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Sausage balls are an easy-to-make, poppable, snackable, loveable recipe.
Pork sausage, biscuit mix, cheddar cheese, and milk meld together, then bake to a golden perfection.
You’ll Love This Easy Appetizer Because…
- It’s a super easy recipe—3 ingredients and 3 steps.
- Cheesy bisquick sausage balls can be prepped and frozen, or baked then cooled and frozen for easy entertaining.
- Mix and match the cheeses and add zesty seasonings to create a new recipe every time.
Ingredients for Sausage Balls
Sausage: You can use either breakfast sausage or mild or hot Italian sausage. Just like sausage rolls, this recipe also works with turkey sausage.
Biscuit Mix: Bisquick is ready-made, but a store-brand baking mix works too. If you don’t have any, make a homemade biscuit mix recipe!
Cheese: I love using sharp cheddar cheese as it has lots of flavor. Shred your own or use pre-shredded to make it quick.
Variations
- Swap the cheddar for Monterey Jack, pepper jack, or a Mexican blend.
- Add diced jalapenos or a pinch of cayenne pepper for a little bit of heat.
- Use ground chicken or turkey instead.
How to Make Sausage Balls
- Combine biscuit mix, cheese, and ground sausage in a bowl (recipe below).
- Scoop it into balls and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake until golden brown.
Prep Ahead & Storage
- Place uncooked sausage balls on a baking tray and cover with plastic wrap for up to 2 days or store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- If baking from frozen, add an additional 8 minutes to the cooking time.
- Leftover sausage balls can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 4 months.
Delish Dipping Sauces
Every great appetizer needs a great dipping sauce! Serve these sausage balls with any of the folllowing:
Did you make these Sausage Balls? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below.
Sausage Balls
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups biscuit mix such as Bisquick
- 1 pound shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 pound ground pork sausage or Italian sausage
- up to ¼ cup milk as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine biscuit mix, cheese, and ground sausage. Mix thoroughly until the mixture holds together, adding up to ¼ cup of milk as needed.
- Using a cookie scoop or spoon, scoop 1 tablespoon of sausage and roll it into a ball. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the sausage balls for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Pork
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Made these last week and froze cooked ones for a breakfast while traveling for work. LOVED them, they freeze well and reheat nicely in a microwave. They were a tad dry, maybe it was the “ heart smart bisquick mix) but will slightly decrease the flour mix. Making again today to freeze.
is there a way to use turkey or chicken rathere than pork? We have tried simply substituting the meat, but the texture is never quite right. Any suggestion?
Hi Bryan, when making this recipe with ground turkey or chicken we just swap the saausage directly. It will change the texture since the fat content in each type of meat is different.
hi looking forward to trying these. if I make ahead how would you reheat.thanks
Hi Jane, you can make these 1-2 days in advance and bake as usual. We would love to hear what you think!
I could not find bisquick but I found bisquick biscuit mix. Is that the same? And can I make them the night before and bake them in the am?
Hi Ady, yes those are the same thing! That should be fine to premake and bake the next day. I would love to hear how they turn out!
You mention that your favorite dip for these sausage balls is listed in the recipe. I don’t see it, but would love to have it! Thanks!
Hi Sharon, we love to pair it with this easy dip! We hope you do too.
▢3 tablespoons mayonnaise
▢3 tablespoons sour cream
▢1 tablespoon grainy dijon mustard or regular dijon
▢⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
Do you brown the sausage first or just mix it together with everything raw?
It’s mixed in raw.
Any idea how long to cook in an air fryer?
While I haven’t tried it yet, I think they’ll be about 10-12 minutes at 380°F. You’ll want to ensure the sausage reaches 165°F.
I’ve made this recipe for over 30 years as a breakfast recipe. They are so good. I just use breakfast sausage and dip in real maple syrup
Me too Dawn. This is an old recipe. I can’t remember where I first saw it but I was a lot younger. LOL.
“YUMmmMMm” was the review I got from serving this at the Fourth of July gathering. I did everything as written and it was delicious. Next time, I am going to add some jalapenos.
Enjoy seeing recepies that can be made on a budget
Thanks Karie! Hope you enjoy them!
How long is safe to leave the large ball in the refrigerator before baking into the smaller balls?
Raw sausage can be refrigerated 1-2 days before cooking.
I Ann a little hot sauce for some moisture and heat