These slow cooker devilled sausages are a classic Australian comfort food dinner made with beef sausages simmered in a rich and tangy tomato sauce. Serve them over mashed potatoes with peas for a proper nostalgic and budget friendly meal. Skip the packet mix and make this instead!
This recipe is one for my husband. He grew up eating devilled sausages and constantly is talking about just how good they are. And after more than 10 years of marriage I’ve finally made him a version from scratch! My hesitation was simply that I wasn’t sure I’d even like it, but it turns out it’s absolutely delicious and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to work on this recipe!
If you grew up in Australia, there’s a good chance this is a familiar dinner. It’s proper nostalgic comfort food, just like my slow cooker curried sausages which is another of my husband’s favourites, along with savoury mince of course! These retro classic family dinners are having a comeback as we all look for budget-friendly meal ideas that are packed full of flavour and guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser.
You can buy devilled sausages as a packet mix at the shops which is the most common way to do it, but it’s really so easy to make from scratch, and the flavour is so much better when you do. It’s the same reason I love making my slow cooker honey mustard chicken from scratch rather than just picking up a packet mix.
What Are Devilled Sausages?
Devilled sausages are a classic Australian family dinner of sausages slow cooked in a rich tomato based sauce that’s tangy, savoury and a little bit sweet. They’re traditionally served over mashed potato with peas.
The “devilled” part comes from an 18th century English cooking term for food heavily seasoned with sharp, punchy condiments like mustard, pepper and cayenne. It’s where devilled eggs get their name too!
The version we know and love in Australia and New Zealand grew in popularity from the early to mid 1900s, and packet mixes turned it into the weeknight family classic so many of us grew up eating.
Key Ingredients
These devilled sausages are made with mostly pantry staples, so it’s an easy one to pull together even in busy weeks.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Thick beef sausages – I really recommend grabbing some from the butcher for the best flavour. 800 grams will be anywhere from 7 to 10 sausages depending on their size.
- Brown onion – also known as yellow onion. The onion gets browned in the pan before adding to the slow cooker to really help build the flavour.
- Apple – peeled and grated so it melts into the sauce. I like a Granny Smith, but any crisp apple variety works.
- Tomato paste – the rich base of the sauce.
- Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard – these give the sauce its savoury, punchy edge. Do not skip!
- Apple cider vinegar and brown sugar – the sweet and tangy balance that makes this sauce so good.
- Beef stock – the base of the sauce. Make sure to use a good quality stock for the best flavour.
- Onion powder, garlic powder and black pepper – adding extra flavour.
- Cornflour – also known as cornstarch, stirred in at the end to thicken the sauce.
You’ll Also Love: One Pot Sausage Casserole
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown the sausages on all sides, then transfer them to the slow cooker.
Step 2: In the same pan, cook the onion for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened and lightly golden, then add it to the slow cooker with the sausages.
Step 3: In a bowl or jug, mix together the remaining ingredients (except for the cornflour). Pour the sauce over the sausages and onion and stir gently to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours
Step 4: Mix the cornflour with the cold water to make a slurry and stir it through the sauce. Turn the slow cooker to HIGH and cook with the lid off for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
👉 Tip! Use good thick beef sausages, ideally from the butcher, and take the extra few minutes to brown them properly first. You can make this as a dump and go recipe but this extra step adds so much flavour to the finished sauce, and the sausages hold together better as they cook.
Serving suggestion: Devilled sausages are the best served over my dairy free mashed potatoes with some steamed peas on the side. You could also serve them over rice if that’s what you have or with some fresh bread (try my overnight no-knead bread recipe).
Storage Instructions
Like most slow cooker recipes, this one makes enough for 6 good size portions. You can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave, adding a splash of water or stock if the sauce has thickened up too much.
Recipe FAQs
You don’t have to, but it’s better if you do. If you’re short on time you can add them straight to the slow cooker, but browning gives you a much richer flavour in the sauce and helps the sausages keep their shape, so I think it’s worth it.
Yes. Thick beef sausages are traditional and give the best flavour, but pork or chicken sausages work well too. Just choose a good quality thick sausage rather than a thin one, as they hold up better to slow cooking.
Yes, just check that your sausages, Worcestershire sauce and beef stock are all gluten free, as many sausages contain wheat.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More slow cooker dinner recipes:
Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken
Slow Cooker Bolognese
Slow Cooker Chilli Con Carne
Slow Cooker Devilled Sausages
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil optional, for browning
- 800 grams (1 ¾ lb) thick beef sausages
- 1 large brown onion/yellow onion thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 Granny Smith apple peeled and grated
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 500 ml (2 cups) beef stock
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons cornflour/cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
To serve:
- Dairy free mashed potato
- Steamed peas
Instructions
- Heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown the 800 grams thick beef sausages on all sides, then transfer them to the slow cooker.
- In the same pan, add the 1 large brown onion/yellow onion and cook for 2–3 minutes, until softened and lightly golden. Transfer to the slow cooker with the sausages.
- In a bowl or jug, mix together the 2 garlic cloves, grated 1 Granny Smith apple, 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 500 ml beef stock, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder and ¼ teaspoon black pepper until combined.
- Pour the sauce over the sausages and onion in the slow cooker and stir gently to combine.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 5–6 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the sausages are tender and the sauce is rich.
- Mix the 2 tablespoons cornflour/cornstarch with the cold water to make a slurry and stir it through the sauce. Turn the slow cooker to HIGH and cook with the lid off for 10–15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
- Serve the sausages over Dairy free mashed potato with Steamed peas.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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