Sausage balls are an easy and delicious dish. Perfect for breakfast and brunch or as a game-day and holiday appetizer!
Looking for more easy appetizer recipes? You’ll love my spinach artichoke dip, buffalo chicken wings, and Swedish meatballs.
Sausage balls have always been a favorite bite-sized dish. They are so versatile and perfect for so many occasions. I remember that my Mama would make them for Christmas morning brunch, New Year’s Eve snacks to help us make it to midnight, and to nibble on while watching football games. This is her made-from-scratch, easy-as-can-be, homemade sausage balls recipe. No mixes included!
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
Easy recipe. Just mix, scoop, bake and enjoy!
Simple ingredients. This classic recipe uses 4 ingredients along with optional seasonings. These are all items you most likely have in your pantry and refrigerator!
Incredible flavor. Sausage balls have so much flavor from the sausage, cheese, and whatever seasonings you decide to include. They are a crowd favorite!
Why Are These the Best Sausage Balls?
Along with it being an easy recipe, using simple ingredients, and having incredible flavor, these sausage balls are made from scratch! Many people make sausage balls using a biscuit mix. That recipe also uses 4 ingredients where you can include optional seasonings. I prefer to make my sausage balls from scratch and how my Mama always made hers. They make the easiest and best sausage balls! I always have flour, but I never seem to have specialty baking mix in my pantry.
How to Make Easy Sausage Balls Recipe
Ingredients
For this recipe, you’ll need four basic ingredients: ground pork sausage, self-rising flour, cheddar cheese, and milk.
To these basic ingredients, you can mix your favorite seasonings based on your preferences. Some seasonings my family enjoys are salt, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Substitutions
Sausage – you may use your favorite turkey sausage or chicken sausage instead of the uncooked pork sausage in this recipe.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Mix. Add the sausage, flour, cheddar cheese, and milk to a mixing bowl. Stir together until combined. If you have a stand mixer, use it with the paddle attachment to make this recipe even more quickly.
Scoop. Scoop balls of the sausage mixture onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. You can use a cookie scoop or a spoon for this!
Bake. Bake 20 minutes until golden brown and cooked throughout. Allow them to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
Serve. Serve warm and watch them disappear!
Storage Tips
Baked and leftovers. Prepare according to the directions. Allow to cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Unbaked. Prepare without baking. Place the uncooked sausage balls onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and into the freezer overnight to freeze. Transfer the frozen balls into a freezer-safe zip-top bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, remove the number you’d like to bake and thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then bake as directed.
Suggested Dips for Serving with this Recipe
You can serve it with real maple syrup as part of a breakfast or brunch or with ranch dressing or honey mustard for a game-day treat!
Here’s my family’s recipe for sausage balls. I you love them as much as my family does!
Sausage Balls Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454 g) breakfast sausage, pork, turkey, or chicken
- 1 pound (454 g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 cups (226 g) self-rising flour
- 1/4 cup (57 g) milk
Additional Seasonings (Optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) kosher salt, optional
- 1/4 teaspoon (1.8 g) cayenne pepper, optional
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.75 g) garlic powder, optional
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.6 g) onion powder, optional
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350º F. Line baking sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Mix. Mix together all ingredients in a large bowl until just well-combined. Scoop mixture into tablespoon-sized balls with a scoop or using two spoons.
- Bake. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked throughout.
Notes
How to Make Ahead, Store and Freeze Sausage Balls
Baked and leftovers. Prepare according to the directions. Allow to cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Unbaked. Prepare without baking. Place the uncooked sausage balls onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and into the freezer overnight to freeze. Transfer the frozen balls into a freezer-safe zip-top bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, remove the number you’d like to bake and thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then bake as directed.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
These turned out perfectly! They do smell like holiday memories…
Thanks for sharing it😊
Thanks, Carmen.
What if my sausage is already cooked? Thank you!
Can the sausage balls be deep fried like mix the meat and then use the 3dredge method flour egg Pablo ?! Thanks
Tina
Hi. I’m going to make these for a church social tomorrow. I’m a little nervous about using uncooked sausage. Do you by chance know what the internal temperature should be? Thank you.
We use the Bisquick (2 & 3/4 Cups) with 1lb hot sausage, 8 oz cheddar 8 oz monterray jack w/jalapenas yumm. Always looking for a new way…gotta try this one.
I love this recipe!! Thanks so much for sharing. I have had a hard time finding a good sausage ball recipe without Bisquick (trans fat – yikes!) and as a Southerner myself, my family and I like these at Christmas time. Southern tradition for sure! 🙂
Hi Robyn,
I have just started to cook and don’t want to miss something. I take it that the sausage cut up or crumbled prior to the mixing. Is it cooked before hand as well?
BTW, the coconut cream pie was a hit.
Thanks and Regards
Hi Merle,
The sausage is not cooked and you’ll just crumble it and mix with the other ingredients. So glad you loved the coconut cream pie. It’s a favorite here, too!
Um… I think the term “Amazzz-balls!” is appropriate here. Lol!
Can they be made with all-purpose flour? I hate to buy self-rising flour for just one recipe.
Hi Mandy,
You sure can! I’ve shared how to make your own self-rising flour before that you can use.
I’m so glad you posted this recipe. I have not made these in forever and just the other day I was thinking about hunting up a recipe for these. Do these freeze very well?