Mediterranean Chicken & Herb Sausage

2026-08-09 15:19

A juicy Mediterranean-inspired chicken sausage with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil and garlic. Gently poached for a tender texture, then ready to grill, pan-fry or enjoy cold.

Mediterranean Chicken & Herb Sausage
Mediterranean Chicken & Herb Sausage

This Mediterranean Chicken & Herb Sausage combines tender chicken thighs with pork back fat for a juicy, well-balanced texture. Sun-dried tomatoes bring a rich, slightly sweet intensity, while fresh basil and garlic provide the bright, aromatic flavours associated with Mediterranean cooking. Gently poached after stuffing, the sausages remain tender and moist and can later be grilled or pan-fried for extra colour and flavour. A delicious lighter alternative to traditional pork sausages that's equally at home at a summer barbecue or on a rustic cold platter.

Recipe

This Mediterranean Chicken & Herb Sausage combines chicken thighs with pork back fat to create a juicy, flavourful sausage featuring sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil and garlic. The result is a bright, aromatic sausage that captures the essence of Mediterranean cooking while introducing a different meat profile to the sausage maker's repertoire.

Recipe Overview

Difficulty
Beginner
Yield
2 kg
Category
Poached sausage
Region
Italien

Equipment Needed

Equipment Needed Meat grinder fitted with a 3 mm grinding plate Large mixing bowl Digital kitchen scales Sausage stuffing attachment or sausage stuffer Large saucepan for poaching

Ingredients

Meat and Fat

  • 1500 g boneless chicken thighs

Meat And Fat

  • 500 g Pork Back Fat

Seasoning

  • 36 g fine sea salt
  • 6 g white pepper
  • 1 g All Spice
  • 0.75 g ground mace
  • 1.5 g dried sage

Fresh Additions

  • 100 g sund dried tomatoes — roughly chopped

Fresh addition

  • 40 g fresh basil — roughly chopped

Fresh additions

  • 30 g fresh garlic — finely chopped

Method

Preparation

  1. Trim the chicken thighs as required.
  2. Cut the chicken thighs and pork back fat into grinder-sized pieces approximately 3–5 cm in size.
  3. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, basil and garlic directly to the cut meat.
  4. Mix lightly to distribute the fresh ingredients evenly.
  5. Place the mixture into the freezer for approximately 1–2 hours. The mixture should become very cold and firm, but not frozen solid. At the same time, chill the grinder parts, mixing bowl and stuffing equipment.

Processing

  1. Grind the chilled mixture through a coarse grinding plate. Collect the ground mixture in a chilled bowl.
  2. Combine the salt, white pepper, allspice, mace, sage and mill to a fine powder.
  3. Add the seasoning mixture to the ground meat.
  4. Mix thoroughly until the sausage mixture becomes sticky, homogeneous and develops a firm protein bind.

Stuffing and Linking

  1. Stuff into prepared pork casings. Do not overfill the casings.
  2. Twist into links of your preferred length.

Finishing

  1. Heat water to 70–75°C.
  2. Poach gently for approximately 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches at least 72°C.
  3. Cool immediately in cold water.
  4. Dry the sausages and refrigerate overnight before serving.

Additional Guidance

Preparation Guidance

Herb Variations Traditional Mediterranean flavours may be adapted by adding small amounts of: • Rosemary • Thyme • Oregano Use these herbs sparingly so they complement rather than overpower the basil and garlic.

Cooking Notes

Poach at 72 - 75 deg C for about 12 min / cm sausage diameter or until inner target temperature is reached.

Resting and Cooling

Best served after resting 1 night in the fridge.

Storage

After poaching up to 5 days in the fridge and vacuum sealed over 3 month in the freezer

Serving Suggestions

This sausage pairs particularly well with: • Grilled Mediterranean vegetables • Rustic bread • Potato salad • Pasta dishes • Green salads • Roasted peppers

Additional Notes

After poaching, the sausages may be: • Grilled over charcoal • Pan-fried • Served warm • Served cold in slices The poaching step ensures the sausages are fully cooked and only require reheating before serving.

Sausage Specifications

Casing Type Pork casing
Casing Size 28 - 30 mm
Grind Size 4.5 mm
Poaching Temperature 75°C
Internal Temperature 72°C
Freezer Friendly Yes
Tags: chicken sausage diy sausages home kitchen sausage making home sausage making homemade sausages italien herb sausage making sausages at home sausage making for beginners

You May Also Like

Back to Blog

Stay Updated

Receive new sausage recipes, practical sausage-making tips and occasional updates.

You will receive an email asking you to confirm your subscription. You can unsubscribe at any time.