Sausage balls are a staple at my family holiday gatherings. I updated the traditional sausage ball recipe by using chicken sausage! Just as delicious.
My family makes these typical sausage cheese balls at just about every holiday. I’ve always ignored them because I don’t eat pork. I’ve been missing out on one of the BEST appetizers ever.
Swap the pork sausage for chicken sausage.
I don’t eat pork (as you know) but I wanted to try these babies so I swapped it for chicken sausage. I’ve also had success in using turkey sausage here too. I have not tried any veggie or vegan “sausage” so I can’t speak for if that would work but give it a try and let us know!
Ingredients for sausage balls.
The ingredients for these sausage balls are pretty simple! It’s seriously such an easy recipe – make sure you scroll down for the video.
- Chicken Sausage. Obviously, you need this one. You can use any brand and pick it up near the bacon or get it from your meat counter if they offer fresh chicken sausage.
- Pancake Mix. We’ve made these with Cracker Barrel Pancake Mix, Bisquick, and Krusteaz Pancake Mix. They all work wonderfully.
- Fresh Rosemary + Thyme. The fresh herbs really pop in this recipe! You only need a tiny amount but I would definitely recommend using fresh.
- Cheddar Cheese. Buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself, you want big shreds of cheese in these sausage balls.
- Milk. I always use whole milk and haven’t tested with non-dairy milks. You want the fat to make sure they aren’t dry so I’m not sure how well it would work with non-dairy milk but give it a try!
How to make sausage balls.
Again, these are incredibly simple to make. If you have kiddos in your house, this is a GREAT one to have them help you make. Here are a few tips to make the most perfect chicken sausage balls.
- Cook the sausage. No matter which type of sausage you use, you’ll want to cook it first. It does not cook in the pancake balls. Then, let it cool before adding to the other ingredients so it doesn’t melt the cheese.
- Add dry ingredients together. Mix the herbs, pancake mix, cheese, and cooled sausage to a large mixing bowl. You can use your hands or a wooden spoon.
- Add milk. You’ll want to use your hands for this one so that the mixture gets fully combined. You don’t want any dryness leftover in the mix so feel free to add a little more milk to make sure it’s fully mixed but not sticky.
- Scoop into balls. Use a cookie scoop to scoop into evenly sized balls. Then, use your hands to form into smooth balls.
- Cook for 20 minutes. Put the 24 evenly sized sausage balls onto a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes until they are just getting a little golden brown.
Some of our other favorite party recipes.
If you are making these amazing sausage balls for a party, here are some of our other favorite recipes to bring for a crowd!
- Mini Cheese Balls. I love a good cheese ball but don’t love sharing it with strangers .. because, germs. These mini ones solve that problem and are served with a built in handle!
- Galentine’s Day Party. My sister and I host a Galentine’s Day party every year and this post has TONS of ideas for party food including my absolute favorite appetizer, crescent roll wrapped olives.
- Shishito Pepper Dip. This is a fun twist on jalapeno popper dip and it’s pretty addicting.
Chicken Sausage Balls
Ingredients
- 2 cups pancake mix
- 12-16 oz chicken sausage
- 3 1/2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup whole milk
Instructions
- Cook chicken sausage in cast iron skillet until crumbled and cooked through, about 5-8 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine pancake mix, shredded cheese, rosemary, thyme and cooled chicken sausage in large bowl. Then, add milk and combine with hands. Add a little more milk if needed to ensure that there are no dry pockets but don't add too much or it will get sticky.
- Once mixture is totally combined, use cookie scoop to portion onto parchment or silicone lined sheet pans.
- Bake for 20 minutes, rotating pans halfway through.
- Let cool slightly and enjoy on their own or a dipping sauceI. Try not to eat them all in one sitting.
Kate
Can you help with a photo of the mixed product, before you scoop onto the pan? I feel like I need wayyyyy more liquid than you suggest here and I’m trying to decide if I’m doing something wrong. Is it supposed to be dough-like?
pease.hannah@gmail.com
Hi Kate! Yes, it’s a little on the drier side – so don’t worry you are probably doing it right 🙂 Emailing you a picture now!