How to Make Homemade Italian Sausage with Ground Chicken or Turkey (2024)

Created On: March 5, 2019&nbsp| Modified Nov 1, 2022 by Nancylynn &nbsp| This post may contain affiliate links. &nbsp| 41 Comments&nbsp| Jump to Recipe &nbsp

Can’t find a lower sodium Italian Chicken or Turkey Sausage for the 21 Day Fix or WW? Read on to find out How to Make Homemade Italian Sausage with Ground Chicken or Turkey with my Easy Italian Sausage Seasoning Blend!

I get this question all the time – where can I find Italian Chicken or Turkey Sausage that is lower in sodium?

Turns out, it’s tricky. I am lucky enough to have a Wegman’s near me, and their lean Italian Poultry Sausage happens to be lower in sodium than most brands at about 400mg per serving. Just as a reference, one teaspoon of salt contains2,300 mg of sodium and we should all try to stick to that amount or less in a day.

If you don’t have a Wegman’s, you can try a butcher shop, or a Whole Foods; they might also have some options for you.

I happen to love Italian Chicken Sausage and I use it in a TON of my recipes because it gives such yummy flavor without a lot of fat. I don’t stress a ton about sodium in a lean, healthy chicken sausage because I don’t eat a lot of packaged, processed food, so my sodium intake is already low. BUT, if you can’t find a poultry sausage with 400mg or less of sodium, or if your body reacts poorly to sodium, you need another option!

So what’s a FIXer to do?

If you can’t find a lower sodium Italian Sausage, you can very easily just make your own!

Looking for a breakfast version? Check out this maple chicken breakfast sausage recipe!

How to Make Homemade Italian Chicken Sausage or Italian Turkey Sausage

It’s super easy to make your own Italian Sausage! Just start with some lean ground chicken or ground turkey – lately I have been preferring ground chicken in everything. But either works and this would also be yummy with beef! Then, add your seasonings

Italian Sausage Seasonings

1 T minced garlic (fresh!) – the best Italian Sausage has little bites of fresh garlic

1 tsp parsley – it’s ok to grab your dried spices for this unless you have fresh on hand to use

½ tsp oregano –this is a staple in my pantry and I use it in a ton of my recipes

½ tsp basil – again, dried is fine unless you have fresh basil ready to use

½ tsp onion powder – don’t skip this

½ tsp fennel seeds – adding fennel is KEY to making ground chicken taste like Italian Sausage

½ tsp paprika – I use regular, but smoked would be fun, too

¼ tsp red pepper flakes – or more to taste. Omit it if you want a sweeter sausage

½ tsp salt –I love that you can control the amount of sodium in this Italian Sausage Seasonings blend

sprinkle of black pepper – or more to taste – you can add a lot more, I am just not a huge fan

These Italian Sausage Seasonings need to be mixed into your ground meat along with one tsp of olive oil and one tsp of maple syrup or honey.

Then you can cook this Homemade Chicken or Turkey Sausage according to the directions in your recipe! I have been browning it as part of my food prep and either freezing it or portioning it in the fridge to serve in quick bowls and sauces through the week.

Is this Homemade Italian Chicken Sausage a healthy choice?

Yes! This is a much healthier choice than many brands of Italian Poultry Sausage out there, especially those of you who can’t find a lower sodium option at your store or butcher. You will reduce the sodium level by more than half by using this recipe and you will also be able to purchase a leaner cut of meat, as well.

What are some recipes that use Italian Chicken or Turkey Sausage?

Like I said before, I love the flavor in Italian Chicken Sausage, so I have a whole bunch of recipes that you can use this Homemade Italian Chicken Sausage recipe in! Here are some examples!

21 Day Fix Zuppa Toscana (Instant Pot/ Stove Top)

Healthy Instant Pot Lasagna Soup | 21 Day Fix Lasagna Soup [Gluten-free]

Healthy Instant Pot Baked Ziti | 21 Day Fix Instant Pot Baked Ziti [Gluten-free]

Instant Pot Low Carb Stuffed Pepper Soup [21 Day Fix | 2B Mindset]

Instant Pot Sausage and Lentil Soup (21 Day Fix/Stove-top Option)

Instant Pot Sausage Broccoli Pasta (21 Day Fix)

Instant Pot Brown Rice and Sausage Stuffing (21 Day Fix)

Spicy Sausage and Veggies {21 Day Fix}

21 Day Fix Pumpkin Pasta with Spicy Sausage (Gluten Free|Instant Pot Option)

21 Day Fix Stuffed Acorn Squash with Sausage, Spinach, and Feta