Juicy sausages smothered in tomato and onion gravy make a delicious and easy meal. The tasty gravy is made with nothing other than fresh tomatoes and onions and is perfect for pouring over a plate of plump sausages piled onto a mound of creamy mashed potatoes.
Tomato and onion gravy is a traditional South African dish, normally served at a braai (the rest of the world calls it a barbeque) spooned over a pile of pap (or maize porridge). Add some barbequed steak, chicken or boerewors (traditional South African sausage) and you've got a fantastic meal the whole family will love. And to make it taste even better (if that were possible) you could serve it spooned over these amazing rumbledethumps!
That's great when the weather is good, and you can sit outside and enjoy your dinner. Here in the UK where the weather doesn't always cooperate, I like to serve a meal of sausages in tomato and onion gravy (indoors, in the warmth of my dining room). Of course, the sausages are normally good old Cumberland or Lincolnshire, depending on what I feel like on the day, but the tomato and onion gravy elevates them from a boring banger into something special.
Just imagine a hearty helping of mashed potatoes, topped with plump juicy sausages, smothered in tasty tomato and onions. This is my ideal comfort food meal. It's simple fare by today's standards. There are no added herbs and spices. Just pure fresh tomatoes and onions which have been braised to juicy perfection and poured over the sausages. And it tastes amazing!
If you'd like to try the taste of boerewors I have a recipe for boerewors patties, which are easier to make than proper sausages, but have the authentic taste of real boerewors. This tomato and onion gravy would be great served with those too!
You can vary this dish by making a sweet potato mash (with normal potatoes and sweet potatoes), or perhaps serve the sausages on a crusty bread roll and pour the sauce over the top. However you decide to serve them, I promise you these sausages in tomato and onion gravy are certain to guarantee empty plates all round!
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Ingredients
This recipe is sufficient for 4 people. I've allowed 2 sausages each, but if your family has a heartier appetite, simply cook a few more bangers! There's plenty of tomato and onion gravy and any gravy leftover can be frozen for another meal.
- Sausages - you can use either pork or beef sausages, it doesn't matter. What I would say, is buy the best sausages you can find. Cheap sausages won't taste the same!
- Tomatoes - these should be cut into half-inch cubes
- Onions - I used white onion but you could use red onion instead. It should be peeled and cut into half-inch pieces.
- Salt - for seasoning.
- Sugar - not pictured and optional - I like to add a scant teaspoon of sugar when cooking with tomatoes as I think it helps to bring out the flavour.
- Oil - I use sunflower or rapeseed oil. You could use any neutral-flavoured cooking oil such as canola.
**You can get the exact ingredient measurements on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**
Note - the ingredients on the recipe card are for 4 people. To scale the recipe up or down here are my suggestions|:
- allow 2 to 3 sausages per person
- for making the gravy you should use twice as many tomatoes by volume as onions.
Instructions
Step 1: Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onions for 3 to 4 minutes on moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until they turn translucent.
Step 2: Tip in the tomatoes (along with any juice) add the salt and sugar (if using) and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally so the mixture does not burn.
Step 3: Reduce the heat to simmer, cover the pan with a lid and leave for 25 to 30 minutes until the mixture is thick. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary.
Step 4: This is the consistency you are aiming for. Most of the liquid should have evaporated.
Step 5: While the tomato and onion gravy is simmering you can make the sausages. Arrange them in an air fryer basket.
Step 6: Cook on 200C/400F for 10 to 12 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time.
Step 7: Transfer the sausages to the tomato and onion gravy in the saucepan and serve hot, spooned over mashed potatoes. A side dish of peas makes a nice accompaniment.
How to cook sausages without an air fryer
If you don't have an air fryer you could cook the sausages either on the hob or in the oven as follows:
- Fry the sausages in a little oil in a frying pan for approximately 5 minutes per side, turning them occasionally until they are nicely browned all over.
- Place the sausages in an oven-proof dish with a splash of oil. Bake at 200C/400F for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking.
- In both cases, the actual cooking time will depend on the thickness of the sausages.
