Turkey Breakfast Sausage Crumbles: a High Protein Diet Staple

breakfast turkey sausage crumbles in a bowl

Step aside eggs, there's a new protein-rich breakfast food in town. Boasting up to 20 grams of protein per serving, this turkey breakfast sausage recipe is both a subtly sweet, yet savory addition to any breakfast needing a protein boost.

I feel confident when I say that 95% of us admitingly are sausage (or bacon) fans. Am I right? The unfortunate fact is that processed meats, including these tasty breakfast meats, are highly inflammatory. When it comes to breakfast time, it feels like our protein-rich foods are limited. Eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, protein powder… Wouldn’t it be nice to have one more option to add to the list? Enter: turkey breakfast sausage crumbles. Now hear me out… You may be thinking, “isn’t this just ground turkey?” But once you have a bite of these crumbles, you’ll understand the hype. They have the perfect touch of sweetness that sets these crumbles aside from regular ole’ ground turkey. The sage and the fennel adds the cravable, familiar taste you’d expect with a standard breakfast sausage. 

Looking for suggestions for how to enjoy this recipe? Here’s a few of my favorites:

  1. In a breakfast bowl, combined with diced potatoes, cheddar cheese, mushrooms, and green onions

  2. Sprinkled into an omelet with chopped bell peppers and spinach

  3. Incorporated into breakfast tacos, with tomatoes, green chiles, and avocado

  4. Served a la carte with eggs of choice and a slice or two of Ezekiel bread (I love Food For Life’s)

Scaling instructions:

If you’re meal prepping for 2+, or feeding a family of 4 and wanting some leftovers, this recipe is super easy to prepare in larger quantities. Simply double each of the ingredients, and use your largest bowl to mix, and largest skillet to cook the turkey mixture. 

Alternative preparation options: 

If you’re not a fan of crumbles, and prefer turkey patties, after step 2, incorporate the turkey mixture into round patties that are about 1/4-1/2 inch thick (about 1/4 cup mixture per patty). To help the patties cook evenly, gently press your thumb into the top-center of each patty to create a small divot. Cook on medium for about 3-4 minutes each side. If using a thermometer, each patty should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Serves: 4-6 (2-3 oz portions each)

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound lean ground turkey

  • 1 tsp dried oregano

  • 1 tsp fennel seeds, smashed with a knife or jar to release flavor

  • 1 tsp dried sage

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 

  • 2 tbsp olive oil 

  • 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup

Directions:

1. Heat a skillet over low-medium heat.  

2. In a large bowl, mix together the turkey, oregano, sage, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and 1 tbsp of the olive oil. 

3. Next, drizzle in the honey or maple syrup and mix with your hands until incorporated. 

4. Then, add the remaining olive oil to your skillet, followed by the turkey mixture.

5. Cook on low-medium until no longer pink, about 10 minutes. While cooking, break up larger clumps of turkey as best as possible. 

6. Serve warm, or place in a glass container and reheat for later.

Reheating instructions:

Stove top: place in a skillet of choice and heat on medium until warmed through. 

Microwave: place in microwave safe bowl and heat on 50% power for 2 minutes.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:

Calories: 173 | Total Fat: 7 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Sodium: 534 mg | Total Carbohydrate: 4 g | Dietary Fiber: 1 g | Protein: 20 g

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