ITALIAN SAUSAGE SEASONING

MAKES 1/3 cup (720 ml) Sausage shouldn’t be complicated: It’s essentially meat made magical with spices. But too many store-bought brands include sugar and other mystery ingredients. This sugar-free blend works well with ground pork, beef, turkey, and chicken and produces flavorful, worry-free sausage flavor that guarantees you won’t need to rely on store bought. INGREDIENTS • 4 teaspoons dried parsley • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) dried Italian herbs (I like Penzeys.) • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) ground black pepper • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) coarse (granulated) garlic powder • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) paprika • 4 teaspoons (20 ml) salt • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) crushed red pepper flakes • 1 1/2 teaspoons (10 ml) fennel seed (optional) DIRECTIONS 1. In a medium bowl, crush the dried parsley and Italian herbs with your fingers or a fork to release their flavor. 2. Add the black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, salt, red pepper flakes, and fennel seed. Mix with a fork and transfer to an airtight container for storage.  

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Italian sausage seasoning is the sugar-free spice blend that turns plain ground meat into proper sausage — no mystery ingredients required. Dried parsley, Italian herbs, fennel, and a hit of red pepper flakes make pork, beef, turkey, or chicken taste like it came from a proper butcher. Mix a batch and weeknight sausage is suddenly effortless.

Pro Tips

• Crush the dried parsley and Italian herbs with your fingers before mixing. That little bit of friction releases their oils and wakes up the whole blend.
• The fennel seed is optional but it is the signature flavor people recognize in Italian sausage. Include it for the most authentic result.
• Mix thoroughly with a fork so the salt and red pepper flakes distribute evenly — nobody wants the one bite that is pure chili flake.
• Store in an airtight container and use it on ground pork, beef, turkey, or chicken. Sugar-free and worry-free every time.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much sausage seasoning per pound of meat?

About 2-3 teaspoons per pound gives a well-seasoned sausage flavor. Start with 2 teaspoons and adjust to taste.

How much does this recipe make?

About 1/3 cup — enough for several batches of homemade sausage.

Why make sausage seasoning at home?

Most store-bought sausage contains sugar and fillers. This blend is pure spices, so you control exactly what goes into your food.

What can I use this seasoning on besides sausage?

Rub it on pork chops, stir it into tomato sauces, or season meatballs and burger patties with it for instant Italian flavor.

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