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Loukaniko substitute

Best substitute

Sweet Italian sausage plus orange zest

Use the same amount by weight, plus 1 tsp finely grated orange zest per 1 lb (450 g) as the loukaniko you are replacing

Best for spetsofai

Close match

Coarse fennel-seasoned fresh pork sausage, which is most of what loukaniko already is, with citrus added back.

Other loukaniko substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

Substitutes for Loukaniko with ratios

  1. 2Fresh longaniza plus fennel and orange zest

    Different taste

    Use the same amount plus ½ tsp crushed fennel seed and 1 tsp orange zest per 1 lb (450 g)

    Fresh Latin or Spanish-style pork sausage, garlic-forward and coarsely ground.

    What changes
    Best for
    stews, skillet dishes, grilling, rice dishes

    Longaniza leads with garlic, oregano and vinegar instead of fennel, so untouched it tastes tangier and more aggressive; the fennel seed pulls it back toward Greek. It is often redder from paprika or annatto, which will tint a tomato sauce a shade deeper.

  2. 3Fresh Mexican-style chorizo

    Taste and texture differ

    Use the same amount and cut any paprika elsewhere in the recipe by half

    Soft, heavily spiced fresh pork sausage.

    What changes
    Best for
    eggs, beans, crumbled into skillet dishes

    This is the least loukaniko-like option here but it is in every supermarket. It is chile- and paprika-dominant, distinctly sour from vinegar, and it collapses into loose crumbles instead of holding a sliceable coil, so a dish that wanted browned coins of sausage will look wrong. Orange zest helps; nothing makes it stop tasting Mexican.

  3. 4Bratwurst or plain fresh pork sausage, reseasoned

    Taste and texture differ

    Use the same amount plus 1 tsp crushed fennel seed, 1 tsp orange zest, ½ tsp dried oregano and a pinch of salt per 1 lb (450 g)

    Mild unseasoned or lightly seasoned fresh pork sausage used as a blank base.

    What changes
    Best for
    grilling, stews, when you want to control the seasoning

    Bratwurst is ground much finer than loukaniko, so the texture comes out smooth and springy rather than coarse and craggy. It is also less salty. Squeeze the meat out of the casings, mix the seasonings through, and let it sit 30 minutes before cooking so the flavors settle in.

  4. 5Smoked kielbasa or other smoked pork sausage

    Different taste

    Use the same amount added in the last 10 minutes

    Fully cooked smoked sausage with a firm, sliceable bite.

    What changes
    Best for
    bean stews, lentils, cabbage dishes, breakfast

    This is the right choice only when the recipe wants the lightly smoked style of loukaniko. It is already cooked, so long simmering makes it rubbery, and the smoke is much heavier than the gentle beechwood smoke on Greek sausage. It also will not render much fat, so start with a spoonful of olive oil.

  5. 6Ground pork seasoned from scratch

    Different texture

    1 lb (450 g) ground pork : 1 ½ tsp salt : 2 tsp crushed fennel seed : 2 tsp orange zest : 2 cloves garlic : 2 Tbsp red wine

    Build the seasoning yourself and skip the casing entirely.

    What changes
    Best for
    stews, sauces, stuffings, pies

    Flavor-wise this is the most accurate substitute on the page, because you are copying the actual recipe. What you lose is form: with no casing it will not slice into rounds or char on a grill. Use pork with real fat in it, around 20 percent, or it will taste dry and the orange will read as soapy.

What is Loukaniko?

Loukaniko is Loukaniko is a coarse Greek pork sausage flavored with dried orange peel and fennel or anise seed, usually with a splash of wine in the mix, and sold either fresh or lightly smoked.

Cooking tips

  • Loukaniko is fatty, so start it in a dry cold pan over medium heat and let its own fat render out. That orange-scented pork fat is half the point of a dish like spetsofai, and adding oil at the start just dilutes it.
  • Whatever you substitute, add the orange zest near the end of cooking rather than the beginning. The aromatic oils in citrus zest cook off within a few minutes, which is why sausage seasoned at the start of a long braise tastes flat.
  • Buy fennel seed whole and crush it in a mortar right before you use it. Pre-ground fennel is the single most common reason a homemade loukaniko substitute tastes dusty instead of bright.
  • If the recipe flames the sausage with tsipouro or ouzo, as in loukaniko saganaki, almost any coarse fresh pork sausage will pass, because the anise in the spirit is doing the aromatic work rather than the sausage.
  • Fresh loukaniko is raw pork and needs to be cooked through to 160F (71C), the same as Italian sausage. The lightly smoked kind is generally already cooked and only needs browning, so check which one you have before you plan the timing.

Frequently asked questions

Is loukaniko the same as loukanika?

Yes. Loukanika is simply the plural of loukaniko, and you will also see it sold as Greek sausage, Greek orange sausage, or loukanika horiatika. Recipes use the two spellings interchangeably, and the substitutes are the same either way.

Can I just leave it out?

In a mixed dish like a bean stew or spetsofai you can, but be aware of what it was doing: it supplies fat, salt, and aroma all at once. Compensate with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a little extra salt, a strip of orange peel simmered in and removed, and a pinch of crushed fennel. If the sausage is the main protein on the plate, substitute rather than omit.

Is Italian sausage really close enough?

Closer than most people expect. Both are coarse-ground fresh pork seasoned with fennel, so the texture, fat content and cooking behavior all match. The gap is citrus, and one teaspoon of grated orange zest per pound closes most of it. Use sweet Italian, not hot, unless the recipe already calls for heat.

What if I have no fresh orange for zest?

Half a teaspoon of dried orange peel per pound works, added early enough to soften. A strip of peel simmered in the sauce and fished out also does the job. Orange extract works at two or three drops but turns soapy fast, so add it off the heat and taste as you go.

Is there a vegetarian version?

A plant-based Italian-style sausage plus orange zest and extra crushed fennel gets the aroma surprisingly right. What it cannot give you is the rendered pork fat that flavors the rest of the pan, so add 2 to 3 tablespoons of good olive oil and expect a lighter dish.

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