Full Irish breakfast is the best meal to enjoy on a weekend or when a long day is ahead of you. This cooked Irish fry-up is hearty and tastes amazing!
What is a full Irish breakfast?
It is a filling meal, fried in a skillet/frying pan and served warm.
What is included in a full Irish breakfast?
- Bacon slices – in Ireland, they are called rashers. Now this is not your typical American streaky bacon. In Ireland, you will get large slices of back bacon (quite thick also in comparison with the American type).
- Sausages – Irish sausages are usually made with pork. The higher meat content the tastier the sausages! By the way, they are also called bangers in Ireland.
- Fried eggs – No cooked or scrambled eggs. They must be fried!
- Baked beans – Another must-have on your full Irish breakfast plate.
- Mushrooms – They are not mandatory but if you can, use them.
- Tomatoes – They are briefly fried in a skillet/frying pan.
- Hash browns – another filling and tasty part of traditional Irish breakfast. These days you buy them usually in the frozen section of any supermarket. In the old days, people would serve fried potatoes or potato farls instead.
- Black pudding – This is a must try when in Ireland! White pudding (made from pork fat) is also a popular Irish breakfast item.
What is Irish black pudding?
It is a type of blood sausage that originated in Great Britain and Ireland. Its main ingredient is pork blood, then pork fat or beef suet and oatmeal/oat groats/barley groats. This mixture is seasoned with various herbs.
I highly recommend tasting black pudding, if you ever get a chance. Just note: You can find blood sausages in many European countries. Some you may like while others you may not. This depends on the ingredients added and on their ratio.
How to serve the best full Irish breakfast?
There is no B&B in Ireland that would not serve you the traditional Irish breakfast. If you are lucky to visit this emerald country and get to enjoy this filling meal you will also get black tea (with milk, if you like) or coffee/orange juice.
Fresh toasts with Irish butter will also accompany the fry-up and if you are lucky you might also get to taste the real Irish Brown Soda Bread.
Now just so you know, this filling Breakfast can vary from place to place so your plate may look slightly differently.
Anyway, if you decide to visit and discover Ireland I recommend staying at B&B for the most authentic experience.
How to make a full Irish breakfast
You can either fry all the ingredients in a frying pan/skillet (this is the more traditional way) or you can do some of them in the oven and some on the stove top.
I prefer the second version as it makes the whole process of cooking full Irish breakfast quicker. Because, let’s face it as much as I love making this breakfast, it does take some time, especially when making it for 4 people or more.
Please note that the cooking time will vary, depending on the ingredients you use (different sausages/bacon/hash browns/black pudding have different cooking times) so you have to check the package instructions!
As for the tomatoes and mushrooms – they only need a few minutes in the skillet. The eggs also take only a few minutes.
Would you like to try some more Irish recipes?
Here are some ideas for you:
- Creamy Irish Colcannon – the Irish ways of making mashed potatoes.
- Hot Cross Buns – delicious buns that you will find in shops before Easter.
- Sausage Rolls
- Irish Barmbrack Tea Cake – tasty loaf perfect for breakfast or afternoon snack.
Tips and shortcuts for making full Irish breakfast
- When using the Irish style bacon slices, you don’t want to cook them until crispy. Just until the thin layer of fat is cooked and the meaty parts have some brown streaks on them (and are cooked through).
- You can either fry or grill the tomatoes!
- If you think that this full Irish breakfast recipe contains way too many ingredients to your liking, feel free to omit some. I suggest you omit the tomatoes, mushrooms and black pudding. You could skip hash browns as well. Just note that it won’t be full Irish anymore.
- Tater tots are a good alternative to hash browns.
- Serve with ketchup, brown sauce or mustard!
- Because this is a filling meal, you only need one or two of each ingredients per person. You can use more sausages, less bacon, more beans, etc. This depends on your personal preference.
- Also, you can use those ingredients that you know and like or can easily buy in your local store. American streaky bacon is definitely a delicious choice.
In Ireland many small shops have hot counters selling full Irish breakfast items so that people can grab them and eat them on the go – they usually stuff a French baguette with them (it’s called breakfast roll).
