Bacon, sausages, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, toast, and beans all on one plate: is a Full English breakfast the most ultimate breakfast ever?
Confession: I’ve never had a real full English. At least not in England or anywhere in world in fact, except right here, at home. But a couple of weeks ago, Mike and I were chatting with a dude that moved here from England and the thing he said he missed the most was breakfast, specifically a Full English breakfast. He waxed poetic about the deliciousness for a good five minutes, but I wasn’t sold. Mike was nodding along, agreeing with him because he’s eaten many a full English in London, but me? Nope.
I really wasn’t interested until Mike showed me a photo a couple days later. It was a giant plate and it looked AMAZING. I mean, it might have been because I was very hungry, but at the time, nothing looked better to my eyes. Thus started the Full English Obsession. Mike and I took a casual look around town to see what ingredients we could find and here’s what we came up with!
What is a full English breakfast?
Sometimes called a fry up, a full English is a hearty, hefty breakfast plate served in the UK and Ireland. Full English breakfasts are so popular that they’re pretty much offered throughout the day as all-day breakfast. Full English breakfasts contain: sausages, back bacon, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, fried bread, and beans.
According to the internet, full English breakfasts need:
- Sausages – I think everyone just goes with whatever sausages they like, but sometimes there are 2-3 kinds on a plate. We went with regular breakfast sausages and we also got a bit of black pudding, which seems like most people insist on having as well.
- Back Bacon – This isn’t your regular bacon, which is made from pork belly, nope, back bacon is bacon that includes a little bit of the loin, kinda like a super thin pork chop but smoked. From what I can see, this kind of bacon isn’t really crispy.
- Eggs – Pretty straight forward, all the full English plates I’ve seen have sunny side up eggs.
- Tomatoes – These guys are cut in half along the equator and then seared in the pan and seasoned with salt and pepper. They aren’t really cooked, just given a little bit of color.
- Mushrooms – Seems like a take or leave it item, but we’re going all out here so of course mushrooms are needed. They’re cooked in the usual way, nicely browned and caramelized
- Toast – Don’t call it toast because I’ve seen some internet fights break out about the bread. You can’t just use a toaster and call it a day. The bread has to be FRIED, either with butter or oil.
- Beans – You have to have beans! I mean, I’ve never really had beans at breakfast, but it’s classic. We went for Heinz because that’s what they do in England and because their teal cans are too cute.
How to make a full English Breakfast
It takes a bit of juggling and two pans, because making a full English is mostly about multitasking. You can do it!
- Warm the beans. Open the can of beans and warm in a small pot over low heat, stirring occasionally.
- Cook the sausages and bacon. While the beans are warming, cook the sausages over medium to medium low, until browned and cooked through, turning as needed. Push the sausages to one side and add the bacon and fry, flipping as needed.
- If you’re having black pudding, add it to the pan and fry, flipping once. Keep everything warm in the pan over a low flame.
- Cook the mushrooms and tomatoes. In another pan, sear the mushrooms until brown and caramelized. Move to one side. Add the tomatoes, cut side down and sear.
- Fry the bread and cook the eggs. Move the meats from the pan and fry the bread in the drippings until golden and crisp. Cook the eggs in the pan that the mushrooms and tomatoes were in.
- Plate and enjoy! Scoop the beans in the middle of the plate then add the bacon at 1-2 o’clock, add the sausages at 3 o’clock, then the eggs at 6. If you have blood pudding, pop that on at 8 o’clock and then fill the rest of the plate with the tomatoes at 11 o’clock and the mushrooms at 12. Fried bread can get tucked in wherever or placed on a side plate. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- Sausages. Chose good sausages, preferably ones that are from your local butcher instead of supermarket sausages. Go for a fresh coarse ground pork sausage that’s seasoned simply. In the UK the sausages of choice are usually coarse ground Cumberland or Lincolnshire sausages.
- Black pudding. Not an absolute necessity but black pudding is super common and for black pudding lovers it’s a hill they will die on. You can get this when you’re buying sausages at your butcher. If they don’t have black pudding, ask for blood sausage.
- English Bacon. The bacon in the UK is not the bacon we know in North America. Back bacon is made from pork loin with a bit of belly. It’s the same cut pork chops, but thinner and smoked. Again, you can usually get this a good butcher.
