Can’t find a lower sodium Italian Chicken or Turkey Sausage for the 21 Day Fix or WW? Read on to find out How to Make Homemade Italian Sausage with Ground Chicken or Turkey with my Easy Italian Sausage Seasoning Blend!
I get this question all the time – where can I find Italian Chicken or Turkey Sausage that is lower in sodium?
Turns out, it’s tricky. I am lucky enough to have a Wegman’s near me, and their lean Italian Poultry Sausage happens to be lower in sodium than most brands at about 400mg per serving. Just as a reference, one teaspoon of salt contains 2,300 mg of sodium and we should all try to stick to that amount or less in a day.
If you don’t have a Wegman’s, you can try a butcher shop, or a Whole Foods; they might also have some options for you.
I happen to love Italian Chicken Sausage and I use it in a TON of my recipes because it gives such yummy flavor without a lot of fat. I don’t stress a ton about sodium in a lean, healthy chicken sausage because I don’t eat a lot of packaged, processed food, so my sodium intake is already low. BUT, if you can’t find a poultry sausage with 400mg or less of sodium, or if your body reacts poorly to sodium, you need another option!
So what’s a FIXer to do?
If you can’t find a lower sodium Italian Sausage, you can very easily just make your own!
Looking for a breakfast version? Check out this maple chicken breakfast sausage recipe!
How to Make Homemade Italian Chicken Sausage or Italian Turkey Sausage
It’s super easy to make your own Italian Sausage! Just start with some lean ground chicken or ground turkey – lately I have been preferring ground chicken in everything. But either works and this would also be yummy with beef! Then, add your seasonings
Italian Sausage Seasonings
1 T minced garlic (fresh!) – the best Italian Sausage has little bites of fresh garlic
1 tsp parsley – it’s ok to grab your dried spices for this unless you have fresh on hand to use
½ tsp oregano – this is a staple in my pantry and I use it in a ton of my recipes
½ tsp basil – again, dried is fine unless you have fresh basil ready to use
½ tsp onion powder – don’t skip this
½ tsp fennel seeds – adding fennel is KEY to making ground chicken taste like Italian Sausage
½ tsp paprika – I use regular, but smoked would be fun, too
¼ tsp red pepper flakes – or more to taste. Omit it if you want a sweeter sausage
½ tsp salt – I love that you can control the amount of sodium in this Italian Sausage Seasonings blend
sprinkle of black pepper – or more to taste – you can add a lot more, I am just not a huge fan
These Italian Sausage Seasonings need to be mixed into your ground meat along with one tsp of olive oil and one tsp of maple syrup or honey.
Then you can cook this Homemade Chicken or Turkey Sausage according to the directions in your recipe! I have been browning it as part of my food prep and either freezing it or portioning it in the fridge to serve in quick bowls and sauces through the week.
Is this Homemade Italian Chicken Sausage a healthy choice?
Yes! This is a much healthier choice than many brands of Italian Poultry Sausage out there, especially those of you who can’t find a lower sodium option at your store or butcher. You will reduce the sodium level by more than half by using this recipe and you will also be able to purchase a leaner cut of meat, as well.
What are some recipes that use Italian Chicken or Turkey Sausage?
Like I said before, I love the flavor in Italian Chicken Sausage, so I have a whole bunch of recipes that you can use this Homemade Italian Chicken Sausage recipe in! Here are some examples!
21 Day Fix Zuppa Toscana (Instant Pot/ Stove Top)
Healthy Instant Pot Lasagna Soup | 21 Day Fix Lasagna Soup [Gluten-free]
Healthy Instant Pot Baked Ziti | 21 Day Fix Instant Pot Baked Ziti [Gluten-free]
Instant Pot Low Carb Stuffed Pepper Soup [21 Day Fix | 2B Mindset]
Instant Pot Sausage and Lentil Soup (21 Day Fix/Stove-top Option)
Instant Pot Sausage Broccoli Pasta (21 Day Fix)
Instant Pot Brown Rice and Sausage Stuffing (21 Day Fix)
Spicy Sausage and Veggies {21 Day Fix}
21 Day Fix Pumpkin Pasta with Spicy Sausage (Gluten Free|Instant Pot Option)
21 Day Fix Stuffed Acorn Squash with Sausage, Spinach, and Feta
How to Make Homemade Italian Sausage with Ground Chicken or Turkey
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground turkey or ground chicken
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic fresh!
