Pigs in blankets
Crispy streaky bacon wrapped around chipolata sausages, honey‑mustard glaze and a thyme finish — perfect for Christmas or parties.
Pigs in blankets are the unsung heroes of the British roast — easy to make, impossible to resist. These honey‑mustard glazed chipolatas wrapped in streaky bacon crisp up beautifully and make a fuss-free party favourite.
Make them for Christmas, as a canapé, or whenever you need something reliably moreish. The short chill helps the bacon stay wrapped and the honey‑mustard gives a sweet-savoury lift that keeps you reaching for another.
Ingredients
- 24 chipolata sausages
- 12 streaky bacon — use thin rashers, each rasher halved lengthways to make 24 strips
- 15 ml wholegrain mustard
- 15 ml runny honey
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme — leaves picked for scattering
- black pepper — freshly ground, to taste
Equipment
- baking tray
- wire rack (optional)
- small bowl
- wooden cocktail sticks
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C conventional. Line a baking tray with a sheet of baking parchment or lightly grease it.
Cut each streaky bacon rasher in half lengthways to make 24 thin strips. If your rashers are extra-thin, you may not need to halve them.
Wrap each chipolata sausage with a bacon strip, overlapping the bacon seam-side down and securing with a wooden cocktail stick if needed. Place each pig seam-side down on the prepared tray.
Mix the wholegrain mustard and runny honey in a small bowl. Brush or spoon a little glaze over each wrapped sausage, then scatter the picked thyme leaves and a grind of black pepper over the tray.
Chill the tray in the fridge for 15 minutes to help the bacon set and reduce unwrapping in the oven.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes until the bacon is crisp and the sausages are cooked through. Turn the tray once after 12–13 minutes for even colouring.
Leave to rest for 5 minutes on the tray or a cooling rack before serving — the glaze will set slightly and the pigs will be less likely to fall apart.
Tips
- Halve rashers lengthways rather than across — you’ll get the perfect width to wrap each chipolata without excess overlap.
- If you’re short on time skip the 15-minute chill; the pigs will cook fine but are more likely to unwrap slightly.
- For extra crisping, bake on a wire rack set over the tray so hot air circulates under the bacon.
- Make ahead: assemble and glaze up to 8 hours ahead, keep covered in the fridge and bake straight from chilled.
- Leftovers reheat well in a moderate oven (160°C fan/180°C conventional) for 10–12 minutes to restore crispness — avoid the microwave which makes bacon soggy.
Substitutions
chipolata sausages → mini pork sausages of similar size or high-quality sausage meat rolled into 24 small logs
Stays closestreaky bacon → smoked streaky bacon for a smokier finish
Stays closerunny honey → maple syrup
Noticeably differentwholegrain mustard → English mustard (use less as it’s hotter) or Dijon for a smoother texture
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 420
- Calories
- 17 g
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 37 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 950 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I bake pigs in blankets from frozen?
You can freeze assembled pigs (uncooked) on a tray, then transfer to a bag. Bake from frozen at 200°C fan/220°C conventional but add 8–10 minutes to the cooking time and check sausages are cooked through.
How do I stop the bacon unwrapping?
Cut bacon to the right width, place seam-side down on the tray and chill for 15 minutes before cooking. Securing with a cocktail stick also helps during the first part of cooking.
Are these suitable for vegetarians?
Not as written — both bacon and chipolata sausages contain meat. Use vegetarian sausages and vegetarian streaky bacon as a swap.
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