MSG Free Air Fryer Breakfast Sausage
Store-bought breakfast sausage is one of those sneaky sources of monosodium glutamate, with ingredient lists that require a magnifying glass and a lot of patience. Making your own from scratch means you know exactly what went into every patty — and this version keeps things beautifully simple with ground pork and a handful of real spices. Sage, thyme, smoked paprika, and garlic powder do all the heavy lifting here, building that classic savory-smoky flavor without any flavor enhancers or additives. A touch of maple syrup and red pepper flakes are optional, but they add a subtle sweet heat that takes the whole thing to another level. The air fryer does a fantastic job of getting the outsides deeply golden and caramelized while keeping the inside juicy, and the whole process is genuinely hands-off once the patties hit the basket. These are the kind of breakfast sausages that make a weekend morning feel worth getting out of bed for.
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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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