Easy Sausage Balls with Self Rising Flour

Finding the perfect appetizer for your next gathering can feel like an uphill battle. After all, you want something that’s crowd-pleasing yet simple to make, especially when you’re already juggling multiple dishes and trying to keep your sanity intact during party prep, and things get even trickier when you’re working with a tight timeline.

Luckily, these sausage balls with self rising flour check all the boxes: they’re savory and satisfying, require just a few basic ingredients, and can be prepped ahead of time so you’re not stuck in the kitchen while your guests are having fun.

What Kind of Sausage Should I Use?

For sausage balls, you’ll want to stick with ground breakfast sausage rather than Italian or other seasoned varieties. Mild sausage works perfectly and lets the other flavors shine through, but if you like a bit more kick, medium or hot sausage will do the trick too. Jimmy Dean, Tennessee Pride, and similar brands all work great for this recipe. Make sure your sausage is at room temperature before mixing – this helps it blend more easily with the flour and cheese. If you only have frozen sausage, just thaw it completely and let it sit out for about 30 minutes before you start cooking.

Options for Substitutions

This recipe is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here are some options if you need to make changes:

• Self rising flour: This is really the key ingredient that makes these sausage balls light and fluffy, so I wouldn’t recommend substituting it. If you absolutely must, you can make your own by mixing 1¼ cups all-purpose flour with 1½ teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt.
• Ground mild sausage: You can use hot sausage if you like more heat, or try turkey sausage for a lighter option. Just make sure whatever you choose has good fat content so the balls hold together well.
• Cheddar cheese: Sharp cheddar works great too, or you can mix it up with Monterey Jack, pepper jack for extra spice, or even a Mexican cheese blend. Just stick with good melting cheeses.
• Cayenne pepper: Skip this entirely if you don’t like heat, or substitute with paprika for color without the spice. You could also use a pinch of red pepper flakes.
• Butter: You can replace this with vegetable oil or even skip it if your sausage is particularly fatty, though the butter does add nice flavor.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making sausage balls is using cold ingredients straight from the fridge, which makes the mixture difficult to combine and results in uneven texture – make sure your sausage, cheese, and butter are all at room temperature before you start mixing.

Another common error is overmixing the dough, which can make your sausage balls tough and dense instead of light and fluffy, so mix just until the ingredients come together.

Don’t skip the step of rolling the mixture into uniform balls about 1-1.5 inches in diameter, as different sizes will cook unevenly, leaving you with some that are burnt while others are still raw in the center.

Finally, resist the urge to open the oven door frequently during baking – this drops the temperature and can cause your sausage balls to become dry rather than staying moist and tender.

What to Serve With Sausage Balls?

Sausage balls are perfect for breakfast or brunch alongside scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, and maybe some hash browns or grits. They also make great party appetizers, so I love setting them out with other finger foods like deviled eggs, cheese and crackers, or a simple veggie tray with ranch dip. For a heartier meal, try serving them with biscuits and gravy or alongside a warm bowl of cheese grits. Since they’re already pretty rich and cheesy, something fresh like sliced oranges or a light fruit salad helps balance out all that savory goodness.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: These sausage balls taste best when stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I like to let them cool completely before putting them away so they don’t get musty. They’re great for grabbing as a quick snack or adding to lunch boxes throughout the week.

Freeze: You can freeze these little bites for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container or bag. I often make a double batch and freeze half for later since they freeze so well. Just spread them out on a baking sheet first to freeze individually, then transfer to a container so they don’t stick together.

Warm Up: To bring back that fresh-baked taste, pop them in a 350°F oven for about 5-8 minutes if they’re from the fridge, or 10-12 minutes if frozen. You can also microwave them for 30-45 seconds, but the oven keeps them nice and crispy on the outside.

Preparation Time	10-15 minutes
Cooking Time	25 minutes
Total Time	35-40 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Easy

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2500-2700
• Protein: 95-110 g
• Fat: 185-200 g
• Carbohydrates: 85-100 g

Ingredients

For the dry mixture:

• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper (freshly ground preferred)
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 1/4 cups self-rising flour (I use White Lily brand for best results)

For the main mixture:

• 1 lb mild ground sausage (I use Jimmy Dean original sausage)
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (room temperature for easier mixing)
• 2 tbsp melted butter

Step 1: Preheat the Oven and Prepare the Dry Ingredients

• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1 1/4 cups self-rising flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

While the oven heats up, combine the dried parsley, self-rising flour, salt, black pepper, and ground cayenne pepper in a medium bowl.

Mix the dry ingredients together until well incorporated.

Step 2: Combine Wet Ingredients and Form the Mixture

• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, at room temperature
• 1 lb mild ground sausage, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• dry ingredients from Step 1

In a large bowl, add the shredded cheddar cheese, ground sausage, and melted butter.

Pour the mixed dry ingredients from Step 1 into the bowl.

Using your hands, gently mix everything together just until combined—avoid overmixing, as this can make the balls tough.

Step 3: Shape Sausage Balls and Arrange on Baking Sheet

• sausage-cheese mixture from Step 2

Pinch off small amounts of the mixture, or use a small ice cream scoop, to portion out 1-inch balls.

Roll each portion between your palms to make a smooth ball.

Arrange the balls evenly on a baking sheet fitted with a baking rack, spacing them slightly apart for even cooking.

I like to use a rack so the heat circulates underneath and they get golden all around.

Step 4: Bake and Serve

Bake the sausage balls in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until they are golden brown and cooked through.

Once done, cool them briefly on the rack before serving.

These are delicious served with your favorite dipping sauce!