Ground chicken often gets a bad rap for being bland and pale, but these homemade chicken breakfast sausage patties will convince you to pick up a few pounds the next time you go shopping. A mix of spices adds smokiness and an aromatic lift, while maple syrup provides a welcome bit of sweetness and helps the patties brown and develop a nice crispy crust in a cast-iron skillet.
Look for “ground chicken,” not “ground chicken breast.” The former is usually a blend of dark and white meat with more fat, which results in juicier sausages. If your store doesn’t have ground chicken, pulse a few quartered boneless, skinless chicken thighs in a food processor until finely minced, or substitute ground turkey.
While this chicken breakfast sausage recipe yields a mildly spicy patty, you can freely adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to match your heat preference. No matter how you customize it, they’re fantastic served with runny fried eggs and a pile of hash browns for brunch. Or you could stack them onto English muffins with scrambled eggs, wrap in parchment paper and foil, and freeze for high-protein meal-prep breakfast sandwiches that you can reheat in your toaster or air fryer while you get ready for your day.
