Sausage Balls

Bursting with flavor in every bite, these sausage balls are the perfect appetizer or snack. Made with sharp cheddar cheese, savory pork sausage, and bisquick, these are done in under 30 minutes. An easy appetizer finger food that will feed a crowd. These are the best sausage balls!

Jump to:

• ℹ️ Why This Recipe Works
• 🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
• Gluten Free Bisquick
• 📋 Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions
• 📖 How to Keep Sausage Balls from Getting Dry
• 💭 Expert Tips and FAQs
• 🍽️ More Appetizer Recipes to Try
• Sausage Balls

I was born and raised in the south. There are many things I love about the south, like smoking meat, especially this smoked pork tenderloin, and southern casseroles, like this sausage breakfast casserole and these shrimp stuffed mushrooms. They are at the top of the list. But anyone who is from the south also knows that sausage cheese balls are a classic and a family favorite.

Back home in Tennessee, whenever you attend a baby shower, party, church potluck, or a get-together, you'll almost always see Deviled Eggs, some type of cheese balls or spread, and these bisquick sausage balls.

🛒 Ingredients You'll Need

All you need to make this sausage ball recipe is a 1-pound package of ground sausage, some Bisquick, and sharp cheddar cheese. Being from Tennessee, I always made sausage balls with Tennessee Pride sausage. But here in Arizona, we don't have Tennessee Pride, so I use Jimmy Dean sausage.

I never make sausage balls with flour. Instead, I use Bisquick. You can use regular Bisquick if you are making a traditional version. If you're gluten-free, use gluten-free Bisquick.

You'll also use 4 cups of grated sharp cheddar cheese. It's SUPER important to use sharp cheddar cheese. The tanginess in the sharp cheddar cheese brings forth a huge flavor difference from just using a medium or mild cheddar cheese. I also add ground black pepper to add a subtle amount of mild heat.

Gluten Free Bisquick

I often get asked if this sausage balls recipe can be made gluten-free. The answer is YES! And let me tell you, these are great for a gluten-free appetizer. Did you know Bisquick makes a gluten-free baking mix? The gluten-free version primarily consists of rice flour, sugar, baking soda, potato starch, salt, and Xanthan Gum. You can typically buy it in your local grocery store, but it's readily available for purchase on Amazon.

The consistency of gluten-free bisquick is a lot thinner than the original version. The taste is fantastic though. If you're not gluten-free, use the original version of Bisquick. Let me tell you, gluten-free sausage balls are just as delicious and addicting as sausage balls made with regular bisquick.

Let's make these "bisquick sausage cheese balls", as my son likes to call them, and then I'll cover some tips and commonly asked questions.

📋 Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions

Let me show you how to make sausage balls. First, you'll preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, combine the sausage, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, bisquick, and pepper.

Using a spoon, stir the ingredients together until well mixed. Now it's time to get a little messy. Take your hands and mix the ingredients with your fingers. My kids love to help with this part so put them to work! When you're done, the mixture will be pretty crumbly. This is to be expected.

Next, form the mixture into 1-inch balls, squeezing so they hold together, then rolling it between the palms of your hands to finalize forming the balls.

Place the balls on the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Expert Tip: Line the baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. This will ensure the balls don't stick.

Place the tray into the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Once done, remove the sheet from the oven and let them cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

📖 How to Keep Sausage Balls from Getting Dry

If you're making a gluten-free version, they will be a little drier because of the rice flour. But if you're using regular Bisquick and they still come out dry, try reducing some of the bisquick in the next batch you make. Also, they can dry out because the ingredients were not well mixed. It's super important to ensure you mix the ingredients well. Get those hands in there deep and put those fingers to work!

💭 Expert Tips and FAQs

• Can these be made ahead of time? - Absolutely! But they are best right out of the oven. If you want to get ahead of the game, here's what you need to do:
  • Prepare the ingredients in a bowl and roll into balls.
  • Place the balls on a cookie sheet and cover with plastic wrap.
  • Cook within 1 day of rolling the balls.
• If you want to make these ahead of time and freeze them, just place the uncooked balls in a gallon-size Ziplock bag and put them in the freezer. When you are ready to cook them, pull the baggie out of the freezer and place each ball on a lined cookie sheet. Let them thaw for 20 minutes and then cook according to the directions below.
• If you want more of a creamy texture, add in a block of cream cheese. Cream cheese sausage balls are also extremely delicious!
• It's SUPER important to use sharp cheddar cheese. The tanginess in the sharp cheddar cheese brings forth a huge flavor difference from just using a medium or mild cheddar cheese.
• If you're in a hurry, you can buy a bag of pre-shredded sharp cheddar cheese, but I like to buy a block and grate it myself. There is a big taste difference when you grate your own cheese.
• If you want to spice it up a bit, use hot pork sausage.
• How long will these keep in the refrigerator? - Key word here…refrigerator. Please don't store these on the counter. If you have any leftovers, you need to keep them stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should keep for 3-4 days.
• You can reheat them in the microwave for 5-7 seconds, but if you have the time then reheat them in the oven. To reheat, set the oven to 350 and bake for 10-12 minutes. Reheating them in the oven helps bring back some of the crispy texture as where the microwave leaves more of a soggy texture.

🍽️ More Appetizer Recipes to Try

If you're looking for more good appetizers, make sure to check out these Garlic Mayo Chicken Baguettes with Gruyère. They are bursting with flavor and make for the perfect appetizer or snack! These Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms are filled with shrimp, spinach, cream cheese, and seasoned croutons, they make the perfect appetizer! you can also make these ahead of time!

Another favorite of mine is Marinated Cheese. Marinated is the most decadent ingredient, this cheese soaks in the flavor the longer it marinates! And if you love a good meatball recipe, make sure you check out my Southwest Meatballs and these Asian Teriyaki Meatballs!

Update Notes: This post was originally published in August 2013, but was re-published with updated step-by-step instructions, pictures, and tips in March 2021.