- Eggs. All the eggs I’ve ever seen in a full English are sunny side up but you can go wild and cook them how you like. I don’t think the English breakfast police will come after you ;)
- Tomatoes. Classic field tomatoes, not romas, not cherry, not anything super fancy.
- Mushrooms. Simple brown (or cremini) mushrooms, halved.
- Fried bread. Thick cut bread fried in a pan with oil or drippings and never toasted. I think a standard supermarket white loaf is what’s needed, not a sourdough or country loaf. Definitely not brown!
- Beans. They’ve got to be Heinz!
Potatoes/hashbrowns
Any sort of potato is frowned upon on a full English. They’re seen as filler. If you even think of putting fries on, someone might get stabbed. You could do bubble and squeak (potatoes and cabbage mixed together and fried) but even then, some people are going to come after you.
Do they serve hash browns with Full English breakfasts?
Some people serve hash browns with a full English and some people think it is sacrilegious. Hash browns are more modern addition and that’s why they are so contentious. When you do see hash browns on a full English, they typically tend to be the triangle frozen variety as opposed to home made shredded potatoes. If you want a potato product that isn’t hash browns, bubble and squeak (fried potatoes and cabbage) is probably much more traditional.
Which kind of baked beans?
British baked beans are absolutely a key part of a full English. British style beans are made with beans and a tomato sauce seasoned with carrots, celery and Worcestershire. American style Southern baked beans are usually cooked with bacon and brown sugar, with a much more thick sauce. Go for British style Heinz baked beans. A reader suggested Branston Baked Beans. We haven’t tried them but they’re spoken of very highly on the internet!
What to serve with a full English breakfast
Coffee or tea! Tea is traditionally English but coffee is perfectly acceptable too. Add milk, sugar, and/or cream based on personal preference.
We made this on a snowy morning and it was perfect! Lots of hot tea, big fluffy flakes falling down outside, and ALL the fried bread. But, to be honest, I’m not sure if I’m a huge fan. Call me a savage, but I think I love regular breakfast more. Mike on the other hand, LOVED it! He said it was as good as the full English breakfasts he had while he was in London. Me on the other hand? I didn’t eat for the rest of the day and went into a food coma – I was definitely full!
Happy breakfasting!
-Steph
How to Make a Full English Breakfast
Ingredients
- 1 can beans Heinz preferred
- 4 links sausages breakfast sausage preferred
- 4 slices back bacon or Irish bacon
- 4 slices black pudding optional... some say
- 1 cup mushrooms halved or sliced
- 2 small tomatoes halved
- 4 slices bread
- 4 eggs
Instructions
- Heat up the beans over low in a small pot. Keep warm on low.
- Cook the sausages over medium to medium low heat, turning occasionally, until brown and cooked through. In the same pan, cook the bacon, flipping as needed. Fry the blood pudding slices over medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side.
- In another pan, heat up a bit of oil and cook the mushrooms, without moving, until brown and caramelized. Remove from the pan, then sear the cut side of the tomato briefly. Remove from the pan, season everything with salt and pepper.
- Wipe the pan down and heat up a bit of oil or butter over medium heat. Fry the bread until golden, flipping and adding more oil or butter as needed. Remove and set aside. Finally, fry the eggs to your liking. Plate everything up: sausages, bacon, black pudding, mushrooms, tomato, bread, and eggs. Enjoy immediately!
Boy, the English love their breakfasts. I remember visiting England when I graduated from high school. Their breakfasts are amazingly satisfying, probably better than any other meal (with the exception of their Prime Rib Roast with Yorkshire Puddings). Yum!
Just to be clear, please don’t think we eat this everyday! This is more of a treat, perhaps at a bed and breakfast or something once in a while. Also, toast in the regular sense is perfectly acceptable as is losing the black pudding,(ugh)!
heehee, yeah i figured it was a special occasion kind of breakfast :)
It’s a hangover and/ or lazy sunday morning breakfast!
Also, two notes. a) You’re missing the hash browns. I know they came from America originally, but they’re now integral!
b) The ‘fried’ bread thing is regional, more of a ‘Northern’ thing. I’m from the South East of England (though living in London) and most places back home if a place served fried bread instead of regular toast with their Full English, they’d warn you, because it’s unusual in the South.
ooh, i didn’t know about hash browns! i totally thought those were an american thing LOL
i quite liked the fried bread :)
Doesn’t have to be hash browns. Any form of fried potato will do, including chips, though they’re more common with an All Day Breakfast. Fancier places will do sauté potatoes, or some bubble and squeak (which you should definitely try making).
