Is breakfast sausage gluten free? If you have celiac disease, or just follow a gluten-free diet, you may be wondering about gluten-free sausages. At first glance that might seem like a silly sentence. Why would there be gluten in...meat?
It's surprising the number of different types of sausages that contain gluten or have gluten-containing ingredients in them. Whether you're looking for sausage links, ground meat, or even hot dogs, you'll need to read the ingredient list to know for sure if the sausage you're considering is gluten free. So the answer is - it depends.
For those with a gluten intolerance or gluten sensitivities, it can be challenging to find gluten-free products sometimes. These days, more people know what they're getting. People are more aware of ingredients for health reasons, and many companies are now labeling their products certified gluten-free.
That said, even if they're not using wheat starch or wheat flour, there can be small amounts of gluten due to what is called cross contact or cross contamination. This is where the product itself does not contain gluten, but it is made on equipment or in a facility that DOES work with gluten processing, so they can't guarantee that it didn't pick up some along the way.
If you're just avoiding gluten, this is no big deal - its negligible amounts that won't affect you. Buuuut if you truly have ceiliac or a gluten intolerance, the sausage production needs to be done in a certified gluten-free facility
The other thing to watch out for is gluten ingredients. What I mean by that is, some ingredients (such as soy sauce) contain gluten. So your label might list soy sauce as an ingredient, but not gluten. However, that sausage may still contain gluten because it contains soy sauce which contains gluten. You need all gluten-free ingredients to have a gluten free sausage.
Gluten Free Breakfast Sausage Brands
There are actually a number of gluten free sausage brands, out there - you just have to know where to look!
Gilbert’s Craft Sausages are chicken sausages that are all gluten free. They have all clean and natural ingredients, are fully cooked, and are just heat and eat. The best part is you can find them at both Target and Walmart!
Aidells sausages are also all gluten free. They make a chicken and apple breakfast sausage as well as a maple and smoked bacon breakfast sausage. Both are sold as links, and they have a number of other sausages and meatballs in their product line that are also gluten free! I am a fan of using their chicken sausages for this sheet pan sausage and peppers meal. You can find Aidelis brand in most grocery stores, and I often buy it in a big pack at our BJ's Club.
Bass Farms Sausages is a family-owned business out of North Carolina. Their company stated in numerous sources that everything they produce is gluten free. Unfortunately they haven't spread their distribution very far yet, and it is still only available in a small area of NC. You can see the distribution/availability map here. I wasn't able to find out any information in regards to ordering or if they ship, but I have reached out to them to see!
Wellshire Farms has stepped up the game and added an 'allergen database' to their site. You can search their products for things that 'do' or 'do not' contain, and then choose an ingredient. So, if you choose to see all products that do not contain gluten, you'll get a list of all of their products that don't have gluten in them. The dry rubbed pork breakfast strips as well as the skinless sausage links are my top two picks for breakfast sausage that's gluten free from this brand. As of right now it appears that Whole Foods carries these exclusively, so these are going to be more of a high-end option.
People often question if Jimmy Dean sausage products are gluten free or not. In reading the ingredient label on their premium pork sausage roll, it does not list gluten in the ingredient list (but does list corn syrup and MSG.Yikes.) That said, multiple sources show that Jimmy Dean does not test for gluten in its facility, and being such a large producer, if you are truly allergic to gluten, I would not risk it.
Pedersons Farms is a brand that allows you to search on their site by lifestyle preference - paleo, keto, Whole30, and gluten free. They make a gluten free breakfast sausage which you can purchase on their site, or I have found their products in numerous grocery stores as well.
Amylu Foods is a brand I first found at Costco, and we love their chicken breakfast sausages. Everything they make is gluten free and super flavorful, as well as clean and allergen friendly.
MAKE YOUR OWN
If you want to make your own gluten free breakfast sausage, it's actually super easy! You start with ground pork, add some spices, and cook it over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Bam! Gluten free breakfast sausage, with no artificial ingredients. This is a great way to make sure you're not getting any of that sneaky gluten.
HOW TO SERVE
There are so many ways to use gluten free breakfast sausage. You can make patties and use them on these eggwich breakfast sandwiches, you can add it to breakfast casseroles or a sweet potato breakfast hash, or you can eat it all on its own.
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