⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes • 🍳 Cook Time: 40 minutes

Bangers and mash is one of those dishes that sounds humble on paper and then completely delivers on the plate. Juicy sausages, creamy mashed potatoes, and a rich, deeply savory onion gravy that ties the whole thing together - it is pure comfort food, and it is easier to make at home than most people expect. This is the version I come back to every time.

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*Juicy pan-seared sausages over buttery mashed potatoes, smothered in a rich caramelized onion gravy.*

The name "bangers" comes from WWII-era British sausages that were packed with water and would literally burst open in the pan when cooked at too high a heat. You don't need to worry about that with modern supermarket sausages, but the name stuck and honestly it is a great name. For this recipe, any fresh pork sausage works beautifully - Italian sausage (mild, not spicy), breakfast links, or classic bratwurst are all fantastic options. The goal is a juicy sausage with a well-browned exterior, and the method below gets you there every time.

The mash is where a lot of people quietly undersell themselves. Good mashed potatoes are not complicated, but they do have a few non-negotiable rules. Russets or Yukon Golds only - waxy potatoes like red bliss turn gummy when mashed. Warm your butter and milk before adding them to the potatoes, because cold dairy seizes up the starch and makes the texture gluey. And mash by hand with a potato masher or ricer - never a blender or food processor, which will overwork the starch and give you something closer to wallpaper paste than dinner.

The onion gravy is the third piece, and it is the one that pulls everything together. The secret is patience with the onions. You want them to cook low and slow until they are deeply golden and jammy - this takes a full 20 minutes and cannot be rushed. Cranking the heat to speed things up just burns the outside while the inside stays raw and sharp. Let them go slowly, stir often, and trust the process. The payoff is a gravy with a natural sweetness and depth that no packet mix can replicate.

One practical tip: get your onions going first, before anything else. They take the longest and can hold beautifully on low heat while you boil the potatoes and cook the sausages. Time everything so it all lands on the plate at the same moment - hot mash, hot sausages, hot gravy. That is the whole game.

🍽️ Servings: 4 • 🔥 Calories/Serving: ~610 • 💪 Protein/Serving: ~24g

*(Based on 2 sausages per person with mash and gravy.)*

Ingredients

The Bangers

8 fresh pork sausage links (mild Italian, bratwurst, or breakfast-style all work great)
1 tbsp olive oil or neutral oil

The Mash

2 lbs russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
4 tbsp unsalted butter
½ cup whole milk or heavy cream, warmed
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp black pepper

The Onion Gravy

2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
½ tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups beef broth (boxed is totally fine)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Dijon mustard (optional, but recommended)
Black pepper, to taste

Steps

Step 1

Start the onion gravy first, because this is where your time goes. Melt the butter and olive oil together in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt, stir to coat, and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the onions are deeply golden, soft, and sweet. They will shrink down dramatically - that is exactly what you want. Low and slow is the only way here.

Step 2

While the onions cook, get your potatoes going. Place the potato chunks in a large pot, cover with cold salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook for 15 to 18 minutes until a fork slides through them with zero resistance. Drain completely, then return the potatoes to the hot pot and let them sit over low heat for 2 minutes to steam off any remaining water. This step matters - excess moisture is the enemy of fluffy mash.

Step 3

Mash the potatoes by hand using a potato masher or pass them through a ricer if you have one. Add the warm butter and warm milk a little at a time, stirring between additions until you reach the consistency you like. Season generously with salt and pepper - potatoes can take more salt than you think. Cover with a lid or foil to keep warm while everything else finishes up.

Step 4

Cook the sausages in a separate skillet with a little oil over medium heat. Do not poke them - keeping them intact lets the juices stay inside where they belong. Turn them every few minutes for about 12 to 15 minutes total until they are evenly browned on all sides and cooked through. If they are browning too quickly on the outside before the inside is done, add a small splash of water to the pan, cover, and steam for a few minutes. That gentle steam finishes the center without burning the casing.

Step 5

Once the onions are deeply golden, sprinkle the flour over them and stir for about 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste. Pour in the beef broth slowly, whisking as you go to prevent lumps. Add the Worcestershire sauce and Dijon, then simmer for 5 to 8 minutes until the gravy has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Step 6

Spoon a generous mound of mash onto each plate, nestle two sausages alongside or right on top, and ladle the onion gravy over everything. The gravy should pool into the mash and run down the sides of the sausages. Serve immediately, while everything is still steaming hot. Napkins strongly recommended.

Make it your own!

🧀 Cheesy mash: Stir ½ cup of shredded sharp cheddar into the finished mash right before serving. It melts in beautifully and adds a richness that pairs especially well with the savory onion gravy.
🌿 Herby mash: Fold in a handful of chopped fresh chives or flat-leaf parsley just before plating. It adds color, freshness, and a little brightness that cuts through the richness of the gravy.
🍺 Stout gravy: Replace ½ cup of the beef broth with a dark stout like Guinness for a deeper, slightly bitter gravy that leans fully into the Irish pub vibe. A little goes a long way - too much and the gravy can turn bitter.
🐔 Swap the sausage: Chicken or turkey sausage works just as well here if you want something lighter. The cooking method is the same - just watch the timing, as leaner sausages can dry out a little faster.
🥄 Make it ahead: The onion gravy reheats beautifully and can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in the fridge. Reheat gently over low heat with a splash of broth to loosen it back up. The mash is best fresh, but can also be reheated with a little extra butter and milk stirred in.