What Is Chicken sausage and How Can I Use It?
Chicken sausage is easier to cook with than it looks. Here's how to choose, use, and store it, what to substitute, and 4 recipes to get you started.
Key Points
- Leaner sausage made from ground chicken, in the same Italian, apple, and breakfast styles as pork.
- Most link chicken sausage is fully cooked, so you are heating it through and browning, not cooking from raw.
- Cook raw fresh links to 165°F (74°C) and pull promptly; lean meat dries out fast.
What is chicken sausage?
Chicken sausage is a leaner take on classic pork sausage, made from ground chicken seasoned and stuffed into links or sold as patties. It runs lower in fat and calories, which makes it a popular swap for cooks who want sausage flavor with less grease.
You will find it in the same styles as pork: sweet or hot Italian with fennel, apple-and-maple breakfast links, and herby chicken-and-spinach blends. It browns into Pasta with Sausage & Zucchini, bakes into Arugula & Chicken Sausage Bread Pudding, and slices cold into Warm Chicken Sausage & Potato Salad.
Most chicken sausage sold in links is fully cooked, so you are really just heating it through and adding color.
Cooking and Swaps
Because it is lean, chicken sausage dries out fast. Cook it gentler and shorter than pork, to an internal 165°F (74°C) for any raw fresh links, and pull it the moment it is done.
Add a little oil to the pan, since there is not enough rendered fat to brown it on its own. A splash of broth or a lidded finish keeps it juicy in skillet dishes like BBQ Baked Beans & Sausage.
To substitute, swap it one-for-one for pork or turkey sausage, then push the herbs and add a spoon of fat to make up for the milder, leaner meat.
Quick facts
- In Chinese
- 鸡肉香肠
- British (UK) term
- Chicken sausage
- en français
- saucisse de poulet
- en español
- salchicha de pollo
Recipes using chicken sausage
There are 4 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Warm Chicken Sausage & Potato Salad
This is an easy and tasty salad, chicken sausage accompanied with potato, excellent combination.
Pasta with Sausage & Zucchini
Penne pasta with chicken sausage, zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, and sage in a light chicken broth sauce topped with Parmesan. A quick one-pan weeknight dinner.
Arugula & Chicken Sausage Bread Pudding
Savory bread pudding with arugula, chicken sausage, artichoke hearts, and fontina cheese baked in a Dijon mustard custard. A hearty brunch or dinner dish.
BBQ Baked Beans & Sausage
Smoky BBQ baked beans with chicken sausage, collard greens, molasses, and navy beans in a tangy barbecue sauce. A hearty, high-fiber one-pot meal that's on the table in under 30 minutes.
