3-Ingredient Sausage Balls
It doesn’t get any easier (or tastier) than 3-ingredient sausage balls made with sharp cheddar cheese, ground sausage, and biscuit mix. This classic recipe is the perfect finger food or savory snack for your next party.
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Sausage balls are a classic, crowd-pleasing appetizer that’s perfect for holiday parties, game day snacks, family gatherings, or an easy breakfast. With just three ingredients, they’re also incredibly easy to make! But be warned, they are also incredibly addictive.
Ingredients and tools you will need
It’s shocking that something so delicious requires only three simple ingredients. To make this easy and delicious recipe, you will need:
- 1 pound extra sharp cheddar cheese, cubed – precut cheese from the store can be coated with an additive called cellulose to prevent the cheese from sticking together. It also affects how well the cheese melts, so for best results buy a brick of cheese and cube the cheese yourself.
- 1 pound pork bulk sausage – this is the breakfast sausage that comes in a tube. I used the Jimmy Dean mild flavor, but feel free to use medium or hot sausage for extra heat.
- 3 cups all-purpose baking mix – a box of Bisquick is the most popular baking mix, but Hungry Jack any generic store-brand mix will also work.
- Baking sheet – lined with foil or parchment paper and sprayed with cooking spray.
- Cookie scoop, optional – I like the uniform size I get from using a cookie scoop, but you can also use clean hands.
How to make 3-ingredient sausage balls
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a large pot, melt the cheese over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until the cheese is melted. Turn off the heat.
- Stir the raw pork sausage into the melted cheese, breaking up the sausage as you stir.
- Add the baking mix and stir until everything is evenly mixed.
- Form the sausage and cheese mixture into 2-inch balls. Arrange the uncooked sausage balls on a greased cookie sheet about 1-2 inches apart.
- Bake the sausage balls for 10-12 minutes until they are golden brown.
Storage, freezing, and reheating instructions
Storage. Once cooled, transfer the leftover sausage balls to an airtight container or freezer bag. Store in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Freezing. Transfer the baked sausage balls to a freezer container or freezer bag. If using a bag, be sure to squeeze as much of the air out as possible. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw completely before serving.
Reheating. Though you can eat sausage balls at room temperature, I enjoy them warm! You can zap them in the microwave for about 30 seconds or toast them in a 350-degree oven for 5-10 minutes. My preferred method is the air fryer. Bake a few at a time at 350 degrees for 1-2 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. If kept refrigerated, the dough will keep for up to two days.
These cheesy sausage balls are supposed to be flaky on the outside and tender on the inside. There are several reasons why they could turn out dry. First, you may have overmixed the dough. Overmixing can lead to a tough texture, so only mix the ingredients until they are just combined. Second, did you use low-fat sausage? The fat in breakfast sausage keeps the sausage balls moist. Removing the fat can result in a dry texture. Finally, did you mix the dough thoroughly? Not mixing the dough properly can leave dry pockets of unmixed baking mix.
Yes, but keep in mind that because these are leaner ingredients your sausage balls may end up with a drier texture.
Only if you shred the cheese yourself. Just like cubed cheese, pre-shredded cheese is coated with cellulose and will not melt properly.
Looking for a dipping sauce? Try these!
3-Ingredient Sausage Balls
Ingredients
- 1 pound extra sharp cheddar cheese cubed
- 1 pound breakfast sausage
- 3 cups all-purpose baking mix
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a large pot, melt the cheese over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until the cheese is melted. Turn off the heat.
- Stir the sausage into the melted cheese, breaking up the sausage up as you stir.
- Add the baking mix and stir until everything is evenly mixed.
- Form the sausage and cheese mixture into 2-inch balls. Arrange the unbaked sausage balls on a greased cookie sheet about 1-2 inches apart.
- Bake the sausage balls for 10-12 minutes until they are golden brown.
Have a question? Leave a comment!