What changes when you substitute Italian sausage?

Same dish, no casing snap. Leaner, milder.

Substitute for Italian sausage

What it does in a recipe: Fennel-and-garlic seasoned pork sausage for pasta, pizza, and ragù.

2 substitutes, ranked by what's already in your pantry. Amounts are dataset values — US and metric where a ratio exists.

Ground pork + fennel blend

per 1 lb Italian sausage

US1 lb ground pork + 1 tsp fennel seeds + 1 tsp paprika + 1 tsp garlic + 1/2 tsp each oregano and pepper

Metric450 g pork + seasonings

Pantry stapleBaking-safe ✓Alcohol-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeFish-freeGluten-freeNut-freePeanut-freeShellfish-freeSoy-freeContains meat

You are making the seasoning blend yourself — brown it the same.

What changes: Same dish, no casing snap

Ground chicken or turkey + the blend

per 1 lb Italian sausage

US1 lb + the same fennel blend

Metric450 g + seasonings

CommonBaking-safe ✓Alcohol-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeFish-freeGluten-freeNut-freePeanut-freeShellfish-freeSoy-freeContains meat

Leaner — add 1 Tbsp olive oil when browning.

What changes: Leaner, milder

Related swaps

Common questions

What can I use instead of Italian sausage?: Ground pork + fennel blend: 1 lb ground pork + 1 tsp fennel seeds + 1 tsp paprika + 1 tsp garlic + 1/2 tsp each oregano and pepper. Ground chicken or turkey + the blend: 1 lb + the same fennel blend.
What is the exact ratio to substitute Italian sausage?: Ground pork + fennel blend (per 1 lb Italian sausage) — US: 1 lb ground pork + 1 tsp fennel seeds + 1 tsp paprika + 1 tsp garlic + 1/2 tsp each oregano and pepper. Metric: 450 g pork + seasonings.
What changes when you substitute Italian sausage?: Same dish, no casing snap. Leaner, milder.

Kitchen Substitute for iPhone — every ratio on this page, in your pocket, offline.

$0.99 once · no ads · no account · free content updates forever.

Get it on the App Store

Acids

Condiments

Eggs

Fats & oils

Flours

Grains

Leaveners

Liquids

Nuts

Pine nuts