The Best Type Of Ground Sausage To Use In Homemade Meatballs

You can use ground beef, chicken, lamb, or turkey to turn out a batch of homemade meatballs for any type of meal; there are even recipes that combine different meats for the dish. But sometimes ground sausage is the best answer no matter what type of meal you're creating. And what kind of sausage should you use? To find out, we turned to Hunter Shoults, son of celebrity chef Robbie Shoults and the current plant manager at Bear Creek Smokehouse in Marshall, Texas where he is in charge of production of all the eatery's meats.

"Making meatballs with Italian sausage is a great way to get a head start on your flavor profile because it's already pre-loaded with that signature Italian seasoning," he told us. There are two main types of Italian sausage to use per Shoults' guidance: sweet or hot, both of which are packed with flavor from spices and can be used interchangeably in meatballs. The main difference between the spices in the sausages is usually red pepper flakes, so go with that option if you like increased levels of heat in your homemade meatballs.

You can use any meatball recipe and swap out the meat on the ingredients list with equal parts of ground Italian sausage. A classic option from Tasting Table's original recipes is our special Italian meatballs that are served in a rich, homemade tomato sauce. Our BBQ meatballs recipe relies on store-bought sauce and is easy to upgrade with either type of ground Italian sausage. Go for all sweet or all hot, or try a combination of both.

Once it's time to make the meatballs, there are some things to consider. First, if you buy Italian sausages that are in the casing, be sure to remove the skin and break up the sausage before combining it with the other ingredients. You might be lucky enough to find packaged ground sausage to skip this step. The sausages are typically pork, so you can combine them with ground beef for a balance of flavors. Remember that the sausages are seasoned, so be mindful of how much extra salt, pepper, and other spices go into the bowl before you form your meatballs. One pro tip is to make a small meatball, cook it, and taste it so you can adjust any seasonings accordingly. And to finish off your new skills, here are even more hacks for better homemade meatballs.