Nitrate & Nitrite Free Air Fryer Breakfast Sausage
Breakfast sausage is one of those morning staples that's almost impossible to find clean at the grocery store — most commercial options are packed with curing agents and preservatives you'd rather not think about before your first cup of coffee. This homemade version skips all of that entirely, built from ground pork and a lineup of real pantry spices: sage, thyme, smoked paprika, garlic, and a whisper of heat from optional red pepper flakes. A touch of maple syrup can go in if you like that classic sweet-savory balance, but either way the flavor is deeply satisfying and completely your own. Mixing by hand for just about 30 seconds keeps the texture tender rather than dense, and the air fryer does the heavy lifting from there — producing patties with a genuinely deep golden crust in about 10 to 12 minutes. Flipping halfway through ensures even browning, and pulling them at an internal temp of 160°F means they're perfectly cooked without any guesswork. These are the kind of patties that make a weekend breakfast feel like something 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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