If you’ve ever tried Costco or Trader Joe’s chicken apple sausages, you will know that it’s dangerously easy to cook up a whole pack and eat them with just a side of mustard or ketchup.
To make your plate a bit healthier ad filling, we’ve put together a list of 15 of the best chicken apple sausage recipes and ideas for meals out there.
They’re a great alternative to traditional sausages if you’re looking to reduce your fat intake or want a leaner protein.
The apple also gives a nice bit of sweetness while helping to keep the chicken nice and tender and is a nice flavor to enjoy in Fall.
1. One Pan Chicken Apple Sausage Pasta
Nothing quite says ‘weeknight-friendly dinner’ like a one-pan meal.
The slight sweetness of the apple in the sausage pairs well with the creamy cheese sauce here and helps to cut through the richness.
Dried sage is the secret ingredient that makes this dish feel cozy, warming, and perfect for Fall.
Serve with a crisp green salad or garlic bread if you want to max out on the comfort food theme.
2. Glazed Chicken Apple Sausage
The perfect combination of sweet and savory, these kabobs are a great recipe for when you’re entertaining as they can be prepared and skewered in advance and then left on the grill for just a few minutes.
The unexpected hero ingredient here and the one that gives the kabobs that beautiful, shiny glaze is apricot preserves.
It creates a delicious, caramelized coating that brings all of the various flavors together.
3. Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage and Harvest Veggies
What’s better than a one-pot meal that you have to stir occasionally?
A one-sheet pan meal that you can throw (not literally) into the oven and forget about for 25 minutes, of course!
This chicken apple sausage recipe celebrates all of the great ingredients that Fall offers in butternut squash and Brussel sprouts.
We think a heartier grain such as wild rice or farro would work well here for a side dish! What would you serve with this sheet pan meal?
4. Butternut Squash & Apple Chicken Sausage Rigatoni
Pasta, cheese, chicken apple sausage, and butternut squash. Is there a more Fall-inspired ingredients list than that?
Rigatoni is tossed through a creamy and silky sauce laced with roasted butternut squash, and while you could use any pasta shape, chunky rigatoni works well here as the sauce clings to it well.
To cut down on time, try using cubed and prepared frozen butternut squash.
The step that adds many flavors here is browning the sausage meat, so don’t be afraid of your sausage pieces getting nice and gnarly.
5. Chicken Apple Sausage Bites
These sweet and savory bites are great to serve as a side dish or as an appetizer.
They’re tasty, will have everyone dipping in for second helpings but take just 4 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep time to make.
Chopped chicken apple sausages are tossed in a glaze made with maple syrup, stone ground mustard, and dried thyme before being left to cook in the slow cooker for 1 hour.
6. Apple Chicken Sausage Pizza
This is no standard pizza – this is a gourmet pizza topped with goat cheese, pecans, and green apple.
If you’re looking for a slightly healthier pizza recipe, this one’s for you.
This flavor combination works so well together: the sweetness of the apple compliments the creamy, tangy goat cheese, and the pecans help add a nice bit of texture.
Top with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a handful of arugula to add extra dimension and impress.
7. Chicken Sausage Sweet Potato Bake
Simple yet comforting, this chicken apple sausage dinner recipe is a great one to meal prep and have on hand for days when you’re short on time and need your dinner in a hurry.
It’s nutritious, easy to make, and the additions of dried sage, thyme, and rosemary help highlight the sweet potato’s earthy flavor.
White or yellow potatoes or butternut squash will also work well in place of the sweet potato if you’d prefer!
8. Chicken Apple Sausage Pasta
Quickly whipped up in just minutes, this is sure to become a favorite in any busy home.
Even the choice of vegetable here (spinach) is convenient and quick to wilt down, and with just 7 ingredients in total, this is an inexpensive eat, too.
If you wanted to bulk this meal out more, you could add roasted vegetables such as Brussel sprouts, butternut squash, or zucchini.
9. Paleo Chicken Apple Sausage
The 3-item ingredient list makes this an incredibly easy, affordable, and quick-to-put-together meal and one of our favorite speedy chicken apple sausage recipe ideas.
