This Easy Toad in the Hole Recipe is an absolute British classic. There’s just a few tips and tricks note before you get started, but after seeing how easy this recipe is to make, I guarantee it will become one of your families regular dinners! 

overhead shot of Toad in the Hole with Dijon Mash Potato and Red Wine Onion Gravy

Toad in the Hole

First things first, just for those wondering why they’d ever want to eat something that contains the word ‘toad’ –

What is Toad in the Hole?

It’s a traditional British dish consisting of sausages baked in a Yorkshire Pudding batter. For those now wondering what the heck Yorkshire puddings are, just know they are a necessary part of all roast dinners. A way of life if you will.

EASY Toad in the Hole!

So, what makes this Toad in the Hole so easy then? Good question. Toad in the Hole is already a very easy recipe, but here’s why this recipe is specifially easy:

  • Batter – 3 ingredients and the easiest measurements imaginable!
  • Few Ingredients – Most of which are pantry staples.
  • Make Ahead – You can make half of this ahead of time, and I’ll actually tell you why this is beneficial to do so!

Okay, let’s talk batter!

side shot of Toad in the Hole with jug of Gravy ready to pour

Toad in the Hole Batter

When I tell you making a toad in the hole batter is easy, I really do mean it. I’ve been making Yorkshire puddings for as long as I can remember and follow one simple rule that offers the perfect batter consistency every single time.

You ready for it?

1 cup of flour | 1 cup of eggs | 1 cup of milk.

That’s seriously it. And this works across the board with any amount, as long as all 3 ingredients are the same. Heck, use a vase of flour if you feel the need, as long as you follow it with a vase of milk and a vase of eggs. Did I mention this was an easy toad in the hole recipe? Okay good.

Do I have to rest Toad in the Hole Batter?

For a long time I made toad in the hole without resting the batter, but after making the swap to resting the batter (the longer the better) I came to realise the effect is huge. Not only does resting allow the batter to rise a heck of a lot more, it provides more of that traditional toasty Yorkshire pudding texture, in comparison to a thick pancake.

How long to rest Toad in the Hole Batter?

30 minutes great, overnight even better. In all cases the batter needs to be COLD. Cold batter causes a reaction with hot oil and kicks off the rising process.

How to make Toad in the Hole Batter (quick summary)

  1. Add flour to a bowl and make a well.
  2. Pour in beaten eggs.
  3. Gradually whisk in milk.
  4. Cover and rest in the fridge.

How to make Toad in the Hole Batter - 4 step by step photos

Making Toad in the Hole

Making Toad in the Hole is incredibly easy. We’ve got the batter (nice and rested/cold hopefully), now all you need is some sausages, a baking dish and some oil.

Best Sausages for Toad in the Hole

I usually go for a classic Cumberland Pork sausage for their delicious yet ‘neutral’ flavour. I steer away from heavily flavoured/herby sausages for this recipe. In all cases I recommend pork and ensure you get some nice quality sausages.

Best Oil for Toad in the Hole

There needs to be oil in the dish before you pour in the batter and the oil needs to be piping hot! You know, the kind where you’re dodging the oil as it violently spits at you? Yeah, that hot. In order to get oil that hot, for heavens sake don’t use olive oil, it can’t take the heat. For this recipe I find either sunflower or vegetable oil will do the trick.

How to make Toad in the Hole (quick summary)

  1. Roast your sausages in a little oil until they just begin to brown and the oil is piping hot.
  2. Take out the dish and flip the sausages.
  3. Pour in your batter.
  4. Add some rosemary (optional) and bake in the oven.

How to make Toad in the Hole - 4 step by step photos

Don’t Open The Door – There’s nothing more disappointing than prematurely opening the oven door and watching your toad in the hole batter drastically sink before your eyes. Yep, I’ve been there. If you’ve got a glass oven door then perfect, if not you’re going to have to have faith and only open the door when the time is up.

Serving Toad in the Hole

I recommend tucking in fairly soon after it’s cooked, sometimes the cool air can slightly deflate the batter even after is cooked. The batter SHOULD look a bit crazy, the best ones always do, so don’t worry that it’s not even and pretty.

