Bangers and Mash with Milk Stout Gravy! Ever had ’em? What’s not to love about delicious sausages that have been slow cooked in a creamy milk stout, layered atop fluffy mashed potatoes; smothered in a rich stout onion gravy.
We love a delicious Irish inspired dinner anytime of year, but let’s face it is much more fun around St. Patrick’s day!
You may want to try these other Irish inspired recipes: 4 Ingredient Irish Soda Bread, The Best Baked Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe, Irish Mule, or Guinness Chocolate Cake.
I enjoy giving precise details in my recipe posts to lead my readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, use the Jump to Recipe to head straight there!
What are Bangers & Mash?
Okay, let’s talk bangers! These classic pork sausages got their name during World War I when the fillers made them sizzle and sometimes bang while cooking (source). It’s a good thing today’s are much meatier and more flavorful. Brown them up, add buttery mash, and smother it all in a rich onion gravy—it’s an easy meal that’s hard to beat.
And then there’s the mash—just creamy mashed potatoes, hence the name! I love how phrases like this get into our favorite recipes and give them personality and stories. Whether it’s bangers for sausages that used to pop on the stove or mash for those fluffy buttery potatoes, food has a way of carrying stories with every bite.
Ingredients For Bangers And Mash With Onion Gravy
- Bangers (Pork Sausages): Real bangers are usually found with other sausages in early March, or replace them with your favorite sausages: try bratwursts, Italian sausage, and beef sausage, you get the idea. I usually grab mine from Trader Joe’s.
- Beer: I enjoy the flavor that a milk stout beer brings to this dish, but you can easily substitute this for beef broth.
- Beef Broth: We use this in the gravy, and you can use extra to replace the beer if you prefer. Use a quality beef broth, take it to new levels, and make using homemade beef broth.
- Onion: We will use a medium onion sliced thinly here so the flavors shine.
- Olive Oil & Butter: Used for sauteing and for flavor in the gravy.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour or your favorite flour here. This will thicken the gravy.
- Quick Mashed Potatoes: You’ll need Yukon Gold potatoes, garlic cloves, butter, sour cream, milk, salt and pepper for the creamiest, tastiest mash ever!
- Kosher salt and black pepper to season it all to your liking.
How to Make Bangers & Mash
- Heating a heavy skillet over medium high heat, pour in oil. Carefully add in sausages and stout (see options below). That little mini measuring cup is one of the most often used tools in my kitchen!
- Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and prop a wooden spoon to vent just slightly, allowing steam to escape.
- Be careful your wooden spoon is not over any flame and careful when you grab it, it might be hot. Cook covered for about 5 minutes.
- Turn the bangers and continue cooking, covered, for another 5 minutes.
5. When the liquid is almost gone, lower the heat to medium-low, with lid on continue cooking, rotating sausages occasionally, until evenly browned and cooked through, around 10 additional minutes.
6. Cook the bangers for 10 minutes until nicely browned, remove the lid and allow the liquid to reduce slightly, thickening and coating the sausages.
7. Cook, stirring occasionally until they are slightly browned, soft and fragrant, about 10-15 minutes.
8. Sprinkle browned onions with all-purpose flour (substitute AP Gluten free flour), stirring and cooking for 2-3 minutes until brown bits collect on bottom of pan.
9. Increase heat to medium / medium-high and pour in stout (broth or other beer), scraping bottom of pan to deglaze (getting up all those rich, brown bits).
10. Pour in beef broth and allow to simmer until no longer foaming, about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, heat until reduced slightly, thickened and glossy.
11. Remove from heat, set aside, keep covered.
Prepare Mashed Potatoes
Dice the potatoes into 1-inch pieces. If you want super smooth mashed potatoes, peel them first. Place the potatoes in a large pot and add enough salted water to cover them by about 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Let them cook until they are tender, about 15-20 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when you can easily pierce them with a fork. Once they’re done, drain the water and set the potatoes aside. Meanwhile, peel and mince or grate 2 cloves of garlic.
In the same pot used for the potatoes, melt butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. Reduce the heat to low and return the drained potatoes to the pot. Mash until smooth, but be careful not to over-mash, or they will become gluey and gummy. Stir in the sour cream and milk, then season with plenty of salt and pepper. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
Just before serving, place the remaining butter in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted, about 30 seconds. Reheat the pot of potatoes over medium heat until warmed through, then stir in the melted butter. If needed, add small splashes of the remaining milk until the potatoes reach a creamy consistency. Serve immediately.
