English Breakfast

English Breakfast Recipe: How to Make a Classic Full English Breakfast

A traditional English breakfast is a hearty, savory start to the day. This Full English breakfast recipe includes fried eggs, back bacon, sausages, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms and toast. Perfect for weekend brunch, this easy-to-follow guide explains how to make an authentic English breakfast at home in under 30 minutes.

Ingredients (serves 2)
4 rashers back bacon
4 pork sausages
4 eggs
1 can baked beans (400g)
2 tomatoes, halved
200g mushrooms, sliced
4 slices of bread
Butter or oil for frying
Salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation and cooking
Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook for 10–12 minutes, turning frequently so they brown evenly. Move sausages to a warm plate. In the same pan, fry the bacon for 2–3 minutes per side until crisped to your liking. Transfer bacon to the plate with the sausages.

Use the pan juices to sauté the sliced mushrooms for 4–5 minutes until golden. Season with salt and pepper. In another small pan, grill the halved tomatoes cut-side down for 3–4 minutes until slightly charred. Warm the baked beans in a small saucepan over low heat.

For the eggs, you can fry, scramble or poach them. To fry, add a little butter to a clean pan over medium heat and crack in the eggs. Cook until the whites are set but yolks remain runny, about 3–4 minutes, or longer for firm yolks. Toast the bread and spread with butter.

Assembling the Full English breakfast
Plate two sausages, two rashers of bacon, two eggs, a portion of mushrooms and a grilled tomato half per person. Add a generous spoonful of baked beans and two slices of buttered toast. For an authentic touch, include black pudding or hash browns if desired.

Tips and variations
Use quality back bacon and British-style sausages for the most traditional flavor. Make it vegetarian by substituting veggie sausages and omitting bacon. Serve with a pot of strong tea or coffee.

This classic English breakfast is satisfying, customizable and perfect for sharing. Try this recipe to enjoy a full English breakfast at home anytime. Leftovers can be refrigerated up to two days and reheated gently; re-crisp bacon and sausages under a grill, warm beans on the stove, and toast again briefly for the best English breakfast results every time at home easily.

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Heat the flat grill plate over a low heat, on top of 2 rings/flames if it fits, and brush sparingly with light olive oil.
Cook the sausages first. Add the sausages to the hot grill plate/the coolest part if there is one and allow to cook slowly for about 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden. After the first 10 minutes, increase the heat to medium before beginning to cook the other ingredients. If you are struggling for space, completely cook the sausages and keep hot on a plate in the oven.
Snip a few small cuts into the fatty edge of the bacon. Place the bacon straight on to the grill plate and fry for 2-4 minutes each side or until your preferred crispiness is reached. Like the sausages, the cooked bacon can be kept hot on a plate in the oven.
For the mushrooms, brush away any dirt using a pastry brush and trim the stalk level with the mushroom top. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle over a little olive oil. Place stalk-side up on the grill plate and cook for 1-2 minutes before turning and cooking for a further 3-4 minutes. Avoid moving the mushrooms too much while cooking, as this releases the natural juices, making them soggy.
For the tomatoes, cut the tomatoes across the centre/or in half lengthways if using plum tomatoes , and with a small, sharp knife remove the green ‘eye’. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil. Place cut-side down on the grill plate and cook without moving for 2 minutes. Gently turn over and season again. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes until tender but still holding their shape.
For the black pudding, cut the black pudding into 3-4 slices and remove the skin. Place on the grill plate and cook for 1½-2 minutes each side until slightly crispy.
For ‘proper’ fried bread it’s best to cook it in a separate pan. Ideally, use bread that is a couple of days old. Heat a frying pan to a medium heat and cover the base with oil. Add the bread and cook for 2-3 minutes each side until crispy and golden. If the pan becomes too dry, add a little more oil. For a richer flavour, add a knob of butter after you turn the slice.
For the fried eggs, break the egg straight into the pan with the fried bread and leave for 30 seconds. Add a good knob of butter and lightly splash/baste the egg with the butter when melted. Cook to your preferred stage, season and gently remove with a fish slice.
Once all the ingredients are cooked, serve on warm plates and enjoy straight away with a good squeeze of tomato ketchup or brown sauce.