Lean Turkey Breakfast Sausage

This is a great breakfast sausage that will leave you full, but not heavy! It also makes a great burger with a couple of tweaks that we have listed below. When concentrating on weight loss it is always preferable to have a simple and effective way to add protein to your day first thing in the morning. But this should not be viewed as a diet recipe by any means. Adding lean proteins like turkey greatly aid in keeping your fat content and cholesterol lower, and that is a good idea for everyone. This recipe is should be enough for 16 mini patties or links, which is 8 servings.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp. chopped sage
  • 1 Tbsp. chopped thyme
  • 2 tsps. fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1.5 lb lean ground turkey (93% works best as far as texture; if trying to lose weight, you can opt for extra lean, 97-99%, but you may need to all 2 tbsp egg whites to get a good consistency… This will decrease fat content and increase lean protein content)
  • Olive oil spray, if using extra lean turkey and your pan is not fully nonstick (if using lean 93% turkey and a good nonstick pan, you won’t need it)

Directions:

  • Mix all dry ingredients together
  • Add ground turkey (with egg white if using extra lean)
  • Mix it all together thoroughly by hand (if you want to use an electric mixer, be careful not to overmix).
  • Shape into either patties or links using 1/4 cup or 2oz per patty/link. 
  • Heat sauté or frying pan on medium heat.
  • Brown each patty/link, about 2-3 min per side.

Macronutrients:

Per serving (2 links or mini patties) –  104 calories 

  • Fat – 4.9 grams
  • Carbohydrates – .4 grams
  • Protein – 12.7 grams

Micronutrients:

  • Cholesterol –         54mg
  • Sodium –            353.3 mg
  • Dietary Fiber –      .3g
  • Calcium –              1.7%
  • Iron –                    4.2%
  • Potassium –        151.3 mg
  • Vitamin A –           .3%
  • Vitamin C –           .9%

Turkey Burgers

Turns out that the recipe above also makes delicious burgers if you use 1/2-1 cup per patty (4-8 burgers). In that case, replace the sage, thyme, and fennel with 1 Tbsp. onion powder and 1 tsp chopped rosemary (optional). Grill without added oil. If aiming for weight loss, serve as lettuce wraps. If you include 1 Tbsp. light mayonnaise (check out Walden Farms for zero calories mayo and salad dressings), the macronutrients are:

    • Calories 232
    • Protein 40g
    • Carbs 2g
    • Fat 6g

ENJOY THIS GREAT SAUSAGE, WHETHER AS BREAKFAST OR A BURGER!