Sausages make a quick and nutritious meal and remain a firm family favorite. It is an incredibly versatile ingredient that can transform staple dinners and open up new worlds of flavor.

Spicy or sweet sausage, pork sausage, beef sausage, and even vegetarian and vegan sausage — there is a sausage for everyone. And almost every country and culture have its own take on sausage, be it soups, stews, barbecued, or in a casserole! There’s even a sausage recipe for every meal of the day, from breakfast to dinner and for a quick kid’s supper or party snacks to a lazy lunch with friends.

You probably have your go-to recipes for sausage, but if you want to explore just how many different varieties of sausage recipes are there, this roundup of classic and creative sausage recipes will have you drooling!

#1. Overnight Merguez and Mushroom Strata

If you like bread pudding for breakfast, a strata is just right for you — bread soaked in savory eggy custard, layers of sharp melted cheese, and bite-sized pieces of tongue-tingling tender sausage.

This sausage recipe gets its inspiration from North Africa and the unique chili sausage known as merguez. Made from lamb rather than pork, this thin sausage gets its bite from harissa — a mixture of peppers, chili, garlic, cumin, and coriander.

A strata is also the ideal opportunity to use up any veggies lurking in the fridge, so feel free to replace the mushrooms with leftover spinach or some baked pumpkin. If you’re not a fan of merguez, substitute with another fiery sausage like andouille.

You’ll get all these robust flavors in both the sausage and the custard that combines cream and harissa paste. Every mouthful comes alive in your mouth!

#2. Sausage Cheddar Biscuits

There’s nothing more delicious than sausage for breakfast, especially if these savory sausage biscuits are also stuffed with tangy cheddar cheese. Easy to prepare ahead and perfect for serving a crowd (holiday weekends, anyone?), these sausage-stuffed biscuits are easy to freeze.

The best sausage for breakfast biscuits is country sausage, flavored with sage, but you could use any spicy pork sausages you have on hand. Try Italian sausage or salsiccia for a fennel flavor that goes well with the biscuits.

Of course, you’ll be serving these with gravy and maybe scrambled eggs on the side.

#3. Sausage Gravy

Not a fan of stuffed biscuits? Why not add your sausage to your breakfast in the form of gravy!

Ree Drummond’s recipe elevates a traditional gravy to luxurious proportions by first browning the meat until it caramelizes and then making a thick, luscious gravy.

Serve this gravy hot over biscuits, or anything else you want on your breakfast plate. Think savory French toast, breakfast casserole, or fried potatoes!

#4. Chicken Sausage Chow Mein

Chicken Chow Mein is a popular Chinese-American dish. But this recipe plays with the flavors of chicken and noodles by adding chicken sausage, chili, garlic, ginger, and a splash of orange juice for brightness.

The noodles are supplemented with some healthy veggies, making for a light and delicious lunch or dinner.

If you’d like a more authentic Chinese flavor, consider adding lap cheong. It’s a generic term for Chinese sausages that will lead you to a variety of sweet, slightly spicy pork (or pork and chicken) sausages that go well with an Asian dish, from the classic congee to a delicious stir-fry.

#5. Sausage and Kraut

Sausage and sauerkraut are a classic German combination. Inspired by the Pfalz region, this recipe includes all the traditional ingredients such as hearty sausage, tender potatoes, sweetly fried apples, tangy sauerkraut, white wine, and zingy mustard.

But it also offers a healthier alternative to the rich pork sausages you’d generally find on a German sausage platter — try using turkey or chicken sausage for a low-fat option and add a boneless pork chop for a more smoky flavor.

Of course, there’s no reason not to go the whole hog, so to speak, and use weisswurst or bratwurst with a bit of crispy bacon alongside. You can also throw some onions in the pan to add some extra crunch.

#6. Masala Corn Dogs with Mango Dipping Sauce

If you love food that draws from different cultures from all over the world, then this recipe is right down your alley — it’s an exquisite medley of culinary traditions from the American heartland, India, and Poland.

The dogs themselves are Polish kielbasa, the smoked pork country sausage that also makes a great hot dog. You then coat the links with pancake batter (from a box, to make your life simple) and cornmeal and spice it with garam masala (the Indian curry mix).

Whip up a simple Indian-style fresh chutney made with mango and jalapenos to further amp up the heat.

You could also make these with ordinary hot dogs, but you need an intensely flavored sausage to stand up to the Indian spices.

#7. Sai Ua Samun Phrai

Think sausages and Thai food don’t mix, this recipe will prove you wrong!

Chef Parnass Savang explores his Thai roots in creating traditional chicken sausage patties that combine all your favorite Thai flavors of red and green chili, coconut milk, lime leaves, fish sauce, and cilantro.

These delicate sausage patties go well with sticky rice, cabbage, pickled radishes, and a fiery dipping sauce.

#8. South African Boerewors Rolls

Boerewors (meaning farmer’s sausage) is a traditional South African sausage made from pork and beef. You can find this unique sausage at South African food stores or order online. And if you know a South African expat, they’d willingly share their favorite recipe and supplier.

Quite a fatty sausage, this coriander- and cumin-flavored specialty is best barbecued and then stuffed into a fresh roll, hot dog-style.

A boerewors roll is South Africa’s answer to the American hot dog. It is street food, often served with a topping of caramelized onions or a tomato and onion relish (sometimes both).

This recipe guides you through preparing both the boerewors and the relish or gravy and recommended sides.

#9. Vegetarian Sausages and Mash

No list of sausage recipes could be complete without the British staple of bangers (sausages) and mash. Although you could use traditional British pork sausages, like Cumberlands, this recipe offers a vegetarian alternative.

