Growing up in a home where food preparation was a family affair, making sausage holds a special place in my heart. I can still picture our kitchen table, where we’d clamp our trusty hand-crank grinder and take turns grinding meat until our arms grew tired. The rhythm of the crank, the fresh aroma of herbs, and the shared labor of love created more than just sausage—it crafted lasting memories.
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Homemade Italian sausage recipe – a family affair
Today, I’m sharing my family’s Italian sausage recipe, but with a modern twist—no special equipment required! You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to create authentic, flavorful Italian sausage right in your own kitchen using tools you already have.
What Makes Italian Sausage “Italian”?
Italian sausage is essentially seasoned pork sausage distinguished by its unique Mediterranean herbs and spices blend. Unlike breakfast sausage, which often contains sweeteners like maple syrup, brown sugar, and sage, Italian sausage embodies savory flavors perfect for pasta dishes, pizzas, and hearty soups.
The signature flavor profile comes from:
- Garlic
- Fennel seeds
- Black pepper
- Parsley
- Various Italian herbs
While breakfast sausage often takes a sweeter, smokier route, Italian sausage travels the savory, herbaceous path that beautifully complements tomato-based sauces.
Ingredients: What You’ll Need
- Fresh garlic – Provides essential aromatic flavor and is the foundation of Italian sausage’s distinctive taste
- Paprika – Adds subtle color and mild sweetness while enhancing the overall complexity
- Fennel seeds – Deliver the signature anise-like flavor that defines Italian sausage
- Kosher salt – Enhances flavors and acts as a preservative for the meat
- Freshly cracked black pepper – Creates depth and a gentle heat that builds in the background
- Cayenne – Provides controlled heat without overwhelming the other flavors
- Crushed red pepper flakes – Add textural heat elements and visual appeal
- Parsley leaves – Contributes fresh, herbal notes and brightens the rich pork flavor
- Dry wine (red or white) – Tenderizes the meat while adding subtle acidity and depth
- Pork butt (or pre-ground pork) – Forms the base with ideal fat-to-meat ratio for juicy, flavorful sausage
Equipment Needed
- Storage containers
- Sharp knife for cutting meat (if using pork butt)
- Large mixing bowl
- Food processor OR meat grinder OR mixer with grinder attachment
- Measuring spoons
- Small skillet (for testing seasoning)
Choosing the Right Meat
The secret to excellent Italian sausage is choosing meat with the proper fat content. Pork butt (also called pork shoulder) is ideal because it offers the perfect balance of lean meat and fat, typically around 20-30% fat.
Why fat matters: Marbling creates juicy, flavorful sausage. Overly lean cuts like pork loin would result in dry, crumbly sausage that lacks richness.
Money-saving tip: Let sales guide your choice! Any well-marbled pork cut will work beautifully in this recipe.
How to Make Italian Sausage
Chop pork butt into pieces that are 1 to 2 inches in size. Place pork pieces into a bowl.
Add dry red wine, salt, cayenne pepper, fennel seed, paprika, crushed red pepper, garlic, chopped parsley, and cracked black pepper.
Stir the mixture to combine it and coat the meat evenly. Cover with plastic and allow the meat to marinate for a few hours before grinding.
Pass the meat through a meat grinder fitted with a medium-sized die. Alternatively, place the meat into a food processor in small batches and process until finely ground.
You can test the seasoning by cooking a small portion of the sausage; if desired, adjust for seasoning.
Freshly ground Italian sausage should be used within 48 hours or can be frozen.
How to Grind Sausage
You may wonder how you will grind up this sausage. You can use a hand crank, but there are other options.
1. Use a mixer with a grinding attachment
My favorite way is to use a mixer with a grinding attachment. I know the KitchenAide grinder works well.
2. Use a food processor to make sausage
I have also used a food processor. With the food processor, you simply mince the meat very fine. It all works very well. You will get a more uniform sausage with a grinder, but again, the food processor works great.
Italian sausage without casing
What I really love about Italian sausage is that it is one type of sausage that you don’t need to stuff into a casing. Often, sausages are stuffed into casings, but this one, I think, lends itself well to using simply ground up.
Authentic Homemade Italian Sausage (No Special Equipment Needed)
Ingredients
- 4 pounds pork well marbled
- 4 tablespoons dry red wine omit if desired
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Chop pork butt into pieces that are 1 to 2 inches large. Add to a bowl.
- In the bowl add dry red wine, salt, cayenne pepper, fennel seed, paprika, crushed red pepper, garlic, chopped parsley, and cracked black pepper.
- Stir the mixture to combine, and coat the meat evenly. If desired covered with plastic and allow the meat to marinate for a few hours before grinding.
- Pass the meat with a meat grinder fitted with the medium-sized die. Or place the meat into a food processor in small batches and process until finely ground.
- You can test the seasoning by cooking a small portion of the sausage, if desired adjust for seasoning. Sausage should be used within 48 hours or can be frozen for use later.
Video
Nutrition
Storing Your Homemade Sausage
Refrigerator storage: Keep fresh sausage in an airtight container for 2 days.
Freezer storage: Package bulk sausage in freezer-safe containers or bags in meal-sized portions. Label with the date and use within 3 months for best quality.
Quick tip: Pre-portion your sausage before freezing—form into sausage patties or 1/2-pound packages for easy meal prep later.
Serving Suggestions
Italian sausage elevates countless dishes. Try it:
- Browned and added to jarred pasta spaghetti sauce for an instant upgrade
- Formed into meatballs for subs or pasta
- Crumbled over homemade pizza
- Added to soups like Zuppa Toscana
- Shaped into patties for Italian sausage sandwiches
Perfect pairings: Serve with crusty bread, roasted vegetables, or a simple green salad with olive oil and lemon.
