This article explored the positive effects of partial replacement of sodium nitrite by Lactobacillus plantarum on reducing nitrite and biogenic amine content, improving color and gel structure of Chinese fermented sausages. The results indicated that the strain had nitrate and nitrite reductase activities, which can reduce nitrate and nitrite. And the final reduction products of nitric oxide can react with myoglobin to generate pink nitrosylmyoglobin (Mb(Fe)-NO), which can improve sausage color. Dynamic rheological test showed that the strain improved viscoelasticity and gel properties of the samples. Low field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) measurement illustrated that the strain enhanced immobilised water in myofibrillar network of the sausages. The protein gels were improved by changes of C-H stretching and bending vibrations, reduction of α-helix and increase of β-sheet and random coil in secondary structure, changes of microenvironment in tertiary structure. Analysis of biogenic amines showed that the strain reduced risk from biogenic amines by reducing tyramine content. Overall, our findings demonstrated that combination of L. plantarum and low levels of sodium nitrite could be a potential strategy to produce high-quality, healthier sausage by lowering nitrite and biogenic amine levels, improve color and gel properties of Chinese fermented sausages.