How to make homemade merguez sausages with a meat grinder

Making homemade merguez sausages with a meat grinder is easier than it looks. You need lamb, a few spices, natural casing, and the right equipment. In 45 minutes of preparation, you'll have flavorful, preservative-free sausages with exactly the texture you love.

This guide gives you the full recipe, proven spice proportions, and tips for successful sausage stuffing on your first try.

Ingredients for authentic homemade merguez

Merguez sausages stand out from other sausages because of their composition: red lamb or beef meat and strong spices. For 10 to 12 merguez (about 800 g), here are the basic proportions:

• 600 g lamb shoulder with its natural fat (or 500 g lamb + 100 g ground beef)
• 1 teaspoon harissa or red pepper paste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 finely pressed garlic clove
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

The meat: lamb only or a lamb-beef blend?

Pure lamb makes the most flavorful and tender merguez. The lamb-beef blend (70/30) offers a firmer texture and a slightly milder taste, suitable for those who prefer a less fatty version. In both cases, aim for a fat content of around 20 to 25% for a juicy merguez when cooked. Meat that is too lean will result in a dry sausage that is difficult to eat.

The spices: the secret to successful merguez

Cumin and harissa are the pillars of merguez. Harissa provides the heat, while cumin provides the signature aroma. Adjust freely according to your tolerance for chili: start with the indicated proportions, cook a small piece in a pan, and taste it before stuffing. It is always easier to add more chili than to remove it.

The essential equipment: a meat grinder with a sausage kit

A knife and courage are not enough to make merguez. The key tool is a meat grinder, ideally supplied with a sausage stuffer (tube). Without this accessory, stuffing by hand becomes a struggle with the casing.

Which grinder to choose for merguez?

A manual meat grinder is an excellent option for beginners: robust, precise, with no motor to maintain, and generally supplied with one or two stuffing tubes suitable for sheep casings. It is perfectly suited for producing 500 g to 2 kg of sausages in one session. If you plan regular production of more than 2 kg, an electric meat grinder with a sausage kit will be more convenient.

The advantage of the manual grinder: it gives you better control over the texture. The meat does not heat up like it does with an electric motor running for a long time. Slightly chilled meat, ground slowly, produces a well-bound merguez that is easy to stuff.

Which plate should I use to grind the merguez meat?

Merguez is made with a 4 to 6 mm hole plate. A plate that is too fine (2-3 mm) produces a compact paste that resembles a filling. A plate that is too wide (8-10 mm) produces pieces that are too noticeable in the mouth. Most meat grinder kits come with two or three plates: choose the middle one for sausages. For a coarse-grain sausage, our Toulouse-style beef sausage uses the largest plate instead.

The step-by-step technique

The success of merguez depends largely on the preparation before grinding. These few steps only take a few minutes but make all the difference to the final result.

Prepare and grind the meat

• Cut the lamb shoulder into 3 to 4 cm cubes, keeping the natural fat
• Place the cubes in the freezer for 20 minutes: slightly firm meat grinds better and remains less stringy
• Pass the cubes through the meat grinder equipped with the 4-6 mm plate (the details of each diameter are in our guide for choosing the grinder plate)
• If the meat comes out as a puree, it was too warm: put it back in the cold for 10 minutes before continuing

Mix the spices and form the filling

In a large bowl, mix the ground meat with all the spices, the pressed garlic, and the olive oil. Work with your hands for 2 to 3 minutes to evenly distribute the spices and develop the cohesion of the meat. The filling should be slightly sticky: that's a good sign. Always cook a small piece in a pan and taste it before stuffing to adjust the seasoning.

Stuffing: putting the meat into the casings

Natural sheep casing (22-24 mm caliber) is the most suitable for merguez. It is available dry or preserved in salt, in delicatessens, butcher shops, and Middle Eastern grocery stores.

• Soak the casing in cold water for 30 minutes to soften it
• Attach the stuffing tube to the grinder and slide the entire casing onto the tube, like an accordion
• Push the filling slowly and avoid overstuffing: the merguez should be firm but not to the point of bursting during cooking
• Twist every 12 to 15 cm to form the portions, alternating the direction of each twist

How to succeed at stuffing without experience?

Stuffing is the step that intimidates most during the first merguez.

The key: do not go too fast. Hold the casing with one hand and regulate the pressure of the filling with the other. Let the casing fill gradually without forcing. If the casing tears, it was too dry (re-soak the rest for 10 minutes) or overstuffed. Practice with a small portion to find your rhythm before starting a large production. Our guide for making homemade sausages covers the step-by-step technique.

Can you make merguez without natural casings?

If you don't have casing on hand, the recipe is still possible.

Yes. Without casing, shape the meat into long cylinders by hand or using plastic wrap. The result looks more like an elongated kefta: the texture is more crumbly, but the taste is identical. Pan cooking is then more suitable than the barbecue to prevent the merguez from breaking when turned.

Store and cook your homemade merguez