How Long to Cook Sausage Rolls in the Oven

A golden puffed oastry with meat filling on a copper wire rack.

Crunchy bakery-style homemade sausage rolls with a classic pork and vegetable filling wrapped in golden flakey puff pastry.

A bunch of golden sausage rolls sprinkled with poppy seeds on a copper wire rack.

There's a small handful of recipes that I would make every few weeks and this is one of them!

Whether we're having a party, filling up the freezer or making lunch box snacks, these tasty little pastries are always a firm favourite (especially with kids!)

Sausage Rolls

Favourite Bakery Pastry

Sausage rolls are undoubtedly one of the most popular foods to buy from a bakery in Australia, New Zealand and the UK.

They are similar to what's known as 'Pigs In Blankets' in the US, however they differ in that they're made using a soft meat filling (traditionally with a combination of either pork or beef mince and sausage meat) and are then wrapped in crispy, flakey, golden puff pastry.

Two crispy golden sausage rolls, sprinkled with poppy seeds, served on a black plate

Why You're Going To Love This Recipe

Forget about buying sausage rolls from the bakery, this homemade recipe is a zillion times better!

Here's why they're so delicious:

Crispy pastry - think golden, flakey, melt-in-your-mouth pastry brushed with an egg wash and sprinkled with sesame seeds. You won't get that crunchy pastry from a shop!
Soft meat filling - this is my favourite sausage roll recipe and it's also my most traditional recipe... there's something to be said for keeping it simple! I like to use a combination of sausage meat and pork mince which gives the best flavour and soft meaty filling. Try it and see for yourself!
Bulk recipe - this recipe makes approximately 24 medium-sized or 60 mini bite-size rolls. It can easily be doubled or tripled if you're catering for a party.
Freezer-friendly - make a batch ahead of time and freeze until needed. You can either reheat them once they've defrosted or cook directly from frozen (add an extra 10 minutes to the cooking time if cooking from frozen).
Kid-friendly - I've never met a kid who didn't love these! They're the perfect kid-sized snack.

A bunch of golden sausage rolls, sprinkled with sesame seeds and poppy seeds on a wire copper rack.

What You Need

To make sausage rolls from scratch, you'll need:

Hidden vegetables - no-one will notice that you've snuck a few vegetables into your meat filling mixture.

I recommend using a combination of carrot, zucchini and onion.

Sausage mince - sausage mince is also known as sausage meat. You can buy sausage mince from the meat section of major supermarkets or butcher.

It is made from ground (minced) pork, spices and breadcrumbs and has the texture of the filling of uncooked sausages.

If you can't buy sausage mince, you can make your own by squeezing the filling out of the skins of regular pork sausages.

Pork mince - sausage rolls are traditionally made with pork mince (my favourite version) however, you can substitute with beef or lamb mince if you prefer.

Flavourings - take these sausage rolls to the next level with garlic (optional), regular tomato sauce (ketchup) and Worcestershire sauce.

Puff pastry - the delicious golden, flakey pastry is made using regular store-bought frozen pastry sheets. I prefer Pampas brand as it puffs up beautifully when cooked, but any other brand is fine too.

Egg wash - before baking, I brush a small amount of lightly beaten egg over the pastry and then sprinkle with sesame seeds or black poppy seeds. The egg makes the pastry turn a rich golden colour and makes them extra crispy.

Looking down on individual bowls of the ingredients for homemade pork mince pastries.

How To Make Sausage Rolls From Scratch

The ultimate party food is just a few simple steps away...

Note: scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full detailed method.

Step 1 - Squeeze The Liquid From The Vegetables

This is the most important step!

To ensure that your rolls are deliciously crispy and that you avoid the dreaded 'soggy' pastry, you need to squeeze ALL of the liquid from the grated vegetables (see my tips below).

Step 2 - Mix The Meat and Filling Ingredients

In a large bowl, mix all of the filling ingredients together.

TIP: Get your hands into the bowl and mix the filling together really well - this is so much easier than using a spoon.

Pork mince, sausage meat, grated vegetables and sauce in a glass bowl.

A glass bowl of mixed sausage meat, mince, vegetables and sauces.

Step 3 - Rolling

Rolling the the meat filling in pastry could not be easier.

Image 1 - Cut each square of puff pastry in half

Image 2 - Place a long thin line of meat filling down the middle of each pastry half.

Image 3 - Roll the pastry over the meat filling, leaving the pastry seam on the bottom.

Image 4 - Cut each length into smaller pieces (3 per length for larger rolls or 4-6 for bite-size rolls).

4 pictures showing pastry cut, sausage meat spread along the pastry, pastry being rolled to enclose filling, and pastry cut into small rolls.

