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Chip Shop Battered Sausage Recipe (Without Beer)
Here’s how to make my popular chip shop battered sausage! Serve it with chips for the ultimate UK takeaway dish. Let’s get cooking!

Everyone loves a chip shop battered sausage (I certainly do), but trust me, knowing how to make it from scratch is incredible. They turn out ultra crispy and delicious, and overall, they’re incredibly satisfying.
The light crispy batter tastes just like my local chippy, and it coats the sausages to perfection. I always serve it with my homemade skin on fries – oh I can’t wait for you to try this!
I’ve developed this recipe without using beer (which is what usually makes the batter light and crispy), yet these battered sausages taste so good! The batter is light, fluffy and crisp every time. What’s my secret… bicarbonate of soda! Trust me, it works.

What Sausage Is Used In Battered Sausage?
Most chip shops use pork sausages which they dip in batter to make a battered sausage. I always buy a pack of jumbo pork sausages from my local supermarket, they’re perfect to use as the sausages are both thick and long. Most supermarkets sell jumbo sausages, you can also check your local butcher.
Below I’ve listed a few more suggestions on the type of sausages you can use:
- Cumberland Sausage: They are traditionally thick and long, which makes them great to use. You can even buy Cumberland sausages seasoned with different types of spices and herbs.
- Kielbasa Sausage: You can also make a battered sausage with kielbasa sausages. They are a Polish sausage that is traditionally u-shaped and smoked.
- Frankfurter Sausage: You won’t get the exact same texture using frankfurters as they are quite even textured. But they cook quicker and add a salty taste.
Recipe Ingredients
Below are the ingredients I used:
- The Batter: To make the batter, I mix self-raising flour, bicarbonate of soda, egg and cold water together. This creates a very simple batter for sausages that’s quick to make.
- Seasonings: I added salt and black pepper to the batter for extra flavour. This addition is optional, you can also replace the salt and pepper with your favourite herbs and spices.
- Sausages: I used jumbo pork sausages. The closest alternative to use is Cumberland sausages.
Do I Need To Use Beer?
To make this battered sausage recipe there is no beer required! `Some recipes add beer because the carbon dioxide in it helps create a light and crispy batter.
When the batter is immersed in hot oil, the carbon dioxide in the batter gets pushed out.
But instead of using beer, I replicate this by adding bicarbonate of soda which also releases carbon dioxide. When fried, the carbon dioxide is replaced by air leaving a light batter.
How To Make Chip Shop Battered Sausage (No Beer)
Here’s a summary of how I make battered sausage UK chippy style. You can get the full recipe instructions in the recipe card below:
Step One:

I start by pouring self-raising flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and black pepper into a mixing bowl and mix everything together until it’s evenly distributed.
Step Two:

Then I pour water and add an egg into the mixing bowl and whisk the mixture together until a thick pouring batter has formed.
Step Three:
