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 for grilling, baking, or my favorite, pan-frying. After putting in the effort to make them, you’ll love how incredibly flavorful they are.
Bring the taste of traditional Irish bangers to your kitchen with my perfectly seasoned homemade sausage recipe. Made with succulent pork, fragrant herbs, and warm spices, this recipe is sure to become a family favorite, just like my authentic Italian sausage.
Irish Sausages
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’ originated during World War I in 1919, when a meat shortage led to sausages being packed with excess moisture. As they cooked, they would often burst with a loud ‘bang’ as the meat broke through the casing. Despite their history, these sausages are incredibly flavorful.
Since they take time to prepare, I always plan ahead and make a big batch, storing plenty in the freezer. That way, whenever the craving hits – whether it’s a casual backyard grill session with my friends or a cozy pan-fried dinner with family, I have perfectly seasoned, homemade Irish sausages ready to go.
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:
Prepare: I slice the Boston butt and pork belly into 1-inch chunks and place them in the freezer to chill for 15-20 minutes.
Soak: I soak the hog casings in cold water for 15 minutes, then run water through them to rinse thoroughly. Once cleaned, I set them aside.
Grind: I run the cold cubed pork through the food grinder using the medium-size dye into another pan, then place it back in the freezer to chill for 15-20 minutes.
Blend: While the meat is chilling, I prepare the spice blend using a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder, then set it aside.
Grind: I use the small dye on the meat grinder to run the ground meat through into another pan.
Season: I mix the ground meat with the spice blend, crushed ice, and breadcrumbs until fully combined.
Stuff: I attach the hog casing to the sausage filler, tie a knot at the end, and run the sausage mixture through the attachment at low speed, carefully stuffing the casing.
Secure: I tie a knot at the end of the sausage and continue stuffing until all the ingredients have been used.
Shape: I twist the long sausage into 5” to 6” links, then store them or cook them as desired.
Chef tip + notes
I highly recommend chilling the meat before grinding to ensure the fat stays firm and doesn’t warm up or liquefy during the process. I always take the time to chill the cubed pork in the freezer for at least 15 to 20 minutes before grinding. I even put my grinder parts in the freezer to keep everything cold. This simple step makes all the difference in achieving the perfect juicy and well-textured sausage every time.
- Taste: I always fry a small portion of the sausage mixture before stuffing to check the seasoning. This way, I can adjust the herbs and spices.
- Speed Control: I keep the grinder and stuffer at low to medium speed to maintain control. If the speed is too high, the sausage can become difficult to handle and may not stuff evenly.
- Filling the Casing: If the sausage looks too skinny, I stop moving the casing and let it fill up more before continuing. This helps create plump, evenly filled sausages with the right texture.
- Casing Length: Each hog casing is about three feet long, so I plan accordingly. Knowing this helps me portion the sausage mixture properly to avoid waste.
- Visual Guide: You are welcome to check my recipe video for additional sausage-making tips. Watching the process in action makes it easier to follow along and get the best results.
Serving Suggestions
Bangers are incredible, but they truly shine when served over a warm plate of Bangers and Mash, smothered in rich onion gravy.
I also love pairing them with my Irish Colcannon, a creamy mashed potato dish loaded up with braised cabbage and tossed with crispy bacon and leeks.
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.
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.
Do you have this recipe for the Irish bangers broken down into exact weights? I need to make 300lbs for a funeral for an old Irish man.
You can click the box where it says us customary and switch it to metric. Numbers won’t be perfect, so round up.
Perfect! Thank you
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!