Ways to use homemade Italian sausage
- Meat Sauce
- Italian Sausage Instant Pot
- Pork Sausage Casserole Recipe
- Gnocchi and Sausage Recipe
- Cheesy Sausage Italian Skillet
- Sausage Lentil Soup Recipe
- Italian Stuffed Red Peppers
- Pasta Rustica Recipe
- Cheesy Lasagna Dip
- How to Make a Pizza Bowl
Top How to Make Recipes
Check out my easy Italian recipes and the best copycat food recipes.
Final Tips for Success
- Cut meat while cold: Partially frozen meat is easier to cut into uniform pieces.
- Don’t overprocess: Stop grinding once the meat is uniform and has texture.
- Always test: Cook a small amount before storing the batch to ensure perfect seasoning.
- Label and date: Always mark your stored sausage with the date it was made.
Making your own Italian sausage allows you to control the ingredients and flavor. Once you experience the superior taste of homemade sausage, you’ll never want to go back to store-bought again!
Rosendo PenalverJr
I learned how to make italian sausage working at a italian corner store when I was 10yrs old in Tampa Fl. We used a 3to 1 mixture of pork butt and lean beef. Fine gringo the beef first then grind again with pork cubes with larger bringing plates. We used salt, pepper,fresh parsley,whole fennel and ground fennel seed, a little powered onion and garlic and to that a good parmesan cheese. Was the best sausage in town..
Jane
Stephanie, I started making my own Italian sausage many years ago to control my sodium intake. I use a recipe from an old guy I used to watch on PBS who is no longer with us. It is very similar to yours, but I no longer get it out,I just add stuff as I see fit. I do want to recommend to those who use a food processor to chop the meat fo freeze the small chunks for thirty minutes before processing. They cut up better. I have used pork butt also but I read somewhere to use boneless “Country Style” ribs instead, I think they both come from the same basic part of the animal. The ribs are often on sale just as pork butt is. I don’t put wine in my sauasge but I like that idea! I am going to try it, I put a bay leave in my recipe, chopped up fine in the processor.
Stephanie
Great tips! I need to give your freezing and bay leaf a try.
Patricia Pizza
I am 73 and like Mama Jo, my mother and Grandmother, who came from Italy, only used the pork, salt, pepper, paprika, fennel and red pepper flakes. It was the best. We even dried some of it in our unheated basement wrapped around a hanging pole. I loved it!
Ted Dascoli
Stephanie, who are you copy acting hers? Or is it just your family recipe? Looks good! How much does the wine influence the taste? I know there’s not much of it.
Stephanie
I was not copying anyone’s recipe/restaurant. This was an original recipe of my own. The wine has a small influence in the taste, it adds a nice touch of acidity to go with all of the fat in the sausage. I personally think it brings out the flavors of the spices and herbs more.
greg
the only thing I would consider is toasting the fennel. it releases the oils and changes the flavor.
Barbara
That’s what makes the world go round !
Anthony
I have made Italian sausage for 50 years with my Italian family. We are from Calabria.
I know the process by heart, how much and what kinds of spices to add by smell and taste. No greens, no garlic, no wine. My sisters deviated from the family recipe with an online recipe and wasted a lot of time and money and eventually threw away the batch they made. Everyone who eats my sausage raves and want’s more. People are offering to buy it. I would like to know what to charge per pound.
Jo
I wish you would tell us your reciepe for your sausage I too am from Calabria and can,t find my grandma recipe
Mama Jo
To make Italian sausage all you need is ground pork, paprika, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and fennel.. How much of each you make to your taste. Trial and error until you get your preferred recipe. Hope that helps. I like a lot of fennel so I put in more than usual. My problem is to buy pork with enough fat. I only make a couple pounds at a time. I live alone with not much freezer space. I make patties and freeze them. Shape some like sausage for my spaghetti sauce.
susan
I’m looking for a true sweet Italian recipe for me to make homemade. Can you share a recipe that is truly sweet
Annie F.
Anthony – whAt is your recipe. I follow my father’s recipe using pork butt, fresh ground pepper and lots of fennel and some water. A friend and I made 50 pounds. Absolutely delicious!!!
JanetM
I don’t know why I haven’t made Italian sausage before now. I will definitely be trying this. I wouldn’t use sauce from a jar, but looking forward to putting homemade Italian sausage on pizza. I guess I’ll have to get that grinder attachment for the Kitchenaide.
Stephanie
If you have a food processor you can mince everything up too. I know you will like your own homemade Italian sausage.
Mike
Could u just buy unseasoned ground pork from your local meat market then add whatever seasonings you would like?
Stephanie
I think you could do that. You may want to grind your own to make sure you control the lean to fat ratio.
Linder42
I just made this recipe and it was so close to our good Italian deli sausage that we’re so picky about around here, I was amazed. I used the red wine and marinated the pork with the spices for a few hours. I only used half the cayenne and pepper flakes and more garlic which gave it just enough heat. I love fennel so I will use more next time. Make sure to use more fat then you think you need. I ground the meat with the Kitchenaid attachment.
kalynskitchen
Yum, I would love this!
stephaniemanley
What do you like to make with Italian Sausage?
Tumbling
I make an amazing (and amazingly fast) lasagna! To make the ‘red sauce’ part of the lasagna, I just crumble up some good Italian sausage, lightly fry it, then add a can of tomato sauce. Tastes like I spent hours simmering and adjusting spices!