Homemade Traditional Irish Breakfast Sausage Recipe

I’ve been wanting to develop recipes for different types of sausage for some time now. And as I was stumbling around on the interweb collecting ideas on how to do that, I discovered that the Irish have quite an affection for their breakfast sausage.

So, I got it in my head that I wanted to make a great Irish breakfast sausage. But there isn’t all that much information to be found on the web about how to make this culinary treat. I had to dig deep to find enough to feel confident that I was making a version that closely resembles traditional Irish sausage.

Digging deep wasn’t really a problem for me. Once I get intrigued by something culinary, I dive right down the rabbit hole and scout around. And this time I was down that hole for a very long time.

It’s a little disappointing to report that, even though I diligently searched, I didn’t find as much information on how to make Irish breakfast sausage as I would have liked. And most of what I did find was quickly contradicted by the very next source I uncovered.

I didn’t want to let it stop me though. So, I went ahead and did the best that I could with the information I could find. And the final result is definitely worthy of a blog post. It’s even pretty darn good!

Following are the disclaimers, in the spirit of authenticity, that I feel I need to put forth before I share this recipe with you …

First, I used my own discretion to determine the legitimacy of the information I uncovered. I primarily went with sources that came from people who stated they are actually from Ireland.

Second, I didn’t have all of the ingredients that I needed to make what I finally deemed to be an authentic Irish breakfast sausage recipe at my disposal. So, I substituted where necessary. I am careful to make the substitutions clear in this post.

Additionally, I don’t have a meat grinder so … well … the method I used to prep two of the ingredients (bacon fat and onions) is a little improvisational.

With all of this said, regardless of it’s level of authenticity, the recipe I’m presenting to you in this post is pretty darn stellar. Make it. You’ll enjoy it. I promise. 

Bangers vs Irish Breakfast Sausage

Before I get in too deep here, I want to make it clear for those who are web surfers, like myself, that Irish breakfast sausage is regularly misrepresented as bangers on the web. It is even referred to as Irish bangers pretty regularly.

This is not accurate. Or at least I feel confident that I’ve correctly made the determination that this is an error. Throughout my research I uncovered several sources, that appear to be highly credible, stating that the ingredients are not the same and neither is the taste.

One author in particular even stated that, if you told someone in Ireland they were going to have a plate of bangers they would be expecting a plate of fireworks. A bit dramatically stated perhaps, but I got the idea.

Bangers are much more similar to American breakfast sausage. They use pork from castrated pigs. They have no eggs. And they are made with breadcrumbs. 

Irish breakfast sausage is made from pork that comes from uncastrated pigs. It often contains eggs, and it is made with rusk. Rusk is the filler used in the recipe and there are some differences in it’s basic composition and that of breadcrumbs. There is a difference in the quantity used to make the recipe as well.

It seems that bangers are very similar to American breakfast sausages. So, I’m going to explain the differences of the fillers on that premise.

In the states, breadcrumbs are made from a basic bread dough recipe. This dough is processed through machinery that flattens it to a very thin sheet, bakes it off, and then grinds it. It’s basically ground bread.

Rusk, which is used in Ireland, is made from leavened quick bread. The quick bread is cut into chunks. And then cooked slowly on low temperatures until it is fully dried out. Then it is ground into crumbs.

Rusk can absorb twice it’s own weight in fluid. It is used in Irish breakfast sausage to absorb the juices as they are released while cooking the meat. It holds those juices in the sausage links, resulting in a very tasty product.

One day, I will get my hands on some rusk. And use it to make myself a more authentic Irish breakfast sausage. Because … well … that sounds really DELICIOUS! But today, for this post, I am forging ahead with what I’ve got.

Authenticity And This Recipe

If you’ve been reading this post this far, you have surmised that the recipe I’m presenting to you today is not 100% authentic. There are several Irish ingredients that are simply not available to me in my local stores. And until I have some of the equipment needed to make this recipe authentic I don’t plan to order those ingredients on the net. 

This recipe is as close as I can get at this moment in time. And I’m good with that.

Here are the differences between this recipe, and an authentic Irish breakfast sausage recipe, for those who want to make efforts toward a more authentic version in their own kitchens …

*** I used ground pork meat that I purchased at my local grocery store. It is my understanding that a fatty part of the pig is used to make traditional Irish breakfast sausage. I’m not certain what part of the pig was used to make the ground pork I bought. Pork butt is likely the best cut to pick up if you’re grinding your own meat. Note that pork shoulder is from the same part of the pig as pork butt, but it is not as fatty. So if you’re grinding your own meat, choose the butt cut.

*** Ground bacon fat is mixed in with the ground pork to make a true Irish breakfast sausage. As stated above, I don’t have a grinder. So, I improvised a bit here. I trimmed the fat from bacon slices, laid it out on a parchment lined sheet pan, and froze it. This made it easy to cut into small pieces, which I did. I then mixed these small pieces into the final recipe. Not ground. But a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do. Bottom line is you need some pork fat from a pork belly.

*** The onions in Irish breakfast sausage are also run through a meat grinder. I simply chopped them as fine as I was able to by hand.

*** I used regular breadcrumbs to make this recipe. I didn’t want to invest the effort in purchasing rusk, when I wasn’t going to be able to use the proper ground meat products anyway. Purchasing rusk is in my future. When I invest in a meat grinder, I’ll revisit this recipe.