Bangers and Mash Recipe Substitutions
I buy my Bangers from Trader Joe’s. They start stocking them in late February through St. Patrick’s Day, but you may also substitute Bratwurst for the bangers or any pork sausage (or try a chicken or turkey brats if you don’t do pork).
Make sure they are not pre-cooked sausages, you want to slowly cook them in the beer. I’ve used German Weisswurst/Bockworst (white sausage), and it’s delicious too.
What can I replace beer with?
Replace the Stout with any dark beer you’d like, I’ve used Milk Stout, Vanilla Porter, Porter, Guinness and more. Go for something smooth.
Gluten Free | If you prefer not to use alcohol or are GF, just use a rich beef broth or beef bone broth. Just make it YOURS!
Bangers And Mash With Onion Gravy
While your bangers are cooking, in a medium saucepan, heat your butter/oil over medium to medium-high heat, add sliced onions.
Bangers And Mash Gluten-Free Variation
- Replace the beer with either beef broth or your favorite Gluten Free beer
- Make sure your sausages are gluten free
- Replace the all purpose flour in the gravy with a good GF 1-to-1 All purpose flour.
Top Tips for Bangers and Mash
With these tips you’ll have a pub-worthy Bangers and Mash for St. Patrick’s Day or any night at home!
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- Choose the right sausages: Thicker, high quality pork sausages (Irish, British-style or a well-seasoned bratwurst), but avoid pre-cooked sausages – you want that crispy golden sear!
- Cook the sausages right: Start with a good sear on medium heat then finish on low. Add a splash of broth for extra juiciness and simmer at the end.
- Caramelize Slow: Low and slow is key to a rich onion gravy. Don’t rush it – soft golden onions make all the difference.
- Deglaze for extra flavor: After caramelizing add a splash of beef broth or stout to scrape up those lovely browned bits from the pan.
- Get your mash extra creamy: Use butter, milk, sour cream and salt and mash gently – overmixing will make your potatoes gluey!
- Don’t skimp on the gravy: This isn’t just any gravy – it’s onion gravy! Pour it over everything (yes, even the peas).
- Make it a proper pub experience: Serve with buttered peas, a pint of Guinness and a slice of Irish Soda Bread or Guinness Brown Bread.
How to serve bangers & mash
To plate, serve up some mashed potatoes, place 1-2 Bangers (sausages) on top of potatoes, and smother the entire thing in the rich onion milk stout gravy. Serve with a couple of the items from below.
Bangers And Mash Recipe FAQs
This odd name used to describe these British sausages actually dates back to the early 20th century, during the time of World War I. Sausages were seen as a popular dish for the British working class, however, after the outbreak of the war, meat was in seriously short supply. In order to continue production and to get by on what meat they did have, cheap fillers and a high amount of water were used in the sausages which caused them to pop and explode rather violently in the cooking pan, giving them the name “bangers.”
Excerpt taken from A History of Banger’s
Many ask me about cooking with alcohol and do I serve these meals to my kids.
My answer is yes, I do. Typically the foods that have alcohol in them are cooked long enough that the alcohol cooks down. I don’t pour them a mug of beer, but we believe removing the curiosity and stigma with alcohol allows kids to be able to say “no” when offered later.
Banger’s and Mash sides from a few of my favorite bloggers!
- Steamed or roasted broccoli
- Roasted or pan-fried asparagus
- Mushy Peas (Isn’t the the color gorgeous!)
- Irish Soda Bread traditional, or a slightly sweeter version both eaten on St. Patty’s day, delicious with Irish Stew or this Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage.
- Irish Boxty Bread – a traditional potato bread
I made Boxty bread last year, no time to get it on the blog at the moment, however; it’s a fun thing to make with your kids and makes ye’ feel, all Irish-like! Beautiful huh!?
A few more great, heart-warming, totally St. Patrick’s day acceptable recipes:
- Tender Beer Beef Stew (slow cooked all day, amazing)
- Easy Beer Bread
- Skillet Shepherd’s Pie (No Bake Shepherd’s Pie)
- And while not a St. Patrick’s day recipe, you’ll love this One Pot Italian Sausage Pasta.
Oh and one last thing, you have to end your St. Patrick’s Day celebration with one (or BOTH) of these AMAZING St. Patrick’s inspired desserts: Milk Stout Brownies or Lucky Charms Bars.
For a comprehensive list of St. Patrick’s day menu ideas, check out my 35+ St. Patrick’s Day Recipes post.
Recipe lightly adapted from the darling Self Proclaimed Foodie.
