Epic, EASY classic homemade sausage rolls recipe that I dare say rivals the famous Bourke St Bakery, declared by many as the best sausage rolls in Australia!
It takes more than store bought sausage mince to make a truly delicious filling. The little but important thing I do that takes this from “yummy” to “OMG these are incredible!!” is to sauté garlic, onion, celery and BACON to mix into pork mince (not store bought sausage meat!).
Sausage Rolls
Sausage rolls are Australia’s answer to America’s Pigs in a Blanket – but (I’m going to say it!!) SO MUCH BETTER!!!
A juicy homemade sausage mixture wrapped in puff pastry. I mean really – do you need any more information than that to know these are wickedly delicious?
Brits reading this are probably rolling their eyes or getting fired up, thinking “Hey!!! WE invented Sausage Rolls!”
OK, true that. One might say Australia has adopted it as our own. 😉
These sausage rolls are a tried and tested favourite we regularly pull out for gatherings!
Why this is the BEST Homemade Sausage Rolls Recipe ever
It was actually my brother who created this recipe, so I can shout from the rooftops that this is the BEST homemade Sausage Rolls recipe ever and not feel like I’m being big headed!
Here is what makes these sausage rolls so good:
1. REAL PORK – It’s not made with store bought sausage mince which is a mix of questionable ingredients – query how much is actually meat. This starts with pure pork mince. Real meat. Yay! TOP TIP: No beef. Beef mince is not as juicy or tender, it will make the filling more dry.
2. BACON – It’s not just about adding bacon for the sake of it. The plain fact is that bacon is salty and juicy and when you chop it up finely and mix it through the pork, it makes it so much tastier!
3. GARLIC, ONION & CELERY – Fact: when you saute these together slowly, they become sweet and form the flavour base of many of the most epic classic recipes in this big wide world. Like Beef Ragu. And Beef & Guinness Stew. And it does the same for Sausage Rolls. The sweetness and extra flavour it adds to the filling is just incomparable to just mixing in some raw chopped onion into the mince, which is what many standard recipes do. Plus, this adds moisture to the filling without making it watery (which = soggy base); and
4. NO GRATED VEGGIES – I won’t tell you not to sneak any veggies in, but what I will caution is that grated veggies are the main culprit for soggy pastry bases, even if you squeeze excess liquid out…..I think there is a time and place for hidden veggies. In my world, that does not include sausage rolls!
Fennel all the way!
This homemade Sausage Rolls recipe includes fennel, because fennel and pork are great mates. Just like basil and tomato.
And if you’re a sausage roll connoisseur then you would probably know that the really great sausage rolls from patisseries and posh bakeries usually have a hint of fennel. 🙂
But it is all about tastes, so if you know for a fact you don’t like fennel then skip it. Or if you are wary, then just use 1/2 teaspoon and it will be a very subtle barely-there background flavour!
How to make Sausage Rolls
There’s nothing complicated about this recipe, I promise. Cook off onion, garlic, celery and bacon, then just mix the filling (I use my hands!), place on puff pastry, roll and bake.
30 minutes later, your self control is going to be seriously tested as you try to resist taste testing just one more, just one more….
Once cooked, the inside will still look a bit pink because of the bacon. But it’s very easy to tell that it’s cooked because the texture of the meat is completely different to when it’s raw.
Also, there’s no way that that the inside would not be cooked by the time the pastry is a deep golden brown which takes a good 30 minutes.
Sausage rolls are one of the few classic Aussie party foods that really can be made ahead because they can be frozen unbaked then when you’re ready to serve, all you have to do is bake them. No fussing with garnishes or assembling, just make sure there is plenty of tomato sauce (ketchup) to dunk them in! – Nagi x
More Aussie favourites
Scones – and Lemonade Scones 3 ingredient shortcut scones!
Party Pies and Meat Pies
Watch how to make it
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Homemade Sausage Rolls
Ingredients
Filling
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 brown onion , small, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk , finely chopped
- 5 oz / 150g bacon , finely minced (streaky and fatty, not the lean stuff!)
