Pork is the third favorite meat in American households, with the average person consuming around 23.6kg of pork per year.
Meat lovers and thrifty savers alike might want to know how many sausages you can get out of a pound of meat.
Knowing this quantity can help you get good value for money as well as give you the tools to negotiate at the butcher’s counter.
In this article, learn how many sausages can be made out of a pound of pork meat and how this differs across the globe.
What Is A Pound In Weight?
A pound is a mass that is the equivalent of 0.453592 kilograms.
Although pounds and ounces are still used in America, other parts of the world commonly use the metric system which measures masses in grams and kilograms.
How Much Does A Sausage Weigh?
An average sausage weighs around 2.4oz/67g/0.15lb if it has a high meat content. Grocery store sausages tend to weigh a little less at around 2oz/57g/0.12lb.
The weight difference usually comes from the lower meat content of a cheaper sausage, grocery stores, and cheap manufacturers try to get a large number of sausages out of their meat.
How Many Sausages Do You Get In A Pound?
First of all, common sense tells us that depending on the shape, length, and thickness of a sausage will impact how many can be produced from a pound of meat.
These aspects may vary depending on the country you are in, the specific butcher, and the type of meat.
Generally speaking, about six sausages can be made for every pound of meat. So when you see a packet of sausages on the shelves in the grocery store, that will weigh about a pound.
However, this figure can be argued wherever you go depending on the person.
As the number of sausages differs depending on the butcher’s own preferences, you see variations in this within the U.S and around the rest of the world.
Let’s take a look at how these may change depending on the country they are made in.
United Kingdom ~ 6-10
In the United Kingdom, you typically get between 6-10 sausages per pound.
Cheaper grocery store sausages will allow you to get around 8 sausages in a pack, whereas butcher’s counter sausages or slightly more expensive grocery store brands will give you a meatier 6 sausages per pound.
Research from AHDB found that 3.5 million meals eaten in the UK every day contain sausages, maybe because they come in bigger packets!
United States ~ 5-6
Similarly to the United Kingdom, the cheaper supermarkets in the states sell more sausages per pound than a more expensive brand or butcher’s counter.
In Walmart, you could expect to get a basic packet of 8 sausages per pound.
Those that you buy from the butcher’s counter usually come in numbers of 4-5 per pound, or if they are purchased as a packet then there might be 5-6.
Germany ~ 4
A country that is known for its sausage, is Germany. Bratwurst is one of the most famous delicacies to come out of the country, second to the Frankfurter.
Many countries around the world now sell and reproduce these iconic foods to try and bring a little taste of Germany to their town.
Customers can expect to get around 4 sausages per pound from a German butcher, therefore they are larger and usually longer sausages.
Czech Republic ~ 4
Behind Germany, the Czech Republic has the second-largest sausage consumption in Europe according to 2021 data.
It was found that there was a sausage consumption of 19kg per capita per person.
Czech sausages are known as klobásy and are a famously served grilled street food. When you buy them in a grocery store you can expect to get around four in a pound.
Poland ~ 4-5
Although sausage consumption in Poland isn’t as high as in nearby neighbors Germany and the Czech Republic, they still consume their fair share of sausages.
Statistics from IndexBox show that an average of 574 thousand tonnes of sausage are consumed by the country.
Sausages in Poland are called ‘Kielbasa’ and they are either sold fresh or smoked for extra flavor.
A pound of sausages usually produces a yield of 4-5 in a Polish deli or butcher counter.
However, there are many famous types of Polish sausage and the amount you get with each shape and type may vary.
Interestingly, in Poland the sausages aren’t always made into links or individual sausages, they are served to the customer in a ‘U’ shape from which the customer can create their own portions at their will.
France ~ 4-6
The French also consume a decent amount of sausages, their most notable being the Toulouse sausage which is made from lean pork and pork belly and seasoned simply with salt and pepper.
There is some variation with the number of French sausages you can get, with some butchers offering 5 to the pound and others offering 4 or 6.
It is difficult to find a standard number which may be due to the higher proportion of fresh food and deli counters in the country compared to others.
How Many Servings Do You Get From A Pound?
In terms of serving suggestions, you can get roughly two servings from a pound of sausages.
A high-quality sausage you’d expect to find at a butcher’s counter should weigh around 0.15 pounds (2.4 ounces).
There are variations in what is recommended as a single serving of meat for a meal, but heart.org suggests that 3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish are plenty.
The Bottom Line
There is no one right answer here, the number of sausages that you can get from a pound of meat highly depends on how it’s produced, the individual butcher, and the combination of meats used.
If you’re looking for a sausage with a higher meat content, then always visit a butcher directly rather than buying from a grocery store shelf.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Breakfast Sausages Make A Pound?
On average, between 12-15 breakfast sausages are made from a pound of meat.
These smaller link sausages are typically eaten for breakfast in America which is why they are smaller in size and are the most commonly found in the grocery store.
Hi, my name is Jenna Lane and I have been following the paleo diet for almost three years.
I am a dietary specialist and help my clients find the right diets for them.
Unfortunately, I can only take on so many clients at a time. Though, thanks to the internet, I can upload my knowledge onto this website and help more people around the world!
That is my aim with this website, so please peruse it and learn. Dieting doesn’t have to be tough - you just need to find the right one for you.
