This recipe absolutely exploded online for a reason. The first time I shared it, people could not believe you could make homemade beef summer sausage this easily. But honestly? This is exactly the kind of practical protein recipe I love most. It’s affordable, simple, packed with flavor, and incredibly useful to have in the fridge.
As a homeschooling mom of five, I’m constantly thinking about foods that make feeding people easier at 10am, 2pm, and 5pm — not just dinner itself. This summer sausage gets sliced for snack plates, packed into road trip coolers, added to quick lunches, or eaten straight from the fridge by teenagers who suddenly appear starving 14 minutes after lunch. It’s one of those recipes that makes the kitchen feel stocked and abundant, and honestly, that’s one of my favorite feelings as a mom.
Homemade Beef Summer Sausage
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. medium lean ground beef 80-85% lean
- 2 Tablespoons Morton Tender Quick
- ½ Teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon mustard seed
- 2-3 Teaspoons coarse ground pepper
- 1 Tablespoon liquid smoke
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and thoroughly combine.
- Divide the mixture in half, wrap each portion with plasticwrap and try to make a log shape that is about 6-7" long.
- Place in a container in your fridge for 24 hours.
- Unwrap uncooked the logs and place them on a sheet pan to bake for 2 hours at 275ºF.
Notes
This needs to be stored in the fridge for up to a week or freezer for 3 months.
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below.