Healthy Full English Breakfast with Chicken Sausage (Low Calorie)
There is something deeply comforting about a full English breakfast. The sizzle of the pan, the colours on the plate, the satisfaction of sitting down to a meal that actually fills you up. The trouble is, the traditional version can easily tip past 900 calories before you have even finished your first cup of tea. This recipe keeps everything you love about a cooked breakfast and quietly strips away what your body does not need. No pork sausages loaded with fat, no fried bread dripping in oil. Just a genuinely nourishing plate that your body and your taste buds will both appreciate.
The star of this healthy full English breakfast is a homemade chicken sausage patty seasoned with smoked paprika, fennel seeds, garlic and a little fresh thyme. Ground chicken is naturally leaner than pork mince, and when you season it well, you honestly do not miss the original. Each patty is pan-seared in a tiny drizzle of olive oil until golden on the outside and cooked all the way through. The result is a juicy, flavourful sausage that brings real character to the plate without the saturated fat that comes with a traditional banger. Pair that with a perfectly fried egg cooked in a light spray of oil, grilled cherry tomatoes that burst with sweetness, wilted baby spinach, a small portion of low-sugar baked beans and a couple of grilled portobello mushrooms, and you have a breakfast plate that covers multiple food groups in one go.
What makes this version genuinely low calorie compared to a cafe-style fry-up is the cooking method as much as the ingredients. The mushrooms are grilled rather than fried in butter. The tomatoes go under the grill with just a crack of black pepper and a tiny drizzle of olive oil. The spinach is wilted in the residual heat of the pan with no added fat at all. Baked beans are a brilliant source of plant-based protein and fibre, and choosing a low-sugar variety keeps the overall carbohydrate load in check. The whole plate comes together in roughly 30 minutes and the chicken sausage patties can even be made the night before, which makes this a surprisingly achievable weekday breakfast if you plan a little ahead. The protein count per serving lands at around 38 grams, which is exceptional for a morning meal and will keep you full well into the afternoon.
This recipe is also really flexible. If you want to add a slice of whole grain toast, go for it, just factor in an extra 80 to 90 calories. Swapping the egg for two egg whites will drop the fat content further if you are watching that specifically. The chicken sausage patties can be made in a batch and frozen individually between sheets of baking paper, so you always have a fast protein option on hand. This is the kind of breakfast that makes healthy eating feel easy rather than like a compromise. It is a proper plate of food, full of colour, texture and flavour, just built a little smarter than the version you might order at your local greasy spoon.
Ingredients
- 300 g ground chicken (preferably thigh mince for juiciness)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 0.5 tsp fennel seeds (lightly crushed)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or 0.5 tsp dried)
- 0.3 tsp onion powder
- 0.3 tsp black pepper (freshly ground)
- 0.3 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp olive oil (for cooking sausage patties)
- 2 large eggs (free-range if possible)
- 1 spray low-calorie olive oil cooking spray (for frying eggs)
- 200 g portobello mushrooms (2 large caps, stalks removed)
- 150 g cherry tomatoes (on the vine)
- 80 g baby spinach (fresh)
- 200 g low-sugar baked beans (canned, such as reduced-sugar variety)
- 1 tsp olive oil (for tomatoes and mushrooms)
- 1 pinch sea salt and black pepper (to season vegetables)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your grill to medium-high, around 200 degrees Celsius. Line a baking tray with foil or baking paper.
Getting the grill hot before the vegetables go on means you get a nice caramelised finish rather than soggy mushrooms.
- 2
Place the portobello mushrooms gill-side up and the cherry tomatoes on the lined tray. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Slide under the grill and cook for 12 to 15 minutes until the mushrooms are tender and the tomatoes are beginning to burst.
- 3
While the vegetables grill, make your chicken sausage mixture. Combine the ground chicken, smoked paprika, crushed fennel seeds, minced garlic, thyme leaves, onion powder, salt and black pepper in a bowl. Mix gently until everything is evenly combined, then divide into 4 equal portions and shape each one into a round patty about 1.5 cm thick.
Wet your hands slightly before shaping the patties. This stops the mixture from sticking and helps you get a neater shape.
- 4
Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the chicken sausage patties and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side until golden brown on the outside and cooked through with no pink remaining. The internal temperature should reach 74 degrees Celsius.
