Best Sausage Ball Recipe
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Classic sausage balls are made with Bisquick, spicy sausage, and sharp cheddar cheese. Additional seasonings and sour cream are added to create the Best Sausage Ball Recipe ever!
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Not Your Mama's Sausage Balls!
Remember the old-fashioned sausage balls your mom made for every party back in the day? I've never been a fan of those little nuggets because they seemed dry and crumbly.
What's a girl to do? Add sour cream, of course! It's like a magic ingredient that turns classic sausage balls into tender little appetizers.
These sausage balls are the best ever! They're perfect to serve at tailgate parties while you watch the big game, or as finger foods for Christmas gatherings. We eat them as snacks and even heat them up for breakfast.
You'll love how easy they are to make and how fast your guests will gobble them up!
Ingredients You'll Need
To make the Best Sausage Ball recipe, you'll need the following ingredients.
- Bisquick baking mix - the base that holds it all together
- sharp cheddar cheese - make sure it's shredded by hand
- garlic powder - enhances the sausage
- dry mustard - gives this recipe great flavor
- dried minced onion - substitute fresh chives or scallions if desired
- sour cream - keeps the sausage balls moist and tender
- hot pork sausage - purchase high quality (like Neese's or Jimmy Dean)
Quantities are listed in the recipe card.
How to Make Sausage Balls
Combine dry ingredients with cheddar cheese in a stand mixer.
Mix in sour cream until moistened. Blend in raw pork sausage.
Scoop balls (with a melon scooper) onto a lined baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Serve warm with your favorite ranch and honey mustard dressings.
Recipe FAQS
Sure! You can add pepper jack cheese for even more spice, or tone things down with a mild cheese like havarti. Go hog wild or pig mild...as Granny Tag always said. Just remember if you change the spice level, the spices need to be adjusted or you'll have a bland tasting recipe. Ugh.
This recipe freezes well before or after baking and can be kept up to 3 months in the freezer. Freeze balls on a sheet pan until solid, then transfer to an airtight container.
Unbaked sausage balls should be thawed in the refrigerator, then cooked for 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Baked sausage balls should also thaw in the fridge, then reheat in an oven for 10 minutes, or until warmed throughout. Check out this site for safety tips about handling pork.
Recipe Tips
- Be sure to shred the cheese by hand. If you use pre-shredded cheese with stabilizers, the sausage balls may go flat.
- The easiest way to blend the batter is by using a mixer. But, if you like to get your hands dirty, be sure to wear gloves because it gets messy.
- Hot sausage gives this recipe its flavor, but you can use mild if you prefer. If you use mild and want just a little heat, try adding ¼ tsp. dried cayenne pepper to the dough.
- You can roll the balls to make them rounder if desired, but they will still morph into whatever shape they like! I prefer to scoop and bake.
- Line the sheet pan with parchment paper to prevent scorching.
- This recipe yields about 4 dozen balls using a 1 inch melon scooper.
- Sausage balls taste better when dipped in your favorite ranch (ad) or honey mustard (ad) dressing. You can also try yellow mustard, chili sauce, and pepper jelly for a variety of flavors.
- Refrigerate or freeze leftovers promptly.
More Party Appetizers
Try my other yummy appetizers to complete your party lineup!
- Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Fried Chicken Wings
- Southern Pimento Cheese
- Fried Green Tomatoes
- Tailgate Meatballs
- Build Your Own Flatbread Bar
Recipe Card
Best Sausage Ball Recipe
*See notes in blog post for detailed tips, photos and instructions.
Equipment
- mixer (hand or free standing)
- 1 inch scooper
- sheet pan or baking sheet
Ingredients
- 2 cups Bisquick baking mix
- 8 ounce block sharp cheddar cheese shredded by hand
- ¼ teaspoon dried garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- 2 Tablespoons minced green onions
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 pound hot pork sausage
- ½ cup ranch or honey mustard dressing for dipping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix Bisquick, cheddar cheese, garlic powder, dry mustard, minced onion and sour cream together with a hand or upright mixer.
- Add sausage and blend well.
- Using a 1 inch melon scooper, scoop balls of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake 1 inch sausage balls at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. If sausage balls are 2 inches in diameter, cook for at least 25 minutes.
- Serve warm with ranch or honey mustard dressing if desired.
Notes
- Shred cheese by hand for best results.
- Substitute mild sausage for hot if desired.
- Recipe yields about 48 sausage balls when using a 1 inch scooper.
- Refrigerate or freeze leftovers promptly.
- Sausage balls can be frozen ahead of time and thawed out in the refrigerator overnight before baking.
- View the Google Web Story for the Best Sausage Ball Recipe!
Nutrition
Nutrition info is an auto generated estimate.
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Making a fourth run of your sausage balls today. We’re having our Christmas get-together Friday night and sausage balls are a must but they keep disappearing. Your recipe is a keeper!!💕
Thanks so much Judy! Glad you love them! I made a bunch this Christmas too! 🙂