Because sometimes, you don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, right?
The apples and sweet potato additions add a nice bit of flavor here, but if you want to amp up the overall taste, try throwing in some dried herbs and dried onion powder.
10. Harvest Sheet Pan Dinner
As the title suggests, this is a heavily Fall-inspired medley of ingredients such as butternut squash, Brussel sprouts, bacon tossed in a rich and flavorsome dressing.
The coconut aminos and paprika in the dressing are the secret ingredients as they add a savory note with a hint of sweetness.
Can’t get a hold of liquid aminos? You could use soy sauce with a bit of maple syrup whisked in!
Will you be trying this recipe out?
11. Apple Chicken Sausage Salad
Sausages and salad probably aren’t two ingredients you expect to see side by side in a recipe, but this works!
It’s a really exciting and flavorful take on the often dull and uninspiring idea of a salad with ingredients like feta cheese, walnuts, strawberries, and spring-mixed greens.
If strawberries aren’t in season where you are at this time of year, you could switch these out for apples or figs, and the finished dish would be just as delicious.
12. Apple Chicken Sausage Strata
If you’re unfamiliar with strata, it’s similar to a frittata but is more like a souffle as it is a breakfast casserole egg-based dish that puffs up in the oven slightly.
This is a great recipe if you’re looking for a sweet and savory breakfast idea as it uses maple syrup, raisin bread, and chicken apple sausages to flavor the eggy base.
Remember to use pure maple syrup – not pancake syrup (this will be too sweet)!
13. Apple Butter Macaroni and Cheese with Sweet Chicken Sausage
Okay, we know apple butter and mac and cheese sound like a weird combination but trust us.
The flavor is unique. The apple butter doesn’t taste too sweet and compliments the pasta and cheese as it cuts through the creaminess in all the right ways.
Unique and utterly delicious, this recipe is sure to get everyone around the table talking.
14. Apple Sausage Breakfast Burritos
Cheesy, filled with fluffy eggs, crispy sausage pieces, and fresh salsa. What more could you ask for?
They require a bit more time to make than usual breakfast, but you can make these in a large batch and then wrap them in foil and freeze them.
They’re just as good once reheated, and you could also serve these for dinner if you fill them with rice or refried beans to make them extra filling.
15. Apple Chicken Sausage Skillet
12 ingredients and 45 minutes are all you need to make this hearty and filling skillet.
The cider is the key ingredient here as the farro soaks it all up, and you’re left with flavor in every mouthful.
The farro adds a nice earthiness to the finished dish and is also really healthy too.
This is the perfect meal to serve on a colder evening and is best served with crusty buttered bread to soak up the delicious cider-infused juices!
16. Penne, peppers and Chicken Apple Sausage Sauté
For fans of Italian flavors, this recipe is minimal on ingredients but delivers maximum flavor.
The tomato sauce is made with sweet red peppers, garlic Italian seasoning blend, garlic, and onion and is simple to make.
This recipe has been designed for people who prefer milder dishes, but if you like spice, try adding in a few chili flakes to amp up the heat.
Serve with garlic bread and a crisp green salad dressed with balsamic vinegar.
15 Best Chicken Apple Sausage ideas
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 sweet red peppers
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 links pre-cooked chicken and apple sausage
- 3 (16 oz) packages of penne pasta
- garlic and herb seasoning blend
- sea salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.
- Add the penne to the pot and stir to avoid the pasta clumping and sticking together. Salt the water with a generous pinch of sea salt.
- Boil the pasta (uncovered) to packet instructions or until al dente (until there is still a bit of bite to the pasta).
- In a large skillet, heat the oil and add the peppers and cook until soft (for around 7 minutes).
- Add in the onions and cook for a further 7 minutes until they are soft and golden in color.
- Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add in the sausage slices to the pepper and onion mixture, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Drain the pasta and add to the sausage, pepper, and onion mixture, stir together, season with the garlic and herb seasoning, salt and pepper, and serve.