Homemade Irish-Style Bangers Recipe
Published March 9, 2022. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
These delicious homemade Irish-style Bangers are made from scratch and perfect to cook on the grill, in the oven, or on the cooktop. After taking the time to make these, you will love just how flavorful these are.
Bangers are incredible, but they are even better when served in a classic Bangers and Mash recipe or alongside Colcannon.
Bangers is a centuries-old traditional British and Irish recipe. They consist of lean and fat pork that is ground up tossed with spices and herbs that is then encased in hog casing to make sausage. There are many variations of Bangers when it comes to the ingredients depending on who makes them.
The name Banger got its name during WWI in 1919 during a meat shortage when the sausage, or banger, that was so filled with moisture would pop like a bang with the meat breaking through the casing. Regardless, these are very tasty but do require some time to make them.
Ingredients and Substitutions
There are some variations around the spices and seasonings used when making homemade bangers. Here is my combination of ingredients that make up a very tasty Irish-style banger:
- Casing – You will need some natural hog casings for this recipe.
- Pork – A combination of pork Boston butt and pork belly, or pork shoulder and pork belly will work.
- Herbs – I prefer to use dry rosemary, thyme, and sage in this recipe.
- Spices – Mace and nutmeg are very traditional to use in Irish bangers.
- Seasonings – Garlic granules, onion granules, and of course salt and pepper will make these very tasty.
- Ice – Crushed ice will help keep the sausage very juicy.
- Breadcrumbs – This is a classic ingredient and if you can find the bigger French-style breadcrumbs, even better. If not, regular breadcrumbs will do just fine.
How to Make Homemade Bangers from Scratch
These step-by-step procedures are very versatile when making any sausage. Follow along with the images to ensure you are making these correctly:
Cut some Boston butt and pork belly into 1-inch chunks and place them into the freezer to chill for 15-20 minutes.
In the meantime, soak some hog casing in cold water for 15 minutes and then run some water through them to rinse everything out. Set aside.
Run the cold cubed pork through the food grinder using the medium size dye into another pan and then place it again in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
While the meat is chilling, make the spice blend mixture using a pestle and mortar or spice grinder and set aside.
Using the small dye on the meat grinder, run the ground meat through into another pan.
Season the sausage with the spice blend and mix in with crushed ice and breadcrumbs until combined.
Attach the hog casing around the sausage filler, tie a knot at the end, run the sausage through the attachment at low speed, and stuff the hog casing.
Tie a knot around the end of the sausage and continue stuffing until all the ingredients have been used.
Twist the long sausage into 5” to 6” long links. Store or cook.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make this up to 3 days ahead of time, just keep cool in the refrigerator and cover until ready to cook.
How to Store: Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The bangers will freeze well for up to 6 months, either raw or cooked. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before cooking or reheating.
Chef notes + tips
- Chilling the meat is crucial to ensure the fat doesn’t warm up and liquify while going through the grinder.
- If making your own sausage, be sure to fry some up and taste it once all the seasonings are combined in to ensure it is flavorful and doesn’t need more herbs and spices.
- When making the sausage be sure to not go over low to medium speed as it becomes very hard to manage as it is ground and stuffed.
- If you are seeing that the sausage is skinny, stop moving the casings and let it fill up with more sausage before guiding it along.
- Each hog casing is about 3” feet in length.
- Make sure to watch the video to see all the sausage making notes and tips.
More Pork Recipes
- Fried Pork Chops
- Glazed Ham
- Smoked St. Louis Style Ribs
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin
- Smoked Pork Shoulder
Video
Homemade Irish-Style Bangers Recipe
Ingredients
- 9 feet of hog casings
- 4 pounds boned Boston Butt or Pork shoulder, cut into 1” cubes
- 1 pound pork belly, cut into 1” cubes
- 2 teaspoons garlic granules
- 1 tablespoon onion granules
- 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground mace
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 3 tablespoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cups crushed ice
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Prepare the hog casings according to their instructions and set aside in a bowl of cool water.
- Mix the Boston butt and pork belly in a container and place them into the freezer to chill for 15-20 minutes.
- Run the cold cubed pork through a food grinder using the medium size dye into another pan until all of it has been ground. Place it again in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
- While the meat is chilling, make the spice blend mixture using a pestle and mortar or spice grinder and set aside.
- Using the small dye on the meat grinder, run the ground meat through again into another pan.
- Season the sausage with the spice blend and mix in with crushed ice and breadcrumbs until combined completely combined.
- Attach the hog casing around the sausage filler, with about 6 inches left, tie a knot at the end, and run the sausage through the attachment on low speed and stuff the hog casing guiding with one hand and pressing the sausage through the grinder with the other hand.
- With about 4” left, tie a knot around the end of the sausage and continue stuffing until all the ingredients have been used.
- Twist the long sausage into 5” to 6” long links. Store or cook.
- Repeat the process until all the sausage has been stuffed.
I moved to Massachusetts from Ireland 16 years ago and the food I miss most after 40 years living in Ireland are sausages.
We drive to NYC every 2 -3 months to visit our son and to pick up 10lbs of sausages from one of two Irish butchers (one in Queens and one in Yonkers).
I’ve tried making them before, but they were never quite right. I followed this recipe today and the result is as good (possibly better) than any I ever had in Ireland!!!
I can’t thank you enough for posting this!
That said…….. (😉) in any butchers in Ireland (particularly the North) they will sell almost as many beef sausages as they will pork. Good beef sausages have proven almost impossible to get on the eastern seaboard. The same NYC Irish butchers sell them, but they don’t quite live up. Your mission, should you choose to accept it………
Absolutely amazing recipe. Made it as is except the last 2 sizable links…. We added some chopped jalapeño and cheddar cheese for a variety for a meal. As standard with any sausage recipe, we tested it patty form in a CI for seasoning. Spot on. Can’t wait for Bangers and Mash. Thanks!!! Definitely a keeper.
Good morning Chef! I am adding this to my growing file of homemade Sausage to make! I’ve made your Italian and it is delicious!
Thanks Chef!!!
Chef,
Im going to be making both this and the italian sausage, Curious if i dont use casing and just use a kebab maker to make shapes. what would they freeze like.
Not sure, never tried it.
Love your recipes, but I have been looking for a good banger recipe for years. You came through with this one, thanks!
My pleasure!
i’ve had a KitchenAid for years, but it wasn’t until I saw your video on making sausage that I got up the nerve to try and do it myself. A lot of fun and a lot of possibilities to make some great sausages. Thanks for your recipes and the encouragement to keep growing as cooks. Much appreciated.
Amazing. Thank you!
I made this recipe today as a project. I have made sausage meat before, but never put it in a casing before. Got out the old meat grinder and went to town on a whole pork shoulder! I ground all the whole spices… everything from scratch. This was definitely a labor of love, but oh my, the flavor is amazing! Thank you for posting it!
Recently moved from Chicago to North Carolona farm Country and about 17 miles from Outter Banks. Chef Billy brings me right back home with recipes that he just knocks it out of the park. Bangers & Mash was absoluey faboulous. My main squeeze was amazed! Until our next food adventure Chef Billy, hang tight & catcha on the flipflop!