Step 4 - Brush With Beaten Egg

Lightly beat an egg in a small bowl and use a silicone brush or a pastry brush to lightly brush the top of the pastry.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds (optional).

Step 5 - Bake Until Golden And Crispy

Bake for 25-30 minutes (for larger pieces) or 20 minutes (for bite-sized pieces).

How To Avoid Soggy Sausage Rolls

The biggest problem that people have when baking sausage rolls is having soggy pastry bases... and no-one wants soggy pastry!

Here's how you can get crispy, crunchy, flakey pastry...

Remove The Moisture

Grate the vegetables (zucchini and carrot) and finely chop the onion and then place into a fine wire strainer.
Use your hands to squeeze out as much mixture as possible.
Transfer the grated vegetables to paper towel and squeeze out all of the remaining moisture.
TIP: this is THE most important step to avoiding sogginess... so don't skip it!

Preheat Your Oven

Ensure that your oven is preheated to 210 degrees celsius (fan-forced) or 220 degrees celsius (conventional) before cooking.

Use Cold Baking Trays

Remove the baking trays from the oven before preheating.
The trays need to be cold when you place the uncooked pastry rolls on them so that they cook evenly in the oven and get a crispy base.
Using hot trays will begin to soften and 'melt' the pastry before they're added to the oven - which will lead to soggy pastry.

Prepare The Trays

Lightly grease flat non-stick baking trays
Do NOT line the baking trays with baking paper as it acts as a barrier between the sausage rolls and the baking tray and stops the pastry from getting crispy.

Rotate The Trays

Rotate the baking trays partway through baking.
Rotate between the oven shelves and also turn the trays around.

Transfer To A Cooling Rack

Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the baking tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Sesame seeds sprinkled on top of a golden baked pork mince savoury pastry on a copper wire rack.

Recipe FAQ & Tips

What is sausage mince?

Sausage mince is also known as sausage meat. It can be bought from the meat section of major supermarkets, and often butchers. It is made from ground (minced) meat, spices and breadcrumbs and has the texture of the filling of uncooked sausages.

What can I use in place of sausage mince?

If you can't buy sausage mince, you can make your own by squeezing the filling out of the skins of regular pork sausages.

How will I know if my sausage rolls are cooked through?

When cooked the meat filling will still be soft. However, you can tell that they're cooked as the filling will have a very different texture from raw meat. As the pieces are very small, by the time has pastry has turned golden and crispy, the filling will most definitely be cooked through. If you're worried, break one in half and press your finger to the mixture, if it's very hot in the centre, it is cooked.

How long will sausage rolls last?

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Can you freeze sausage rolls?

Sausage rolls freeze perfectly. You can freeze them baked or unbaked.

Allow baked sausage rolls to cool completely before freezing. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

To freeze unbaked rolls, prepare them as per the recipe up until the egg wash stage. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Can you cook sausage rolls from frozen?

You can reheat baked sausage rolls that have been defrosted in an 180 degrees celsius oven until hot through.

Alternatively, brush unbaked frozen rolls with egg wash, sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional) and bake as per the recipe (add an extra 10 minutes to the cooking time).

Serving

The most traditional way to serve sausage rolls is of course with tomato sauce or ketchup! This makes is the perfect snack, party food, appetiser or game night treat.

These pastries can be served warm or cold.

Alternatively, you can make your snack into a full meal by serving with fries and salad.

A half-eaten golden baked pork mince pastry, sprinkled with poppy seeds on a black and gold plate.

More Sausage Roll Recipes

If you love sausage rolls (and really... how can you not love delicious little crunchy savoury bite-sized snacks!) then you're going to love these recipes too:

Lamb Sausage Rolls - an Aussie take on a classic favourite
Beef Sausage Rolls - a beefy version that everyone loves
Chicken & Vegetable Sausage Rolls - perfect for sneaking in some veggies
Chicken & Corn Sausage Rolls - a favourite with kids and toddlers
Spinach & Ricotta Rolls - a tasty cheesy vegetarian option

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Flakey sausage rolls on a copper rack.

▢ 1 medium carrot grated
▢ 1 medium zucchini grated
▢ 1 brown onion chopped finely
▢ 500 g sausage mince
▢ 500 g pork mince
▢ 1 tsp minced garlic optional
▢ 1 ½ tbs tomato sauce
▢ ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
▢ 6 sheets puff pastry defrosted
▢ 1 egg lightly beaten
▢ sesame seeds or black poppy seeds, to sprinkle (optional)

Conventional Method

Preheat oven to 220 degrees celsius (or 210 degrees if using fan-forced).
Grate carrot and zucchini and remove any excess liquid through a strainer and then squeeze out any extra moisture with paper towel (see notes).
Place the drained carrot and zucchini into a bowl. Add the chopped onion, sausage mince, pork mince, garlic, tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce to the bowl. Mix together until well combined.
Cut one sheet of defrosted puff pastry in half.
Place 1/12th of the sausage mixture in a long thin line in the middle.
Roll into a long thin roll making sure that the joined pastry seam is facing down.
Cut each roll into 3 pieces (or 6 for bite-sized rolls). Brush lightly with the beaten egg. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or black poppy seeds.
Place the sausage rolls onto lightly greased non-stick baking trays.
Cook in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the pastry is golden and puffed and the mixture is cooked through.