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon basil
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or more to taste - or omit if you want a sweeter sausage
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Sprinkle black pepper or more to taste - you can add a lot more, I am just not a huge fan
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup or sub honey
Instructions
- Mix spices together. Taste and adjust spice level if desired.
- Add 1 tsp olive oil and 1 tsp maple syrup to 1 lb of ground meat. Gently mix in seasonings, being careful not to over handle the meat.
- If you have time, allow the meat to sit in the refrigerator for a few minutes or a few hours so the flavors can meld. If you don't have time, skip this step! I usually skip 🙂
- Brown your meat or cook according to your recipe directions!
- This recipe freezes well - both cooked and uncooked.
Laura says
Does it make a difference, a noticeable difference, if you omit the maple syrup? Hubby has a liver disease and can’t have any type of sweetener.
Nancylynn says
It will taste different, yes. But it will still be delicious! Give it a try and let us know what you think!
Amy Murdock says
As a food allergic person (gluten, egg, dairy, pork, soy to name a few) I don’t eat store bought sausages and they have such high levels of sodium!!
I’ve been looking for a better chicken sausage recipe for some time and your’s sounds good however I’m also allergic to garlic; how will it taste without the garlic?
Thank you for any recommendations.
Nancylynn says
Food allergies are so hard! I hope you give this one a try. I think without garlic due to your allergy it will be just fine! Let us know if you try it. Thanks!
Heidi R. says
this was absolutely delicious! I was unable to find ground turkey Italian sausage at the store, and I came across your recipe so I gave it a try. So. Good. it will be the new base for all of my recipes that call for Italian sausage. thank you for this great recipe!
Melly says
delicious. bought the large package of ground chicken, 2.5 lbs. made double seasoning. used some fresh in a vegetable casserole and froze the rest as patties.
Nancylynn says
This is perfect – thank you for sharing! You’ll be thanking yourself every time you take some out of the freezer!
terry h goeggel says
Going to try it ton8ght, mix with spinach to stuff shels and bake with alfredo sauce and cheese might try to add some tasso. let youknow how it comes out.Trry G, New orleans as if the tasso didn’t clue you in. TG
Nancylynn says
Great idea, Terry!
JAMES OLIVER says
Thanks for this excellent recipe. I love sausage but really have to limit how much I eat for medical reasons. Now I can have the taste and now worry about the negative.
Nancylynn says
This is amazing, James! Thank you for your comment!
Violet Hairr says
recently found out my blood sugar is out of control
so excited to try this much lower in salt and fat recipe (I always thought the store bought was too salty and greasy anyway)
let you know how it goes 😁
Nancylynn says
So glad this recipe could help you, Violet! Yes, let us know!
Donna says
So close to the “real thing” !
I don’t think I will ever use pork Italian sausage again . Definitely add the fennel seed for the most authentic flavor.
I can think of so many recipes to use with this perfect dupe .
Thank you so much for this recipe !
Nancylynn says
Donna, thank you for such high praise! Soo glad you love the recipe!
Carolyn says
I haven’t used the recipe yet. Making for tomorrow to put in Olive Gardens Zappa TOS soup
Thanks to the other person who used it in same recipe I know it will be delicious, as all your recipes are.
Carolyn
Nancylynn says
Oooh yum! Yes, I also love this homemade sausage in Zuppa Toscana! https://confessionsofafitfoodie.com/21-day-fix-zuppa-toscana-2/
Thank you Carolyn!
Kathryn says
Am making this for a church celebration. You say that this is four servings. How much do you consider a serving? There will be four other people making different soups. Thanks, Kathryn Wilkerson
Nancylynn says
Hi Kathryn! Are you asking about the servings for the sausage recipe or a specific soup recipe? The serving size for the sausage is about 3/4 cup, based on the RED container in the 21 Day Fix. Since you’re planning to make for a group that’s not following the 21 Day Fix, you can make the serving size as large or small as you choose. I hope that helps!