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Equipment
Ingredients
Bangers
- 1 lb bangers pork sausages, bratwurst, weissworst, not pre-cooked sausages
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 oz stout or favorite dark beer, or replace with beef broth
Stout Onion Gravy
- 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
- 1 medium onion sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour Gluten-free all-purpose flour may be substituted
- 1 cup stout I used Left Hand Milk Stout, but try Guinness, Porter, another Stout/dark beer, or just replace with beef broth
- 1 cup beef broth
- salt and pepper to taste
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes peeled (for smoother potatoes), diced into 1 inch pieaces – or use Russets
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 cup milk a little less or a little more based on how you like your mash
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Bangers
- Heat a heavy skillet over medium to medium-high heat, pour in oil. Carefully add in sausages and stout (or beef broth) and prop a wooden spoon to vent just slightly, allowing steam to escape. Be careful your wooden spoon is not over a flame and be careful when you grab it, it might be hot. Cook covered for about 5 minutes.
- Turn the sausages and continue cooking covered, for another 5 minutes. After they've cooked 10 minutes and are nicely browned, remove the lid and allow the liquid to reduce slightly, thickening and coating the sausages.
- When the liquid is almost gone, lower the heat to low, with lid on continue cooking, rotating sausages occasionally, until evenly browned and cooked through, around 10 additional minutes. If time, start on the mashed potatoes.
Onion Gravy
- While your sausages are cooking, in a medium saucepan, heat your butter over medium heat. Add sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally until they are slightly browned, soft and fragrant, about 10-15 minutes.
- Sprinkle browned onions with all-purpose flour (substitute with Gluten Free AP Flour), stirring and cooking for 2-3 minutes until brown bits collect on bottom of pan.
- Increase heat to medium or medium-high and pour in stout (or broth or other beer), scrapping pan to deglaze. Stir in beef broth and allow to simmer until no longer foaming, about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened reduced slightly and glossy. Remove from heat set aside, keeping covered.
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Dice the potatoes into 1-inch pieces. If you want super smooth mashed potatoes, peel them first. Place the potatoes in a large pot and add enough salted water to cover them by about 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Let them cook until they are tender, about 15-20 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when you can easily pierce them with a fork. Once they’re done, drain the water and set the potatoes aside. Meanwhile, peel and mince or grate 2 cloves of garlic.
- In the same pot used for the potatoes, melt butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. Reduce the heat to low and return the drained potatoes to the pot. Mash until smooth, but be careful not to over-mash, or they will become gluey and gummy. Stir in the sour cream and milk, then season with plenty of salt and pepper. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
- Just before serving, place the remaining butter in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted, about 30 seconds. Reheat the pot of potatoes over medium heat until warmed through, then stir in the melted butter. If needed, add small splashes of the remaining milk until the potatoes reach a creamy consistency. Serve immediately.
- To plate, serve up mashed potatoes, place a 1-2 Bangers (sausages) over the top of the potatoes and smother the entire thing in the rich onion stout gravy serve with a couple of the items from below.
Want to Save this Recipe?
Enter your email below & we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
Notes
- Choose the right sausages: Thicker, high quality pork sausages (Irish, British-style or a well-seasoned bratwurst), but avoid pre-cooked sausages – you want that crispy golden sear!
- Cook the sausages right: Start with a good sear on medium heat then finish on low. Add a splash of broth for extra juiciness, and simmer at the end.
- Caramelize Slow: Low and slow is key to a rich onion gravy. Don’t rush it – soft golden onions make all the difference.
- Deglaze for extra flavor: After caramelizing add a splash of beef broth or stout to scrape up those lovely browned bits from the pan.
- Get your mash extra creamy: Use butter, milk, sour cream and salt and mash gently – overmixing will make your potatoes gluey!
- Don’t skimp on the gravy: This isn’t just any gravy – it’s onion gravy! Pour it over everything (yes, even the peas).
- Make it a proper pub experience: Serve with buttered peas, a pint of Guinness and a slice of Irish Soda Bread, Guinness Brown Bread and finish with a classic Irish coffee.
Nutrition
Lynn Spencer
Do the men in your home realize just how lucky they are?
Well, one in particular does! LOL! The younger ones, probably not so much — yet!
Lynn Spencer
A wonderful twist on a classic recipe.
Linda Krenz
I’m making this on the weekend! I bet it’s delicious!
YAY! It is delicious, Linda!
Bob
Judy made your key lime pie for our couples group. Wowzer, it, and you, “brought the house down.” It was awesome!
Wahoo!! I love that it brought the house down! Hopefully not on top of anyone or the Key Lime Pie! Thanks Bob!!!