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!

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 the first thing to disappear off the buffet table.

Add it 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 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! 

Homemade Beef Summer Sausage 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
• 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 straight forward, but I do want to talk about 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 to 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 with any other type of salt.

It’s a blend of salt, sugar and other ingredients that allow meat to cure, like a ham, bacon or sausages.

I used to be able to buy it locally, but *I order it from Amazon, now.

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 to be evenly distributed throughout the entire mixture. Honestly, I use my hands to mix it up. Just like with my Easy Meatloaf Recipe, it’s easier to get the ingredients blended well.

Once the mixture is ready, divide it in half 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 it’s warm or cold, though, 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.

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 your Fall and Winter holiday celebrations are wonderfully blessed!

Merry happy festivities, my friend!

The Recipe

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