Homemade Beef Summer Sausage
Homemade Beef Summer Sausage is a scrumptiously satisfying and savory option for your appetizers, meat and cheese trays, charcuterie boards or any time you want a delicious slice and serve snack!
Post may contain affiliate links. See my Affiliate Disclosure.
In This Post:
The recipe is simple. It’s an easy, gluten free prep ahead recipe. You’ll be asked for this craveable “smoked” summer sausage recipe at every get together.
Summer Sausage as a Gift
Honestly, this would be great in holiday gift baskets, too. Or for Father’s Day. No need to order from Hickory Farms. lol You’ll net 5 stars on every review of your gifting genius when you simply make your own!
Create fabulous gift boxes and baskets for any holiday or celebration gift. Homemade Summer Sausage will be a great centerpiece to build the gift around. It’s a great value and so much more affordable when you make your own.
Combine homemade summer sausage with jars of homemade mustard, horseradish spreads, jams, crackers and your favorite cheeses.
Stick in some shortbread cookies or homemade candy. Add a pretty wooden cutting board and your beautiful gift is complete. It will look great and taste so much better than anything you would have purchased at the store. It’s more personal and means a lot more when it comes from your own kitchen!
The Perfect Take Along for Parties, Reunions and Picnics
Take this easy beef summer sausage to your next party or family reunion. It will be one of the first things to disappear off the buffet table, along with my friend Shelby’s scrumptious bacon wrapped steak bites.
Add beef summer sausage to a build-your-own hoagie bar, beautiful charcuterie boards or meat and cheese trays. Chop it into outrageously delicious antipasto salads or “beef up” your Hasselback potatoes!
Homemade Beef Summer Sausage will wow your family and friends however and wherever you serve it! It’s a great value and saves on the grocery bill and snack budget.
You control the ingredients and spice level so that you can serve and gift it with confidence in its quality. Beef Summer Sausage also freezes well, so you can always keep a roll or two on hand..
You’ll be hard-pressed to ever buy another one of those “logs-o-meat” after indulging in this simple and delicious beef sausage snack!
This Homemade Beef Summer Sausage recipe is a snacking tradition in our home. I hope you will enjoy it with your family, too!
The Ingredients
- Medium Lean Ground Beef, (I usually use 80 -85%.)
- Tender Quick / Curing Salt (I use Morton and can get it at Walmart, local grocery stores, or online ordering.)
- Garlic Powder
- Coarse Black Pepper
- Mustard Seed
- Liquid Smoke (I prefer the hickory smoke variety, but you can also get mesquite.)
- Sugar
The ingredients to make Summer Sausage at home are pretty straightforward, but I want to discuss two of them.
Some of you may have *liquid smoke in your pantry all the time, like me. It can be used for lots of other recipes, but it is essential for Homemade Beef Summer Sausage.
You can use whichever brand you have access to. Most stores carry at least one brand. If you prefer to order it, this is the liquid smoke I use [affiliate link], on Amazon.
Curing salt or Tender-Quick salt cannot be substituted for any other type of salt.
It’s a blend of salt, sugar and other ingredients that allow the meat to cure, like ham, bacon or sausages.
Look for it at Walmart, local grocery stores, or even online at Amazon.
How to Make Homemade Beef Summer Sausage
Mixing up the summer sausage is as simple as putting all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stirring until everything is evenly distributed and combined. It’s important, but easy.
You want the mustard seed, salt and pepper evenly distributed throughout the mixture. Honestly, I use my hands to mix it up. Just like with my Easy Meatloaf Recipe or my scrumptious Spicy Italian Meatballs, it’s easier to get the ingredients blended well when I mix by hand.
Once the mixture is ready, divide it and roll each half into a log. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and leave in the fridge for 24 hours to allow the curing salt to work its magic.
After 24 hours, unwrap each sausage and place it on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 275° for 2 hours. Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack.
You could eat the sausage warm, but we prefer it cold. It slices well, whether warm or cold, so definitely go with your preference.
Homemade Beef Summer Sausage can be the delicious, gluten-free centerpiece of your holiday meat and cheese trays or charcuterie boards.
It’s especially good with Cheddar cheese, Smoked Gouda or Colby Jack cheese and buttery crackers. It would also be a welcome addition to this tasty Pizza Charcuterie board.
