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Few meals are as satisfying as bangers and mash with Guinness onion gravy. This classic pub dish features juicy sausages cooked with Irish stout, creamy mashed potatoes, and a rich, deeply flavorful stout onion gravy. It’s hearty, comforting, and perfect for everything from St. Patrick’s Day to an easy weeknight dinner.
Cooking the sausages with Guinness not only adds incredible depth of flavor but also keeps them crispy, tender, and juicy. The beer also forms the base of the onion gravy, where it’s simmered down with beef broth to create a sauce that’s savory, slightly sweet, and and rich in flavor.
This recipe was originally published in March 2015 and has been updated with additional photos and cooking tips to help you make it in your own kitchen.
What Makes This Recipe Stand Out
There are a lot of recipes out there to choose from, but there are a few key details I took into consideration when developing this recipe that take it to the next level.
- Cooking sausages in stout adds richness – As the Guinness reduces, it infuses the sausages with deep, malty flavor. You don’t need to worry about the alcohol because it all gets cooked away, so this is a recipe that anyone can enjoy.
- The onion gravy is thick and flavorful – Slowly cooked onions with stout and beef broth create an irresistible sauce. Go the extra mile by using your own homemade roasted beef bone broth.
- Creamy buttermilk mashed potatoes – The tangy buttermilk balances out the richness of the dish. They are full of flavor and thick enough to hold the gravy. You can also add some veggies by making Colcannon Irish Mashed Potatoes.
Exact quantities are listed in the recipe card below. The recipe card also allows you to easily scale the recipe, and ingredient amounts will automatically adjust.
Ingredient Variations
This bangers and mash recipe is classic, but there are plenty of ways to customize it based on your own preferences.
- Try a different beer – A wheat ale or brown ale works well if you prefer a lighter flavor.
- Use different sausages – Bratwurst, British bangers, or any high-quality pork sausage will work. Sometimes it’s easier to find sausages that are pre-cooked. You can use these as well. Just ensure they get heated through.
- Make the potatoes extra creamy – Add some heavy cream, extra butter, or sour cream to the mashed potatoes if you want. Instead of cooking them on the stove, you can make Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes.
How to Make Bangers and Mash with Guinness Gravy
This recipe comes together in a few simple steps. Always refer to the recipe card below, but here’s the general process.
Step 1: Cook the sausages
Sear them in a pan with olive oil and a splash of Guinness, cover, and let them cook through.
Step 2: Cook the onions
Sauté sliced onions in butter, then sprinkle with flour.
Step 3: Make the onion gravy
Deglaze the onions with more Guinness before adding beef broth and simmering until thick.
Step 4: Prepare the mashed potatoes
Boil russet potatoes, mash them with butter and buttermilk, and season to taste.
Learn From Me: Tips for the Best Stout Onion Gravy
Through plenty of trial and error, I’ve found that a few small details make all the difference.
- Use stout beer for maximum flavor – Guinness works perfectly, but any dark stout or porter will add richness. The longer you cook it, the more the alcohol will burn off.
- Let the onions cook undisturbed – Stirring too often prevents them from developing a deep brown color. This is the trick I use when I make French Onion Soup.
- Thicken the gravy just right – The gravy should be the perfect consistency, but you can always thin it with a splash of beef broth or beer, if needed.
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
This dish is best enjoyed fresh, but here’s how to store and reheat it if you have leftovers:
- Freeze the sausages in the gravy – If freezing, store the onion stout gravy with the sausages. This should help prevent freezer burn.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container – The gravy, sausages, and potatoes can be stored for 3–4 days.
- Reheat gently – Warm everything in a saucepan over low heat, adding a splash of broth to loosen the gravy. You can also cover and reheat in the microwave but I recommend using a low power.
Love Recipes Using Stout Beer?
You wouldn’t believe that I actually don’t enjoy drinking Guinness beer based on the number of recipes I’ve made using stout beer, but it is outstanding in both savory and sweet recipes! Here are a few favorite recipes I always love to make for St. Patrick’s Day.
- Shepherd’s Pie
- Irish Cheddar Stout Bread
- Irish Stew
- Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
- Guinness Chocolate Sauce
- Guinness Chocolate Cake
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Equipment
Ingredients
bangers:
- 1 pound sausage uncooked bratwurst recommended
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 ounces stout beer I used Guinness
mashed potatoes:
- 3-4 russet potatoes peeled and sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
stout onion gravy:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium sized onion sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup stout beer I used Guinness
- 1 cup beef broth
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
sausages:
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 pound sausage and 3 ounces stout beer. Cover with lid and crack just to allow enough steam to escape. Cook covered for about 10 minutes, turning half way through.