Went to boarding school in England (Taunton) for 5 years. The Full English we had there included chips, and that was back in the late ’70’s, so I dunno what all these “no potatoes” people are going on about.
Mind you, our Full Englishes happened on Sunday evenings rather than at any actual breakfast-time, but it still counts!
Fried bread is not a northern thing. I’m from the south east and it’s everywhere.
Hash browns are a definite no in a full English. Bubble and squeak yes.
bang on mate..might u add on the halved tomatoes sprinkle a little granulated sugar for better caramilisation and when ever possible include in your bubble.. chopped Brussels sprouts and the occasional garden peas. add butter to the pan for a sweeter nuttier caramelised cripness
bang on mate..might u add on the halved tomatoes sprinkle a little granulated sugar for better caramilisation and when ever possible include in your bubble.. chopped Brussels sprouts and the occasional garden peas. add butter to the pan for a sweeter nuttier caramelised crispness
bang on mate..might u add on the halved tomatoes sprinkle a little granulated sugar for better caramilisation and when ever possible include in your bubble.. chopped Brussels sprouts and the occasional garden peas. add butter to the pan for a sweeter nuttier caramelised crispness
Its not just a hangover cure/or lazy sunday breakfast ..maybe for women..but for men especially in the construction trade it is an every day thing..and fried bread was always served with it its not regional ..its only recently maybe the last 10 years or so that the fried bread has gone missing .and replaced with hash browns or fries/CHIPS.due the lack of english owned cafes now.and quick and easy plate fillers ..yuk
I have lived in the south east for 66 years and enjoyed the true full english all my life ..and if its got hash browns or chips its not a full english its a fry up..the full english was standardised.in the edwardian period to make it easy for hotels and the trains and other places that served the full english to maintain the quality.and everyone knew what they were getting….sausage egg bacon beans tomatoes mushrooms black pudding.fried slice and toast or bread and butter and jam or marmalade and orange juice and tea or coffee..in the east end of london they also added bubble and squeek.. scotland and wales and ireland had there own breakfasts..but with the main items.
Absolutely. Fried bread AND toast. In the north we dont see bubble and squeak very often with a full English, but fried potatoes are quite common. (Obviously before Wetherspoons dictated hash browns were an essential ingrediant)
I’m from down South, Portsmouth to be more exact, and traditionally fried bread was always part of an English breakfast and more lately has been substituted with hash browns. I would sooner have fried bread any day but it seems cafes here opt for toast or hash browns sadly.
Speak for yourself. I live in the south; we certainly do have fried bread, and have done for all of my 72 years… unfortunately, it seems to much trouble for some cafes and hotels.
You should be eating this everyday.
Somerset Maugham said that to eat well in England you had to eat breakfast three times a day.
As an englishman who cooks a full english every weekend, it can get kind of busy on the hobs. So in order to make this easier, i tend to cook the sausages in the oven on a lower heat as well as the bacon singlularly layered beteen two bits of parchment paper. It helps free up a hob.
Some brits do eat it every day. My parents generation it used to be a weekly breakfast every Sunday. These days it’s not as common because it’s seen as unhealthy.
Tomatoes for breakfast is also a Southern US thing.
Hello, I like the idea behind this recipe, but I would change a few things myself. I would replace the beans and sausages with vegetables. I think the beans and sausages are too much because you already have bacon on your plate and I think it will be too heavy.instead of using beans and sausages, I would make a nice salad. What I certainly like about this recipe is the combination of the tomatoes and the champigons. In short, I think it’s a good recipe when small things are changed.
You can’t change it. It’s a ‘Full English’
The beans are vegetables, and these beans do not have bacon or sausage in them like the American Baked Beans do. They’re just beans in tomato sauce and you need the tomato sauce, so the bread can soak it up and for dipping your sausage in.
It’s an English Breakfast you wanker!
It’s an English breakfast. If anyone in England heard the word salad you would have a fork in your eye
How on earth did you find the courage (read: audacity) to suggest changes to a Full English. Absolutely Silliness™️.
