Gluten-Free Bangers and Mash
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Nothing beats the warm comfort of a bowl of Bangers and Mash, especially if the potatoes are mashed with lashings of brown butter and there is plenty of apple cider onion gravy is ladled liberally on top. If it’s then served with sweet tangy caramelised apples then you’ve really levelled up.
This Gluten-Free Bangers and Mash recipe is simple fare made even better by three easy switch ups:
- Mashing the potato with brown butter. It has incredible flavours and is only one minute’s extra work than regular mashed potato.
- Swapping a little stock out for apple cider in the easy onion gravy. This is my popular onion gravy recipe with a simple twist that makes such a difference here.
- Serving the dish with sliced granny smith apples pan-fried in butter and sugar. Wow. It sounds like an unnecessary extra but I assure you this little accompaniment is worth the trouble.
I’ll show you how easy it is to make this classic British dish gluten-free. I assure you, no one would ever know the difference.
Why You’ll Love Gluten-Free Bangers & Mash
- Tastes even better than your favourite pub version, but still just as homely and comforting.
- It can all be cooked at the same time but there is also ways to make a lot of it ahead of time in your weekend meal prep.
- Brown butter is so easy to make and swapping regular butter for it in your mash will take it to a whole other level. Sublime!
- Homemade onion gravy is simple to make with really rich flavour. So much better than gravy granules.
- A dinner the whole family will love.
Ingredients Needed
Gluten-free sausages. Traditionally sausages are bulked out using rusk or other gluten fillers and most of the cheaper brands or good quality butcher’s sausages still are. Even though some supermarket sausages these days are made using gluten-free ingredients always read the labels, even if some don’t have obvious ingredients they still could carry a ‘may contain’ warning. Look for ones displaying the Coeliac UK Crossed Grain symbol.
What kind of sausages you use depends on your personal taste. Traditional Bangers and Mash usually use Cumberland or Lincolnshire sausages. However, I really enjoy plain pork ones. You could also use chicken sausages or even lamb or beef sausages.
Potatoes. It's recommended to choose floury potatoes for your mash. The best brands are Maris Pipers or King Edwards for really fluffy creamy mash. I couldn't get hold of either for these photos (even though I had 2 supermarkets to choose from - their potato choices were shocking!) and I used Desirees which you can see in the photo above. They are actually more of a waxy potato. However, they mashed really nicely with good flavour - a little denser than floury potatoes though and don't mash quite as smooth.
Butter. You need the butter to make brown butter and also for the gravy. Choose unsalted so you can control the amount of salt in the recipe. If you are making a vegan recipe then eschew the brown butter and just use melted plant-based butter.
Milk. (not pictured – I forgot!) Choose whole milk if you are happy to use dairy or plant-based milk if you need.
Olive oil. You don’t just want to cook your onions in butter but also olive oil for the gravy so the butter doesn’t catch.
White onions. Sometimes called spanish onions or yellow onions which you need for the gravy. I don’t recommend red onions here – they are too sweet.
Fresh herbs. A bay leaf and thyme just add to the flavour of the gravy.
Apple cider vinegar. It cuts through the sweetness of the gravy.
Cassava flour. This flour makes a lovely thickened smooth sauce and you use it in this recipe the same way you would as all-purpose flour by making a roux with the butter. You can swap for sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour) with the same result. Do not swap for an all-purpose gluten-free flour or regular rice flour as the results will be grainy.
Vegetable stock. You can use vegetable stock or chicken stock in the gravy. A stock cube is fine if you can’t get hold of fresh stock.
Worcestershire sauce. It deepens the flavour of the gravy. Check you are using a vegan one which is usually gluten-free too, although do read the label. If you can’t get hold of this one you can leave out.
Dijon mustard. Again, used for enriching the gravy.
Apple cider. It adds a lovely rounded sweetness to the gravy which is lovely with the rich mashed potato. Apple cider is naturally gluten-free but still, always check the labels as you never know when cross contamination will occur in certain products. Look for brands displaying the Coeliac UK Crossed Grain symbol.
Salt and pepper. Needed for seasoning your mash and your gravy. I usually use kosher salt for seasoning whilst cooking and flaky sea salt for finishing the dish. I’ll use ground white pepper for seasoning whilst cooking and then freshly ground black pepper for finishing.
Granny Smith apples. You want to choose sharp tangy apples to serve with the sausage and mash. They contrast with the sweet richness of the other ingredients.
Icing sugar. The apples are pan fried in icing sugar, butter and seasoning. Just for a little time to softly caramelise.
Cooking Methods for Sausages
There are several ways to cook your sausages. This recipe specifically uses the oven to roast them but you can choose alternative methods if it’s easier for you.
Pan fry. This isn’t my favourite way of cooking sausages as they require extra oil to grease the pan and they require a bit of tending and turning regularly. But you can control the browning of the sausages. Make sure to cook low-medium so they cook evenly throughout. They’ll take between 12-15 minutes.