What to serve with Toad in the Hole?

Mustard Mash (or regular mash) and Red Wine Onion Gravy (or regular gravy) are a must, Garlic Green Beans and Honey Balsamic Carrots are optional.

Hey, whilst you’re here why not check out my other similar recipes?

Easy Sausage Recipes

Family Comfort Food Recipes

Alrighty, let’s tuck into this easy toad in the hole recipe shall we?!

Toad in the Hole plated with mash on white plate

How to make Toad in the Hole (Full Recipe & Video)

Toad in the Hole with Dijon Mash Potato and Red Wine Onion Gravy
4.86 from 7 votes

Easy Toad in the Hole

This Easy Toad in the Hole Recipe is an absolute British classic. There's just a few tips and tricks note before you get started, but after seeing how easy this recipe is to make, I guarantee it will become one of your families regular dinners!
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 4
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Equipment

  • Suitably Sized Baking Dish (see notes)
  • Tongs (for flipping sausages)
  • Medium Sized Bowl
  • Whisk
  • Jug

Ingredients 

  • 8-10 Good Quality Pork Sausages
  • 1 cup Plain Flour
  • 1 cup Milk
  • 1 cup Eggs, beaten
  • 2 tbsp Oil (vegetable or sunflower)
  • few sprigs of Rosemary (optional)
  • Salt & Black Pepper, to taste

Instructions 

  • Start with your batter. Grab a suitably sized bowl, pour in 1cup flour and make a small well in the centre. Pour in 1 cup beaten eggs, then whisk until smooth. Gradually pour in 1cup/250ml milk, whisking in between to ensure all lumps are smoothed out. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, give it a final whisk, then cover and set aside for as long as you have time for (30 minutes up until in the fridge overnight).
  • Place 8-10 sausages in a suitably sized dish with 2 tbsp of oil. Pop in the oven at 220c/430f for 10-12 minutes, or until they begin to brown on the top and the oil is piping hot. Important that the oil is piping hot!
  • Take out of the oven and flip the sausages. Pour in your batter mixture and chuck a few sprigs of rosemary over the top (optional). Be careful the oil doesn't spit back at you. Work quickly and/or place on the hob (only if your dish is heat resistant to hobs!). Important for the oil to stay piping hot as you pour in the cold batter.
  • Place back in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Do not open the door before 25 minutes otherwise the batter may collapse.

Video

Notes

a) Oil - it's important to use an oil with a high smoking point, so olive oil is definitely not suitable for this recipe. It's crucial to make sure the oil is piping hot before you pour in the batter, so act quick once you get it out the oven. If your baking dish is suitable then place it on the hob whilst you're flipping the sausages and pouring in the batter to keep the oil hot.
b) Resting Time - You can go straight ahead and use the batter without letting it rest, but it won't rise quite as well and will have less of a 'toastier' taste to it. Essentially the longer you rest the batter the better, I've just put 30 mins as minimum. In all cases it's important for the batter to be COLD when it hits the batter.
c) Oven Dish Size - The dish I use which fits 8-9 sausages is 10" x 8" and 2" deep. This works absolutely perfectly. In cm that's 25 x 20 x 5.
d) Rosemary - Completely optional. I just throw it on top and avoid the stalks when eating because I'm lazy!
e) What to serve with Toad in the Hole? - Mustard Mash and Red Wine Onion Gravy is a must, Garlic Green Beans and Honey Balsamic Carrots are optionals!
f) Calories - using sunflower oil, 9 medium pork Cumberland sausages, whole milk, medium eggs and no gravy. Based on a division of 4.

Nutrition

Calories: 665kcal | Carbohydrates: 32.4g | Protein: 32.3g | Fat: 44.2g | Saturated Fat: 13.9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20.9g | Trans Fat: 0.14g | Cholesterol: 234mg | Sodium: 1447mg | Potassium: 517mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4.3g | Vitamin A: 750IU | Calcium: 120mg | Iron: 4mg

Looking for more?

