British & Irish Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Ulster Fry
Northern Ireland's legendary fry-up: bacon, sausages, eggs, black pudding, potato bread, and soda bread — fuller and heartier than its English cousin.
Contains common allergens
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Good to know
- Crispy
- Ready in under 30 minutes
Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: crispy recipes30-minute meals
Instructions
6 steps- 1
Fry the sausages: In a large frying pan over medium heat, fry the sausages in a little oil for about 15 minutes, turning until browned and cooked through. Push to the side of the pan.
- 2
Cook the bacon and tomato: Add the bacon rashers and tomato halves (cut side down) to the pan. Cook the bacon until the fat renders and it is crispy. Remove meats to a warm plate.
- 3
Fry the potato farls: In the bacon fat left in the pan, fry the potato farls for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden and crispy. Remove to the warm plate.
- 4
Fry the soda bread: Add a little more fat if needed, and fry the slices of soda bread until browned and crisp on both sides. This absorbs the delicious pan juices.
- 5
Fry the eggs: Finally, fry the eggs to your preference, usually sunny-side up with a runny yolk.
- 6
Serve immediately: Arrange all the hot components on warm plates and serve immediately with a strong cup of tea.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
71/100
Good fit for most families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving210
Calories
11 g
Protein
23 g
Carbs
8 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
The Ulster Fry is Northern Ireland's answer to the full cooked breakfast, and it differs from the full English and full Irish in one defining way: the presence of soda bread and potato bread (fadge), both cooked in the same pan alongside the standard breakfast meats. These two breads — unique to Ulster — are what elevate the Ulster Fry from a generic fry-up into a distinctly regional dish. The soda farls and potato farls absorb the bacon and sausage fat from the pan and develop a crisp, golden crust that many consider the best part of the entire plate.
Listahan note
This version cooks the soda and potato bread last in the accumulated pan drippings so they pick up every bit of savory flavor from the meats cooked before them.
Technique cues
- Cook the soda and potato bread in the drippings left in the pan after the meats are done — these two breads are what make an Ulster Fry distinct, and they need that fat to develop the right crust.
- Potato bread (fadge) is made from leftover mashed potato bound with flour into flat squares; it is cooked similarly to a griddle cake and goes into the pan cut-side down until golden.
- Soda bread for the fry is cut into triangular farls and cooked on their flat sides rather than baked as a loaf; they develop a dense, chewy interior with a crisp exterior from the pan.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Keep finished meats warm in a low oven while cooking the breads and eggs; everything should hit the plate within 2 minutes of the eggs.
- Make-ahead
- Make soda farls and potato bread the day before; reheat in the pan drippings fresh the morning of serving.
- Leftover move
- Leftover potato bread is outstanding the next day pan-fried in butter and topped with a fried egg for a fast weekday breakfast.
- Cleanup rhythm
- One large pan handles everything in sequence; deglaze the final pan with a splash of water to release the drippings, which can be used as a dipping sauce for the bread.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
back bacon
primary meat
Purpose: Back bacon — not streaky — is standard in both Ulster and Irish fry-ups; it provides a lean eye of meat with a crisp fat edge.
Handling: Cook in a dry pan over medium heat; the fat will render and provide the oil needed for subsequent components.
Adaptation: Canadian bacon is the closest North American equivalent.
soda farls
defining Ulster bread
Purpose: Soda bread cooked as flat quarters on a griddle rather than baked in a round loaf; they absorb the bacon fat and develop a uniquely dense, chewy texture.
Handling: Slice each farl horizontally through the middle before frying to increase the surface area that can contact the pan.
Adaptation: Store-bought soda bread slices can substitute in a pinch; the texture will be slightly different.
potato bread (fadge)
defining Ulster potato element
Purpose: Mashed potato bound with flour and cooked as a flat griddle cake; uniquely Ulster and the element that sets the fry apart from English and southern Irish versions.
Handling: Buy pre-made from an Irish grocery or make from 2 parts mashed potato to 1 part flour; cook in the pan drippings until golden on both sides.
Adaptation: Hash browns or boxty provide a similar starchy, potato-based element if fadge is unavailable.
pork sausages
secondary meat
Purpose: Traditional thickly ground sausages add another savory protein layer and their rendered fat enriches the pan for the breads.
Handling: Brown slowly over medium-low heat before the bacon to allow the skin to color evenly.
Adaptation: Vegetarian sausages and vegetarian black pudding are available and make a satisfying plant-based fry.
eggs
richness
Purpose: A fried egg with a runny yolk ties the plate together; the yolk runs over the bread and creates a natural sauce.
Handling: Fry last in the remaining pan fat, basting the top with hot oil rather than flipping.
Adaptation: Scrambled eggs if preferred; they mix into the other components more readily.
Technique notes
- Split the soda farls in half horizontally before frying — the exposed crumb absorbs far more pan fat and develops a better crust than frying the whole uncut farl.
- The order matters: sausages, then bacon, then mushrooms and tomatoes, then breads, then eggs; each stage uses the rendered fat from the stage before.
- This is a one-pan meal in spirit even if the volumes mean you use a wide skillet and oven tray together; minimizing equipment is part of the tradition.
Ingredient swaps
- Vegetarian direction
- Vegetarian sausages, vegetarian black pudding, and halloumi slices replace all the meat; the soda and potato breads are already vegetarian.
- Gluten-free direction
- Make soda farls and potato bread with a gluten-free flour blend; most meats on the fry are naturally gluten-free but check sausage labels.
- Lighter version
- Grill the meats rather than pan-frying and toast the breads rather than frying them; the fry loses some of its character but is significantly lower in fat.
Serve alongside
- Baked beans
- Grilled tomatoes
- Brown sauce or ketchup
- Strong builder's tea with milk
- Fresh orange juice
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- The Ulster Fry is best eaten immediately; the bread components especially lose their crispness within minutes.
- Soda farls and potato bread keep refrigerated for 2 days and reheat well in a pan.
Equipment
- Large heavy skillet or griddle wide enough to hold multiple components at once
- Oven-safe sheet pan for holding finished components at 200 degrees F
- Fish slice or wide spatula for flipping the breads without breaking
- Kitchen tongs for handling bacon and sausages
Make this household-aware
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Plan it in Listahan
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