Sausage Rolls

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Forget fish ‘n chips! Sausage Rolls are one of the tastiest snacks to come out of the United Kingdom, and with good reason. With an herby, sausage filling wrapped in puff pastry and baked until golden brown and flaky, these crispy little rolls are always a hit, no matter where you serve them.

Two sausage rolls on a small white plate with ketchup on it.


 

The recipe belonged to the mother of a childhood friend; she’d make batches of these for the neighborhood kids and we all adored her for it. It’s still one of my all-time favorites, and something I make for my family on a regular basis. Every bite tastes just like a miniature Italian sausage sandwich.

These bite-sized sausage rolls are especially fabulous still warm from the oven. And while you can dress them up any way you see fit, by adding cheese, herbs, or chopped mushrooms—you don’t have to. They taste great as is! Ketchup is the traditional dipping sauce, but by all means, make Marinara Dipping Sauce if you gotta have it.

No matter how you slice them, your future self will thank you if you make extra!

Recipe ingredients

Labeled ingredients for sausage rolls.

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

  • Pork sausage: English Sausage Rolls are typically made with seasoned ground pork sausage, while Scottish Sausage Rolls typically use ground beef. You can use either, a mixture of both, or turkey or chicken sausages.
  • Spices: Fresh herbs work best here, but feel free to substitute for half the amount of dried. Instead of sage, consider thyme, which is equally as delicious. A pinch of garlic powder, onion powder, or even ground nutmeg will also add great flavor to the sausage mixture.
  • Puff pastry: Defrost store-bought puff pastry overnight in the refrigerator, or defrost at room temperature for no more than 40 minutes (remove any outside packaging).

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil or parchment paper and lightly coat with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, heat olive oil until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to lightly brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl.
Onion being cooked in a silver skillet.
  1. Lightly dust a clean surface with flour. Using a sharp knife, cut each sheet of puff pastry dough in half to form long strips. Refrigerate pastry until ready to form rolls.
Four pieces of puff pastry laid out flat on a wooden cutting board.
  1. To the bowl with the cooked onion, add uncooked sausage, sage, 1 egg, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Mix until well-combined.
Meat mixture for sausage rolls.
  1. Form ¼ of the sausage mixture into a log shape down the center of one pastry rectangle (lightly dampen hands if sausage mixture becomes sticky or difficult to form). Repeat with remaining sausage in equal portions and puff pastry.
Two pieces of puff pastry with sausage mixture on them.
  1. In a small bowl, whisk 1 egg until beaten. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the edges of each sheet.
Someone brushing sausage rolls with egg wash before rolling them.
  1. Fold the pastry over the sausage filling to form long rolls and seal the edges. Flip the sausage rolls over so they are seam-side-down.
Four logs or rolls of sausage rolls before being sliced.
  1. Using a sharp knife, cut rolls into pieces about 1 1/2-inch in size and evenly arrange pieces on prepared baking sheets seam-side down (if rolls are difficult to cut, return to the refrigerator and chill). Brush the top of each roll with egg wash.
Sausage rolls on two baking sheets before being baked.
  1. Place sheets in oven and bake until rolls become golden brown, about 20 minutes. Rotate sheets after 10 minutes of baking to ensure even coloring on rolls.
Two baking sheets of sausage rolls.
  1. Serve immediately warm or at room temperature.
A platter with sausage rolls and two condiment cups containing ketchup and mustard.

Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: This Sausage Roll recipe makes about 28 pieces, enough for 14 snack-size servings (2 pieces each), or 7 meal-sized servings (4 pieces each).  
  • Storage: Store cooled rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Enjoy leftovers chilled or gently warmed in the microwave.
  • Freezer: Freeze cut, uncooked sausage rolls, without egg wash, on a baking sheet until frozen through. Transfer to a freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then allow to come to room temperature. Brush with egg wash and bake at 400 degrees until golden brown, about 20 minutes (they may need a little more baking time if still cool when placed into the oven). Cooked sausage rolls can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat in a 400-degree oven until 165 degrees internally, about 15 to 20 minutes. 
A wooden cutting board with sausage rolls next to a small cup of ketchup.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you defrost puff pastry in the microwave?

