This autoimmune paleo breakfast sausage recipe is my answer to the big question – “But what can I have for breakfast?!” – that inevitably comes up when people start an AIP protocol and are wondering what’s left after grains and eggs are off the menu and they discover that most pre-made sausages contain either nightshade seasonings or seed-based spices, or both. While I was on a strict AIP elimination diet that was also low-FODMAP, I started tinkering around with ground pork and various seasonings, eventually coming up with this surprisingly tasty combination of herbs and safe spices. Cinnamon and ginger might sound strange, but they add just a bit of heat and depth of flavor.
Then as I started slowly expanding my diet, I was able to use this sausage as the avenue for that. When I was ready to test some high-FODMAP foods in small quantities, I mixed in a bit of granulated garlic. When I trialed seeds, I mixed in some fennel seeds. And my first experiments with nightshades were adding in a little bit of paprika and later red pepper flakes. The recipe is very flexible and should be thought of as a template. The patties are great on their own, or as shown in the photographs here, make a satisfying breakfast when eaten with fried plantains.
Extra reference: BEEF CASINGS | DCWCASINGS
UPDATE: Since I published this post, my friend Eileen Laird of the blog Phoenix Helix has published a fantastic guide to reintroducing foods on the AIP. I encourage you click here and check it out!
**Note that if you are on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) or very sensitive to added sugars, you may choose to omit the maple syrup.**
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional)
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Using your hands, combine all ingredients. For best flavor, let sit in refrigerator overnight before cooking.
- Shape into patties and pan fry over medium heat until cooked through and slightly browned (about 3-5 minutes per side).
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my kids LOVE THESE! Thank you! Since I switched the family to paleo I haven’t found a single recipe everyone in my family liked until NOW. I am forever grateful! My question is…can I freeze these so I can pull them out for b’fast? What is the best way to freeze them? Cooked? Raw?
Thanks!
Holly
Holly, I think you could either freeze these raw or barely cooked. It kind of depends on how you want to defrost/reheat them. I think I’d cook them to “grey” almost done for pork, then freeze. Then I’d bring some out night before to defrost in fridge, then cook the rest of the way in pan for breakfast. But I think it would work equally well if you fully cooked them (maybe baked on sheet pans?) then microwaved day of eating.
Jaime, thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I’ve made it twice this week and it’s literally the best sausage I’ve had! It’s such a treat when something that AIP tastes just as good or even better than what I was used to!
Thank you for the compliment! I’m glad you like it.
Can I use ground turkey? They look amazing!
Sure! I think that would taste great!
I finally tried this recipe and I’m so glad I did! One thing I did not miss about sausage was the pepper (too spicy for me), so this recipe is perfect! And so simple. Thank you!
Awesome! I’m new to AIP and was getting down about missing out on things like sausage and bacon. I had no idea so much sugar and corn syrup were put into ham, sausage, and bacon, and the spices were nightshades! I used ground pork loin (excuse to buy a new Kitchenaid grinder attachment) that had gone on sale for $1.79/lb. I’m a little more convinced I can do this now!
I think I will reduce the sage just a little on my next batch.
I added black pepper and fennel to mine and it was amazing! Best sausage I’ve had.
I made a batch using 1/2 ground beef & 1/2 ground lamb (both grassfed), added some chopped fresh parsley, they came out delicious! Thank you for sharing this great recipe.
How is it without the maple syrup?
I think they are still delicious… the maple syrup is entirely optional.
These are so much better than the other AIP sausage recipes I have tried! Thank you!
Is it ground ginger, or fresh minced/grated ginger?
I make it with ground ginger, but I bet fresh would be delicious too!
Tried this recipe this AM. My kids scarffed them down! I made without the maple syrup, and they were still delicious. Thank you!
I am so looking forward to trying this recipe. I just started an Allergy Diet and haven’t been able to eat a real breakfast item. Thank you for sharing
Do you think I could replace the salt with smoked salt in this recipe?
Yes, and that sounds delicious! Great idea!!
Hello! I make these often and love them! I was wondering if it can be cooked like ground sausage? Like for a hash? I don’t see why not but was curious if anyone has tried and ran into any issues, like the maple syrup being too sticky? Thanks!
I can’t see why not! And you can always leave out the maple syrup if it does make it sticky.
I’m excited to try this recipe, I am allergic to cinnamon, ginger, garlic and moderately allergic to nutmeg. Do you have any ideas for a replacement?
I’m sorry, I really don’t. All of those are key flavoring agents here. If you need the recipe to be AIP-compliant, then I’m not sure what else to suggest.
I have to avoid the cinnamon and ground ginger too (high histamines and cinnamon is high oxalate). Fortunately, there isn’t any garlic in this recipe which keeps it free from fodmaps. I typically use cardamom in place of cinnamon. It’s a pretty pungent spice, but a 1/4 tsp should be fine as a substitute for the cinnamon here. I use fresh grated ginger in recipes that call for ground ginger. Give it a try. ~HTH BTW: garlic infused oil is a wonderful replacement for garlic in most recipes calling for fresh garlic. You can find it on Amazon.