Tips for a successful outcome
Here are my top tips to ensure your sausages in tomato and onion gravy turn out perfectly every time.
- The onions and tomatoes should both be cut into approximately half-inch pieces.
- Do not discard the juice when cutting the tomatoes - add it to the saucepan with the tomatoes.
- I normally add half a teaspoon of salt to the tomatoes and once the gravy has cooked, taste and add more salt only if necessary.
- Sugar cuts through the tartness of the tomatoes and brings out the 'tomatoey' taste. I recommend adding a small amount..
- My gravy was thickened to my liking in 25 minutes. The actual cooking time will depend on how much liquid the tomatoes release. You may need up to 10 minutes longer.
- I like a thick consistency, but it doesn't matter if there is a bit more liquid left in the pan than shown in the photo.
Variations
There's not much you can do to vary this dish, but here are a few ideas. You can use them individually, or combine them all!
- Fry 1 cup of chopped mushrooms with the onions.
- Fry one chopped capsicum (red pepper) with the onions.
- Either fry one chopped chilli with the onions or add a teaspoon of dried chilli flakes (or to your own taste) with the tomatoes.
See my recipe for chilli tomato and onion sauce, which is similar to this tomato and onion gravy recipe but uses additional ingredients.
Equipment
As far as equipment goes, you will need a sharp knife and a chopping board for cutting up the tomatoes and onions, and a saucepan for making the gravy.
If you are going to air fry the sausages you will obviously need an air fryer. Otherwise, you can use either a frying pan or an oven-proof baking dish.
Storage
Leftovers can be kept in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated either in a saucepan on the stove or in the microwave.
If you have a lot of leftover tomato and onion gravy, it can be frozen in a ziploc bag or other suitable freezer container for up to 4 months. It's great for adding extra flavour to soups and stews!
FAQ
Pap is a stiff porridge made with corn meal, and is a staple food in Southern Africa, often served with tomato and onion gravy. If you would like to try your hand at making pap you can find the recipe here - how to make mielie pap.
Save for later
If you would like to treat your family to these delicious sausages in tomato and onion gravy why not save the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click on the image below.
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Related recipes
You may also like to try these other recipes using sausages:
📋The recipe
Sausages in tomato and onion gravy
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Air fryer OR
- Frying Pan
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping Board
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped onions (or 1 large onion)
- 2 cups chopped tomatoes 3 to 4 medium tomatoes
- 1 pound / 450 grams sausages beef or pork
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¾ teaspoon sugar optional
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onions for 3 to 4 minutes on moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until they turn translucent.1 cup chopped onions, 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
- Tip in the tomatoes (along with any juice) add the salt and sugar (if using) and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally so the mixture does not burn.2 cups chopped tomatoes, ½ teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon sugar
- Reduce the heat to simmer, cover the pan with a lid and leave for 25 to 30 minutes until the mixture is thick and most of the liquid has evaporated. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary.
- While the tomato and onion gravy is simmering you can make the sausages. Arrange them in an air fryer basket.1 pound / 450 grams sausages
- Cook on 200C/400F for 10 to 12 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time.
- Transfer the sausages to the tomato and onion gravy in the saucepan and serve hot, spooned over mashed potatoes. A side dish of peas makes a nice accompaniment.
Notes
- Fry the sausages in a little oil in a frying pan for approximately 5 minutes per side, turning them occasionally until they are nicely browned all over.
- Place the sausages in an oven-proof dish with a splash of oil. Bake at 200C/400F for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking.
- In both cases, the actual cooking time will depend on the thickness of the sausages.
- The onions and tomatoes should both be cut into approximately half-inch pieces.
- Do not discard the juice when cutting the tomatoes - add it to the saucepan with the tomatoes.
- I normally add half a teaspoon of salt to the tomatoes and once the gravy has cooked, taste and add more salt only if necessary.
- Sugar cuts through the tartness of the tomatoes and brings out the 'tomatoey' taste. I recommend adding a small amount..
- My gravy was thickened to my liking in 25 minutes. The actual cooking time will depend on how much liquid the tomatoes release. You may need up to 10 minutes longer.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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