Aberdeen Sausage Recipe (Scottish Appetizer)
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Aberdeen sausage is a Scottish beef and bacon loaf that’s baked in one thick roll and cut into slices. The meat is seasoned with Worcestershire sauce and fresh parsley, and rolled oats and egg help hold the whole thing together.
Older recipes simmer the sausage in cloth for a couple of hours. Here, it’s wrapped in foil and baked on a baking sheet. Serve it hot as an appetizer or chill it for a cold buffet.
Aberdeen Sausage at a Glance
Prep time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8
Cuisine: Scottish
Main ingredients: Beef, bacon and rolled oats
Cooking method: Baked in foil
Storage: Refrigerate and eat within 3 to 4 days
Why You’ll Love It
- One roll to shape: The whole mixture goes into one single foil parcel, so there’s very little shaping to do.
- Good served cold: You can bake the roll ahead if you’re putting together a cold buffet or packing a picnic.
Aberdeen Sausage Ingredients
The complete ingredients list and quantities are in the recipe card below.
- Stewing beef: Beef chuck is a good choice. Trim the visible fat before grinding it.
- Bacon and yellow onion: Cut both into pieces that will fit through the grinder. Buy rindless bacon or trim off the rind before you weigh it.
- Rolled oats and egg: Choose old-fashioned rolled oats and beat the egg before mixing it in. Together they bind the meat for slicing.
- Worcestershire sauce and fresh parsley: Use regular Worcestershire sauce and finely chopped fresh parsley.
How to Make Aberdeen Sausage
The full instructions with weights and measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Grind the meat: Grind the beef, bacon and onion together.
- Mix the ingredients: Stir in the rolled oats, beaten egg and seasonings.
- Shape the roll: Form the mixture into one thick roll and wrap it in lightly oiled foil.
- Bake the sausage: Bake on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Slice and serve: Cut the roll into thick slices and serve.
How to Serve Aberdeen Sausage Loaf
Enjoy warm slices with tomato sauce or a dab of English mustard. For a cold buffet, try slices with pickled onions and sharp cheddar, or serve them with some of these traditional British appetizers. Leftover slices are good in a sandwich with mustard and a few pickles. Or you can add a couple of slices to your next ploughman’s lunch.
Handy Equipment
- Meat grinder: Grind the beef, onion and bacon together.
- Chef’s knife: Trim the beef and cut the cooked roll into slices.
- Cutting board: Set out a clean board for slicing the cooked roll.
- Kitchen scale: Weigh the beef, bacon, onion and oats.
- Measuring spoons: Measure the Worcestershire sauce, salt and parsley.
- Mixing bowl: Combine the ground meat with the remaining ingredients.
- Aluminum foil: Wrap the roll and close the ends before baking.
- Rimmed baking sheet: Support the foil parcel in the oven.
- Instant-read thermometer: Check the center of the roll for doneness.
How to Store Aberdeen Sausage
- Refrigerate: Refrigerate slices in a covered container and eat within 3 to 4 days.
- Freeze: Freeze airtight for up to 2 months for best quality. Thaw in the refrigerator.
- Reheat: Warm slices in a covered microwave-safe dish until they reach 165°F (74°C) in the center.
Aberdeen Sausage FAQs
They’re two Scottish slicing sausages with different preparations. Lorne sausage is usually shaped into a block and sliced before frying. Aberdeen sausage cooks as a whole roll or loaf and is sliced for serving.
Yes. Use the same weight of ground beef. Grind the onion and bacon separately, then mix them with the ground beef and the remaining ingredients.
No, color alone can be misleading. Ground beef can brown before it’s cooked through, so I recommend that you check the thickest part with a thermometer.
No. Any stewing beef that you can put through a grinder will work. Aberdeen is the name of the dish and doesn’t specify a breed of cattle.
Aberdeen Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450g) stewing beef, such as beef chuck
- 3½ oz (100g) yellow onion, peeled and cut into chunks
- 3½ oz (100g) raw rindless bacon
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 3½ oz (100g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Neutral oil, for greasing the foil
- Tomato sauce or mustard, optional, for serving
Equipment
- Meat grinder
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Kitchen scale
- Measuring spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Aluminum foil
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Instant-read thermometer
Method
- Preheat a conventional oven to 325°F (163°C).
- Cut the beef, onion and bacon into pieces that fit your grinder, then grind them together.
- Transfer the ground mixture to a bowl. Add the egg, Worcestershire sauce, salt, parsley, oats and black pepper. Mix until evenly combined.
- Shape the mixture into one long, thick roll. Lay it on lightly oiled aluminum foil, fold the foil across the top and twist both ends to close it.
- Put the parcel on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the center reaches at least 160°F (71°C). Insert an instant-read thermometer through the foil into the thickest part to check.
- Cut the roll into thick slices. Serve hot with tomato sauce or mustard, if liked.
Notes
- Mine took about 80 minutes to cook through but yours may take longer or shorter. I’d start checking at the 1-hour mark.
An Old-Fashioned Scottish Favorite
I’d say the flavor of Aberdeen sausage is somewhere between a well-seasoned meatloaf and a slice of sausage from the butcher’s counter. I love how the bacon gives the beef a salty, cured flavor all the way through.
Other Recipes to Try
- Try these beef and potato rissoles if you want an old-fashioned beef dinner.
- Toad in the hole is pork sausages baked in a Yorkshire pudding batter.
- Try onion gravy with these British bangers and mash!
- Set out a traditional ploughman’s lunch for a cold spread with cheddar and pickles.
- If you want a hot meat appetizer, these steamed Italian meatballs are seasoned with fresh basil.