- 2 tsp fennel seeds , toasted (optional) (Note 1)
- 1 lb / 500g pork mince (ground pork) (not lean)
- 3/4 cup / 40g panko breadcrumbs (Note 2)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Black pepper
Baking & Serving
- 2 1/2 sheets puff pastry , thawed then each cut into half (Note 3)
- 1 egg , lightly whisked
- Ketchup / tomato sauce
Instructions
- Heat oil in a non stick fry pan over medium high heat. Sauté garlic, onion & celery for 2 minutes, then add bacon.
- Cook for a further 2 minutes (don't make bacon golden) then transfer to bowl and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- Add remaining Filling ingredients into the bowl. Use your hands to mix well.
- Lay out a rectangle of pastry, long edge closest to you. Brush egg along one long edge.
- Get 1/5 th of the filling and shape into a long log shape down the middle of the pastry. Ensure the meat is tight and compact, without gaps.
- Brush edge of pastry with egg. Then roll up, finishing with the seam side down.Roll up, sealing on the edge with egg wash on it .
- If you have time/patience, refrigerate for 1 hour (makes it easier/neater to cut)
To Cook
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
- Cut each log into four equal lengths, or just two if you want full size sausage rolls. Brush with egg.
- Place on 2 baking trays lined with baking paper (or sprayed with oil). Bake for 30 – 35 minutes in total, swapping tray shelves at 20 minutes, or until the pastry is deep golden brown. (Note: The filling will still look pink because of the bacon, but it's easy to tell from texture that it's cooked)
- Cool slightly on trays. Serve hot or warm with tomato sauce or ketchup!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Sausage Rolls recipe original published September 2016. Updated August 2019 with new photos, brand new video and update on Life of Dozer!
Life of Dozer
As always when I travel, Dozer stays with a Golden Retriever boarder where he thunders through the house with other golden retrievers like he owns the place. It’s a 24/7 party over there!!!
I get daily updates from her, and this is the photo I woke up to this morning – Dozer trying to eat a tree stump. Golden Retrievers really DO eating anything!!! 😂
And Life of Dozer from the first time I published this Sausage Rolls recipe back in 2016:
He has a rather generous sized bottom, doesn’t he? Bit like his Mama. 😉
Hi Nagi… I’m so grateful for your wonderful recipes…
Like other pastry if I put the sausage rolls in the refrigerator for half an hour, will they rise better?
These are really good, especially with the fennel! Don’t leave it out! I prefer them naked, without ketchup smothering the flavors of both the puff pastry and the filling. It’s unfair to compare these with pigs in a blanket, that’s like comparing greek yogurt with sour cream. PIAB are quicker, cheaper, and there’s something wonderful about the combination of baked hot dog and buttermilk biscuit, especially smothered in ketchup. PIAB need them.
Not a fennel fan, so substituted celery salt (as opposed to normal salt) and powdered sage. Also I spread some sesame seeds on top. Outstanding Nagi.
Hubby says these can go in the menu rotation from now on. Absolute winner. Didn’t have celery so did a carrot instead but will probably do celery and carrot next time. Didn’t do fennel but didn’t need it. My 3yr old helped by sprinkling sesame seeds on the egg wash. She enjoyed these too and she can be a harsh critic! I ate mine with tomato sauce, American mustard, and kewpie all drizzled on top. Hubby had kewpie and mustard. Got enough leftover for lunch tomorrow so that’s a win!
Is there a way to make these gluten and soy free?
Would grating zucchini work to lock in moisture instead of breadcrumbs?
A lot of gluten free breadcrumbs contain soy is all 🙂
Thank you!
Can I reheat these sausage rolls. I made a double batch as I have two Christmas parties in the next few days and am taking them as my plate?
Dear Nagi, I hope your site continues to be fun and positive as I love all of your recipes to date and enjoy your energy. To others, we often have a lot to deal with in this life of ours. Please folks if any of Nagi’s recipes are not to your liking, be kind. We could all appreciate it. 🇨🇦✌️
Thank you for this post Jancy. I have wanted to say exactly this several times because a small minority seem to believe Nagi is somehow their personal cooking advisor.
