This recipe for Irish Bangers and Mash is easy to make and a comfort food classic. I really wanted to switch things up for St. Patrick's Day this year. Every year I make Corned beef and cabbage which is still one of my favorites. That homemade Crockpot Corned Beef also makes for an amazing hash the following day. But, sometimes, you have to break tradition and step outta the box.
What are Bangers and Mash
It's pretty simple, Bangers and Mash are sausages served with mashed potatoes. This is a very popular dish from England and Ireland and the sausages "Bangers" are very similar in both areas. The main difference between the two is that Irish Sausage uses an egg and breadcrumb binder and the english use only breadcrumbs.
Best Sausage for Irish Bangers and Mash
For this recipe I picked up some of Johnsonville's Irish O'Garlic sausages. While not tradition they worked perfectly and tasted great!
With that being said, I love making my own sausage as well. I haven't made a traditional Irish sausage as of yet, but this recipe for homemade Bratwursts would be a great alternative if you'd like to make your own.
So, to answer the question, you could really use any pork based sausage for your Bangers and Mash. Try it with Bratwurst, Italian Sausage, or of course, traditional Irish or English Bangers.
A little fun fact for you. The sausages in Ireland aren't called bangers at all and in England they're only referred to as Banger's when associated to the mash dish.
How to Make Bangers and Mash
Ingredients
Sausage
Yes, we just covered this. Go grab some pork sausage of your choosing and you're ready to rock!
Mashed Potatoes
You'll need some really great mashed potatoes to serve with your Bangers. Luckily for all of us, I have an incredible recipe for you! These made from scratch mashed potatoes get their amazing flavor and texture from a garlic infused cream mixture, butter, and Neufchâtel Cheese. When paired with the sausage and the onion gravy the flavor combination is out of this world!
Vegetables
The only vegetable you'll need for this recipe are a few small to medium yellow onions. These are a part of the simmering gravy that top the whole dish off.
Liquids
In this recipe for Irish Bangers and Mash i've included Olive Oil, Beef Stock, Worcestershire Sauce, and Guinness Stout. The olive oil will be for cooking the sausage and the rest of the liquid ingredients are added later in the cooking process for simmering.
Herbs, Spices, Etc.
Don't ever be afraid to season your dishes. Of course there can be too much of a good thing when it comes to some powders and salts. That's exactly why we write recipes though. Get those well balanced flavors and then you tweak it to your own preferences!
You'll need freshly Minced Garlic, Ground Mustard Powder, Dried Parsley, Ground Thyme, Kosher Salt, Ground Black Pepper, and All Purpose Flour.
There you have it. All the ingredients needed for an amazing Bangers and Mash Recipe. Now let's get to the cooking steps.
Cooking Directions
Start by heating olive oil in a cast Iron Dutch Oven over Medium high heat. Once the oil has heated up add in the sausage and cook until both sides are browned. Once the sausage has been browned remove them from the pot and set aside.
Next, add the butter to cast iron allowing it to fully melt while deglazing the bottom of the pot. Once the butter has melted add the thinly sliced and sauté until they've softened and are just beginning to turn translucent. Add the garlic, stir to mix and sauté for about another 2 minutes.
Now pour in the flour, mustard powder, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir this mixture into the onions and continue to sauté for another 2-3 minute or until the seasoning becomes aromatic.
Lastly, stir in the Worcestershire Sauce, Beef Stock, and Guinness Stout. Once you've fully mixed all of these ingredients, bring the gravy to a simmer and add the sausage back to the Cast Iron Dutch Oven.
Allow the sausage and gravy to simmer for about 30 minutes on low and serve over those incredible mashed potatoes.
Sides to serve with Bangers and Mash
Traditionally Irish Bangers and Mash is served with a side of green peas. If you're looking to stay as authentic as possible, certainly go that route.
However, I paired this with Irish Fried Cabbage and I think it took this dish to a whole other level. The sweetness of the cabbage with the smokey flavor of bacon paired with the savory flavors from the bangers and mash was to die for. I'd dare anyone to not go back for seconds!
In conclussion
Irish food goes so much further than a recipe for Corned Beef and Cabbage we're so accustomed to. Not to mention the price of beef has sky rocketed in so many areas around the country. Try this recipe for Irish Bangers and Mash to switch it up, and serve it with a side of Irish Fried Cabbage and freshly baked Soda bread for a full Irish meal.
Lat me know in the comments how you, family, and friends enjoyed the recipe. I also love to hear of any changes you've made or experiences with traditional foods you've encountered.
Thank you so much for taking the time to visit chicken Fried Kitchen and as usual...Happy Cooking.
-Jeremy
📖 Recipe
Recipe for Irish Bangers and Mash
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 lb Pork Sausage
- 3 tablespoon Salted Butter
- 3 Yellow Onions - Medium
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Minced Garlic - 3 cloves
- 3 tablespoon All Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Dried Parsley
- ½ teaspoon Ground Thyme
- ½ teaspoon Ground Mustard
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 Cups Beef Stock
- 1 Cup Guinness Stout
Instructions
- Start by heating olive oil in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven over medium high heat.
- Once the oil has heated up add in the sausage and cook until both sides are browned. Once the sausage has been browned remove them from the pot and set aside.
- Next, add the butter to the dutch oven allowing it to fully melt while deglazing the bottom of the pot.
- Once the butter has melted, add the thinly sliced onion and sauté until they've softened and are just beginning to turn translucent.
- Add the garlic, stir to mix and sauté for about another 2 minutes.
- Now pour in the flour, mustard powder, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir this mixture into the onions and continue to sauté for another 2-3 minutes or until the seasoning becomes aromatic.
- Lastly, stir in the Worcestershire Sauce, Beef Stock, and Guinness Stout.
- Add the sausage back in and simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Serve with a side of Green Peas, Mashed potatoes, and fried cabbage.
Pat Connelly says
Bangers n Mash is a British fish not an Irish dish
Jeremy says
Hi Pat! Thank you so much for schooling me on what Bangers and Mash ACTUALLY is! Can you elaborate a little more on this? I'd love to hear all about the British Fish version.