Bangers and Mash with Onion Gravy
Bangers and Mash with Onion Gravy is a comforting British dish of pork sausages served with creamy mashed potatoes and topped with a beefy, onion gravy. Enjoy British pub comfort food at it’s best right in your own home.
You will find this classic dish on just about every British and Irish pub menu all over the world. Along with fish & chips and shepherd’s pie, I think bangers and mash are one of the most common British food recognized by everyone.
When I ask people what they know about British food, they usually name fish & chips and then bangers and mash.
Why do they call them bangers?
The name dates back to the Second World War when sausages were made and there was a shortage of meat, the sausages were filled with very little meat and more fillers like cereal and water, lesser expensive ingredients.
This resulted in a lot of spitting and noise when they were cooked because of the water content and the skin would rupture and make a bang, so they nicknamed them ‘bangers’.
I think most meat eaters love sausages and when they piled on top of mash and swimming in gravy and bangers and mash with onion and beef gravy is my favorite comfort food. I always have to have them with a side of fresh, sweet garden peas.
You can always find a couple of packs of sausages and peas in my freezer, beef stock and onions in the pantry. Keeping these items on hand is a great way to get an easy dinner on the table in 20 minutes, any time, any day. Two of my local supermarkets carry British bangers so I have no problem finding them, but if you can’t find them you can substitute any sausages that you like.
This bangers and mash with onion gravy comes together so quickly because everything cooks at the same time. While the potatoes are coming up to a boil, the sausages cook and while they cook the gravy is started by softening onions.
Once the onions are softened, beef stock is added along with mustard and Worcestershire sauce, these 2 ingredients make the gravy rich and full of flavor. We had this dish last night I’m so glad I have leftovers for tonight because I’m craving them as I type this.
This bangers and mash recipe first appeared on Food Fanatic, where I am a contributor.
Bangers and Mash with Onion Gravy
Pork sausages in a flavorful, sweet onions beef beef gravy then plated on top of creamy mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
- 1-pound (454 grams) potatoes of your choice, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus 1 teaspoon
- 4 British pork bangers/sausages
- For the onion gravy:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 ounces (113 grams) yellow onion, sliced
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (473 ml) beef stock/broth
- 1/4 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard * see note
- 2 teaspoons tomato ketchup
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and black pepper to taste (this will depend on how salty your stock/broth is)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/3 cup (ml) whole milk, warmed
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Instructions
- For the mash:
- Fill a large pan with 8 cups (2 liters) of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling add salt and potatoes, simmer for 15 minutes until they feel tender when pierced with a fork.
- For the bangers:
- While the potatoes cook, add the vegetable oil to a heavy skillet over medium heat. Brown the sausages on all sides, remove and set aside.
- For the onion gravy:
- To the same pan you cooked the sausages add the 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. When the butter is melted and bubbling add the onions and cook, stirring often until softened and lightly browned.
- Add the flour into the butter and onions and whisk well to combine.. Slowly whisk in the stock until well incorporated with the flour. Whisk in the mustard, tomato ketchup and Worcestershire sauce until well mixed. Bring to a low simmer until thickened. Add salt and ground black pepper to taste.
Notes
English mustard is spicier than regular yellow mustard. If you can't find it, you can use regular yellow mustard.
Nutrition Information
Yield
2Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 1005Saturated Fat 28gCholesterol 186mgSodium 3459mgCarbohydrates 44gProtein 42g
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Bangers and Mash with Onion Gravy
Pork sausages in a flavorful, sweet onions beef beef gravy then plated on top of creamy mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
- 1-pound (454 grams) potatoes of your choice, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus 1 teaspoon
- 4 British pork bangers/sausages
- For the onion gravy:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 ounces (113 grams) yellow onion, sliced
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (473 ml) beef stock/broth
- 1/4 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard * see note
- 2 teaspoons tomato ketchup
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and black pepper to taste (this will depend on how salty your stock/broth is)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/3 cup (ml) whole milk, warmed
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Instructions
- For the mash:
- Fill a large pan with 8 cups (2 liters) of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling add salt and potatoes, simmer for 15 minutes until they feel tender when pierced with a fork.
- For the bangers:
- While the potatoes cook, add the vegetable oil to a heavy skillet over medium heat. Brown the sausages on all sides, remove and set aside.
- For the onion gravy:
- To the same pan you cooked the sausages add the 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. When the butter is melted and bubbling add the onions and cook, stirring often until softened and lightly browned.
- Add the flour into the butter and onions and whisk well to combine.. Slowly whisk in the stock until well incorporated with the flour. Whisk in the mustard, tomato ketchup and Worcestershire sauce until well mixed. Bring to a low simmer until thickened. Add salt and ground black pepper to taste.
Notes
English mustard is spicier than regular yellow mustard. If you can't find it, you can use regular yellow mustard.
Nutrition Information
Yield
2Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 1005Saturated Fat 28gCholesterol 186mgSodium 3459mgCarbohydrates 44gProtein 42g
15 Comments on “Bangers and Mash with Onion Gravy”
When you say English mustard, are you talking about the dry or prepared mustard? Thanks.
Sorry, I need to make that clearer in the recipe. It is the prepared mustard. If you can’t find it, regular yellow mustard will also work.
Loved this recipe. Will be making again in the future.
I’m so glad you loved the recipe, it’s one of my favorite comfort foods. Thanks for stopping by.
Love bangers and mash!! My husband is English and introduced me to this deliciousness so I made these for him and they get his British seal of approval. The gravy is everything.
Thank you for stopping by Natasha. I love them too.
Looks wonderful, very delicious! Need to try it soon! Pinned!
I have to say, after nearly eight years of living in the UK I still have not taken to bangers and mash. Good quality sausages in a fry up, absolutely. That said, I like the look of the gravy here, might have to give them a try!
Hi Matt, maybe the gravy is the magic you’ve been missing. I know I have to have gravy with my bangers & mash. I miss the sausages in the UK.
Janette, you would not believe it – we had bangers and mash for dinner tonight! But the gravy certainly wasn’t anything like as delicious-sounding as yours. Will have you give your version a try!
Aww, thank you Helen. I’m a gravy nut so I really try and make it the best I can 🙂
These look wonderful, Janette! Absolute comfort food! So I’ve always wondered, where did the term ‘bangers’ come from? Is there a story behind name?
That is a good question Kathleen and I’ve not been able to find out why. We use a lot of slang in England so maybe it is just that. Thank you for stopping by 🙂
Bangers are so-called because after the First World War there was little meat in sausages — just scraps, cereal and water — so they sizzled and spluttered a lot when they were frying. It sounded as if there were mini explosions, or bangs, going on, hence the name bangers.
Thank you so much for sharing Suzann 🙂