Homemade Irish Sausages are simple and easy to prepare — even if you don’t have a meat grinder. They don’t even need the fussiness of casings which is why I really enjoy them. It’s just a quick mix of the spices and then off to fry in the pan. This recipe is a copy-cat version of Trader Joe’s Irish Sausages which are only available in my area right around St. Patrick’s Day.
So, if I can buy them at Trader Joe’s why would I want to bother with making my own sausages? That’s a valid question but let me explain my simple reasoning.
- Why pay double the price when making homemade sausage is easy!
- Season the sausage exactly to your family’s tastes.
- Fresh sausages don’t have MSG, Nitrates, artificial ingredients or any other fillers. (Woo-Hoo!)
- Enjoy Homemade Irish sausages, anytime you like — and not just at St. Patrick’s Day!
Still, a lot of people are intimidated by the thought of making homemade sausages and rightfully so. But if you buy pre-ground pork, all you have to do is mix in a few spices and you’re ready to go! We stuffed ours into a casing because we already have them on hand from making some Homemade Linguica but free form links or patties are the way to go for ease of preparation. Making Homemade Irish Sausages an easy and affordable weeknight meal.
So if you’ve never made homemade sausages before, here’s your chance with this very easy recipe for Homemade Irish Sausages to give it a try! Homemade sausage is worth the extra effort. Paired with buttery champ and vegetables, these sausages make a wonderful meal.
Homemade Irish Sausages
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1 egg , lightly beaten
- 1 clove garlic , crushed [see note 1]
- Salt and ground black pepper , to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Mix everything together in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Fry a tiny bit of the mixture in a pan with a little olive to check the seasonings. Re-season the rest of the mixture, if needed.
- Divide the mixture into twelve equal portions and shape each one into a sausage link or patty.
- Cook sausages in a skillet until cooked through and the juices run clear or a thermometer inserted in the center reads 160 degrees F – about 15 minutes.
Notes
- The flavor profile of traditional Irish Sausages is pretty simple and mild. I feel like if you start adding a lot of other flavorings then it’s not really a traditional Irish Sausage anymore but if you’d like to bump up the flavor profile, you can always add crushed red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, or smoked paprika to add some variety. That being said, Traditional Irish sausages would not contain garlic.
Made this recipe exactly as written for Sunday supper along with the Boston baked beans and it was amazing! Thanks so much!
Thanks, Ava! So glad you liked it!
Very lightly seasoned just like true Irish sausages. perfect
Thanks, Wendy! So glad you liked it.
Hi, just wanted to mention, I enjoyed this blog post. It was helpful for my first attempt at sausage.
This is a very traditional Irish recipe. Simple and classic.
OK – so I will admit, I never thought of just using ground sausage and I feel pretty silly. I did the free-formed ones since I didnt have casings and we liked them. They are very mildly spiced so we added a bit more spice but overall very solid recipe.
I have a grinder that hasn’t been out of the pantry since we moved last summer! You’ve reminded me how much I love making my own sausages… Great post!
We do, too. It’s a lost art we need to revive. So tasty!
Oh -my! These sausages look so good. My husband got the attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer to make his own sausages — and he’s been remiss in the quantity of porky products he’s produced! I’m going to print this out and leave it on his pillow… Is that enough of a hint?
That would do it for sure! We like making our own. It’s a labor of love when we grind and stuff our own but this quick little recipe makes it so easy to make your own and add in your own spice blend to really pick up the flavor profile of these mildly spiced sausages.
I don’t have casings or a sausage stuffer, but I could easily see using your spicing profile and shaping it into a nice little burger. Going to do it!
I like to do that too with my linguica and make burgers of it. These we make sausage shaped and just fry them up but the patties do fry up quicker.
i have never made sausage at home…but it seriously eases my mind that there are easier and way healthier ways to eat sausage by making them at home
…And you may use ground chicken, or ground turkey if you prefer. I’ve seen duck sausages, too.
Wow – making sausages at home is just not something that I’d ever think of doing, but you’ve made it seem so easy!
It really is pretty easy. I do hope you will give it a try.