Years ago, Scott and I were on a tour through rural England. On our way to Stonehenge, we stopped for lunch at a small village that had been around since the 1400’s.

The village featured a quint pub where we got to try out Banger and Mash surrounded by old stone walls and decor from eras long past. The meal itself was hearty and satisfying and most welcome given the intense rain outside.

What better way to re-create a part of that experience than by making my own Bangers and Mash. Ever wonder if you can make Bangers and Mash in the Instant Pot? You sure can and it’s so easy too!

What is Bangers and Mash?

Bangers and Mash or sausage and mashed potatoes is a favourite British and Irish pub meal. The sausages are often made of pork, lamb,beef, or a combination of any of the three.

Have you ever wondered why the sausages are referred to as “bangers”? The origins of the term date as far back as 1919 and it became more common during the Second World War when meat was a rare commodity and rationed.

As a result, butchers filled out the sausages with additional scrap ingredients such as cereal, fat, and water. When the sausages were cooked in hot oil, the fillers would cause the sausages to expand, pop, hiss, and bang, which led to them being called “bangers.”

The name has lived on to present day.

Along with the sausages and a heaping scoop of buttery mashed potatoes, this dish comes smothered with a generous topping of savoury, tangy sweet onion gravy!

This is truly a delicious, filling, and hearty meal. Comfort food at it’s finest.

I hope you like my take on Instant Pot Bangers and Mash with Onion Gravy!

How do you make Instant Pot Bangers and Mash?

(Complete ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card down below).

Save time by cooking the sausages and potatoes together in the Instant Pot. Place the chopped potatoes with a cup of water with the sausages on top in the Instant Pot. Cook at high pressure for 10 minutes before applying a quick release.

Then make the mashed potatoes and brown the sausages. Place the mashed potatoes and sausages in a heat-proof container and keep warm in the oven while you make the gravy.

Whip together the onion gravy right in the Instant Pot.

Bangers and Mash Recipe Tips:

• Remember to add a cup of water with your potatoes in the Instant Pot. You need it to get the Instant Pot to pressurize. Plus, the potatoes will absorb the water making them extremely tender and easily mashable.
• Cook the potatoes and sausages at the same time. Place the sausages on top of potatoes. I cooked four sausages, but you can certainly add more if you like. Just make sure that they are placed in a single layer and spaced slightly apart.
• Use a thick seasoned sausage, preferably a British Banger Sausage.
• Brown the sausages after it is cooked. This will result in a sausage that will have a crispy crust and a juicy interior. Plus the brown bits left over from the browning are used to help make the gravy extra flavourful.
• Keep the mashed potatoes and sausages warm in the oven while you make the gravy.
  • I like to place the mashed potatoes in an oven-safe container such as a pyrex casserole dish with the cooked sausages on top.
• If you are looking for another vegetable to add to it, boiled or mushy peas is an classic side dish option.

Overall, this Bangers and Mash recipe is:

• Delicious and flavourful: Tender, juicy sausages, fluffy mashed potatoes, and an onion-rich, beef broth based gravy is just so scrumptious.
• Quick and easy to prepare: Everything is cooked in the Instant Pot. Perfect for a weekday dinner or lazy weekend meal.
• Is perfect to serve four (adults): I portioned out one sausage per person, but you can easily add more sausages (just as long as it fits in the pot) or potatoes to cook. It would also be great as next day leftovers too.
• Quick to clean-up: The large majority of the cooking is done in the Instant Pot, so clean-up is a breeze.

Love Instant Pot meals? Check out these four!

• Creamy Chicken Fettuccine
• Lemon Pepper Orzo with Chicken Thighs
• Garlic Parmesan Spaghetti Squash
• White Bean Chicken Chili

I hope you try this bangers and mash recipe! If you make this recipe, please leave me a comment and rating below or you can tag me on any of my social media. I’m @yay_for_food on Instagram!

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