This homemade Venison Breakfast Sausage with maple syrup is one of the easiest and tastiest wild game sausages that I’ve ever eaten and for good reason. It’s freshly prepared and packed with flavor!
Whether it’s ground with the fat of a wild pig you harvested or a delicious fatty domestic hog your local butcher processed, this recipe will be a tasty treat.
I always grind my own deer meat for sausages to control fat content and texture. If you’re doing the same, my grinding venison guide will get you started. If you want a deeper dive, check out my guide on how to make venison sausage.
If you follow these easy steps, you’ll be making freezers full of homemade venison breakfast sausage in no time, which the whole family can enjoy at the breakfast table. If you have a sausage stuffer, you can stuff the venison sausage mixture inside hog or lamb casings for sausage links.
Or, you can form them into breakfast sausage patties for a quick skillet meal.
Recommended Cuts of deer for Breakfast Sausage
The easiest cuts to use are from the hind leg of a deer, such as the top round and bottom round. You can choose other cuts, but be prepared to do a little knife work to clean them of the connective tissues.
Ideally, you can use any cut that you like with little or no silver skin. Using cuts with a lot of silver skin will clog your grinder blades, which in turn makes the attachments work harder and become hot.
fat content for breakfast Sausage
I recommend a fat content of 30% for breakfast sausages. If you want a leaner sausage, you can go with a ratio of 80% lean venison to 20% pork fat. So that would be 4 pounds of venison and 1 pound of pork fat.
If you can’t get your hands on pork fat, you can substitute it with fatty pork shoulder. But the final product will be slightly leaner.
Pro tips for grinding your own sausage
Keeping your meat grinder attachments ice cold is just as crucial as keeping the meat and fat. It is crucial in achieving superior flavor and texture with this sausage.
Grinder attachments can warm up fast, and when metal warms up, fat starts to melt. I also like to pre-chill the container that the ground pork will be falling into while grinding in the freezer before starting.
Substituting ingredients
Herbs: There’s nothing wrong with using readily accessible, simple ingredients such as dried herbs. For an even more convenient shortcut, you could also use salt-free poultry seasoning instead of the fresh herbs I have listed below. The flavors won’t be as bright and profound as with the fresh ingredients, but they will still be tasty.
Maple Syrup: I don’t recommend using artificial pancake syrup if you’re looking to achieve the best flavor. The flavor qualities aren’t the same, and it More Than Likely contains food coloring and other additives.
I also wouldn’t use corn syrup, as it really doesn’t have much flavor. A great option for extra flavor would be to use sorghum syrup or honey for sweetness. You can opt to leave the sweetness out altogether and add a little red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper for a spicy sausage.
Forming sausage Patties
A great way and probably the easiest way to form uniform breakfast patties, is to roll the homemade sausage up into a log using food-grade plastic wrap. Place into the freezer until the ground meat mixture is firm. Remove the plastic wrap and cut into disks. However, the easiest way is to just patty them out with my hands right before cooking them.
Tips for cooking venison breakfast Sausage
Heat: When cooking sausages with added sugars, you must be extra careful not to burn the meat. I recommend cooking the sausage at around medium heat to get that golden brown color most of us are after. You could take it up to medium-high heat, but I would be cautious.
Internal Temperature: If you are working with wild boar/wild hog fat to incorporate into your sausages, the CDC/USDA recommends cooking the meat to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. If you are worried, you can easily do this with an instant-read thermometer.
Storing Breakfast sausage
Refrigerator: If wrapped tightly, fresh raw sausages can be stored in the fridge for up to a week. After a week, however, they start to lose flavor and color. Proper storage in an airtight container or plastic wrap will help with the quality shelf life.
Freezer: Like most fatty sausages, they freeze well for around three months and retain their quality if stored properly. I like to wrap them first in plastic food wrap, followed by either freezer paper or freezer bags. This will help ensure you don’t end up with freezer burn. Using a vacuum sealer is another great way to package the sausage safely.
MORE VENISON SAUSAGE RECIPES
Below are some of my favorite deer sausage recipes. If you’re looking for more ways to use up that freezer full of meat, check out my complete venison recipes page.
- Venison Snack Sticks
- Deer Breakfast Sausage
- How to Make Venison summer sausage
- Venison Salami
- Venison Biscuits and Gravy
Lastly, if you make this simple homemade Venison Breakfast Sausage with maple syrup recipe, be sure to leave a comment or tag me on Instagram! I thoroughly enjoy hearing feedback and checking out the photos of recipes that you’ve made.
Homemade Venison Breakfast Sausage
Equipment
- Stand Mixer or Meat Mixer
Ingredients
- 3.5 pounds boneless venison, (large dice)
- 1.5 pounds pork fatback, large dice
- 3 tablespoons coarse kosher salt, (around 40 grams)
- 1/4 cup minced fresh or jarred ginger, or 1 tablespoon dried ginger
- 2.5 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2.5 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh sage, finely chopped or 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons dried sage
- 1/2 cup real maple syrup, chilled in the refrigerator
- 1/2 cup ice-cold water
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients except for the maple syrup and water into a large bowl. Toss thoroughly to combine.
- Grind the venison mixture through the small die plate into your chilled mixing bowl or a bowl that is sitting over ice.
- Using your stand mixer’s paddle attachment (or a sturdy spoon), start mixing the sausage at a low speed. Slowly pour in the chilled maple syrup. Now slowly pour in the ice-cold water and mix on low speed until the liquids are fully combined and the meat has a tacky/sticky appearance.
- Check for Seasoning: Fry a small piece of the sausage and taste. Now is the time to add seasoning if needed. This could be more salt, herbs, or maple syrup. Add chili flakes for heat. Repeat until you are satisfied with the finished product.
- Refrigerate until needed or freeze for future use.
NOTES
- Grinding tips: Keep venison, fat, and grinder parts ice cold. A second grind ensures better texture and fat distribution.
- Fat ratio: Aim for at least 20% pork fat for juicy breakfast sausage. And a 30% fat content, which is what I recommend. Fatty pork shoulder can substitute if back fat isn’t available.
- Storage: Store raw sausage tightly wrapped in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freeze in 1-lb portions (plastic wrap + freezer paper or vacuum seal) for up to 3 months.
- Substitutions: Real maple syrup gives the best flavor. Sorghum or honey are good alternatives. Swap fresh herbs for dried if needed.
- Serving ideas: Shape into patties for quick skillet breakfasts, or stuff into hog casings for links.
8 thoughts on “VENISON BREAKFAST SAUSAGE”
Absolutely killer!
Made this for easter breakfast. Will make again !
Simply devine
Dang good. I added a Tablespoon of chili flakes. You ever try addin Jalapeños?
Just the right texture. I added in a Tablespoon of chili flakes to make me sweat.
This is a wonderful recipe. I used granulated garlic instead if fresh and made this with 5lbs of 50/50 ground venison/pork that i get from the deer processor. This recipe is the perfect breakfast sausage because it has maple and sage both- instead of commercial breakfast sausage Where you have to choose. I’m making at least 20lbs of this great stuff before this year’s guy is ready to be picked up from the butcher. Thanks!
I’m glad to hear it!