Venison Breakfast Sausage
This venison breakfast sausage is not just for breakfast; it is delicious for any meal of the day. For hunters, ground venison is a great way to use up some of that deer meat in the freezer.
Venison and pork sausage patties are fantastic with homemade buttermilk biscuits. Or you can serve the sausage on its own with maple syrup, gravy, or a variety of sauces.
Lots of hunters, as well as folks who do the cooking but not necessarily the hunting part, overlook the versatility of ground game. And then there are others who grind almost their whole deer except maybe the loins and tenderloins.
Anything you can do with ground beef, you can do with ground venison. This breakfast sausage recipe is one of my favorites!
You can find many more venison recipes in my Wild Game category.
How to Make Breakfast Sausage
For more tips, be sure to check out my post The Lost Art of Sausage Making.
What is the ratio of pork to venison for sausage?
I like to use an equal mixture of ground venison and ground pork. I mix these meats not only for taste–the flavors blend well–but also for the moistness that pork fat adds. However, you can also mix your venison with ground beef.
How do you prepare the ground meat?
If you have a meat grinder, you can grind the venison and pork yourself using the coarse die plate. If not, your local butcher most likely can grind it for you.
With sausage casings and a sausage stuffer, you can also make breakfast links.
What seasonings are best for sausage?
The wonderful thing about making your own sausage is that you can season it however you like. In this recipe I use parsley, sage, black pepper, cayenne, and crushed red pepper. You could also use red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and onion powder. I add a little brown sugar for a hint of sweetness.
How to Cook with Venison Sausage
The possibilities for dishes with homemade sausage are almost endless. I use venison sausage as my protein to make a fast bolognese, to top pizza with various cheeses, as meatballs for spaghetti and lasagna, and crumbled into casseroles. And, of course, for breakfast!
How to Freeze Sausage
Since the sausage making process means you’ve got to get out the grinder or food processor and then clean it, I like to make large batches of ground sausage meat and freeze them for later.
You can freeze this venison sausage for up to 6 months.
- Form patties and place freezer paper in between them.
- Add the patties to a ziptop freezer bag. Be sure to package the meat tightly in the bag, removing as much air as you can to help avoid freezer burn.
- Remove 1 or 2 patties as you need them and the place the bag back into the freezer with the remaining patties.
I also like to wrap one pound of sausage in a log and freeze it. When I am ready to cook, I remove it from the freezer and thaw it a bit in the refrigerator. Then I slice the sausage while it is still slightly frozen and cook over medium-high heat on the stovetop.
Venison Breakfast Sausage
Ingredients
- 7 lbs venison roast, hindquarter, neck, or shoulder
- 7 lbs lean pork 40% fat
- ⅜ cup kosher salt or sea salt
- ¼ cup dried sage
- 2½ tablespoons dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons black pepper
- 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Cut venison and pork into 2- to 3-inch cubes. Massage the seasonings and herbs into the meat. While you set up the meat grinder, allow the meat and the bowl you will use to chill in the freezer for about 20 minutes.
- Using the coarse die plate on your meat grinder, grind the meat into a large bowl. Work as quickly as possible so that the meat mixture doesn’t get too warm. If the meat is too warm, place it back in the freezer after the first pass. If the meat is still chilled, switch out the coarse die for the fine die and grind the meat again. This will ensure the spices mix thoroughly with the ground meat and the sausage has the right texture.
- Form patties with the amount you want to use and cook them over medium high heat until cooked through. Alternatively, package the sausage and freeze for up to 6 months.
Click for all my Venison Recipes, grouped by cut of meat.
