Name: Irish Bangers and Mash (Sausages with Onion Gravy)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Irish
Ingredients: 1 batch of my colcannon mashed potatoes recipe; 1 tbsp olive oil; 6 pork sausages; 2 onions; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 30g unsalted butter; 2 tbsp plain, all-purpose flour; 600ml beef stock; 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; sea salt flakes; freshly ground black pepper; canned marrowfat peas

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Who’s up for a skillet of juicy pork sausages smothered in rich onion gravy and served with lashings of creamy mash? This bangers and mash recipe is proper comfort food and one you’ll want to make again and again.

Two grey plates of colcannon, sausages peas and onion gravy sit on a timber table. A bottle of Irish cider and a pot of salt sit beside.

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While there are different versions of bangers and mash (or sausages in onion gravy) depending on where you live, the Irish dish is full of juicy, Irish pork sausages and creamy mashed potatoes. I love to take it up a notch with Colcannon, but I’ll leave that choice up to you!

Ps, don’t just wait till St Patrick’s Day to cook Irish food like this, bangers and mash for dinner. It’s delicious all year round, and it would be an absolute travesty only to eat it once a year!

What is Bangers and Mash?

Bangers and mash is a classic comfort food dish made with sausages, mashed potatoes, and onion gravy. While it’s known to be a British favorite, every family seems to have their own spin on it.

This Irish version keeps things simple with juicy pork sausages, creamy mash, rich onion gravy, and marrowfat peas. It’s the sort of hearty, no-fuss dinner that has been warming bellies for generations.

Here’s what you need to get started

A batch of colcannon. Alternatively, you could also make this super creamy mashed potato recipe. I could pretty much eat colcannon every day, plus added greens always! For the creamiest mash, choose a floury potato such as Sebago, King Edward, or Dutch Cream.
Pantry staples – plain, all-purpose flour, olive oil, beef stock.
Worcestershire sauce. For a different-tasting gravy, play around with substituting the Worcestershire sauce with stout beer, red wine, or leaving it out entirely. Each will give you a totally different gravy. Think of the possibilities!
6 thick pork sausages. A traditional Irish sausage is a thing of beauty. While our local butcher makes a really good quality pork sausage, there is something about Irish sausages that just makes them so damn good! So if you can get your hands on Irish pork sausages, then you’re in for a treat! If not, use regular pork sausages, or substitute with beef sausages if pork isn’t your thing. Just remember that a different kind of sausage will result in a slightly different flavor.
brown onions and fresh garlic
Unsalted butter. I always cook with unsalted butter; however, it will make very little difference if you use salted butter instead.
sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
A can of Marrowfat peas. In Australia, our local Coles supermarket sells canned marrowfat peas in the International aisle. Never had them? Marrowfat peas make the best mushy peas! If you can’t get your hands on marrowfats? Substitute with garden peas!

All the ingredients you need to make bangers and mash.

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Additions

Try adding a teaspoon or two of seeded mustard to your gravy, a little horseradish, or adding some fresh herbs, like finely chopped parsley. A good homemade gravy is only limited by your imagination.

Equipment

To make the colcannon, you’ll need a large pot filled with cold water to boil the potatoes, a skillet to saute the greens in, and a potato masher.

For the sausages in gravy, a large skillet or sauté pan, tongs, measuring tools, and a stirring spoon will get you through. I cook this recipe in my 26cm cast-iron skillet.

My Everyday Skillet

If you only need one skillet in your life, this is it. My 26cm skillet handles everything from morning eggs to steak dinners and cozy fruit cobblers. Big enough for a family meal, but light enough to grab every single day.

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Could you make this recipe in a Dutch oven?

Yes, you totally can. Just be sure to reduce the heat and cook the sausages only at low heat. Once the stock has been added to the pan, then you can increase to medium heat. Now I should mention that this only applies to a cream enamel cast iron Dutch oven. If yours is coated with black enamel (or it’s a seasoned cast iron pot with no enamel) then you can cook the sausages as per the steps in the recipe card.

The details

Prepare a batch of my colcannon mash recipe (or your favourite mashed potatoes).
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the sausages until golden and cooked through, then transfer to a plate.
Remove any excess fat from the pan, leaving 1-2 tablespoons behind. Add the onions and butter and cook over low heat for 8-10 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Sprinkle over the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
Gradually whisk in the beef stock, then stir through the Worcestershire sauce.
Simmer until the onion gravy has thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve the sausages over creamy colcannon (or mashed potatoes) with plenty of onion gravy and marrowfat peas.

How to serve…

Spoon a serving of the cooked potato mash onto each plate. Place a sausage (or two) on top of the mashed potatoes, and then spoon over lashings of that delicious, rich onion gravy. Pop the peas off to one side of the plate.

Want to lighten things up a smidge? Try a sweet potato mash instead.

You could also amp up the amount of veggies on the plate by adding cooked cabbage, carrots, or even broccoli to the mix.

Ok, now take it up a notch with…

A freshly made, just-out-of-the-oven loaf of Irish soda bread. Be sure to smother it with butter. Ultimate comfort food right there!

AND A pint of Guinness beer if it floats your boat!

Ps, Leftover onion gravy is also delicious spooned over beef rissoles or roast beef topside.

Cook’s notes

The humble meal of sausages, mashed potatoes, and peas is one I grew up with, and it’s always a winner in our house. To get the best flavor out of your sausages, cook them in a cast-iron skillet. Unlike a non-stick pan, you’ll find that you get more cooked-on bits on the bottom of the pan. More cooked-on bits equals more flavor in your gravy!
I have allocated one sausage per person for this recipe. However, it doesn’t matter if you cook six sausages or ten. I usually cook extra for the next day’s lunch, and one sausage isn’t enough for some. Adjust accordingly!

Storage

Keep any leftover sausages for lunchtime sandwiches. Store them in an airtight container for up to three days in the fridge. Leftover onion gravy is delicious over beef schnitzel or grilled steak. To reheat, either pop it into the microwave or a small saucepan and warm on low heat. If it’s a really thick gravy, you can thin it out by adding a little water and stirring it through while it reheats.

FAQ’s

Yes. The onion gravy can be made up to two days ahead and gently reheated before serving. However, just cooked sausages and colcannon mash will always give the best result, as neither is as good reheated as when freshly cooked.

The dishes are very similar, but Irish bangers and mash is traditionally made with Irish pork sausages. I also like to serve mine with colcannon instead of plain mashed potatoes.

Traditional pork sausages are the classic choice. If you can find Irish pork sausages, even better, but any good-quality butcher’s sausages will work beautifully.

“Bangers” is an old nickname for sausages, while “mash” refers to mashed potatoes. Together they make one of Britain’s and Ireland’s most famous comfort food dishes.