Beef Summer Sausage is also a great addition to tailgating snacks or when watching movies with your family.
Everybody loves homemade beef summer sausage, and it’s a no-fuss make-ahead treat that lets you spend your time enjoying the fun.
Enjoy this simple appetizer, and I hope all your celebrations are wonderfully blessed!
Merry, happy festivities, my friend!
The Recipe
Print
Homemade Beef Summer Sausage
- Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 lbs 1x
Description
Beefy, salty and smoky snacking goodness. It has a peppery bite which you control by how much pepper you add. Perfect on charcuterie boards or meat and cheese platters. A great appetizer or snack that is so simple and affordable. A great value no matter how you slice it and everyone will want your recipe. Plus, it’s naturally gluten free.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs med. lean ground beef (80-85%)
- 2 Tablespoons Morton Tender Quick Salt ( or curing salt of your choice used according to the manufacturer’s directions)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon mustard seed
- 2 – 3 teaspoons coarse ground pepper (to taste)
- 1 Tablespoon liquid smoke
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl
- Use your hands to thoroughly combine the ingredients and make sure they are evenly distributed.
- Divide the mixture in half and roll each half into a log 6 or 7 inches long.
- Wrap each log in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for 24 hours to let the Morton Tender Quick salt do its magic.
- Unwrap the logs and place them on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake for 2 hours at 275°.
- Cool and then refrigerate.
- Slice and serve as desired.
Notes
No need to order summer sausage from Hickory Farms. Create your own fabulous gift boxes and baskets at the holidays. Combine this homemade summer sausage with jars of homemade mustard, jams, crackers and your favorite cheeses. Stick in some shortbread cookies or homemade candy. Add a pretty wooden cutting board and your beautiful gift is complete. It will taste so much better and mean so much more because it came from your own kitchen.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Appetizer, Snack, Beef
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
More Great Appetizer Recipes
- Bacon Lettuce Tomato Bites
- Crispy Air Fryer Zucchini
- Bacon and Pineapple Cheese Ball
- Homemade Taco Chips
Can you help me troubleshoot? The first time I made this it came out great. I’ve tried it two more times and each time the texture is off. It’s kind of grainy on the inside versus nice and smooth like the first time. The only thing I did different was to triple the batch. Any ideas what would cause this texture difference?
Hi Brittany, I’m happy to try and help. Was the meat the same fat content, i.e. 80/20? How long did you let it rest in the fridge before baking? Sometimes if I’m in a hurry I will bake it without resting it and that can change the texture somewhat, since it didn’t get as much curing time. The only other thing I can think of is to be sure the curing salt is thoroughly and evenly distributed. If none of those is your issue, write back please. I’d like to be able to get the issue solved for you. And that will give me a little time to do more research.
After some more research, I’m finding that the curing time is more important than I ever imagined, Brittany. I learned something new today and I’ll have to change the post to reflect that.
Here’s what I found:
“Yes, the cold curing time in the fridge matters immensely when making summer sausage with Morton Tender Quick. Skipping or shortening this resting period is a safety risk and directly ruins the sausage’s texture, color, and taste.
You must let the mixed meat cure in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours (and up to 3 days depending on your specific recipe) before baking or smoking.
Protein Binding (Texture Fix): Ground meat requires time in the presence of salt to dissolve myosin, a key muscle protein. This dissolved protein forms a sticky gel that binds the fat and moisture together when cooked. Baking immediately prevents this bond from forming, which frequently causes a grainy,dry, and crumbly texture.
Color and Flavor Development: That classic tangy flavor and bright pink color characteristic of summer sausage only develop as the cure works through the meat. Baking immediately will leave you with meat that looks and tastes like a standard, grey meatloaf rather than cured sausage.”
For your next batch, I suggest mixing the meat thoroughly with the Morton Tender Quick until it is tacky, then shape it, and let it sit wrapped in the fridge for a full 24 to 48 hours before baking. I hope that can help.
I love summer sausage, but haven’t been able to eat it for years, so I thought I would give this recipe a try. It was so good, in fact we were eating it while it was still warm. Everyone that tried it thought it was good. The only thing I did different was I omitted the liquid smoke because some of my family doesn’t care for it. Next time I’m going to make some with the liquid smoke and some without. Great recipe.
Thanks for sharing.