No, you cannot tweak a Full English breakfast to that extent…you can add bubble and squeak and omit the black pudding if you don’t like it…but that’s pretty much it…
You change it and call it something else, but not Full English.
Best comment, Geoffrey is lord of the dance, absolute silliness
The southern US have large weekend breakfasts with bacon, sausage or country ham, grits or hash browns, biscuits, eggs, gravy, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers with a little ranch or mayo, apple butter or jam/jelly with coffee or milk, and a sweet like a muffin or cinnamon rolls or baked apples. This is a weekend thing because most Americans are far too busy to prepare a meal this size daily. During the work week, it is us Bacon, scrambled eggs, grits, and buttered toast with coffee or milk. I know because this is the way my heart and I enjoy breakfast. It is far better than eating out separately. We talk about our plans for the day and then we clean things up and prepare to set out on our day. It is a nice way to start the day.
tomatoes have to be tinned ones, fried bread and toast, but deffo no hash browns, never an english brekkie with them
TINNED tomatoes? Are you joking? Wash your mouth out with soap and water, young man.
Eh, I’m partial to plumb tomatoes instead of the bog standard ‘field’ tomato and so in the UK, will inevitably be tinned. It’s still the same fruit, just a different variety and not fresh. The key is that the same fundamental items are there. I prefer fried eggs but some like scrambled. It’s still a Full English.
What about kippers?? We had them in Southern England ( Tonbridge Wells, Lyme Regis) And Ft. William, Scotland (very fresh).
Kippers are a traditional Scottish breakfast. Often served in Scottish bnbs. But they’re never part of a full English or full Scottish.
My suggested contents (not all at the same time): –
Eggs (traditionally fried but scrambled acceptable or poached at a pinch)
Bacon (back or streaky, the latter being well done – traditionally fried but grilling might help you to live longer)
Sausage (use plain, boring pork; save your lincolnshire, cumberland and others for “bangers and mash” – with thick onion gravy, of course – again fry or grill)
Tomato (personally I hate cooked, fresh toms, tinned are better for breakfast)
Mushrooms (simmer in milk for a few minutes, drain well then fry; they don’t tend to soak up so much cooking fat)
Beans (Heinz, of course; I think people who say they can’t tell the difference are kidding themselves)
Hash Browns (forget them as they’re tasteless and Irish potato cakes are infinitely superior)
Irish Potato Cakes (lightly fry, grill or toast – lovely any way)
Irish Soda Bread (lightly fry for a wonderful addition)
Black Pudding (for some reason b.p. rings taste better than the large sausage shaped stuff and can be eaten uncooked.
White Pudding (grains replace the congealed blood of the b.p. and make a great alternative/addition)
Fried Bread (use white sliced bread and soak both sided in the fat from the bacon & sausage then fry both sided until crispy and mid-brown)
Kidneys (half and cut out the core then fry – warning they’re an acquired taste and can ruin a meal!)
Y’all need to try salsa in place of the tomatoes. It’s a game changer <3
Nah mate, branson beans >>> heinz
your full Irish Breakfast can only be matched by a full Scottish breakfast. Both are far superior to a full English.
A full English is simple. The original ingredients as above. NO lettuce, hash browns, soda bread, vegetables etc. If you want to add these, go ahead but don’t call the muck in front of you a Full English ‘cos it just isn’t!!! (Yorkshire born and Yorkshire bred strong of t’arm and thick of t’ead. And an honourary Scouser) But we can’t have everything.
That is the best Full English I’ve ever seen attempted in the USA. Served with HP sauce it is the best hangover cure.
Had to look up HP sauce; thanks for the tip!! :)
A bottle of HP is almost ten bucks at the local US supermarket. It’s similar to any steak sauce. If you find yourself without any just mix catsup and Worcestershire sauce and you will come up with something similar. (Just read the ingredients on the HP or steak sauce bottle. That’s basically what it is.)
HP sauce doesn’t get mentioned much in FEB recipes, but I’ve seen it on the table at breakfast in England. I’ve never seen fried bread though but always white or brown bread toast plus orange marmalade or other kinds of jam.
My heresy: some cooked spinach goes really well with the traditional FEB and adds a green element to the color palette. And it’s simple to cook (frozen or fresh) in a covered bowl or similar cooking dish in the microwave oven.
The mushrooms can be cooked ahead of time.