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. 😉
I have to confess that I spend a lot of time plotting on how recreate your recipes. 6 pork sausages and I packet of puff pastry later, i had made made my first Nagi sausage rolls. The sausage filling that was leftover was rolled into meat balls and baked with potato wedges.
Hi Nagi,
I’ve quickly had to learn to cook, I found your site online and have followed some of your recipes; with success, bur probably not not as delicious as it should be, but I am getting there after some mistakes.
I just wanted to wish you a Happy Christmas and a Great New Year. My regards & Thanks Richard.
Excellent !
I absolutely love these… have made many varieties of sausage rolls.. all were good and these are no different, but what I love is the fennel flavour and kick that it gives… it makes me feel like I’m having Italian sausages and they traditionally have fennel in them too..
These were a major hit with my taste buds.
By the way I used sausage beef mince that comes in a roll used for sausage rolls as I had no pork on hand… and it came out great.. 😁
Thank you Nagi. 👍
I took this sausage rolls to Xmas party & everyone loved it. However I had some difficulties as it was a hot day & the butter pastries started to melt as i put the pork mixture on it & couldn’t roll into proper sausage “roll” as the sheet was stuck onto the blue plastic (between the pastries). So I lost the first a half sheet. I quickly turned the aircon on & returned the rest of the sheets back in the freezer for 15 mins & started to do all again (we were late for the party a bit). I think the butter pastries definitely made the nicer rolls but the normal pastries are easier to handle in the heat.
Hi Nagi , I only have beef sausage mince on hand, that comes in a roll from woolies. Would that work well with all these ingredients, in replace of the pork mince?
I would omit the fennel seeds if using beef.
I made these following recipe today using pork mince from woolies and they were amazing !!
OMG, super délicious
Next time will try brushing a
Little bit of Dijon on the pastry
Before putting on the stuffing
Louise from Quebec, Canada
Sounds like a great idea Louise!! N x
I’m starting my xmas party recipe research, and some of my guests are gluten-free. Is there a way to make these sausage rolls gluten-free? I can buy gf puff pastry, but I’m not sure about the panko bread crumbs?
Hi Kim, I would just use GF pastry and GF regular breadcrumbs – it will work fine! N x
Brilliant news! My friends will love it, thank you!!!
I made these to take a socially distant Thanksgiving hangout and they were a hit. I had never made sausage rolls before so I was nervous about they’d turn out. I’m from Ireland and grew up eating sausage rolls but my husband’s family are Puerto Rican and American and had never had them before. I’ve had the people that kept leftovers texting me about how they had them for breakfast and loved them, I’ve had people that didn’t get leftovers texting me asking if I have any more! And I’m getting requests to please make more for Christmas. These are going down in history in my family 😂 Thank for sharing this recipe!
Read 50 reviews. This is the one I needed. An Irish one lol. I’m from Dublin so history making sausage rolls are a go 👍
🙌 enjoy!! I’ve made them several times since and they just keep getting better.
Thanks Rachel. I made them last night. The missus thought they were totally amazing, I realised pretty quickly that I don’t really like fennel. Bummer lol. Will make with mixed herbs next time as the consistency was awesome. Cheers!!
Absolutely delicious and easy recipe! Will be making these again. Wondering if you also have a recipe for vegetarian sausage rolls? Thanks Nagi 😘
Hi Michele, I don’t sorry – one to add to the list! N x
I don’t much about Aussie sausage rolls (I’m in the US) but my boss who’s Aussie brought some to the office and I’ve been in love ever since taking the first bite. I quickly scanned the recipe so I missed that I was only supposed to use the fatty part of the bacon. I also used Italian sausage (which has fennel). I might use pork next time though because “Italian-y sausag-y” for me (does it make sense?!). Didn’t use salt because I find the sausage and bacon to have enough. Glad I didn’t. Anyway, great recipe. Can’t wait to make it again!
Aussie living in Norway here where they sadly do not have sausage rolls or meat pies 😭 however, Nagi your recipe has saved me and my pregnancy cravings! I’ve made this recipe 3-4 times and they are sooo good! Followed your recipe exactly, apart from the salt since I thought I might share with my toddler (I didn’t 🙈). My only annoyance is that my puff pastry gets wayyy too puffy. Any tips on avoiding this would be appreciated but otherwise it’s a perfect recipe!
I omitted the fennel, added grated squash (but I squeezed ALL the water out!), and added 1/4 cup of ketchup in the mixture and WOW. Thank you! Dreamt about these all night and so naturally we ate the leftovers for breakfast.
This is the most delicious Sausage Roll recipe I’ve ever tried! I followed the recipe except for a couple of minor changes . . . I added Soy Sauce instead of salt and 2 tbsp of Plum Sauce for a touch of sweetness. Sensational! Thanks Nagi
My sausage rolls turned out perfectly we’re not soggy at all I didn’t use the fennel as my husband doesn’t like it not sure what I could put in it next time seem to need something but otherwise so tasty
As with all the recipes I’ve tried from your website, totally “yummalicious”. You’re my “go to” Nagi.
(Love your puppy dog too)
Delicious! The only comment I’ll make is 2tsp of fennel is a bit overpowering. I’d say 1/2tsp would suffice, but it’s all about preference, I suppose!
Thanks for another great recipe Nagi!
This recipe is awesome I made it and it is very tasty. Thank you for sharing the recipe with all of us around the world.
You’re so welcome Omaya!! N x
I’ve made this recipe a few times. My nephew loves it but it seems to be missing that sausage roll taste that I would get from a bakery. Do you think adding sage would give it an extra punch?
amazing sausage rolls
so much flavor
Thanks Nagi #1
Excellent James!!! I’m so happy you enjoyed them! N x
Hi, thank you for the recipe 🙂
Could I replace the pork mince with beef mince and the bacon with beef rashes?
Hi Rosie – you can, it will have a different flavour but should still be DELICIOUS! N x
I appreciate your prompt reply, I’ll try it this weekend! x