To defrost puff pastry in the microwave, wrap the pastry in dry paper towels, microwave for 15 seconds, flip, and microwave for an additional 15 seconds. Microwave in 5-second intervals on each side as needed to defrost the sheets. If the pastry becomes sticky, refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes. 

More snack favorites

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Two sausage rolls on a plate with a swirl of ketchup.

Sausage Rolls

With an herby, sausage filling wrapped in puff pastry and baked until golden brown and flaky, these crispy Sausage Rolls are always a hit, no matter where you serve them.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Chilling Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 6 servings (4-5 rolls each)
Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine British, Irish
Calories 281
5 from 5 votes

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with foil or parchment paper and lightly coat with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
  • In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, heat olive oil until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to lightly brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl.
  • Lightly dust a clean surface with flour. Using a sharp knife, cut each sheet of puff pastry in half to form long strips. Refrigerate pastry until ready to form rolls.
  • To the bowl with the cooked onion, add uncooked sausage, sage, 1 egg, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Mix until well-combined.
  • Form ¼ of the sausage mixture into a log shape down the center of one pastry rectangle (lightly dampen hands if sausage mixture becomes sticky or difficult to form). Repeat with remaining sausage and puff pastry.
  • In a small bowl, whisk 1 egg until beaten. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the edges of each sheet. Fold the pastry over the sausage filling to form long rolls. Flip the sausage rolls over so they are seam-side-down.
  • Using a sharp knife, cut rolls into pieces about 1 1/2-inch in size and evenly arrange pieces on prepared baking sheets seam-side down (if rolls are difficult to cut, return to the refrigerator and chill). Brush the top of each roll with egg wash.
  • Place sheets in oven and bake until rolls become golden brown, about 20 minutes. Rotate sheets after 10 minutes of baking to ensure even coloring on rolls. Serve immediately warm or at room temperature.

Notes

  1. Pork sausage: English Sausage Rolls are typically made with seasoned ground pork sausage, while Scottish Sausage Rolls typically use ground beef. You can use either or a mixture of both.
  2. Puff pastry: Defrost puff pastry overnight in the refrigerator, or defrost at room temperature for no more than 40 minutes (remove any outside packaging).
  3. Yield: This Sausage Roll recipe makes about 28 pieces, enough for 14 snack-size servings (2 pieces each), or 7 meal-sized servings (4 pieces each).  
  4. Storage: Store cooled rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Enjoy chilled or gently warmed in the microwave.

Nutrition

Serving: 4 rollsCalories: 281kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 14gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 116mgSodium: 505mgPotassium: 232mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 147IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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Comments

    1. Thanks Tara, I hope your kids love them! They are definitely a favorite with my husband and toddler, and more importantly, me! :)

  1. These look absolutely delicious Meggan! I can see making a batch of these up for Sunday football games!5 stars

    1. Thanks Serene, who doesn’t love a fun and easy appetizer? Especially if it actually tastes good too! :)

  2. I TOTALLY agree that simple is nearly always best!! What a cool idea – I love how you twist them around to make them look all posh – but they are so easy to make! Nice one, Meggan!5 stars

    1. Posh huh? The bread dough likes to roll up on itself so this was all I could to stuff them with sausage. :) Thank you, Helen!

  3. Ahh, the sausage roll, a British classic and one of my faves. We just usually eat them with ketchup, or just on their own. A great recipe for a quick appetizer.5 stars

    1. I seriously had no idea these were a British classic. My friend’s mom who made them is Italian. But either way, they are delicious!

  4. It kills me. Simply kills me that you guys in the US have all this cool stuff like frozen bread dough. Having said that though, I am pretty sure this is going to be fab if I make it with plain old puff pastry. I can’t believe i never thought of doing this – it’s so simple and a perfect appetiser!

    Can I just confirm that you leave the sausage in the skin?5 stars

    1. Frozen bread dough: A luxury, no doubt. And I really don’t ever think to buy it except for this recipe which is crazy! So, the sausage has no skin. It is bulk ground italian sausage sold in the way ground beef is sold. In the US you can buy it either flat in a styrofoam tray with plastic wrap or in a 1-pound tube. So you just dump it in a pan and fry it up, breaking it up like ground beef. I hope this helps!!! Sorry that was clear. I’ll see if I can explain it better in my post.