To these people there’s tons of Google advice on minor tips around freezing, storage etc. if you search 🙂
Yum, yum, yuuuummmm. I only used one teaspoon of fennel but should’ve known better. Never doubt Nagi 😁 Will definitely use 2 teaspoons next time.
I forgot to select my stars in the last comment. 5, 5, 5 !!!
Fantastic sausage rolls!! Made them exactly per the recipe except swapped the pork for beef mince. Also sprinkled some sesame seeds on top before baking. Whole family loved them 🥰
I make these with beef mince as my partner can’t eat pork, and I omit the bacon, and they’re amazing every time! I use a little more fennel seeds too because I love the flavour it adds!
I’ve also made them with added grated carrot and zucchini too and they’re delicious!
I made a double batch this afternoon. I put in 1/4 of a teaspoon of fennel in each batch as we’re not a big fan of fennel. They were absolutely delicious…and my husband said they were the best sausage rolls he’s ever eaten. I would make them again.
I used Coles 3 star mince and didn’t find it overly fatty. I couldn’t find Pampus pastry so used Borg pastry which clearly stated not to re-freeze thawed pastry so I chose to cook the double batch and froze the second batch.
Oh, gracious me, Sally’s comment wasn’t called for.
Nagi, I did like your flavours but not the texture that the bacon created so I’ll omit the bacon next time. I chopped everything very finely, as instructed, so it wasn’t that. It just isn’t the “sausage” roll I’m accustomed to, And next time I’ll use a leaner pork mince because my rolls were very greasy. I bought my mince from Coles, which had only 2 varieties to choose from – their regular Home-Brand pork mince or the lean variety; I had purchased the regular one.
Easy to make and very tasty with tomato sauce! It’s an easy recipe to add some hidden veg as well – I added finely chopped eggplant and some mushrooms, whatever was in my fridge and you can barely taste it so it’s a good way to sneak some in! I also added some basil and rosemary instead of fennel. Very tasty!
I found these to be disgusting and not like any sausage roll I’ve ever eaten in my life. All I could taste was the fennel seed. Wouldn’t recommend doing the fennel and wish I’d seen the note about not adding it. Ended up just eating the pastry and throwing the rest away.
Made these yesterday. Baked half and have frozen the other half. They are delicious. Used the full amount of fennel seeds. Excellent recipe. Particularly liked not using sausage meat, due to additives.
First time ever making sausage rolls.
Made a few rookie errors when trying to assemble the sausage rolls.
I got the sheets of puff pastry out to thaw so I could roll the sausage rolls. Unfortunately they kept on thawing while I was working of the first 1/2 sheet. I should have put the sheets in the fridge until I need the next 1/2 sheet.
Took a bit of time to get the mince mixture spread evenly and round on the pastry but I got quicker and better the more I did.
When cutting each roll into 4 pieces they were not all the aame unlike Nagi’s. I need more practice.
I can say when cooked they were delish and all eaten by the family in 20 mins.
My partner is Australian and swears that they have the best sausage rolls. After discovering this recipie, he now agrees (through gritted teeth) that these are the best he has ever tasted (I’m now a tad smug). I love your recipies and use them a lot, thankyou for sharing you amazing skills.
Nagi is Australian so we still do have the best sausage rolls lol
Love your recipes, Nagi. I thought I’d fire up the oven (since it’s only 80 degrees today here in St. Louis) and make your sausage rolls. Love the Dozer photos and comments…I once knew a good old Golden who got lost for two weeks and came home very skinny but, oddly, seven pounds heavier. One expensive (but successful) surgery later the 7 lbs were determined to be sticks, moss-covered rocks, half a softball and a deflated tennis ball. Never underestimate a hungry Golden.
I just made a batch of these, they are so good! The only recipe I will use from now on. Best sausage rolls ever!