Few Christmas snacks deliver quite the same joy as pigs in blankets, but wrap that festive favourite in a light, crisp, golden batter, and you’ve instantly created a show-stopping treat. Whether you’re gearing up for the busy holiday period, planning a bustling service, or simply cooking something special for the family, this guide reveals the secrets to making irresistibly crunchy, perfectly battered pigs in blankets every time.
The use of batter is what makes or breaks this dish. If it’s too thick, it destroys the nice crunch, and if it’s too thin, the sausage pops right out. Drawing on tried-and-true tempura-style batter and pig in the blanket recipes, this recipe combines the best of both worlds. Read on for instructions.
Before starting, remember that proper kitchen preparation is always important. If you would like to update your knowledge, please visit our guides to the essentials of food hygiene and commercial kitchen health and safety.
Battered Pigs In Blankets
Battered pigs in blankets are the perfect combination of three popular foods: sausages, bacon, and crispy golden batter. They are widely available during the Christmas period but are just as popular and enjoyed throughout the UK, as buffet, pub, and café food. This dish is popular for the simple fact that it’s easy to make and enjoy.
Just think, the secret to the perfect battered pigs in blankets lies entirely in the batter. While some recipes call for a thick, cake-like dough, here, the dough will be cold, light, and thin enough to fry up into a crunchy, golden shell.
Pigs in a Blanket Batter Recipe
Here is your complete recipe card, made simple to refer to while cooking:
- Serves: 6 to 8 | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 12–14 minutes
- Nutritional Information (per serving): Approx. 320 calories | 20g fat | 25g carbs | 9g protein
Ingredients
- 24 mini pork sausages (or ‘cocktail’ sausages)
- 24 rashers of streaky bacon
- Frymax sustainable palm oil, for deep frying
For the batter:
- 120g plain flour
- 40g cornflour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 egg yolk
- 220ml ice‑cold sparkling water
- Pinch of salt
Step-by-Step Guide to Making Battered Pigs in Blankets
- Wrap the Sausages: Pat the sausages dry and wrap each one individually in a slice of streaky bacon. Keep aside.
- Chill your Ingredients: Having a cold batter makes the difference for crispiness. Put your mixing bowl, whisk, and sparkling water into the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Prepare your Batter: Mix the flour, cornflour, salt, and baking powder in your refrigerated bowl. Add your egg yolk and gradually pour the ice-cold sparkling water. Gently mix the lumps using chopsticks or a fork. This process gives you a light coating if your batter looks smooth.
- Add the Oil and Heat It: Fill your deep fryer or pot with Frymax oil and heat it to 180°C. This maintains the desired crispy crust.
- Test the Oil: Put a little of the batter into the oil. If it’s ready, it needs to fizz, float, and lighten to pale gold without browning too quickly.
- Dust the Wrapped Sausages: Flour the sausages wrapped in bacon to ensure the batter sticks well.
- Dip and Fry: Dip the sausages into the batter, and then put them into the hot oil.
- Fry in Batches: Crowded batches lower the oil temperature, so cook 4-6 pieces at a time.
- Drain Properly: Transfer to a wire rack, not kitchen paper, for crispiness. Paper retains the steam, making it soft.
- Serve Hot: These are best devoured moments after frying, while the coating of batter is light and crispy.
Pigs In a Blanket Batter Recipe Tips
Follow these tips to up your offering from decent to delicious, including expert advice gleaned from professional frying and recipe development.
Keep it Cold
Plunging cold batter into hot oil is the trick to creating a thin, crispy coating. This sudden difference in temperature causes the coating to instantly seize, leaving tiny pockets of air that create the crunchy texture of the batter.
Select the Proper Oil
For optimal frying, it would be ideal to use the Frymax oil, which is always reliable. This oil contains high smoke points and does not break down, ensuring that none of the flavour gets transferred. For the various varieties utilised by chip shops, please visit our products.
Prevent Overmixing
Overworking the dough develops the gluten and creates a chewy coating. The dough should be only just combined.
Maintain Oil Management
Good frying requires not only the right temperature but proper oil care. Skim off the crumbs that accumulate, filter the oil, and check the temperature. For some tips, check out our guide to the importance of cooking oil management.
Use Wire Racks
Professional kitchens prefer wire racks because steam can escape through them. This helps ensure that the batter does not become soft after frying.
Flavour Variations
Just like the traditional pigs in blankets, you can enjoy your battered rendition of the dish flavoured with sesame seeds, mustard, bagel seasoning, and cheddar. You can include various spices in the flour mixture and accompany it with condiments such as mustard, chilli mayo, cranberry ketchup, and honey mustard.
Pigs in Blankets For Every Occasion
This dish is very adaptable and can be served in many ways, such as:
- Christmas canapés: Accompany cranberry dipping sauce.
- Game-day platter options: Add condiments like mustard, barbecue sauce, and cheese.
- Pub snacks: Can be served either with a smoked mayo condiment or a beer mustard.
- Kids’ party snacks: Eat it as an accompaniment to ketchup/sweet chilli
They are also perfect as an ingredient for festive grazing boards, Christmas markets, or corporate catering.
If you like your coating thicker, whisk some additional flour into the mixture. For an almost translucent coating, like that achieved for tempura, add some extra sparkling water. This recipe’s flexibility lies in that it can adjust to accommodate your needs.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Letting the batter warm up: Cold batter = crispy finish. Warm batter = soggy coating.
- Crowding the fryer: Too many items at once drastically lowers the oil temperature.
- Skipping the pre-dust: A light dusting of flour helps the batter grip the bacon-wrapped sausages.
- Leaving cooked items on paper towels: Steam makes them soft. Always use a rack.
- Over-frying: The aim is light, golden batter, not dark, oily crusts.
Variations to Try
If you like experiments, here are some merrymaking twists:
- Beer Batter: Use pale ale instead of sparkling water for extra flavour.
- Herb Batter: Mix dried sage, thyme, or rosemary into your flour.
- Spiced Batter: A pinch of paprika and chilli powder brings character.
- Cheesy Pigs in Blankets: Place a slice of cheese between the bacon.
- Sweet and Savoury: Maple mustard glaze.
Wrapping it Up
Battered pigs in blankets are the perfect combination of comfort, crunch, and fun. This recipe, whether it’s for making trays for the December menu or a fun treat for the kids, provides reliability and endless opportunity for creative fun.
If you are interested in learning more tips for frying, oil tips, and help for your kitchen, our team of professionals would be happy to assist you. Good frying requires skill, but it’s an art. And for us at Frymax, your success is our success.
