British Pigs in a Blanket

By
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 09/9/21
British Pigs in a Blanket

The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 12 servings

The British and Irish pigs in a blanket should not be confused with those served in the U.S. In the U.K., they're small, cocktail-sized sausages wrapped in streaky bacon, not the pastry-wrapped sausages served across the pond.

Pigs in blankets are known worldwide, and in the U.K. and Ireland are traditionally served at the Christmas lunch and often on Boxing Day. Figures suggest close to 128 million are eaten at the lunch, but they do not need to be reserved simply for one day of the year.

Everyone loves the name of this quaint little dish, and what could be easier than wrapping good-quality bacon around a little tasty cocktail sausage? Children adore the bite-sized sausages, and adults equally enjoy them, so always make plenty. They are great on a buffet as party food, outdoor dining, or for a lunch box. Feel free to vary up the sausages by using different flavors such as leek and onion or caramelized red onion, all of which are easily available in the U.K. 

Ingredients

  • 8 to 12 slices streaky bacon

  • 24 cocktail sausages

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients and preheat the oven to 375 F/190 C.

    Ingredients (sausages and bacon) for U.K. pigs in a blanket

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  2. Lightly grease a baking tray and cover with baking parchment. Set aside.

    Lightly grease a baking tray covered with parchment paper

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  3. On a chopping board, lay the slices of streaky bacon side by side. Using the back of a dinner knife, stretch the bacon as far as it will go without tearing it. Cut each slice into thirds.

    Bacon strips stretched and cut into thirds on on cutting board

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  4. Take each cocktail sausage and wrap it tightly with the bacon.

    Wrap bacon around sausage

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  5. Lay the wrapped sausage on the prepared baking tray with the seam underneath. Continue until you have used up all the bacon and sausages.

    bacon wrapped sausage on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  6. At this point, the tray can be covered and placed in the refrigerator to cook later.

    pigs in a blanked on a baking sheet covered with plastic

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  7. As soon as you need your pigs in a blanket, pop them into the oven and cook for about 20 minutes or until the bacon is crisp and golden and the sausage is cooked through.

    British Pigs in a Blanket on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

Tips

  • The sausages can be wrapped the day before or even the week before and frozen, but defrost thoroughly before cooking. The best way to defrost is to remove them from the freezer and place in the refrigerator overnight.
  • You can also make sausages and wrap them, which is a fun thing to do. Avoid the cheapest sausages. Instead, choose good-quality, full-flavored sausages to make them stand out. The thinly sliced streaky bacon is the best kind to use for wrapping.

How to Store

  • Any leftover pigs in a blanket should be placed in an airtight container and put in the fridge, where they will keep for up to three days. They can be eaten cold or warm, whichever you prefer.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
118 Calories
10g Fat
1g Carbs
6g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 118
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 13%
Saturated Fat 4g 18%
Cholesterol 23mg 8%
Sodium 364mg 16%
Total Carbohydrate 1g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 3mg 0%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 108mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)