These cheesy veggie sausages (not suitable for vegans) are simple to put together, although they do need to chill for a couple of hours before cooking. Prepare them the night before, and they’ll be ready for dinner.

If you don’t have enough time to make your own sausages, substitute any brand of vegetarian sausage. (Or go the meaty route, if that’s what you prefer.)

The mash is infused with mustard, while the gravy — probably the best part of sausages and mash — contains British ale for authentic flavor.

#10. Pigs in Blankets: US-Style

Switch up the typical pigs in blankets by creating these delicious mini-sized pastries, to be popped into the mouth whole. They’re sure to be a hit at parties or game days!

“Franks in blanks” are given the royal treatment in this recipe with an “everything bagel” topping. The other ingredients are standard from everyone’s childhood — the instant crescent roll or croissant dough and the cocktail-size weenies.

These are so easy to make, they are, literally, child’s play.

#11. Sausage Rolls

While American pigs in blankets use chopped sausages, such as franks, or cocktail wieners, this recipe is for British sausage rolls that use sausage meat, ground pork, or hamburger as the filling.

Sausage rolls take a little more effort than your standard pigs as you first create the sausage filling. This recipe includes potato to bulk it up and herbs for brightness along with a dash of mustard and nutmeg to add other traditional flavors.

British sausage rolls can be large, single-serving lunch pies, or snack-sized appetizers.

You can use store-bought puff pastry to make your life easier and serve Worcestershire sauce or tangy mustard for dipping.

#12. Caramelized Pigs in Blankets

Can’t get enough of pigs in blankets? Neither can we!

Across the pond, pigs in blankets are a different appetizer altogether. The piggies are still tiny pork sausages, but it’s the blankets that are different.

The sausages used for English pigs in blankets are chipolatas — miniature, thin pork sausages that caramelize easily in a pan. They’re delicious for breakfast, and their American equivalent is probably a mild country sausage.

These chipolata piggies are wrapped in blankets of bacon, drizzled with honey or brown sugar, and then roasted in the oven.

What could be more delicious for your next Thanksgiving dinner or brunch with friends?

#13. Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms

Another appetizer or snack to add to your line-up, this is a gorgeous recipe for mushrooms stuffed with sausage. When Shirley Conran said life’s too short to stuff mushrooms, she may not have come across this recipe.

This simple hors d’oeuvre consists of mushroom caps stuffed with sweet sausage, mascarpone cheese, panko breadcrumbs, and a swirl of marsala. You then bake these babies and serve warm. Nobody can resist them!

#14. Green Chile Chorizo Tacos

Mexican chorizo is an unsmoked pork sausage flavored with chili. Green chorizo is usually served as sausage meat rather than links and is made of pork, roast poblano and serrano chili, cilantro, and parsley for the green hue.

This recipe goes uber-green with the addition of spinach powder.

Although green chorizo is available, it’s easy to make your own too. Just make sure you allow the mixture to chill overnight, and then generously stuff soft flour tortillas with the fiery sausage meat.
Serve with tomatillo salsa, fingerling potatoes, and Mexican crema for a mouthwatering plate of Mexican goodness.

#15. Italian Sausage and Peppers Sandwich

Sausages are the true heroes of this classic sandwich — those footlong sandwiches we also call bombers, hoagies, or subs.

Sausage and peppers are a winning submarine topping, whether you use sweet Italian sausages, turkey sausages, or franks.

Giada’s version is particularly succulent as the sausages simmer with the onions, tomatoes, and peppers in the garlicky lusciousness of your slow cooker.

This recipe makes lunch or dinner effortless — you throw all the ingredients in the slow cooker, tuck the sausages in their vegetable nests, and come back six hours later to hoagie heaven.

If you’re not a sandwich fan, serve your sausages over polenta or rice.

#16. Fabada — Spanish Bean Stew with Two Sausages

Fabada asturiana is another hearty winter dish that uses not one but two kinds of sausage. This dish has white beans (fabes) popular in the Asturia region of Spain and is made rich with spicy paprika, saffron, and four kinds of pork.

The first type of sausage used in this recipe is chorizo. This sausage differs from the Mexican chorizo as this one is a dry, smoked Spanish sausage flavored with Spanish paprika.

The other sausage used is blood sausage, called morilla in Spanish. This blood-stuffed sausage is more delicious than the name would suggest and is equally popular in the UK, where it is known as black pudding and served alongside eggs and bacon for breakfast.

This stew needs a good hour of cooking, so get it going early, and you’ll sit down to a rib-sticking meal.

#17. Sausage Stuffing

Call it stuffing or dressing, this gorgeous mixture of sausages and bread is a delicious and moist baked recipe.

This recipe is straightforward, sticking to celery, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper for seasoning, but you can put your spin on it by adding fennel, sage, or rosemary.

You can also change the bread and replace the soft white loaf with brioche, cornbread, or challah. Add apples or cranberries if you like some fruitiness in your stuffing.

#18. Vegan Sausages

Although sausages are usually a meaty ingredient, there’s no reason why vegans shouldn’t enjoy them as well.

There are several brands of vegan sausages available, made from soy (often tofu) or pea or mushroom protein. You can find a lot of healthy and delicious brands, but the ingredients are often highly processed and combined with unhealthy fats and additives.

This recipe is meat-free, soy-free, and gluten-free, using quinoa, pecan nuts, and beans as plant protein sources. They’re simple to make, with the ingredients blitzed together in a blender and then formed into patties.

Fry the sausage patties for breakfast with potatoes, use them to stuff a taco, or crumble them over a salad.

Even if you’re not vegan, try your hand at these sausages. They’re absolutely fabulous!