Grilling. You don’t need to turn the sausages as much – may a couple of times since the heat source is directly above. They usually take between 15-20 minutes.
Air-frying. This is certainly the quickest method. They take between 10-12 minutes in the air-fryer (for medium sized sausages) 13-15 minutes for thicker varieties. Do turn the sausages or shake the basket half way through cooking.
Oven. This is the method used here. It’s the most consistent and is relatively hands off – you just need to shake the pan a bit halfway through cooking. They do take the longest, usually between 25-30 minutes depending on the thickness of your sausages.
How To Make Gluten-Free Bangers and Mash
There are a few components to this dish, so here’s the order of proceedings.
- Gravy. Start by caramelising the onions for the gravy.
- Mashed Potato. Whilst the onions are caramelising start boiling the potatoes to make the mash.
- Sausages. Whilst the potatoes are boiling you can put the sausages in the oven.
- Apples. Whilst the potatoes are boiling and the sausages are roasting you can prepare the apples. Set the apples aside whilst you wait for everything else to be ready.
- Gravy. The onions should be ready just before the potatoes are ready to mash. It will take between 5-10 minutes to finish it off. Simmer on the stove whilst you finish the mash and sausages.
- Mashed Potato. The potatoes should be ready before the sausages. Drain the potatoes and rice them. Next make the brown butter and mix into the potatoes.
- Sausages. By this time the sausages should be ready and you can serve.
Apple Cider Onion Gravy
Brown Butter Mashed Potato
Sausages
Caramelised Apples
Expert Tips
Sausages. Your sausages are full cooked when they reach an internal temperature of 70°C / 160°F. Use a digital thermometer to test.
Gravy. For a more detailed description on making the gravy you can visit my full post all about How To Make Gluten-Free Onion Gravy. Although this is for a recipe which serves 8 people – the one here only serves 4. And it doesn’t include the apple cider variation that I recommend here.
Brown butter. To make the brown butter use a light coloured saucepan as you can see the colour of the butter changing more easily.
You must keep your eye on the brown butter as it’s a very fine line between brown butter and burnt butter and two very different flavours. Look out for the hiss and crackle of the butter starting to die down, brown flecks starting to appear in the butter and a toasted nutty flavour. You can lightly skim off the bubbly surface of the butter so you can see its colour more closely. Once browned immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour butter into a heat proof bowl so it doesn’t continue cooking and burn. Don’t strain the brown butter – those brown flecks are so tasty and need to be in your cake batter too!
Mashed Potatoes. Cut the potatoes into even pieces. A medium potato should be cut into 4. A large one into 8.
It’s personal preference whether you choose to mash your potatoes using a potato ricer or a traditional masher. I find ricing the potatoes so much quicker and easier and it avoids overmashing which can lead to gluey potatoes.
There are different ricing sizes for the potato ricer, I like to use the smallest setting.
Always add warm butter or milk to potatoes when you are mashing them. This helps avoid gluey mash.
FAQs
The sausages split when they are cooked too hot or too quickly and pressure builds up inside the sausage. You can prevent this by making sure your pan isn’t overcrowded, by cooking on a lower temperature and turning regularly or brushing them with a little oil to keep the skins supple.
Mashed potato can become gluey when you over mash. Avoid this by using the potato ricer then a spoon to stir in the warm butter or milk. A handheld masher is the next best option but try not to use a blender or mixer as this will overwork the starches in the potato.
Also use warm butter and milk to cream the potatoes as cold liquid will shock the potatoes and make the starch turn sticky instead of smooth
Of course – you do you. Since having children I have absolutely no judgment when it comes to shortcuts in the kitchen. I am constantly looking for ways to cut down my kitchen time!! Go for it! But not all gravy granules are gluten-free, I sound like a broken record but always check the labels - especially for 'may contain.'
Yes, but then you need a different gravy method. The method given below is for making a roux based gravy and cornflour doesn’t work like that. I’ll try and post a cornflour based gravy method soon.
Yes, just use more stock in its place if you want to skip the alcohol.
You can make several of the components of Sausages and Mash ahead of time. So you can prep the gravy, the mash and the apples up to 3 days before you want to eat it. That means you are only cooking the sausages and whatever veg you want to serve it with on the day.
My preferred vegetables to serve with Bangers and Mash are all kinds of cabbage. Buttered savoy, kale, springleaf are all delicious. Carrots also are brilliant (of course they are my favourite vegetable) and broccoli.
You can freeze any of the components of Bangers and Mash separately by allowing to cool and freezing in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You can also assemble the dish into an airtight container and serve in portions. Thaw either methods overnight in the refrigerator. The easiest way to re-heat is to microwave. Heat the individual portions for 5 minutes in a 700W microwave.
You can make vegan and gluten-free Bangers and Mash by making the following switches:
Sausages. Choose vegan sausages.
Mashed Potato. Don’t bother with the brown butter and instead use plant based butter (just regular melted) and dairy-free milk (oat milk or almond milk are good).
