Introduction

Making your own homemade pepperoni is a rewarding way to enjoy a flavorful, spicy sausage tailored to your taste. With a few simple ingredients and a bit of patience, you can create delicious pepperoni perfect for pizzas, sandwiches, or snacks.

Homemade Pepperoni Recipe - Recipe Image

Ingredients

4 lbs. ground pork
2 lbs. ground beef
4 oz. pepperoni seasoning*
0.25 oz. cure (included with seasoning)*
¾ cup water, plus more as needed
1-3 drops liquid smoke (optional)
2-3 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

Step 1: Place the ground pork and ground beef into a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Add the pepperoni seasoning and mix thoroughly with the meat.
Step 3: Dissolve the cure in ¾ cup of water. If using, add liquid smoke and crushed red pepper flakes to this mixture.
Step 4: Pour the cure mixture into the meat and mix well by hand, adding more water one teaspoon at a time as needed. The mixture should become sticky enough to adhere to your inverted hand.
Step 5: Stuff the meat mixture into sausage casings using a sausage stuffer, or shape the meat into cylinders about 1½ inches in diameter and 12 inches long if you do not have casings.
Step 6: Refrigerate the-shaped sausages in a single layer, wrapped in plastic wrap and foil if not using casings, for 24 hours. This allows the cure to penetrate and the sausage shape to set.
Step 7: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C).
Step 8: Remove any wrapping from the sausages and place them on an oven-safe rack set over a baking sheet.
Step 9: Bake the sausages in the oven until they reach an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C), about 45-60 minutes.
Step 10: Take the pepperoni out of the oven and allow it to cool completely.
Step 11: Slice and enjoy your homemade pepperoni!

Tips & Variations

If you prefer a smokier flavor, increase the liquid smoke slightly but use sparingly to avoid overpowering the meat.
For a spicier pepperoni, add extra crushed red pepper flakes to taste.
If you don’t have a sausage stuffer, wrapping the shaped meat tightly in plastic and foil will help maintain its shape during baking.
Use a reliable instant-read thermometer to ensure the pepperoni is safely cooked to the correct temperature.

Storage

Store homemade pepperoni wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. For longer storage, freeze slices or whole sausages for up to 2 months. Reheat gently in the oven or use directly in recipes without reheating.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use just one type of meat for this pepperoni?

Yes, you can use only ground pork or ground beef, but combining both gives a better balance of fat and flavor typical of traditional pepperoni.

What if I don’t have sausage casings or a stuffer?

You can shape the meat by hand into cylinders and wrap tightly with plastic wrap and foil to hold the shape while baking. This method works well and still yields great results.

Homemade Pepperoni Recipe

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★★★★★

5 from 60 reviews

This Homemade Pepperoni recipe guides you through making authentic, flavorful pepperoni from scratch using ground pork and beef blended with a special pepperoni seasoning and cured before baking. The process includes mixing meats, seasoning, curing, shaping, refrigerating, and baking until perfectly cooked, resulting in delicious, spicy sausage that’s perfect for pizzas, sandwiches, or snacking.

Author: Nora
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45-60 minutes
Total Time: 24 hours 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: Approximately 6 pounds of finished pepperoni 1x
Category: Sausage
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

Meat

4 lbs. ground pork
2 lbs. ground beef

Seasonings & Additives

4 oz. pepperoni seasoning (includes 0.25 oz. cure)
¾ cup water, plus more as needed
1–3 drops liquid smoke (optional)
2–3 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

Prepare the Meat: Place the ground pork and beef into a large mixing bowl, ensuring both meats are well combined.
Add Seasoning: Sprinkle the pepperoni seasoning over the meat mixture and mix thoroughly to evenly distribute the spices.
Dissolve Cure & Add Flavors: Dissolve the 0.25 oz. cure that comes with the seasoning into ¾ cup of water. Add liquid smoke and crushed red pepper flakes to this mixture if using, stirring well.
Combine Cure with Meat: Pour the cure mixture into the seasoned meat and mix thoroughly by hand.
Mix to Proper Consistency: Continue mixing the meat blend by hand, gradually adding more water one teaspoon at a time as needed, until the mixture is sticky enough to adhere to the inverted hand, ensuring proper texture for sausage making.
Stuff the Sausage: Using a sausage stuffer, fill sausage casings with the meat mixture following the equipment instructions, or shape the meat into cylindrical logs approximately 1½ inches in diameter and 12 inches long if you don’t have a stuffer.
Refrigerate for Curing: Lay the formed sausages in a single layer and refrigerate for 24 hours to allow the cure to properly penetrate and to help the sausages set their shape.
Preheat the Oven: Set the oven to 325°F (163°C) to prepare for baking the pepperoni.
Prepare for Baking: Remove any foil or plastic wrap if used, then place the sausages or casings stuffed with meat on a rack set over a baking sheet, ready to capture drippings.
Bake until Cooked: Bake in the preheated oven for 45-60 minutes until the sausages reach an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) as measured by an instant-read thermometer.
Cool: Remove the pepperoni from the oven and allow them to cool completely.
Slice and Serve: Once cooled, slice the homemade pepperoni to desired thickness and enjoy on pizzas, sandwiches, or as a savory snack.

Notes

If you do not have a sausage stuffer, you can shape the meat mixture into logs using plastic wrap and foil and bake as described.
Adjust the amount of crushed red pepper flakes and liquid smoke according to your taste preference for spiciness and smokiness.
Using an instant-read thermometer is crucial to ensure the meat is cooked safely to 160°F.
Store any leftover pepperoni in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to one week or freeze for longer storage.
The cure in the seasoning ensures safety and longevity of the sausage; do not omit it.

Keywords: homemade pepperoni, pepperoni recipe, sausage making, baked pepperoni, cured sausage