Diane says
Holy Cow! This is absoutely delicious – and I am not usually a fan of ground chicken anything! This recipe tastes pretty close to the real thing! I was making stuffed zucchini boats so I finely chopped and sauted some of the zucchini and a little red peppers before I added the chicken sausage mixture to the same pan to brown. Blown away by how delicious this was! Thank you for sharing!!!!
Nancylynn says
Oooh yum – great idea!
Since you loved the recipe so much, would you mind taking the time to also give it a 5 star rating? It helps other readers (and Google!) know it’s a winner! Thank you in advance!
Patti says
Wow! Yummy. Made this today for a pizza topping. I’m always looking to make food without extra additives. I did add a half tsp of thyme but I’m sure that didn’t make that much difference. I’m going to try these spices with venison next.
Nancylynn says
Perfect! Thank you for trying it and taking the time to let us know you loved the recipe by giving it a 5 star rating and leaving a comment!
Nancy says
Delicious! I wish I made a bigger batch since I used most of it in the Zuppa Toscana soup 🤗
I love the fact I’m in control of the sodium and plan on making this again … and again … and ….
Nancylynn says
YAY! Thank you! Now you know to make more for next time, lol!
Teresa Harmon says
I can’t wait to try this. I do have a question though, do you grind the fennel seeds or leave them whole? Thank you!
Nancylynn says
Hi Teresa – I leave them whole! Enjoy!
Jen says
Wow! I was fooled. It really does taste like sausage! I added all ingredients, mixed and let sit in fridge for a couple hours. Then I used in your linked Stuffed pepper soup recipe! Whole family enjoyed!
Nancylynn says
Yay!! This is amazing, thank you for your comment and for rating the recipe!
Monica says
I used to buy turkey sausage at the store, but then they stopped selling it and I can’t find it anywhere else, so this recipe has been so helpful and it tastes great!
Teresa Carvalho says
Hi. I am picking up the ingredients to make your chicken sausage recipe as soon as I can get to the market. I was wondering if you ever tried to make chicken burgers with this recipe? My daughter will only eat ground chicken and this is such a great recipe without all the salt and additives. I am just not sure if I need to add eggs to hold the meat together?
Your recipes look delicious. I need to make better, healthier choices for myself and your recipes are ones that I find very flavorful and satisfying.
Nancylynn says
Thank you so much for the compliment!
This would work as a burger just fine without egg or any binder- great idea! The cook method would be just like these yummy turkey burgers… https://confessionsofafitfoodie.com/21-day-fix-turkey-burgers-goat-cheese-citrus-maple-dijon/
Linda Barufaldi says
How much ground chicken goes with these amounts of seasoning?
Nancylynn says
1 pound
Claudia says
I wanted to read through this recipe but there’s an ad placed after every 2-3 ingredients, this is not ideal for reading. I tried to click the “print” option to get away from the ads but it was the same story there. I’m a blogger too so I understand this is how you get paid but the ad placement needs to be different and omitted from the print page. Hope this was helpful.
Nancylynn says
It is helpful – I am definitely working to find the right balance and finding the recipe card placement to be an issue, as well!
Janet T. says
Just thought I’d mention that as of Jan 2, 2021 there are no ads at all with the recipe. Not sure why. But I thought you’d like to know. I also really like the recipe. It’s great to use it with many sausage recipes. Thanks
Joe says
I let sit overnight and had it this AM as breakfast sausage, excellent.
Nancylynn says
What a great idea!!
Janet T. says
I have all these herbs in the garden. Could I use them feesh instead of dried?
Nancylynn says
YES!
Robin says
I just tried your recipe and it was delicious! I used it as a meat base for soup. Thank you for this recipe
Nancylynn says
SO SO Happy!!!!!!
Pamela Downs says
I have been buying/using the Italian Turkey Sausage from Aldi forever and they recently stopped carrying it. This is the first recipe I tried to make my own and it is outstanding! My husband loved it! Used the exact ingredients/measurements and it was a keeper. Will be making this again and again!
Nancylynn says
YAY!!! And it’s funny bc I haven’t seen it either – now I know why!