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This Homemade Ground Italian Chicken Sausage is so easy to make and tastes amazing! It’s a healthy go-to for weeknight dinners, such as pastas, pizza, sheet pan dinners and more! Save time by freezing ahead.
Have you ever made your own Ground Italian Chicken Sausage? It is sooo incredibly easy, you won’t believe it! You don’t need the casings, just ground chicken and a few simple ingredients and you can have delicious, salty, garlic-y Italian Sausage. What give Italian sausage its unique flavor is fennel seed, combined with the garlic. Mixed in just minutes and then cooked in a pan, it’s an easy and flavorful addition so so many quick dinner options.
Just a few Ingredients for Homemade Italian Chicken Sausage
- Ground chicken, White meat– I used only white meat, but any fat content of ground chicken or ground turkey will work. You can also use lean ground beef or ground pork.
- Fresh Garlic, minced – Fresh garlic is best, but you can buy pre-minced garlic to save time or mince it in bulk and freeze it for use when you need it!
- Fresh Parsley– Parsley is used in the Italian sausage mixture for moisture and color. If you don’t have it, you can leave it out as the fennel and garlic bring the flavor.
- Fennel Seed – Fennel seed is what makes Italian Sausage taste like Italian Sausage. If you don’t have it, the recipe will still work and taste great, it will just be missing that recognizable sausage flavor.
- Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
Easy Dinners to Use this Ground Italian Chicken Sausage in!
There are so many options for using this homemade chicken sausage! Here are a few…
- Creamy Chicken Sausage Tortellini Soup
- Shell Pasta with Italian Chicken Sausage and Kale
- Italian Sausage Cauli-Cream Noodles
- Sheet Pan Eggs, Italian Sausage, and Veggies
- Italian Sausage-Style Chicken Lasagna Recipe
- Chicago Style Pizza with Chicken Sausage
Want more tips for making busy family dinners easier? Click here for myFree Printable 5 Simple Steps to Easy Family Dinners!
Quick note! This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase from them. This commission is what helps me keep this blog afloat :). I also share these links because I have used the products, genuinely love them, and want you to know exactly what I used.
Equipment for this Italian Chicken Sausage Recipe
You will not need anything special for making this Ground Italian Chicken Sausage!
For mincing the garlic, I love to use aGarlic Press, which is so much faster than mincing with a knife.
Then you just need a large bowl to mix everything together and a frying pan or skillet for cooking the sausage.
Time Saving Prep Steps for Ground Italian Chicken Sausage
We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are steps you can prepare ahead to save time on busy nights! (See the full recipe below)
There really is not much to prep, so if you really want to get ahead, I suggest doubling or tripling this recipe and then portioning it out and freezing it for 3-6 meals! To freeze it, just place it into a freezer bag or container and smush it down as flat as you can. This will make it easier to store (stacking) and to thaw later.
You can store it in the fridge for up to 4 days raw and up to 5 days once cooked.
You can store it in the freezer raw for up to 5 months and cooked up to 3 months.
To prepare the ground italian chicken, simply place all of the ingredients into a bowl (raw ground chicken, parsley, minced garlic, fennel seeds, salt, black pepper). Then mix to combine. That’s it!
Cooking Your Homemade Italian Sausage
Preheat a frying pan over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, then add the Italian Sausage Turkey mixture. Break apart the meat and let it sear.
Continue to break it up into bite-size pieces and let it brown on all sides. Cook until there is no pink color left in the meat and it is cooked through, about 8-10 minutes total cooking time.
Italian Chicken Sausage Recipe FAQs
Can I make this with ground turkey, ground beef or ground pork?
You can make this sausage with any ground meat that you like, however, my recommendations are for either pork, chicken, or turkey for a more authentic sausage flavor. The directions for each will be the same.
Is this considered Sweet Italian Sausage?
This recipe is considered the Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage vs. the Hot variety. It is called sweet to differentiate it, but it really just means mild, not sweet. Hot Italian Sausage will have lot of red pepper flakes to give it the spicy flavor.
Is this Chicken Sausage Gluten Free?
This Ground Italian Chicken Sausage recipe is gluten free.
Is this Italian Sausage Low Carb?
This recipe for chicken sausage has only 1.6 grams of carbohydrates per serving by itself.
ENJOY! 😍 Carrie
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Easiest Ground Italian Chicken Sausage
This Ground Italian Chicken Sausage is sooo incredibly easy, you won't believe it! You don't need the casings, just ground chicken and a few simple ingredients and you can have delicious, salty, garlic-y Italian Sausage. What give Italian sausage its unique flavor is fennel seed, combined with the garlic. Mixed in just minutes and then cooked in a pan, it's an easy and flavorful addition so so many quick dinner options. Save time by freezing ahead.
CourseMain Course
CuisineItalian
Keywordchicken, chicken sausage, ground chicken, Italian sausage
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 253 kcal
Author Carrie Tyler
Ingredients
- 1poundGround Chicken, raised without antibiotics
- 2clovesgarlic, minced
- 1teaspoonFennel Seed
- 3TablespoonsFresh Parsley chopped
- 1teaspoonFresh Ground Pepper
- 1teaspoonSalt
- 1TablespoonExtra Virgin Olive Oil(for cooking)
Instructions
Prep Ahead Steps
Chop the Parsley. Mince the garlic cloves.
Add the Ground Chicken to a large mixing bowl. To the turkey, add the minced garlic, 3 Tbls of the chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon of fennel seed, 1 teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper. Mix to combine. (Note: at this point you can freeze or store in the fridge in an airtight container)
Cooking Steps
Preheat a frying pan over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, then add the Italian Sausage Chicken mixture. Break apart the meat and let it sear. Continue to break it up into bite-size pieces and let it brown on all sides. Cook until there is no pink color left in the meat and it is cooked through, about 8-10 minutes total cooking time.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Can I make this with ground turkey, ground beef or ground pork? You can make this sausage with any ground meat that you like, however, my recommendations are for either pork, chicken, or turkey for a more authentic sausage flavor. The directions for each will be the same.
- Can I make this into a Hot Italian Sausage? This recipe is considered the Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage vs. the Hot variety. It is called sweet to differentiate it, but it really just means mild, not sweet. Hot Italian Sausage will have lot of red pepper flakes to give it the spicy flavor.
- How should I freeze this sausage? You can double or triple this recipe and then portion it out and freeze it for 3-6 meals! To freeze it, just place it into a freezer bag or container and smush it down as flat as you can. This will make it easier to store (stacking) and to thaw later. You can store it in the fridge for up to 4 days raw and up to 5 days once cooked. You can store it in the freezer raw for up to 5 months and cooked up to 3 months.
