From football season through New Year’s Eve, sausage balls have been a family favorite since I was a child. With just three ingredients, creating the best sausage ball recipe is not difficult… but it can be very messy.
Last year, I was in my mother’s kitchen as she was debating whether or not she wanted to make sausage balls, and I was confused. She told me that she didn’t like the time it took to mix by hand and shape all those little balls, and I understood because it is difficult on my arthritis.
But I have learned to adapt with three simple tips.
1) Use a stand mixer.
I use my KitchenAid to mix the sausage balls. The stand mixer is very strong and can break down the sausage easily. So, I dump all three ingredients into the mixing bowl, lock the mixer head in the down position, and turn the mixer on low (about level 3.)
Please note that I do not recommend using a hand mixer.
2) Use a small cookie scoop.
Instead of rolling each sausage ball out by hand, I use my cookie scoop. No more greasy, icky hands. Just even, uniform sausage balls.
And they are not tough when done as you might think. The sausage balls are tender but do not fall apart like those you form with your hands.
3) Drain on layers of paper toweling.
Instead of making a large pile of sausage balls when they come out of the oven, place a single layer over paper toweling. If you do not want to dirty multiple dishes, add another layer of paper toweling and then more sausage balls.
By having a single layer on the paper towels, more grease is absorbed from the sausage balls leaving a soft and almost grease-less texture.
More tips for the Best Sausage Balls
And, just in case you did not know these easy tips…
- Shred your own cheese. Prepackaged shredded cheese contains cellulose to prevent caking and it can also keep your sausage balls from sticking together.
- If you want a bigger kick in the… ummm… balls, use hot bulk pork sausage instead.
- To keep the clean-up simple, line your baking sheet with foil.
- Do not over-bake! Sausage balls should be tender, lightly browned of top, and golden on the bottom.
Best Sausage Balls
- 2 cups baking mix (like Bisquick or Jiffy)
- 10 ounces medium sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 roll (16 ounces) mild bulk pork sausage
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Add all ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on low speed until combined.
Scoop equal portions using a small cookie scoop onto a non-stick baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from baking sheet and place on paper toweling to drain.
Great recipe & awesome tips! Thanks for sharing these. Pinning! =)
Thanks for pinning, Marsha. <3
Good recipe and great tips especially this one– “shred your own cheese, prepackaged shredded cheese contains cellulose to prevent caking and it can also keep your sausage balls from sticking together.”
I just made a batch of sausage balls and used the prepackaged cheese and added a few tablespoons of milk and they turned out perfect.
I always use hot sausage. And my recipe has 4oz of cream cheese in the sausage balls.
I’m wanting to try adding cream cheese but a little afraid. Sounds delicious, though.
Do u add cream cheese along with the shredded cheese?
Does that make them less dry
Having the sausage at room temperature makes the mixing easier. I really like adding 8 oz. of cream cheese to the recipe.
If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can pop the bowl of ingredients in the microwave for about a minute and it will make it much easier to mix by hand. Also, something about mixing it the night before and putting in the fridge overnight makes them taste so much better…
I have heard you can make and freeze sausage balls ahead of time. Any tips on that? Do I bake them, then freeze them or just mix them? How many days can you freeze them?
I have never tried this but I think you could probably do it either way. Freeze after mixed and then thaw/bake or freeze after baked. 🙂
I bake them, cool, and then put in quart freezer bags. Take out whatever number you need and put in a microwave for about 25 seconds, depending on how many you’re reheating at a time.
Thank you, Jean. Cannot believe that I am reading your comments two years later. I also bake these sausage balls right afrer mixing and then freeze them for up to 2 months. They rarely are any left by then. Because my “Gluten Free son” introduced me to the recipe, I always use Pamela’s Gluten Free Baking Mix and use 2 cups. (Anymore than two cups leave much too much flour in the bowl.) I use Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage (1 lb.) roll. If you spoon the sausage into the mixing bowl and separate it into thick slices with a spoon, let it warm to room temperature for less than an hour.. Also, let your grated cheddar cheese sit out to take the chill off of it. Now, you CAN use a hand mixer to mix the sausage and cheese together easily. (I use a KitchenAid 5-speed hand mixer with stainless steel wire beaters and it mixes thoroughly. Then gradually add in no more than two cups of the flour (or 1 1/2 cups of Bisquick.) Continue to beat on lower speed until well mixed. It is okay to leave some dry crumbs of flour in the bottom of the bowl. Roll the sausage balls about 1” in size and place them on Parchment paper (a Gluten Free trick) to bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 17 minutes. A holiday trick if entertaining: I have made a batch with hot sausage and added 6 drops of red food coloring. The batch made with regular Jimmy Dean Sausage was made with 6 drops of green food coloring. If a GF person takes these sausage balls to a carry-in, everyone enjoys them and the person can be sure that they are safe for him to eat!
I make them and put them on a cookie sheet like I am going to cook them. Then I put them in the freezer for about 2 hrs. After they have frozen you can put them in a ziplock bag and take out as many as you want when ready to cook them.
Do you brown the sausage before mixing with other ingredients, or blend it in raw?
Blend it in raw. 🙂 It cooks in the oven.
This is the best recipe for sausage balls, I will never use another. Thanks for posting. As for using my stand mixer that was a stroke of genius…
Amen to that!
Wish I had read the comments before I made the dough! They’re in the oven now and I’m sure they will be good, but the dough seemed a little dry. Warming might have made it greasy and harder to handle, though. Cream cheese might have been a good addition. I kneaded the dough just a little to bring it together. I definitely use the disher to scoop/portion …learned decades ago to do that for all kinds of foods that need scooping and consistent size! Oh, and using Jimmy Dean spicy sausage.
I added a little milk, about a 1/4 cup and they were nice and moist.
I add crushed red pepper flakes with the hot sausage. Hubby likes them spiced! I need to try the cream cheese.
can I make these the night before? how would you store them, just a plastic container? Thanks!
about how many servings do you get out of this recipe?
I use parchment paper to bake – they slide right off…
It may be a stretch for some but when I use hot sausage I prefer pancake mix over Bisquik. It gives them a sweet and spicy flavor that compliments well. Then use sharp cheddar – very flavorful! Trying the cookie scoop next time! Great advice!
I put my bisquick in over my cheese and dredge it good. It keeps the cheese from clumping. I also add a little chipotle seasoning in the bisquick for a little more kick! Yummy.
Love these tips! I actually bake mine in a mini muffin pan so they hold there shape a little better!
I add 8 oz cream cheese. Makes it even better
If you do not have a small scoop, the trick is keeping water on in the sink on a very very slow run almost a heavy drip! Wet hands and reach in bowl for mix, roll and put on pan. I out aluminum foil on mine.. The extra water that actually gets in them and on the outside only help them be more moist! I’ve never added cream cheese but always put extra water when I am mixing the recipe for moisture…! When rolling by hand and wet hands, they are almost gummy looking. If u want to really add some jazz to them, substituting water with beer makes them divine!!!
I am having problems with my sausage balls falling in the oven….any ideas