Bangers and Mash is a recipe I grew up eating about twice a week. A delicious blend of tender sausage, caramelized onion in a mouthwatering brown gravy made with Guinness beer. Oh, it's not over yet! Enjoy your Bangers (Irish Sausage) over creamy buttery mashed potatoes. Enjoy this festive recipe any time of year.
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a UK classic that's served in many pubs and homes in Great Britian and Ireland.
- This is a classic bangers recipe that my family has made for years with a twist from me. Carmalized onions add an extra level of flavor to this "bangin dish".
- Trust me, this recipe is classic comfort food at its finest!
Ingredients
- pork sausages
- yellow onions
- garlic
- unsalted butter
- Guinness Beer
- olive oil
- beef broth
- all-purpose flour
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Colman's Mustard
- dried parsley
- ground thyme
- salt and pepper
- fresh chopped parsley, optional garnish
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Equipment
- Skillet: I love this cast iron.
- wooden spoon
- cutting board
- knife
Instructions
This is an overview of the recipe. The full instructions are below in the recipe card.
Heat olive oil in a skillet, add in the sausages, let brown, around 6 minutes. Remove sausages, set aside.
Add butter to the skillet. Stir in onions, simmer about 15 minutes to soften, and caramelize the onions, stirring frequently. Mix in minced garlic, stir for a few seconds.
Add Guinness and stir up brown bits sticking to the bottom of the skillet. Remove a few Tablespoons of the warm liquid and place them in a small bowl. Whisk the flour into the broth until smooth, with no lumps. Pour back into the pan and whisk all together.
To the skillet, add beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, parsley, and thyme. Stir together. Add bangers back into the skillet.
Reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover pot with lid and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over mashed potatoes.
Serve with mashed potatoes and peas. Optional: garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
Storage
Expert Tips
Expert Tip: A savory pork sausage is a great replacement for an Irish or English sausage for a traditional bangers and mash meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Granny always made very traditional Bangers with onions, water, and a little broth. Bangers are the term used for sausage in Ireland and England. The "mash" is mashed potatoes. A very popular dish in Ireland and England.
For years, we only used Irish sausage. After many delicious test recipes, pork sausage or bratwurst works really well. The big bonus, those sausages are in every market and way more cost-effective! For the past few years, I now use pork sausage unless I get a great deal on Irish sausage.
Mash is referring to mashed potatoes. No surprise that my Classic Mashed Potato recipe is AH-MAZING and my Granny's recipe. I wish I could have a dollar for every potato I've peeled to make mashed potatoes.
Variations
For anyone who follows a low-carb diet, use almond flour or cornstarch instead of all-purpose flour.
Instead of mashed potatoes, make low-carb cauliflower mash and enjoy with the bangers.
While pork sausages have the additional "fat factor" that adds amazing flavor, lean sausages such as turkey or chicken sausage can be used. Keep in mind the flavors are slightly different.
Mild pork sausages is also a wonderful choice for this recipe.
For those who do not cook with alcohol at all, use beef broth for the Guinness beef.
For those who will use alcohol, other dark ales can be used in lieu of the Guinness such as Smithwicks.
Serving Suggestions
Any of our potato recipes would be a great pairing with the sausages and Guinness gravy.
A very simple side of peas with a hint of butter and salt and pepper is a classic side dish.
Candied carrots are another sure-fire winner.
Two of my most searched bread recipes would be delicious, Irish brown bread or Irish Soda Bread.
For dessert, try our Grasshopper No-Bake Cheesecakes!
After dinner, fire up your coffee pot and enjoy an Irish Coffee, my dad's recipe! Slainte!
Don't miss an opportunity to make one of my family's favorite recipes! Whether it's Saint Patrick's Day or any day, I think you will love Bangers and Mash!
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- Guinness Beef Stew is a family favorite that's pure comfort food.
- Beef and Mushroom Guinness Pie a pub grub classic that is a crowd pleaser.
- Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage a simple and easy meal that uses a bit of Guinness and garlic to make this one extra special.
- My Granny's Cottage Pie is a winner, pure comfort food!
- Looking for an array of Irish party food, check out our collection of over 60 recipes.
Backstory for my recipe
- My Granny grew up on sausage with mash in Ireland. When WWII began, meat was scarce and sausages were being made with more water. When the sausage hit the pan, they would pop and split, thus bangers began.
- I am lucky to live in an area where I can purchase Irish sausage. If you have an Irish shop in your area, they may sell Irish Sausage.
- Irish sausage is usually pork-based. Some varieties include beef! When I don't have Irish sausage in the freezer, I use regular pork sausage and they are delicious.
- In Ireland, bangers and mash are part of traditional Irish food! My recipe is based on my Granny's recipe! You all know me, just like my Irish Soda Bread, I have made it my own!
My spin on bangers is a Guinness gravy with caramelized onions! Caramelizing the onions adds a sweetness to compliment the strong ale. A few extra minutes to caramelize the onions adds amazing flavor to the entire meal. That rich Guinness onion gravy, I can't even express how good it tastes.
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Thank you for the continued support. I am forever grateful.
Eileen xo
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
I love any comments or questions, please feel free to leave them below!
Original publish date, February 20.2019. Last update, February 3, 2022, for user experience.
Granny's Bangers and Mash
Equipment Needed:
- As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Ingredients
- 8 pork sausage links Note 1
- 2 medium yellow onions, peeled sliced thin
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 cup Guinness Beer Note 2
- 1 teaspoon olive oil Note 3
- 2 cups beef broth Note 2
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- ½ teaspoon dry ground mustard Coleman's dry mustard is our first choice for this recipe.
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon ground thyme
- salt and pepper, to taste
- fresh chopped parsley, garnish
Serve with the mash
Instructions
- In a large skillet, over medium heat, add olive. Add in the sausages to brown, around 6 minutes. Remove sausage and set aside.
- To the skillet, add in butter. Stir in onions, simmer about 15 minutes to soften and carmelize onion, stirring frequently. Mix in minced garlic, stir a few seconds.
- Pour in Guinness and stir up and brown bits sticking to the bottom of the skillet. Remove a few Tablespoons of the warm Guinness and place in a small bowl. Whisk the flour into the small bowl with the Guinness until smooth, no lumps. Pour back into the pan and whisk all together.
- To the skillet, add beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, parsley, and thyme. Stir together. Add bangers back into the skillet.
- Reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover pot with lid and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over mashed potatoes.
- Serve with mashed potatoes and peas. Optional: garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
