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.

Photo of cooked sausage balls in a white serving bowl.

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!

Photo of sausage balls on a white serving platter.

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

Ingredients for sausage balls: sausage, milk, flour, seasonings and cheese.

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

Sausage ball recipe ingredients added to a clear glass bowl.

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.

Image of scoops of sausage ball recipe ready to be baked

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!

Overhead image of baked sausage balls on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake. Bake 20 minutes until golden brown and cooked throughout. Allow them to rest for about 5 minutes before serving. 

Up close image of cooked sausage balls.

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. 

Photo of sausage balls on a white serving platter with green garnish.

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

5 from 7 votes
Sausage balls are an easy and delicious dish. Perfect for breakfast and brunch or as a game-day and holiday appetizer!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 60

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

Calories: 69kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 115mg | Potassium: 32mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 87IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Enjoy!
Robyn xo

Welcome to Add A Pinch

About Robyn

Robyn Stone is a cookbook author, wife, mom, and passionate home cook. Her tested and trusted recipes give readers the confidence to cook recipes the whole family will love. Robyn has been featured on Food Network, People, Southern Living, and more.

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Recipe Review




19 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Very tasty – I added the milk very slowly, and ended up using about a 1/2 cup of milk total. I also used twice the amount of garlic and onion powder and about 2/3 lb of cheese. Very good!