Want to turn your venison trimmings into the best homemade deer breakfast sausage you've ever tasted? In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to make two of our favorite breakfast sausage recipes—Country Style and Sage. You can also make country-style or sage breakfast links using pork, beef, or wild game like elk or bison! These recipes are formulated to make 25 pounds of sausage, so you’ll have plenty to share with your family and friends!
We’ll also share some helpful tips along the way, as well as a quick reference to the Bearded Butcher's Breakfast Links DIY Kits, which include everything you need to make both recipes.
Watch the Process in Action
For a step-by-step guide to making both of these recipes, check out The Bearded Butcher's full video on YouTube, “The Ultimate Venison Breakfast Sausage Guide: Country Style & Sage Recipes.” In the video, we break down the recipes and demonstrate how to make both Country Style and Sage breakfast sausage, with helpful tips and tricks along the way.
Get your DIY Kits: Want to make this process even easier? Check out the Bearded Butcher's Country Style Breakfast Links DIY Kit and the Sage Seasoned Breakfast Links DIY Kit, which includes everything you need for both the Country Style and Sage recipes: seasoning, collagen casings, and more! You can find these kits on The Bearded Butcher's Website.
Two Classic Recipes for Homemade Venison Breakfast Sausage
Whether you prefer a savory country-style flavor or something with a bold kick of sage, you'll find that making sausage at home is easy and rewarding.
1. Country Style Breakfast Sausage Recipe
Our Country Style seasoning has been a classic at Whitefeather Meats, our butcher shop, for years. It’s the perfect blend of savory and slightly sweet, creating that hearty, homestyle flavor that everyone loves. For venison, we recommend adding 10% pork fat to ensure the right balance of moisture and flavor.
Ingredients for 25 lbs of Country Style Sausage:
- 1 pack of Country Style Seasoning (7 oz)
- 1 pack of 21mm Breakfast Links Collagen Casings (3 strands per pack)
- 2.5 lbs of Pork Fat Trimmings
Instructions:
- Prepare your meat: Begin by weighing out 22.5 lbs of venison trimmings and placing them into a meat lug. Make sure the meat chunks are small enough to pass through your grinder.
- Add pork fat: For optimal sausage texture, add 2.5 lbs. of pork fat (10% of the total weight) to your venison.
- Season the meat: Add the 7 oz of Country Style Seasoning to the meat mixture. Using clean hands, thoroughly mix the seasoning into the meat.
- Grind the mixture: Once well-mixed, feed the meat through your meat grinder. We recommend using the Made With Meat 1 Horsepower Dual Grind Grinder for efficient, high-quality results.
- Add water for stuffing: Before stuffing, add 16 oz of water to the mixture. This helps lubricate the meat and makes the stuffing process smoother.
- Stuff the sausages: Load your meat mixture into a vertical stuffer—like the Made With Meat 15 lb. Capacity Vertical Stuffer—fitted with a 10mm stuffing horn. Carefully stuff your sausage into the 21mm collagen casings until full.
- Link your sausages: Twist the sausages into links either by hand or with a sausage linking machine like the Z-Linker Sausage Linker Machine.
- Vacuum seal the sausages: For the best storage and preservation, vacuum seal your sausage links for later use.
This Country Style Breakfast Sausage recipe brings that comforting, familiar breakfast sausage flavor to your table, and it’s sure to be a classic favorite with family and friends!
2. Sage Breakfast Sausage Recipe
If you want to add a bit of boldness to your breakfast sausage, our Sage seasoning is the perfect choice. Sage has a savory, aromatic, and slightly minty flavor that pairs well with wild game, pork, turkey, or beef. Best of all, our Sage Seasoning is sugar-free and contains no MSG, making it a healthier option.
Ingredients for 25 lbs. of sausage:
- 1 pack of Sage Seasoning (7oz)
- 1 pack of 21mm Breakfast Links Collagen Casings (3 strands per pack)
- 2.5 lbs. of Pork Fat Trimmings
Instructions:
- Prepare your meat: Measure out 22.5 lbs. of venison trimmings and place them in a meat lug, ensuring the chunks are small enough to pass through your grinder.
- Add pork fat: For every 25 lbs. of sausage, you’ll need 2.5 lbs. of pork fat (10% fat content).
- Season the meat: Sprinkle in the 7 oz of Sage Seasoning and mix thoroughly with your hands to ensure even distribution of the seasoning.
- Grind the mixture: Feed the meat through your grinder. We recommend the Made With Meat 1 Horsepower Dual Grind Grinder, which allows for a more efficient two-step grind.
- Add water for stuffing: Mix in 16 oz of water to lubricate the sausage mixture for easy stuffing.
- Stuff the sausage: Use a vertical stuffer like the Made With Meat 15 lb. Capacity Vertical Stuffer with a 10mm horn to load the meat into the casings. Stuff carefully, making sure the sausage is tightly packed.
- Link your sausages: Link the sausages by hand or with a machine like the Z-Linker Sausage Linker Machine.
- Vacuum seal the sausages: To preserve your sausage for storage, vacuum seal your links for maximum freshness.
The Sage Breakfast Sausage recipe will add a unique twist to your breakfast table, with its aromatic and bold sage flavor complementing the venison perfectly.
Tips for Success
- Fat Ratio: To ensure the perfect texture and flavor in your breakfast sausage, always aim for 10% pork fat. If your venison is leaner, you may need to add a little extra pork fat to achieve the right balance.
- Water: Adding 16 oz of water (per 25 lbs of meat) helps lubricate the sausage mixture, making the stuffing process easier and ensuring your sausage stays moist.
- Grind Twice: We highly recommend using a dual-grind grinder like the Made With Meat 1 Horsepower Dual Grind Grinder, as this will give you a finer, more consistent grind.
- Vacuum Sealing: Vacuum sealing your sausage not only preserves its flavor but also keeps it fresh longer. For the best results, freeze the vacuum-sealed links soon after making them.
Making your own venison breakfast sausage at home can be a fun and rewarding experience. Whether you go for the classic Country Style or the bold Sage, you’re sure to have delicious sausage to enjoy all season long. Enjoy the process, and don’t forget to share the results with family and friends!