- After they've cooked for 10 minutes, remove lid and allow the liquid to reduce a bit and coat the sausages. When the liquid is almost gone, lower heat to medium low and continue cooking with the lid on, rotating occasionally, until evenly browned and cooked through, about another 10 minutes.
gravy:
- In a separate pot, heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium high heat. Add sliced 1 medium sized onion and cook until slightly brown and fragrant, 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons flour and allow to cook 2-3 minutes.
- Add 1 cup stout beer and scrape bottom of pan to deglaze. Add 1 cup beef broth and allow to simmer until no longer foamy, 10-15 minutes.
potatoes:
- In large pot cover 3-4 russet potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Cook until soft. Drain and add 2 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup buttermilk. Mash to your preferred consistency.
- To serve, top potatoes with sausage(s) and top with as much gravy as your heart desires.
Notes
- Sometimes it’s easier to find sausages that are pre-cooked. You can use these as well. Just ensure they get heated through.
- You can use any kind of beer. Stout tastes great with the onions, but a nice wheat ale would also work.
- The less frequently you stir the onions, the better they will brown.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
this was SO good.. I made it exactly and it was perfect. Perfect method too… I will be making it again
Glad you liked it! Thanks for the comment, Mildred! krissy
Great recipe. I added 1-2 tsp if maple syrup and Traegered my sausages… so good!!!
Becoming a new St. Patrick’s day tradition in our house!!
Made this today with Trader Joe’s Irish Bangers. It was fantastic!
Thanks Krissy!
I made this recipe and much to my dismay the gravy was virtually unservable. It looked perfect – onions beautifully caramelized, gorgeous color, perfect consistency- but it was unbelievably bitter. I’m thinking just WAY too much beer… Or maybe I just chose the wrong type of beer (it was an Irish stout). I had to re-make the gravy using another recipe ?
Sorry it didn’t work for you! We really loved it, but it just may be personal preference when it comes to the dark beer.
Made this tonight for St Patrick’s Day dinner. My gravy was very thin and a little on the bitter side. I think next time I’ll use less Guinness and more broth to balance it a bit. Maybe I’ll try the brown sugar trick from the comments, too. But once the gravy was on the sausage and potatoes it lost a lot of the bitterness it had in its own and turned out to be really good. I used actual bangers, and served it with Irish soda bread. It was great and will definitely be made again and again. I just need to find a way to thicken up the gravy a touch without ruining it. (Gravy is not my forté.)
I made this dish last night warmed it up this morning and took it to work for a potluck. Got lots so positive comments on how good this dish was. Will definitely make this again.
I just served this recipe up and LOVED IT! I did make a few adjustments due to my husband’s dietary requests. First, I sautéed the onion in olive oil instead of butter. I used turkey brats to make it a little healthier. In the potatoes, I didn’t use butter, but instead used half a cup of sour cream, a splash of milk, salt and pepper to taste, and fresh chives from our garden. It was delicious and I will definitely make this again!
Holy smokes – that sounds amazing! Thanks for the comment!!! -Krissy
I think this is a wonderful recipe. I’m wondering if I’ve doing something wrong though: both the temps for the bangers and the gravy seemed WAY too high. The sausages burnt, and the 3 ounces of stout evaporated in couple of seconds, with just burnt sugars and no liquid to cover the sausages. I ended up turning the temp way down and using much more stout and ended up kind of boiling them, which seems like a valid way to do it, as you would boiling brats in beer. Also, medium high for the gravy quickly burnt the butter and then ended up burning the flour. The gravy ended up being bitter, I think because of this.
I do want to emphasize this is an excellent recipe and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the amounts of any ingredient except the beer in cooking the sausages. I’m curious to see what your thoughts are on this, especially if I didn’t do something right. I realized ovens are different, but medium high seems like more than just adjusting a knob a little.
Thanks again for the great recipe!
Hi Stephanie, I sadly have a pretty horrible gas cooktop and my “high” might be equivalent so someone else’s medium low. Sorry it burned, but glad you were able to make it work! -Krissy
I love this recipe. The only thing I changed is when sautéing the onions, I sprinkle a couple spoonfuls of brown sugar. It makes the stout gravy awesome.
What an awesome suggestion, Gail! LOVE IT! -Krissy
Oooooh thanks for the suggestion!
does the brown sugar take away the bitterness in the gravy