Resist the urge to press the patties down as they cook. Letting them sit undisturbed gives you a better crust and keeps the juices inside.
- 5
Transfer the cooked patties to a warm plate and cover loosely with foil to rest. In the same pan, add a light spray of cooking oil and reduce the heat slightly. Crack in the eggs and fry to your liking, spooning a little of the hot pan juices over the whites to help them set without flipping.
For a neater fried egg, crack each egg into a small cup first before sliding it into the pan.
- 6
While the eggs cook, tip the baby spinach into a small saucepan over low heat. Stir for 1 to 2 minutes until wilted. Season with a pinch of salt. In a separate small saucepan, warm the baked beans over low heat, stirring occasionally.
- 7
Divide everything between two warmed plates. Add 2 chicken sausage patties, 1 fried egg, 1 portobello mushroom, half the cherry tomatoes, half the wilted spinach and half the baked beans to each plate. Serve immediately.
Warming your plates in a low oven for a few minutes before plating up keeps everything hot while you are assembling.
Nutrition per serving
415kcal
Calories
38g
Protein
22g
Carbs
16g
Fat
7g
Fibre
6g
Sugar
520mg
Sodium
Pro Tips
- ✓
Make the chicken sausage patties the night before and store them covered in the fridge. They will cook from cold in the same time as fresh.
- ✓
A digital meat thermometer is the easiest way to confirm your chicken patties are fully cooked without cutting into them and losing the juices.
- ✓
Use a cast iron or heavy-based non-stick pan for the best sear on the chicken sausage patties.
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If you prefer your mushrooms extra firm rather than soft, reduce the grill time to 8 to 10 minutes.
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Adding a tablespoon of water to the pan before wilting spinach helps it steam quickly without any fat needed at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Variations
- •
Spicy Harissa Chicken Sausage Full English
Add 1 teaspoon of harissa paste and a pinch of cayenne pepper to the chicken sausage mixture. This gives the patties a North African warmth that pairs beautifully with the grilled tomatoes and wilted spinach.
- •
Dairy-Free Full English with Avocado
Replace the baked beans with half an avocado sliced and seasoned with lemon juice, chilli flakes and sea salt. This adds healthy fats and keeps the meal completely dairy free, which it already is in the base recipe.
- •
High-Fibre Whole Grain Toast Addition
Add a single slice of seeded whole grain toast per serving. This adds around 85 calories and approximately 3 grams of extra fibre, making the meal even more filling. Ideal if you have a physically active morning ahead.
- •
Two Egg White Full English
Swap the whole egg for two egg whites per person. This reduces the fat content by around 5 grams per serving and bumps the protein up slightly, making it a good choice if you are in a fat-loss phase.
Substitutions
- •Ground chicken → Ground turkey (Ground turkey works almost identically in this recipe and has a very similar calorie and protein profile. Turkey mince can be slightly drier, so add an extra pinch of olive oil to the mixture before shaping.)
- •Baby spinach → Kale or Swiss chard (Both work well but will need a slightly longer wilting time, around 3 to 4 minutes, and benefit from a small splash of water in the pan to help them soften.)
- •Portobello mushrooms → Chestnut mushrooms (Slice chestnut mushrooms thickly and grill or pan fry in a dry pan. They cook faster than portobello caps, so check after 6 to 8 minutes under the grill.)
- •Low-sugar baked beans → Cannellini or butter beans (Warm in a pan with a tablespoon of passata, a pinch of smoked paprika and a little sea salt for a homemade low-sugar bean alternative with excellent protein and fibre.)
- •Fresh thyme → Dried sage (Dried sage gives the chicken sausage a more traditional breakfast sausage flavour. Use half the quantity compared to fresh thyme, so about 0.25 teaspoon dried sage.)
🧊 Storage
The chicken sausage patties can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a dry non-stick pan over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until heated through. Grilled vegetables can also be stored separately in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheated under the grill or in a hot pan. Cooked eggs do not store well and are best made fresh. Do not store assembled plates.
📅 Make Ahead
The chicken sausage patties can be shaped and refrigerated raw the night before, covered with cling film, ready to cook straight from the fridge in the morning. You can also fully cook a double batch of patties and freeze them individually between sheets of baking paper. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating. The baked beans can be portioned into small containers and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
