Cinnamon Free Air Fryer Breakfast Sausage
Most store-bought breakfast sausages are loaded with warm spice blends that almost always sneak in cinnamon — which makes mornings genuinely tricky if you need to avoid it. This homemade version puts you back in control, built entirely from a savory lineup of sage, thyme, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and a touch of black pepper. The result is a deeply flavorful patty that tastes like classic breakfast sausage without any of the sweet, spiced undertones you're trying to dodge. The air fryer does serious work here, giving each patty a gorgeous golden-brown crust while keeping the inside juicy and tender. A quick flip halfway through is all it takes to get that even cook, and hitting 160°F in the center means you're pulling perfectly done sausage every single time. The optional splash of maple syrup adds just a whisper of sweetness that plays beautifully off the smoky paprika if you're in the mood for it. Eight patties come together fast with minimal cleanup, and they're the kind of thing that makes a weekday breakfast feel like a real occasion. Pile them alongside eggs, tuck them into a biscuit, or just eat them straight off the plate — no complaints either way.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 tsp dried sage
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 tsp maple syrup (optional)
Instructions
- 1
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground pork, sage, thyme, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes and maple syrup if using. Mix with your hands until the seasonings are evenly distributed throughout the meat, about 30 seconds — stop as soon as the mixture is uniform to keep the texture tender.
- 2
Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and press each into a round patty about 3 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. Slightly thinner edges help the patties cook evenly.
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