Toad In The Hole With Caramelised Onion Gravy

Toad in the hole is a comforting British dinner dish where sausages are cooked inside a Yorkshire pudding. We’re serving ours with an easy caramelised onion gravy.

When it gets to the colder months, there’s not much better than a classic toad in the hole, served with a rich, glossy, sticky caramelised onion & red wine gravy. I grew up eating this dish so I’ve been looking forward to sharing this recipe! It’s seriously tasty & is perfect for an easy midweek meal.

This is one of those dishes that seems hard to make but is actually pretty simple! In this recipe, I’ll be sharing some tips & tricks to making the best ever toad in the hole, that’s super tall, with a crisp Yorkshire pudding & perfectly cooked sausages. Plus, we’re making an easy homemade gravy that’s made from scratch & cooks whilst the toad in the hole is in the oven.

For more dinner recipes to try, take a look at our collection of main course recipes! There’s loads of really good dinners to make, from easy midweek meals to impressive weekend dinners. We’re talking roasted meats, grilled steaks, easy pasta dishes, fried chicken & lots more.

What Is A Toad In The Hole?

Toad in the hole is a classic British dinner dish! Here, pork sausages are cooked in Yorkshire pudding batter & served with a rich, onion gravy. Although you can make individual puddings, if you want to stick to tradition, you’ll need to cook it in a roasting tin.

What You’ll Need

• Pork Sausages – Using good quality pork sausages makes all the difference when making toad in the hole. I’d recommend buying some from your local butcher. Make sure to use a thicker variety of sausage as these won’t over cook in the oven. Cumberland or traditional British sausages work well.
• Goose Fat – I like to cook my Yorkshire pudding in a mix of goose fat & vegetable oil, for the best flavour & rise. Feel free to use just oil though if you’d prefer.
• Eggs – You’ll need large eggs for the Yorkshire pudding batter.
• Milk – Either whole or semi skimmed milk will work for the Yorkshire pudding batter. For a lighter, crisper pudding we’re replacing a quarter of the milk with cold water.
• Flour – Make sure to use plain flour (all purpose flour) for the batter otherwise it won’t rise properly.
• Onions – I use white onions for my caramelised onion gravy but red onions or shallots will work as well.
• Red Wine – A good red wine works best for homemade gravy but don’t worry about buying a super expensive one. We’re using the wine to deglaze the pan after caramelising the onions.
• Beef Stock – For the gravy, you could use a homemade beef stock or stock pots/cubes dissolved in boiling water. I used Knorr beef stock pots.

How To Make Toad In The Hole

Making a toad in the hole is really easy! You make a simple Yorkshire pudding batter & let it rest. To cook, we sear sausages in smoking hot fat then pour in the batter & bake in the oven until well risen. It’s easy to make but there’s a couple of things to do to ensure success. More on that below…

Step 1 – Yorkshire Pudding Batter

For the best results, we need to make the Yorkshire pudding batter then let it rest in the fridge overnight, or for at least a couple of hours. This improves the flavour of the Yorkshire pudding & will make it rise as much as possible in the oven.

A simple but reliable way to make Yorkshire pudding batter is to measure the volume of the eggs then use equal amount of flour & milk. But this recipe, we’re replacing some of the milk with water, to a crisper, lighter pudding.

1. First, crack the eggs into a jug then use a board pen to mark on the side what the volume is. Place the eggs into a mixing bowl.
2. Fill the jug up with the same volume of flour to eggs then add the flour into the mixing bowl.
3. Whisk the eggs & flour together by hand, until smooth. Don’t worry if the batter seems thick at this point!
4. Next, fill the jug with the same amount of liquid (to eggs); use use ¾ milk & ¼ cold water. Or use just milk if you’d prefer.
5. Gradually whisk the milk into the flour & egg mix, to make a smooth batter with the consistency of double cream.
6. Let the Yorkshire pudding batter rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight if you’ve got the time.
7. When you want to cook your toad in the hole, season the batter with a good pinch of salt & pepper then let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or so, whilst your oven & tray of fats heat up.