Full Irish Breakfast
Ingredients
- 8 Sausages
- 4 Hash Browns
- 8 slices Black Pudding
- Butter or Oil
- 8 Bacon Slices
- 8 Mushrooms , cleaned and quartered
- 1 Large Tomato , quartered
- 4 Eggs
- 1 can Baked Beans (14 ounces/400 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.
- Place the sausages, hash browns and black pudding slices onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment (for easy clean up) and bake them until ready. The time will vary depending on the ingredients you use so keep an eye on them. You might need to take out some of them earlier.
- About 10 minutes into baking, turn the sausages, hash browns and black pudding around for even cooking. Heat a little butter/oil in a large skillet/frying pan and fry bacon slices until cooked through. When ready, wrap them in a sheet of aluminum foil to keep them warm.
- In the same skillet/frying pan, fry the mushrooms and tomato (add more oil/butter, if needed). When ready, wrap them in the aluminum foil.
- Check the items in the oven – some of them may be already done. If yes, take them out.
- Clean the skillet with paper kitchen towel and add little oil. When hot, crack the eggs in and fry on low/medium heat until they look to your liking. Using a lid will speed up the cooking process.
- Finally, heat up the beans (either in a microwave or in a skillet/frying pan).
- When ready, serve all the ingredients either on a baking tray, in a frying pan or plated individually.
- Best served warm!
Notes
- Sausages – If you can’t buy Irish sausages, use the ones you like (fresh or frozen).
- Bacon slices – Irish rashers, British bacon or American streaky bacon are all tasty choices. When using American bacon, you might want to use 3-4 per person. I used unsmoked rindless back bacon slices.
- Tomatoes – any tomatoes are fine to use. When using cherry tomatoes, use 2 per person.
- Black pudding usually comes in a tube. It looks like a huge black sausage that is cut into about ¼ – ½ inch (1-1.5cm) slices. The size of eggs does not really matter in this recipe (small, medium, large).
- Serving suggestion – Irish soda bread, brown bread, toast with butter.
- Optional condiments – ketchup, brown sauce, mustard The cooking time will vary depending on the ingredients you use. Please follow the package instructions for best results. If not using frozen products, you can fry everything on the stove top. Note that it will take longer to cook everything.
Lauren Vavala says
What a great idea! I never would have thought to do this but my family would love it. I won’t get to it on St. Patrick’s Day as I’ll be out of town but definitely inspired to do this when I get back.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Good to hear that, Lauren! :)
Stephanie says
Wow. Now that’s a serious breakfast. Love the addition of beans and hash browns with the eggs… this seriously looks so delicious.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thanks!
Valentina says
I don’t know much about food in Ireland, but if this is what I get for breakfast, I’m totally in! Seriously, this combination of foods sounds and looks fabulous. My whole family would be thrilled if this was put in front of them. The tomatoes are a nice touch with all of the heavier ingredients. Love!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
:) If you ever get to Ireland, you gotta try it, Valentina!
Kiki Johnson says
Oh gosh DROOL-ALERT! On our last trip to Dublin we had one of those every single day – I kind of forgot about how awesome Irish breakfasts are! Yours is definitely the most beautifully presented one I have ever seen! Thanks for sharing!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
:) Irish breakfast can be pretty addictive, right? :)
Toni says
i love everything in that tray! They all look delish!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thank you, Toni!
Mark says
Looks delicious – However baked beans and hash browns are not part of a full Irish breakfast. Happily eat this but wouldn’t class it as Irish. Missing 2 major elements of an Irish breakfast potato farl and soda bread.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Mark. Thanks for your feedback! I lived 9 years in Ireland and I have to slightly disagree with you. While potato farls were available to buy in stores not once were they part of a breakfast menu on our extensive travels. Baked beans were served everywhere with Irish breakfast – at deli counters, at B&Bs, restaurants and so were the hash browns. However, I agree that soda bread is a classic breakfast item and I have a recipe on my blog, if interested to try :). I’d say you are referring to the traditional Irish breakfast that Irish farmers enjoyed back in days (I imagine potato farls were on their plates every morning) but I guess over the time people have adapted the classic recipe a bit.