How to Make Homemade Sausage (VIDEO Recipe)

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Homemade sausage is a great way to use less expensive cuts of meat to make something delicious, and homemade is best because you know exactly what went into it! We grew up eating homemade sausages and my Mother taught me how to make this classic Russian kolbasa (kielbasa).

This generations old sausage method combines ground and diced meats for a more rustic and hearty sausage. Watch the video tutorial on how to make homemade sausage and you will be a pro in no time!

Watch How to Make Homemade Sausage Video:

When making sausage, the more fat you can get in your meat, the better. If you are using a leaner beef or pork, add bacon so you don’t end up with a tough/dry sausage. It is absolutely key to have your meat very cold and grinder parts chilled. The process will be way easier if you take this advise, otherwise it can back up in the meat grinder and leave you frustrated and discouraged (been there, done that!).

Ingredients for Homemade Sausage (Kielbasa)

2 lbs pork with fat (1/4 diced, 3/4 ground)*
2 lbs well marbled beef  (1/4 diced, 3/4 ground)*
6-12 oz bacon, optional – use if meats are leaner (can be frozen)
3 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp whole yellow mustard seed
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp Mrs. Dash or favorite salt free seasoning
1 cup ice cold water
2 natural hog casings (about 10-12 feet total)**

What you’ll need:

Sausage poker, optional but nice
Meat grinder with sausage attachment

Recipe Notes:

*I used boneless country style ribs. Any pork cut wth a lot of fat would work well.

*Use a well marbled beef with higher fat content. This beef bottom round was on the leaner side so I added the bacon.

**Casings can be purchased online or at your local butcher. Leftover salted casings can be resealed in their bag and stored in the refrigerator for many years.

How to Bake Homemade Sausage:

Line a large rimmed baking dish or roasting pan with parchment paper, trimming paper so it doesn’t hang over the edges. Arrange sausage over paper and bake in preheated oven at 350˚F for 1 hour. Drain off excess liquid. Flip the sausage over and broil 5 min. Flip sausage over again and broil additional 5 min or until browned.

How to Grill Sausages:

For Easter, my husband grilled the sausage and we put them in a deep roasting pan in a single layer, poured in 1/4″ deep of beer and sprinkled 1 tsp mustard seeds into the liquid. My husband placed the pans on the grill covered for 20 minutes over medium/high heat, flipping over halfway. Then he removed the pans and transferred the sausage directly over the grill to brown the outsides (5 min per side). The sausages were supremely juicy and delicious!

Print-Friendly Homemade Sausage Recipe:

How to Make Homemade Sausage (VIDEO Recipe)

4.98 from 48 votes

Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com

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Prep Time: 3 hours hrs

Total Time: 3 hours hrs

Ingredients 

Servings: 4 lbs of sausage links

Ingredients for Homemade Sausage (Kielbasa)

• 2 lbs pork with fat, 1/4 diced, 3/4 ground*
• 2 lbs well marbled beef, 1/4 diced, 3/4 ground*
• 6-12 oz bacon, optional - use if meats are leaner (can be frozen)
• 3 tsp sea salt
• 1 Tbsp whole yellow mustard seed
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp Mrs. Dash or favorite salt free seasoning
• 1 cup ice cold water
• 2 natural hog casings, about 10-12 feet total**

What You Will Need:

• Sausage poker, optional but nice
• Meat grinder with sausage attachment

Instructions

• Place meats on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and freeze 1 1/2 hours. Should be very firm, not frozen solid. Place all meat grinder parts in freezer and refrigerate mixing bowl at least 30 min prior to using.
• Rinse casing well to remove salt and run warm water all the way through the casing. Let casing soak in warm water (90˚F water) for at least 1 hour or until soft and slick. Keep casings in water until ready to use.
• Remove 1/3 of meat from the freezer, dice into 1/4 thick pieces with a sharp knife and transfer to your chilled mixing bowl. Chop remaining meat into 2" pieces so that it can easily go through the meat grinder. Set up your meat grinder (if using KitchenAid mixer, set to speed 4 using the large holes grinding plate) and grind meat into chilled bowl then grind bacon.
• Sprinkle seasonings over meat and toss by hand 30 seconds to distribute then add 1 cup water and mix meat by hand for 1 minute (or with paddle attachment on speed 1 for 1 minute), just until a light film forms on the outside of the bowl and the mixture binds to itself and can hold a patty shape. Cover and refrigerate your sausage mixture while you clean your grinder and set up your sausage maker attachment. Seasoning Tip: To test your meat for seasoning, form a small patty and saute it on a skillet to sample.
• Lightly oil the outside of your sausage tube attachment and thread 1 sausage casing over the tube leaving a 6" tail hanging off the end. Do not tie the end - you want the initial air that comes through to escape.
• Remove ground meat from refrigerator, set mixer to speed 4 and add meat into hopper, pushing down with the plunger and adding more as you go. Use one hand to stuff the meat through and one hand to guide the filled casings. Fill firmly but do not overstuff, especially if making sausage links. Take care not to let big gaps of air into the tube. If you get air bubbles - no problem - you can poke the sausage casing with sausage pricker as you go. Let the sausage come out in one long coil until about 6" of casing remains at the end then start with the new sausage casing.***
• Pinch, twist and spin to make small sausage links or coil the sausage for the classic kielbasa look. Tie off the ends or tie with kitchen string if desired. Prick with sausage poker about every 2 inches, especially where you see air pockets, to prevent the sausage from bursting. Sausage can be baked, grilled or sautéed right away or can be refrigerated or frozen for later. Keeps well in refrigerator for 3-5 days or frozen up to 3 months.

Notes

*Important: Use meat with high fat content. Bacon should be added if your meat is leaner.
***If meat starts looking pink/pasty as it enters the casing tube, it's likely clogged and you should quickly clean your grinder before proceeding Grind the bacon last (if using) - this is less likely to occur if using well chilled meat.

• Full Nutrition Label
• Nutrition Disclosure

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Russian, Ukrainian

Keyword: Homemade Sausage

Skill Level: Medium

Cost to Make: $$

Are you into sausage making? I’m kind of on a roll! It’s exciting once you start feeling like a sausage ninja. We have kielbasa in the fridge and freezer and I’m dreaming about what variety to make next. Please share your favorite flavors in a comment below – I would love to hear YOUR ideas!