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Chicken Thyme and Fennel Sausages are made from scratch with chicken thighs, herbs and spices. Juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside. An ideal breakfast if you're following Whole30 or if you just like really good chicken sausages.
What can you eat for breakfast on the Whole30?
One of the common concerns about embarking on the Whole30 is the issue of breakfast. After all, grains are banned so that means no toast, no cereal, no porridge. Dairy is banned so no yoghurt. And it goes without saying that pastries are a resounding no no. So what else is there?
Eat what you like when you like
The Whole30 way of eating would like to discourage you from thinking that there should be any difference between the kinds of food we would have for breakfast, lunch or dinner. After all that is how food is eaten in lots of other cultures, why should we reserve a set of foods only for breakfast, isn’t this quite restrictive?
When I was in Ghana I was surprised that my work colleagues at the newsroom would eat the same sort of food – cassava with some protein for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I found it very strange at the time but now it seems odd that we would limit ourselves so much at breakfast time. After all, as a student, cold pizza for breakfast was the ultimate luxury. Let’s embrace that attitude! Although pizza might be frowned upon on the Whole30.
Whole30 breakfast without eggs
Having said that there are some breakfast foods which are definitely supported on the Whole30. Like, eggs. Here's the problem. I do not like eggs. This can be a major stumbling block on the Whole30 as it’s one of the most celebrated ingredients on your meal plan. So let's get creative.
Sausages
We are aiming for protein for breakfast on the Whole30. It gives us energy and can be incredibly satisfying. So, sausages and bacon are my go to foods. However, whereas bacon is okay on the Whole30, sausages are a bit more complicated.
Supermarket sausages usually contain all sorts of preservatives which are not that good for you and although butchers’ sausages may not contain those sorts of products, they are more than likely made with breadcrumbs or some sort of wheat product holding them all together.
So I started making my own sausages for breakfast, this way I know exactly what is in them and I can tailor them for my specific picky palette, after all I don’t want a sausage that too rich or garlicky first thing in the morning.
How to make Whole30 compliant sausages
These chicken sausages are simple to make with minimal ingredients:
- boneless chicken thighs
- fresh thyme
- fennel seeds
- mace
- mustard powder
- salt and pepper
I have found that this flavour combination of thyme and fennel really makes the most delicious sausage, it is light, meaty, juicy and full of flavour.
All you need to do is...
- Place all the ingredients in a food processor and mix until minced. Don’t worry that at this stage the chicken looks like something Jamie Oliver would produce to put children off food for life, there is only good chicken in your sausage.
- Shape them into sausage shapes and roast them on baking parchment for 40 minutes in the oven.
Tip: Leave the chicken skin on!
The sausages are roasted without any added fat or binding agent as the chicken skin is included in the mince. This keeps its moisture in and means that during the roast the sweet sticky chicken juices encase the outside of the sausage which is a treat you just don’t find in Walls’ bangers.
These sausages are delicious wrapped in lettuce or served up with some stewed tomatoes. They are filling, satisfying and feel like such a treat.
It’s recipes like this that will kick off your Whole30 with a bang and made breakfast time a whole lot easier.
If you need more Whole30 breakfast recipes then perhaps try:
Sweet Potato and Bacon Rosti
Grain-Free Coconut Chia Porridge
If you make these Chicken Sausages then please leave a comment below and/or give the recipe a rating. If you then go on to use this recipe as a launch pad for your own culinary creation then I’d also love it if you’d share it and tag me on Instagram. It is so lovely for me to see your versions and variations of my recipes.
Chicken, Thyme and Fennel Sausages
Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs with skin on - boneless
- 1½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon mace
- ¼ teaspoon mustard powder
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
- Chop the chicken up roughly and place it in the food processor with the rest of the ingredients. Whizz up to a smooth paste.
- Shape the chicken mince into sausages, about 100g each depending on how large your chicken thighs were. You should be able to get 6 sausages out of the mince.
- Place the sausages on baking parchment on a baking tray.
- Roast the sausage for 40 minutes in the oven when they will have turned golden.
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