Gravy. The original Onion Gravy recipe is vegetarian – you just need to switch out the butter for a plant-based alternative so check that out.
Recipe Variations
Mashed Potato. If Brown Butter Mash isn’t your thing then you can switch it up for Cheesy Mash (oh yes!!) or Colcannon – which is where you mix the mashed potatoes with finely sliced cooked cabbage and spring onions.
Gravy. You also don’t have to have onion gravy but could swap it for my Luxurious Gluten-Free Gravy which uses meat drippings – you’ll have to have saved them from your last roast chicken!
Sausages. Of course the meal will change in flavour depending on which sausages you use. You can even use vegan or vegetarian sausages.
Caramelised Apples. You can skip these and side with apple sauce instead or even my Stem Ginger Apple Chutney.
More Gluten-Free Dinners You'll Love
Gluten-Free Shepherd’s Pie is a deeply flavourful homely recipe that is a favourite with the whole family. Delicious lamb mince cooked in a rich gravy with plenty of vegetables and a crisp buttery potato topping for the ultimate comfort food.
Meatloaf is a great economical alternative to a joint of meat for your Sunday roast dinner and happily serves a huge crowd. This juicy gluten-free meatloaf is moist and incredibly flavourful whilst being packed with vegetables. It slices like a dream without crumbling and is an easy family friendly meal.
This Gluten-Free Toad in the Hole recipe is total British classic beloved by the whole family. Easy to make with a quick batter and no resting time. This recipe is made without cornflour and instead this simple batter uses easy to find rice flour and tapioca starch for a lovely rise and light crunchy golden brown crust.
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Gluten-Free Bangers and Mash
Ingredients
- 8 gluten-free sausages
Brown Buttered Mashed Potato
- 1 kg potatoes - peeled and halved
- 100 g unsalted butter
- 50 g whole milk
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper
Apple Cider Onion Gravy
- 35 g unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 250 g white onions - peeled and sliced (2 onions)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Pinch of white pepper
- 20 g cassava flour - or sweet rice flour
- 300 ml vegetable stock
- 100 ml apple cider
- ½ teaspoon gluten-free worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
Caramelised Apples
- 2 granny smith apples
- squeeze of lemon juice
- 1 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons icing sugar
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 190°C / 170°C fan assisted / gas mark 5 / 375°F and line a roasting tin with baking parchment.
- Prepare the apples by peeling, coring and slicing. Add them into a small bowl with the lemon juice and stir to coat. Set aside until ready to make the caramelised apples.
- To caramelise the onions for the gravy heat the pan for a couple of minutes on a medium heat. When hot, add 20g of the butter plus the olive oil.
- Add the onion slices and heat on medium-low heat for about 20-25 minutes until sticky and caramelised. Stir the pan occasionally to collect all the brown sticky bits from the bottom.
- Whilst the onions are caramelising, peel and quarter the potatoes. Place them into a large pan of cold water and bring up to the boil. Once boiling, set the timer for 20 minutes until tender.
- Also place the sausages in the roasting tin and roast for 25-30 minutes until the sausages are golden and juicy.
- Meanwhile continue making the onion gravy. For the end 5-10 minutes of the onions cooking you will be stirring almost continually to avoid the catching onion burning. The onions are ready when they are still soft but golden and sticky.
- Turn the heat to low and pour in the apple cider vinegar and stir well to deglaze the pan.
- Add the herbs and the salt and pepper.
- Stir in the butter until melted then add the cassava flour. Switch to a whisk and mix the flour in well until it has all been absorbed by the fat.
- Pour in the stock very slowly, about 100ml at a time, stirring continually to remove lumps until it gradually begins to resemble a sauce. Once about half of the stock has been added you can turn the heat up to medium and keep on stirring in the stock until it has all been added.
- Pour in the apple cider and whisk in until smooth and the only lumps in the gravy are the onion.
- Whisk in the dijon and the worcestershire sauce and bring the gravy up to a gentle boil.
- Turn the heat down and simmer for at least 10 minutes and place on a very low heat until ready to serve.
- Once the potatoes are ready, drain them and then pass them through a potato ricer into a large mixing bowl.
- Make the brown butter for the potatoes by placing the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Listen for hissing and cracking sounds as the butter melts and watch for little brown bits forming at the bottom of the pan. Once the noises subside, the butter smells toasty, and is just starting to turn brown, remove from heat immediately and pour into a small heatproof bowl to avoid further cooking and burning.
- Pour the milk into the browned butter to warm up.
- Stir the brown butter and milk into the mashed potato using a silicone spoon and season with the salt and pepper.
- Make the caramelised apples. Melt the butter in a large frying pan then add the icing sugar and salt. Then add the apple slices.
- Fry for about 5 minutes until the apples are just softening and beginning to colour then remove from heat.
I love your recipes , do you have a recipe for a beef stew for when my family comes to visit
Not at the moment but that's a great idea!