Classic British Faggots Recipe

By
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 08/31/24
Tested by
Julia Hartbeck
Tested by Julia Hartbeck
Julia is a professional food photographer and stylist based in England. She loves nothing more than reading cookbooks cover-to-cover and traveling the world to sample international cuisines.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
British faggots served with peas

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Total: 80 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Faggots are an old-fashioned British food and one that has sadly fallen out of favor in recent years. How lovely that there is a revival of interest in this humble meat dish, possibly because they are so easy and cheap to make.

How Are Faggots Made?

Traditionally, faggots are made from offal, usually pork, and from the bits of the animal that are generally discarded but now tend to just be the liver and possibly, the heart. The mixture of ground meat is then wrapped in some kind of fat, either caul fat or bacon, then baked.

Why Are They Called Faggots?

While, unfortunately, this dish shares its name with a slur in American English, in British English the word comes from the way the dish is prepared and presented. The British word "faggot" is an archaic term for a bundle of sticks. For this dish, a ground meat mixture is wrapped in some kind of fat—often caul fat but bacon in this recipe—before cooking, hence the name implying something that is bundled.

How To Serve Faggots

Serve these delicious morsels with a bowl of light, fluffy, mashed potatoes,​ and onion gravy or with mushy peas.

Tips for Making Faggots Recipe

  • No bacon, no problem - If desired, you can use caul fat instead of bacon. While this is a specialty item, you can order it from dedicated butcher shops.
  • The meat should be very cold before grinding - The process of grinding meat heats it up, and if it is heated too much the fat can start to melt, resulting in faggots with a mealy texture.
  • If using a food processor - Grind the meat in small batches to ensure even grinding and to prevent over-processing. This can cause the faggots to have a tight, bouncy texture.
  • Make it less sticky - Wet your hands slightly with water before shaping the meat mixture into balls to keep it from sticking to your hands.
What You'll Need to Make This British Faggots Recipe
Commerce Photo Composite
A Nifty Meat Grinder
Best_Baking_Sheet_HeroHorizontal
A Sturdy Rimmed Baking Sheet
Best Instant Read Thermometers
An Accurate Kitchen Thermometer

"Don't be put off by the lengthy ingredients list for this dish, because the process is very easy and actually comes together fairly quickly. I found it easier to mix the meat and breadcrumb mixture with my hands, rather than a spoon." —Julia Hartbeck

Classic British Faggots Recipe/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces (110 grams) pork shoulder, coarsely chopped

  • 4 ounces (110 grams) pig's liver, coarsely chopped

  • 8 ounces (250 grams) pork belly, coarsely chopped

  • 4 ounces (110 grams) bacon, coarsely chopped

  • 4 ounces (110 grams) breadcrumbs

  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground mace

  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

  • 2 medium fresh sage leaves, finely chopped

  • 1 small red chili, seeded and finely chopped

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste

  • 16 slices streaky bacon, or caul fat

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make traditional British faggots

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 445 F / 170 C / Gas 3. Mince 4 ounces (110 grams) pork shoulder (coarsely chopped), 4 ounces (110 grams) pig's liver (coarsely chopped), 8 ounces (250 grams) pork belly (coarsely chopped), and 4 ounces (110 grams) bacon (coarsely chopped) in a meat grinder. Alternatively, pulse in a food processor until finely chopped. Do not overmix.

    Chopped meat in a mincer

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Place the minced meat into a large bowl. Add 4 ounces (110 grams) breadcrumbs, 1 medium onion (finely chopped), 1/2 teaspoon ground mace, 1 teaspoon ground allspice, 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (finely chopped), 2 medium fresh sage leaves (finely chopped), 1 small red chili (seeded and finely chopped), and salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly.

    A large bowl of the minced meat mixed with breadcrumbs and seasonings

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Dampen your hands, divide and roll the minced meat mixture into 8 evenly-sized balls.

    A plate with eight balls of meat mixture

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Take the 16 slices streaky bacon or caul fat and wrap each meatball in two bacon slices, making sure it securely wraps the meat. It's OK to overlap the bacon.

    Meat balls wrapped with strips of bacon

  6. Place the faggots onto a large rimmed baking sheet.

    Bacon-wrapped balls on a baking sheet

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Bake until a thermometer placed in the center of the meat registers 160 F, 50 to 60 minutes. Once cooked, remove from the oven and serve immediately. If you are not ready to eat the faggots then wrap in foil and keep warm.

    Baked traditional British faggots on a baking sheet

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

How To Store British Faggots Recipe

Refrigerate leftover faggots in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat them gently in a warm oven covered with foil to prevent them from drying out.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
775 Calories
47g Fat
27g Carbs
57g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 775
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 47g 61%
Saturated Fat 16g 82%
Cholesterol 247mg 82%
Sodium 1695mg 74%
Total Carbohydrate 27g 10%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 57g
Vitamin C 27mg 135%
Calcium 113mg 9%
Iron 8mg 47%
Potassium 801mg 17%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)