decadent. This recipe is ready to eat in as little as 20 minutes and packs 13 grams of protein into 2 patties, making it the perfect option to meal prep for the week ahead.
prep10 mins cook15 mins total25 mins
Ingredients
- 2 small apples (about 1 cup shredded)
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground sage
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Use the largest holes on a box grater to shred the apples, avoiding the core and seeds in the center. Transfer the shredded apples to a measuring cup; you should get about 1 tightly packed cup. It's okay to leave some juice on the cutting board!
- Add the ground chicken to a large mixing bowl, then add the shredded apple, salt, sage, garlic powder, cinnamon, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Use a spatula to mix until the mixture is evenly distributed, with no visible chunks of spices.
- Heat a large skillet (10 to 12 inches) over medium heat. Once the surface is hot, mist it with cooking spray. Use a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop to scoop the chicken mixture directly into the pan. I like to work with 2 tablespoon-sized scoops at a time for each breakfast sausage patty.
- Once you've piled 2 scoops on the pan, wet your fingers (or use the back of a greased spoon) and carefully flatten the sausage into a patty. It will be about ½-inch thick, so your fingers shouldn't get anywhere near the hot surface of the pan. Repeat, scooping and flattening about 4 patties at a time. By the time you flatten the last one, the first one you made should be ready to flip.
- Cook the sausage patties for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Test with a meat thermometer to make sure they reach 165ºF in the center; that's when you'll know they are done. Repeat the process with the remaining mixture, cooking about 12 sausage patties total. (Using the 2-tablespoon scoop size.)
- Transfer the cooked sausages to a plate and serve warm. You can keep these in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Breakfast sausage becomes golden on the sides when you cook it undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes. If you get distracted, the sugars in the apple can start to look burnt, but don't worry! I've made a batch that is darker, and it's still just as delicious.
Notes
Nutrition information is for 2 sausage patties, assuming you get 12 total from this recipe. This is automatically calculated using an online ingredient database, so it’s just an estimate, not a guarantee.
Apple Note: I like the flavor that comes from using 1 tightly packed cup of shredded apple, but if you don’t get quite that much, this recipe will still work. If you use LESS than 1 cup of apple, you might want to reduce the salt to only 1 teaspoon, so it doesn’t end up tasting “too salty.” Sweetness + salt balance each other out, so if you use less sweetness (apple) you also want to use less salt.
Nutrition
Serving: 2patties | Calories: 136kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 531mg | Potassium: 455mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 47IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
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