Thermomix Method

Preheat oven to 220 degrees celsius (or 210 degrees if using fan-forced).
Place carrot, zucchini and onion into the Thermomix bowl. Grate on Speed 9, 5 seconds, or until the mixture is finely grated (you may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl).
Place the grated vegetables into a strainer and squeeze out any excess liquid and then squeeze out any extra moisture with paper towel (see notes). Return to the Thermomix bowl.
Add the sausage mince, pork mince, garlic, grated vegetables, tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce to the Thermomix bowl. Mix on Reverse Speed 5 for 30 seconds or until completely combined (using the spatula to help mix).
Cut one sheet of defrosted puff pastry in half.
Place 1/12th of the sausage mixture in a long thin line down the middle. Roll into a long thin roll making sure that the joined pastry seam is facing down.
Cut each roll into 3 pieces (6 pieces for bite-size). Brush lightly with the egg mixture. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or black poppy seeds.
Place the sausage rolls onto lightly greased non-stick baking trays (see notes).
Cook in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the pastry is golden and puffed and the mixture is cooked through.

RECIPE NOTES & TIPS

Ingredients Info:

Hidden vegetables – no-one will notice that you've snuck a few vegetables into your meat filling mixture. I recommend using a combination of carrot, zucchini and onion.

Sausage mince – sausage mince is also known as sausage meat. You can buy sausage mince from the meat section of major supermarkets or from your local butcher. It is made from ground (minced) pork, spices and breadcrumbs and has the texture of the filling of uncooked sausages. If you can't buy sausage mince, you can make your own by squeezing the filling out of the skins of regular pork sausages.

Pork mince – sausage rolls are traditionally made with pork mince (my favourite version) however, you can substitute with beef or lamb mince if you prefer.

Flavourings – take these sausage rolls to the next level with garlic, regular tomato sauce (ketchup) and Worcestershire sauce.

Puff pastry – the delicious golden, flakey pastry covering is made using regular store-bought frozen pastry sheets. I prefer Pampas brand as it puffs up beautifully when cooked, but any other brand is fine too.

Egg wash – before baking I brush a small amount of lightly beaten egg over the pastry and then sprinkle with sesame seeds or black poppy seeds. The egg makes the pastry turn a rich golden colour and makes them extra crispy.

More Recipe Tips:

How to get extra crispy sausage rolls:

Remove the moisture - Grate the vegetables (zucchini and carrot) and finely chop the onion and then place into a fine wire strainer. Use your hands to squeeze out as much mixture as possible. Transfer the grated vegetables to paper towel and squeeze out all of the remaining moisture.

Preheat your oven - Ensure that your oven is preheated to 210 degrees celsius (fan-forced) or 220 degrees celsius (conventional) before cooking the sausage rolls.

Use cold baking trays - The trays need to be cold when you place the uncooked sausage rolls on them so that they cook evenly in the oven and get a crispy base.

Prepare the trays - Lightly grease flat non-stick baking trays. Do NOT line the baking trays with baking paper as it acts as a barrier between the sausage rolls and the baking tray and stops the pastry from getting crispy.

Rotate the trays - Rotate the baking trays partway through baking. Rotate between the oven shelves and also turn the trays around.

Transfer to a cooling rack - Allow the sausage rolls to cool for 5 minutes on the baking tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cooking through - Once cooked, the filling will have a very different texture from raw meat. As the sausage rolls are very small, by the time has pastry has turned golden and crispy, the filling will most definitely be cooked through. If you're worried, break one in half and press your finger to the mixture, if it's very hot in the centre, it is cooked.

Storing -Sausage rolls can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Freezing -You can freeze sausage rolls baked or unbaked. Allow baked sausage rolls to cool completely before freezing. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

To freeze unbaked sausage rolls, prepare as per the recipe up until the egg wash stage. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Cooking from frozen -You can reheat cooked sausage rolls that have been defrosted at 180 degrees celsius oven until hot through. Alternatively, brush unbaked frozen sausage rolls with egg wash, sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional) and bake as per the recipe (add an extra 10 minutes to the cooking time).

How Long to Cook Sausage Rolls in the Oven

Source: https://bakeplaysmile.com/easy-homemade-sausage-rolls/