You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’


If you loved this Easy Toad in the Hole Recipe be sure to Pin it for later! Already made it or got a burning question? Let me know in the comments and pick up your free ecookbook along the way!

Chris Collins, food blogger at Don't Go Bacon My Heart in white jumper eating a slice of garlic flatbread
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Recipe Rating




20 Comments

  1. Tera Moulton says:

    5 stars
    So happy that you posted this great recipe!! Super easy to follow steps, well laid out description! I’ve made this twice now and comes out delicious every time! Thank you!

    1. Chris Collins says:

      Ahh that’s awesome to hear! Glad it’s gone down well! 🙂

  2. Liz says:

    4 stars
    My family recently visited England and while in Oxford visited the famous Eagle & Child pub, where the ‘Inklings’ club met (consisting of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and other notable authors) and while there I had the English classic dish of ‘Toad-In-The-Hole. I loved it! When I got e I wanted to try making this myself, but was a bit intimidated, as I’d never made Yorshire Pudding in my life. Well, I found this recipe, tried it and to my delight it tasted exactly the same as the dish I loved in Oxford! I even made your Red Wine Onion Gravy (& mashed potatoes) to go with it. My family liked it too. Success! Thank you so much for sharing! I will be making this again and again.

    1. Chris Collins says:

      That’s so awesome to hear Liz! So glad it brought back some great memories for you. Thanks for popping back and leaving your feedback! 🙂

  3. Matt says:

    This is one of my all time favourites, but I’ve not made it for years. You’ve inspired me to make one this weekend. For me though it has to be with Lincolnshire sausages.

    1. Chris says:

      Oh my goodness now I need some Lincolnshire sausages in my face!!

  4. Mary Ebosh says:

    5 stars
    How do you make the mashed potatoes , sounds like a perfect side dish for Toad in a hole.

    1. Chris says:

      I’ve been meaning to put a recipe up for a while, it’s still in the pipeline when I get a sec! However if you’re feeling adventurous, all I do is peel, boil and mash some white potatoes (usually Maris Piper or Russet) then add a couple knobs of butter, heaps of salt and pepper, then thin it out to desired texture with milk (or cream if I’m feeling wild). Then stir in some Dijon mustard to taste. I find as little as 1/2 tsp for 1kg/2.2lbs of potatoes gives a nice little buzz. But completely down to preference! Sorry it’s vague, hope this helps!

    2. Tina V. says:

      Hey Chris! I made this today but I think it didn’t rise up to how yours did. I tried to follow all steps, but not sure what happened lol! I wonder if I could send the picture so you could see 🙂

      1. Chris says:

        Of course! Just use the contact form on the top bar and I’ll be happy to try and troubleshoot 🙂

  5. Lisa Huff says:

    5 stars
    This looks WAY better than the boring version we make here! My kids are going to love this!

    1. Chris says:

      Ah amazing! Enjoy, Lisa! 🙂

  6. Hayley | The Simple Supper says:

    5 stars
    I sadly do not have a window on my oven. But I will have faith that you are the expert and that this Toad in a Hole will turn out just as good as you make it sound. Can’t wait to try this out!

    1. Chris says:

      It’s a tense 25 minutes, but I’m confident you’ll get the toad in the hole you came for!! 🙂

  7. Jenni LeBaron says:

    This looks super tasty! I could see eating it for both breakfast with eggs and dinner with potatoes, as suggested. What a great dish!

    1. Chris says:

      What an amazing idea for breakfast! I think you’ve just changed my life..

  8. Traci says:

    5 stars
    I’ve never seen this before and now I totally want it! It’s like all of my comfort foods wrapped up in one! Thanks for the recipe inspiration 🙂

    1. Chris says:

      You’re so more than welcome! It’s like my ultimate favourite comfort food for sure!! 🙂

  9. Pam says:

    5 stars
    I always thought toad in a hole was a piece of bread with an egg in the middle. This is soooo much better!!! I need to make this now!

    1. Chris says:

      You gotta! Beats toast with egg x1000000 ! 🙂