Looking for a savory appetizer that is guaranteed to please both young and old? Try our easy Bisquick sausage balls that are crispy and cheesy on the outside, and tender and moist on the inside.
Need more easy appetizer ideas? Try our Hawaiian meatballs and garbage bread!
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Ingredients
Our Bisquick sausage balls are a super easy appetizer that takes pantry staples. Let's talk about the key ingredients.
- Fat: We used olive oil.
- Meat: We used ground pork sausage that was 80% lean.
- Dairy: We used extra sharp cheese and whole milk.
- Spices: We used fresh chives and minced garlic along with some freshly ground black pepper.
- Biscuit Mix: We used 2 cups of Bisquick mix.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Looking for other add-ins? White onion, spring onion, fresh jalapenos, or habaneros.
- Want to try other spices? How about paprika, sage, rosemary, or Worcestershire sauce?
- Spicy: add minced jalapeños or habaneros, ¼ teaspoon of cayenne, or a few dashes of hot sauce
- Cheesy: mix and match different hard or melting cheeses
- Sweet: add maple syrup
- Pork not on your diet? Substitute with ground chicken or turkey.
How to Make
Gather the ingredients for our Bisquick sausage balls. Mince up the garlic, chop up the chives, and grate the cheese.
- Saute the minced garlic in a little bit of olive oil until fragrant.
- Mix the ground sausage, Bisquick, grated cheese, sauteed garlic, chives, and pepper with your hands. Gradually add the milk until the mixture is moist enough to roll into balls.
If you are in a hurry or have arthritis, use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to mix it. Just be careful not to overmix, or the balls will be tough.
3. Line two baking trays with parchment paper or foil. Recruit a helper and roll the mixture into ¾ inch to 1 inch balls. Place the balls closely together on the baking tray. Make sure they aren't touching as you want them to turn a nice golden brown.
If you are making them ahead, you can put them in the fridge overnight or freeze them on the tray for 1 to 2 hours, then transfer them to a freezer bag.
4. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 165 F on a meat thermometer. When done, they should be a nice golden brown color. If you cut one in half, there should be no pink in the middle. Be careful not to overbake, or they will be too dry.
Serve our Bisquick sausage balls piled high on a plate, with toothpicks on a tray, or in a crockpot or chaffing dish if you want them to remain warm. Set out more than one kind of dipping sauce to please all your guests. If you're making these for breakfast or brunch, pour a white gravy over top.
Recipe FAQs
If you don't have Bisquick, you can use this recipe to make a batch of homemade Bisquick. Mix together, 2 cups all-purpose flour (240g), 1 tablespoon baking powder, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ cup cubed unsalted butter (57g) or shortening (51g).
We think Bisquick sausage balls taste best fresh from the oven and prefer freezing them uncooked rather than cooked. You can still freeze them cooked, but they get a bit drier when reheated.
If they turn out dry, likely something went wrong in your measurements or you used sausage that is too lean. The fat from the sausage and the moisture in the cheese balances out the dry Bisquick and the right ratio makes all the difference. For best results use pork sausage with at least 20% fat. If it contains 15% or less fat, add in another source of fat (bacon drippings, lard, butter). Also, use freshly grated cheese as most pre-shredded cheese is coated with cellulose (very fine wood chips), which is a moisture-blocking agent.
Yes, you can however you will need to alter the time just a bit. If they are cold from the refrigerator, let them sit out at room temperature while the oven preheats to 400°F then cook for 25 minutes. If they are frozen, cook for 30 minutes. Since oven temperatures can vary it's best to check by inserting a meat thermometer and cook until it reads 165°F.
Serve
Bisquick sausage balls are great with a dip. Consider serving them with honey mustard, spicy ranch, sriracha mayo, marinara sauce, BBQ sauce, or white gravy.
If you're looking for other appetizer recipes, make sure to try our recipes for sardine salad, British sausage rolls, Hawaiian meatballs, and hedgehog cheese ball.
Store
- Make Ahead: Keep the trays of the uncooked Bisquick sausage balls in the fridge overnight. When ready to cook, let them sit at room temperature while the oven preheats and then cook for 25 minutes.
- Freezer: Freeze uncooked sausage balls on trays for 1 to 2 hours then put them in a freezer bag. They will keep for up to 6 months. Cook frozen sausage balls in the oven for 30 minutes.
Expert Tips
- Use freshly grated cheese. The pre-grated cheese will make the meatballs dry.
- Line the baking tray with foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup and lighter brown bottoms.
- Too greasy? Drain them on a paper towel.
- Too dry? Serve gravy over top and let them sit in the fridge overnight.
- For a party, keep them warm by placing them in a crockpot using the warm setting.
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Recipe
Bisquick Sausage Balls
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 1 ½ pounds ground pork sausage, 80% lean, 20% fat
- 2 cups biscuit mix
- 4 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- ½ cup whole milk
- 3 tablespoons fresh chives, sliced
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for one minute or until fragrant, stirring constantly.
- Mix together the ground pork, biscuit mix, cheese, chives, black pepper, and cooked garlic with your hands. Gradually add the milk until the mixture is has a moist consistency and holds a ball shape. (You can also use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to mix the meat; just be careful not to overmix, or the balls will be tough.)
- Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 400 F. Meanwhile, roll the sausage mixture into ¾ to 1 inch balls. Space them close together since they won't spread, but not touching, so they can brown nicely. Recruit a kitchen helper to make the rolling go faster.
- Bake the sausage balls at 400 F on two different racks for 20 to 23 minutes, or until golden brown and the internal temperature reads 165 F. Switch trays halfway through baking for more even baking. Serve warm or at room temperature with a dipping sauce.
Notes
- Use freshly grated cheese. The pre-grated cheese will make the meatballs dry.
- Line the baking tray with foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup and lighter brown bottoms.
- Too greasy? Drain them on paper towel.
- Too dry? Serve a gravy over top and let them sit in the fridge overnight.
- For a party, keep them warm by placing them in a crockpot on the warm setting.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Beth
This recipe is amazing! The sausage balls are so soft, and the sausage is awesome with the cheese.
Emma
I'm so glad that you enjoyed these sausage balls, Beth!