I’m so happy you’ve found a way to make the recipe your own and perfect for your own family, Judy!
I’m eat low carb high protein for my meals and snacks. A few months ago I had ran out of my jerky seasoning mix I like. So I needed a new meat snack.
My mom and I searched thru all of our recipes for the one we used to make 30+ years a go when I was a kid. Never did find it.
It was always an all day bake but we would make about 30lbs at a time (8 of us kids plus giving it out to friends and such). Ours were about 4 inches long and about an inch across. They were usually pretty dry but very tasty.
I started going through recipes online. Your’s, the first one Google shows, was the one I decided to try. It looked really easy.
I tried your recipe and have been making it every weekend since. When I would make jerky, I’d have my brother come over and I’d give him a batch. When he found out I was making summer sausage he wanted in too. Now I make 2 batches every other week so he can have a couple logs.
2 weeks ago, my mom and I were looking for a different recipe and stumbled across our summer sausage recipe. It was the same recipe on a very yellowed recipe card, just different size sausage and cook time.
I use a pork/beef blend called boston burger when I make the summer sausage and absolutely love the ease of the recipe and the flavor.
As I write this I await a new experiment with your recipe. I will be cooking a batch with jalapeño and sharp cheddar mixed into it. Here’s hoping it’s just as tasty.
Keith, that’s great that it turned out to be the same! And boy am I excited to here how your Jalapeno Cheddar version turns out.
It turned out so good. I used 1 cup of small diced sharp cheddar and 1/2 cup of small diced pickled jalapeño.
It sounds absolutely delicious! Thanks so much for sharing.
I made this recipe yesterday and cooked it today. Smelled great. Just cut my first slice since it has cooled completely and it is DELICIOUS! Make it and enjoy. I will NEVER buy summer sausage again. Thank you whoever made up this recipe.
So glad you’re loving it too, Ken!
I’m thinking of using my electric smoker next time. So no liquid smoke but what wood would you recommend I use.
We love hickory, but it will all depend on your flavor preference. One reader did comment that theirs cooked faster on the smoker than in the oven, so you may want to check it in that last 30 minutes or so. Let me know how it turns out for you if you do get to smoke it, Ken.
Hi
Gonna try this week. Have you ever added any other meat? Such as ground pork, chicken, Italian sausage?
Thanks
Tina
Tina, I haven’t, but as long as your total fat content is 15 to 20 percent, it should be great. Careful with sausage though as it may have sausage in the mix? The full amount of quick tender salt is needed for curing. Additional salt in the meat might make the summer sausage too salty. I’m just not sure.
Can I freeze after cooking?
Yes you sure can. We have frozen some every year at holiday time.
Is there an internal temperature you’re aiming for? I followed the recipe exactly and mine came out overly dry. Wondering if I overcooked it.
Hi Savvy, I’m sorry to hear that. I’ve always just cooked it to the specific time, as it’s a recipe handed down in the family.
A good rule of thumb for ground beef is 155°, though. You could try that.
Also, this is definitely less fatty and greasy than summer sausage from the store because I use leaner beef. You could try using a higher fat content ground beef like 80/20, or even 75/25 if you’re looking for a texture closer to commercial brands.
Hope that can help.
Will it affect the outcome if I refrigerated the log 48 hrs prior to baking ?
Susie, no it will come out perfectly. You’re doing great!
Oh. My. Goodness. This was so easy and so amazing. If anyone has any doubts, just do it. It was easy to combine and I let it sit in the fridge for a few days until I had time to bake it. The taste was spot on, and I will def be making more in the future. Thank you for a great recipe!
I’m so glad to hear you’re enjoying it, Jenn! Thank you for taking the time to stop by and let me know.
Looks delicious. Planning to make soon. How long does it keep for ? Does it require refrigeration?
Hi Karen! Yes, it needs to be refrigerated. We’ve never not finished it in a couple days, lol, but keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for at least a week I would think. And it can definitely be frozen. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
How would you recommend smoking this recipe? I believe I wouldn’t need liquid smoke if I did.
Cecil, I don’t use a smoker so I have no expert tips to offer. If you do find someone with the answers I would love for you to come back and share how it’s done.
We used our smoker once. It turned out great. But keep checking with a meat thermometer because it was done before the one’s in the oven.
That’s good to know, Stephanie! Thank you!