Homemade Beef Summer Sausage Recipe - Pitchfork Foodie Farms (2024)

This Summer Sausage Recipe is easy to make at home in the oven or on the smoker! It’s a million times better than store-bought too! Serve it with all different kinds of cheese and crackers for a quick and easy appetizer, or pack it in lunches for a fun alternative to sandwiches!

When I was growing up my mom would buy a Hickory Farms Summer Sausage to eat on Christmas Eve. After I started making this recipe she told me my grandma used to make this exact same recipe! Why didn’t I know about that?

After I got married my friend Jewel told me making summer sausage at home is easy! What? I’m always a fan of homemade vs. store-bought so I knew I wanted to try it. She was right it was easy and it’s the BEST summer sausage and there’s no way going to buy it in the store again!

This recipe has the perfect blend of spices I love knowing exactly what is going in my sausage too. It’s not filled with all those artificial preservatives. Plus it’s an awesome low carb, carb free, gluten free, sugar free, keto appetizer for when Justin’s trying to eat like that!

NOTE: This post was updated in December 2019 to include new images and text. The recipe remained exactly the same!

How to make summer sausage.

DIY summer sausage is easier than you think! You don’t need casings or any special equipment. If you have an oven you have shat you need!

You will need Quick Curing Salt. It’s kind of hard to find in stores so I suggest ordering Morten’s brand from Amazon. {Affiliate Link}

1. Mix 4 pounds of ground beef with Quick Curing Salt.
2. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. Add garlic salt, cracked black pepper, and liquid smoke. I like this hickory liquid smoke {affiliate link}
4. Mix together until combined.
5. Divide the meat mixture into four equal parts.
6. Shape meat into four sticks, or logs. Set on a roasting pan with a wire rack. If you don’t have one, set a cooling rack in a baking sheet.
7. Bake at 225 degrees for 4 hours.

How to make sausage without casings

I’ve never used casings to make homemade sausage.

1. Cut a piece of plastic wrap about 18 inches long.
2. Set meat on the plastic wrap.
3. Shape meat into a fat stick.
4. Wrap plastic wrap around the meat stick and twist the ends closed. Basically, you’ll twist it closed the same way a Tootsie Roll is wrapped up.
5. Using your hand lightly press and roll the “meat roll” until it’s smooth.
6. To make sure it’s the right diameter I make a circle with by touching my middle finger to my thumb and then run the “meat roll” through my fingers. That’s the perfect sized beef stick to fit on most crackers. Obviously, if your hands are bigger or smaller you may need to adjust.
7. Remove plastic wrap and set it on the baking sheet.

How to cook summer sausage.

When Jewel shared this recipe with me it was written as an oven recipe. It works wonderfully! You’ll need to plan on baking it for 4 hours.

Since then I’ve experimented with cooking it on my Traeger. You guys, smoked summer sausage is divine! It adds that extra depth of flavor. Of course, you can use whatever flavor of wood you’d like. We’re in love with Hickory and Mesquite. I liked reducing the cooking time to 3 1/2 hours when I made it on my smoker.

How to store beef summer sausage.

When I make beef sticks I usually make lots of them because they last for quite a while.

How long does summer sausage last in the fridge?

Homemade summer sausage can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three weeks. It needs to be stored in an airtight container.

Can summer sausage be frozen?

YES! YES! YES! I love making it ahead of time and throwing it in the freezer! It lasts for up to three months stored in an airtight container.

Having a few sticks in the freezer is a great backup plan for those days when I don’t have anything in the house for making lunches. All I have to do is slice a few pieces of cheese, grab some crackers and their lunch is packed!

Ground beef summer sausage recipes.

Since we raise and harvest our own beef I have about three freezers chock full of ground beef. It’s probably no surprise that I make beef summer sausage and never experiment with other types of meat.

My boys do go hunting quite often though and have wanted to try and make this summer sausage recipe substituting elk, deer (venison), or some other wild game for the beef. Since I’m a tried and true beef lover I’ve never experimented with it before. I bet it would work perfectly if you’re into that sort of thing!

Other Easy Appetizers

Easy appetizers are super important whether you’re hosting a party, or just like to eat finger foods as much as I do! Be sure to check out my guide to eating cheese too.

Meat Appetizers

• Cheesy Pigs in a Blanket
• Crockpot Little Smokies
• Ham and Cheese Pinwheels
• Slow Cooker Mexican Dip
• BBQ Meatballs
• Pork Nachos
• Burrito Cups
• Slow Cooker BBQ Drumsticks

What else to serve summer sausage with?

We love beef stick with cheese and crackers. It’s also delicious with mustard sauce for dipping. {Affiliate Link}

It’s really good served with different kinds of fruit and fresh vegetables too!

Grab my Summer Sausage Recipe

I think you are going to love this recipe just as much as my readers have!

This recipe is delicious! I’ve made it several times already, and I was so impressed with how much it tastes like the summer sausage I used to buy at the store, but much cheaper and healthier. Thanks for this awesome recipe! You have saved me a lot of money!

Lady E