Step 2 – Searing The Sausages

Before cooking toad in the hole, we need to preheat an oven to 220°c/428°f. Once up to temperature, we add goose fat & vegetable oil into a large roasting tin (I used a 9″ x 13″ tin) then place into the oven to get smoking hot. This will take 15-20 minutes.

Once the fats are hot, we carefully add in the sausages then cook them in the oven for 10-12 minutes until browned. Make sure to flip the sausages over halfway through so they colour evenly!

Step 3 – Cooking The Toad In The Hole

Once the sausages are cooked, it’s time to assemble the toad in the hole. We need to work quickly here, to keep the tin & fats from losing heat.

As soon as the sausages are cooked, take the tin out of the oven then quickly pour the batter around the sausages (not on top!) then place the tin back into the oven. Make sure that the sausages are spaced evenly apart & that they’re not touching the sides of the tin, as this will affect how the Yorkshire pudding rises.

The toad in the hole needs to bake for 30-35 minutes, until it is well risen & a deep golden brown. Make sure not to open the door for at least 30 minutes, as this can make the pudding sink. To serve, cut the toad in the hole into portions & transfer to plates. I like to to use a metal spatula to do this, so not to mark the roasting tin!

Caramelised Onion Gravy

This gravy is super easy to make & is packed full of flavour! And the great thing is, it can be made whilst the toad in the hole is in the oven. Or make your gravy ahead of time, store in the fridge then reheat to serve. This caramelised onion is rich, sticky & glossy. The perfect accompaniment to a classic toad in the hole!

To make a caramelised onion gravy, we first need to caramelise plenty of thinly sliced white onions. To do this, we set a large pan over a low heat, add in a splash of vegetable oil, our onions & a good pinch of sea salt then cook, stirring regularly until they’ve turned a deep golden brown. You can’t rush this process, it will take at least 15 minutes!

To enhance the sweetness, a small amount of caster sugar & balsamic vinegar is added to the onions, followed by a generous amount of red wine & some finely chopped thyme. This is reduced until sticky then hot beef stock is poured in, brought up to the boil then thickened with beef gravy granules. To finish, we stir in butter (for a glossy finish) then season with salt & pepper, to taste.

Serving Suggestions

Toad in the hole & caramelised onion gravy goes great with crispy roast potatoes, creamy mash or some steamed, pan fried or roasted veg. We’re talking honey glazed carrots, carrot & swede mash or some roasted tender stem broccoli.

Adjusting Portions – Number Of Eggs

For my toad in the hole, I made the Yorkshire pudding batter with 6 eggs which makes a massive Yorkshire pudding that yields 4-6 generous portions. I cooked this in a 9″x13″ tin but if you’d like to make a smaller toad in the hole, you’ll need to use a smaller tin, otherwise the pudding won’t rise as much.

• 2 Portions – Use 2 eggs for the batter & a small tin or dish to cook it in.
• 3-4 Portions – Use 4 eggs for the batter & a medium roasting tin to cook it in.
• 4-6 Portions – Use 6 eggs for the batter & a large roasting tin to cook it in.

Tips & Tricks

• Let the Yorkshire pudding batter rest in the fridge for at least a couple of hours before cooking, for the tallest pudding!
• Get your tin of fats smoking hot. Cooking in hot fat is key to getting a Yorkshire pudding to rise properly.
• Don’t open your oven door too early when baking the toad in the hole, as this will make the Yorkshire pudding sink!
• Use good quality pork sausages that aren’t too thin, so that they don’t over cook in the oven. I’d recommend getting sausages from your local butcher.
• To make a smooth Yorkshire pudding batter, whisk the eggs & flour together first then gradually whisk in the milk. Don’t forget to season the batter with salt & pepper just before cooking.
• Make your own caramelised onion gravy. It’s easy to do & can be made whilst your toad in the hole cooks!

Frequently Asked Questions

More Dinner Recipes To Try!

• Honey Roast Ham, Egg & Chips
• Smoked Beef Short Rib, Guinness & Bone Marrow Pie
• Black Garlic Roasted Picanha (Beef Rump Cap)
• Beef Burritos
• Roasted Garlic Lasagne (Deep Dish)
• Foolproof Roast Chicken (Slow Roasted)

Watch How To Make Toad In The Hole

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