*** I also didn’t invest in casings to stuff my sausage into. This goes back to the meat grinder. There is an attachment that is used with the grinder to stuff the sausage into casings. I’m not ready to invest in this equipment right now. Primarily, because I am living tiny. One day soon, that will be different. Until then … hand formed sausage links it is!

Ingredients For This Recipe

Following is a list of ingredients that I used to make the homemade sausages for this post. Please note, if you are trying to make a 100% authentic Irish breakfast sausage, you will want to review the information above before proceeding.

• GROUND PORK – Fatty is good here. Pick up the fattiest ground pork you can find. If you have a meat grinder, pick up some pork butt and grind it yourself.
• BACON FAT – Not clear what they use in Ireland. I used smoked bacon fat. It was a good choice. If you’re able to grind the bacon fat that’s the best way to go.
• EGGS – Farm fresh eggs are used to help bind this recipe together. I think this ingredient also contributes to a difference in texture that I found to be proclaimed about Irish breakfast sausage, as I was researching them. I’m guessing that the addition of egg creates this perfect texture that so many people speak of.
• BREADCRUMBS – Unflavored breadcrumbs should be used for this recipe. You will want to add your own spices to the recipe to ensure that it is as close to the traditional Irish way as possible. Truth is, unflavored bread crumbs is the best way to go when making your own sausages no matter what recipe you’re using.
• ONION – A sweeter onion works well with this recipe. A simple yellow onion is a good choice. Any onion will work.
• DRIED SAGE, SALT, & PEPPER – As always, use the best quality seasonings available to you.

How To Make Irish Breakfast Sausage

I’m going to tell you how I made the breakfast sausage for this post. If you’re working with limited equipment, like myself, this will work well for you. Fresh sausages, even if not perfectly constructed, are far superior to store bought. Hands down.

I’ll also add in a few pointers, that I think will improve on the recipe, if you’re able to do them. However, note that I haven’t actually tried them. So, who’s to say?!?! If you try them, leave a comment below to help the rest of us out!

Start by spreading the pork and bacon fat out on a sheet pan. This will make it easier to evenly distribute all of the ingredients throughout the final mixture.

If you have a grinder you can run the pork, bacon fat, and onions through that before you spread them out. If not be sure to read the section on authenticity and this recipe above to see how I prepared the bacon fat for this recipe.

Mince the onion very finely. Beat the eggs. And mix the two together. Then spread it out over the meat mixture.

Spread the breadcrumbs and seasonings on top. You can use any breadcrumbs you like here. If you are able to get rusk, I’d give it a try. It sounds amazing. If not, use unseasoned breadcrumbs for this recipe.

Mix all of the ingredients together well. The only way to effectively do this is by hand. I’ve read that you can use a stand mixer. With the small amount that this recipe makes, I would stick to mixing it by hand myself. You do you.

Once the sausage is well mixed, shape it into little sausage rolls.

Shaping The Sausage

The best I can tell sausages that are about the size of a fat finger are traditionally served with breakfast in Ireland. I prefer this shape for my breakfast sausage. So, that worked pretty well for me.

You can form your sausage any way you like. If you prefer a patty have at it. If you want to press it into any other shape, go for it. It might even be fun to shape it with a cookie cutter for your favorite little ones. Or maybe use a cookie cutter to shape it like a shamrock for St. Patrick’s Day.

You can take the time to stuff it into casings if that’s important to you. This can be done with or without equipment, or so I’ve read. I have never done it. So, I don’t have any info to offer here. I do believe that collagen casings are used to stuff sausages in Ireland.

Honestly, I would probably just make it the way I made it for this recipe and be done. It’s simple enough, and requires much less effort. However, I suppose there are reasons to stuff it in casings. It would be nicer that way if it was being gifted, for sure.

How To Serve Irish Breakfast Sausage

I’m going blind here. I mean I plan to eat my Irish breakfast sausage with a couple of eggs, some homefries, and a few slices of toast. Very American, I know.

I looked around the web to share how this dish is served in it’s country of origin so I could share that info with all of you. You may have gotten the idea, at this point, that this is how this entire post was put together. 

The research was fun to do. And I tried to be as conscientious as possible about what I’m sharing. My hope is you’ll appreciate my efforts and forgive me any errors I may have made.

I found that this dish is often served with eggs, potatoes, and baked beans. This is brilliant, and so doable in the American kitchen.

You will also find that soda bread is often served with an Irish breakfast. I’m a huge fan of soda bread. So, it wouldn’t take much convincing to get me to make a loaf of it to go with this dish. I didn’t have time to do it for this post though.

I understand that a good Irish brown bread is pretty commonly served for breakfast in Ireland as well. Maybe slather a little Irish butter over whichever bread you choose.

I saw a few seemingly reliable sources serving up grilled tomatoes and/or mushrooms with their breakfasts. Tomatoes and mushrooms, or any veggies really, are always welcome on my table. YUMMY!

And, finally, I uncovered the idea that this dish is often served alongside white and black pudding. This is not pudding as an American would define it. This is another variation of sausage. One which includes blood as an ingredient (black pudding) and one that does not (white pudding).

I’m not sure I’m ready to dive down the rabbit hole that shows me how to make these culinary favs. Maybe another time.

To sum up what Irish breakfast sausage is served with; eggs, potatoes, baked beans, soda or brown bread, grilled tomatoes, grilled mushrooms, white pudding, and black pudding seem to be what is most often found on the plate.

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