I made this for my family over the winter holidays as a celebration breakfast (and an excuse to have them test my Earl Grey tea blend with cardamom and pink peppercorns).
A Full English breakfast is one of those meals that looks intimidating but is really just about timing. It’s a matter of juggling pots and pans on the stovetop and getting the eggs, bacon, sausages, beans, tomatoes, toast and tea to the table while they are still warm. And as it turns out, if you skip the toast, the whole thing is consistent with the slow carb diet (Tim Ferriss’s 4-Hour Body Diet)
Quick Summary: How to make a traditional Full English Breakfast with eggs, bacon, sausages, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, and toast. The key is timing multiple pans at once. Naturally high protein and slow carb friendly, if you forego the bread. Serve with a black breakfast tea. Prep: 10 min | Cook: 20 min | Serves: 2-4
JUMP TO: Recipe | What is a Full English Breakfast? | The Timing Strategy | Ingredients and Substitutions | More Slow Carb Breakfasts | FAQ
What Is a Full English Breakfast?
A Full English breakfast, which is sometimes called a “fry-up”, is a traditional British breakfast that fueled field workers, travelers, and weekend lie-ins for generations. It’s hearty, protein-heavy, and meant to keep you full until dinner.
The classic components include:
- Eggs (fried, sunny-side up or over easy)
- Bacon (British back bacon is traditional, but American bacon works)
- Sausages (links, often called “bangers” in Britain)
- Baked beans (in tomato sauce, not American-style with molasses or pork)
- Grilled or fried tomatoes
- Rustic toast or fried bread
- Black pudding or blood sausage (optional but traditional)
- Mushrooms (optional)
Tea is a must. Strong black tea with milk is standard. I served my breakfast with a tea blend I developed for the Minnesota farmers’ markets, which adds cardamom and pink peppercorns to a standard Earl Grey tea.
What Makes This Slow Carb Friendly?
Most of the Full English is naturally slow carb compliant:
- Eggs, bacon, and sausages are high-protein
- Baked beans are legumes, which are allowed on slow carb as long as there is no added sugar
- Tomatoes are compliant fruits as long as you don’t overdo it
The only non-compliant element is the bread. Skip it or save it for a cheat day, and you have a filling, high-protein breakfast that fits the plan.
How Do You Time Everything?
The challenge with a Full English Breakfast isn’t any single component. Rather it’s getting everything to the table while the ingredients are still warm. Here’s the order that works:
Start first (longest cook time):
- Sausages in a skillet over medium-low heat (12-15 minutes, turning occasionally)
- Bacon in the oven at 400°F on a sheet pan (or in a second skillet)
Start second (medium cook time):
- Baked beans in a small saucepan over low heat (just warming through)
- Tomatoes cut in half, placed cut-side down in a skillet with a little oil (5-7 minutes)
Start last (quick cook time):
- Eggs fried in the bacon fat or butter (2-3 minutes for sunny-side up)
- Bread fried in the remaining fat or toasted
- Black pudding/blood sausage (if using): Slice into rounds and fry 2-3 minutes per side in the same pan as the sausages.
The key is keeping finished items warm. I use a low oven (200°F) with heat-resistant plates inside, transferring items as they finish.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Beans: This is where Americans often go wrong in terms of keeping with British tradition. British baked beans are in tomato sauce, not the sweet molasses-based American version that often includes pork. Look for Heinz or Branston beans, or use Amy’s Vegetarian Baked Beans (no pork, tomato-based).
Do not use Bush’s or other American-style baked beans if you want the breakfast to be truly British.
Sausages: British sausage (bangers) have a different texture than American breakfast sausage. They are typically less dense with more bread filler. Use any good quality pork link sausage. I used a combination of grocery store sausage links and blood sausage that I got at our local butcher shop.
Bacon: British back bacon is leaner and meatier than typical American bacon. Either works. I used American bacon here.
Blood Sausage: Blood sausage (or the British black pudding) isn’t for everyone, but it’s traditional. If you can find it, try it. If not, skip it. The breakfast is still complete without it.
Tomatoes: Use ripe, in-season tomatoes if possible. I grow heirloom tomatoes on my farm and this is a great use for them in summer. Off-season, go with the best grocery store tomatoes you can find. Add plenty of salt and grill them to increase flavor.
Bread: Rustic, thick-sliced bread fried in bacon fat is traditional. Any sturdy bread works, and you certainly don’t have to fry the bread. I found fried bread to be a little over the top, so I just toasted it and added good butter. Skip the bread entirely for slow carb.
Tea: Strong black tea, served with milk. I used my Earl Grey with Cardamom and Pink Peppercorns blend that I sell at the Minnesota farmers’ markets.
Did You Know? Black pudding is a type of blood sausage, but it’s a specific variety from the UK and Ireland known for using oatmeal or barley as a filler, distinguishing it from other global blood sausages
More Great Slow Carb Breakfast Recipes
Breakfast is a mainstay on Tim Ferriss’s 4-Hour Body diet (aka the slow carb diet). Here are a few breakfast recipes that my clients found appealing when I was coaching:
High Protein Blueberry Smoothies
Chorizo and Egg Breakfast Skillet
FAQ
They’re similar. Irish breakfasts often include white pudding and soda bread. Scottish breakfasts may include haggis or tattie scones. The core of eggs, bacon, sausages, and beans remains the same.
Mostly yes. Skip the toast and you have eggs, bacon, sausages (check for added sugars), beans (legumes are allowed), and tomatoes. All compliant.
Use Heinz, Amy’s Vegetarian Baked Beans or Branston beans from your grocery store if you want to stay traditional.
Yes. Use sheet pans in the oven for bacon and sausages, a large skillet for eggs, and a pot for beans. The timing stays the same, just scale up.
Leave it out. Many Full English variations skip it entirely.
How to Build a Full English Breakfast
Equipment
- oven-safe plates
Ingredients
- 8 pork sausage links
- 8 strips bacon British back bacon or American
- 14 oz can baked beans 15 oz British-style baked beans (Heinz, Branston, or Amy’s Vegetarian)
- 4 slices blood sausage/black pudding optional
- 8 eggs
- 4 tomatoes halved
- 4 slices rustic bread
- 2 tablespoons butter or reserved bacon fat
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 cups black tea optional cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Place oven-safe plates in a low oven (200°F) to keep finished items warm.
- Start the sausages: Add sausage links to a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook 12-15 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through. Transfer to warm plates in oven.8 pork sausage links
- Start the bacon: Arrange bacon on a sheet pan and place in 400°F oven. Cook 12-15 minutes until crispy. Alternatively, cook in a second skillet. Reserve fat for eggs. Transfer bacon to warm plates.8 strips bacon
- Warm the beans: Pour baked beans into a small saucepan over low heat. Stir occasionally and keep warm until serving.14 oz can baked beans
- Grill the tomatoes: Place tomato halves cut-side down in a skillet with a little oil. Cook 5-7 minutes until softened and slightly charred. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to warm plates.4 tomatoes
- Cook the blood sausage (if using): Slice into rounds and fry in the sausage skillet 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to warm plates.4 slices blood sausage/black pudding
- Fry the eggs: Add butter or reserved bacon fat to a skillet over medium heat. Crack eggs into pan and cook 2-3 minutes for sunny-side up, or to your preference. Season with salt and pepper.8 eggs, 2 tablespoons butter or reserved bacon fat, Salt and pepper to taste
- Toast or fry the bread: Toast bread and butter it, or fry slices in remaining bacon fat until golden.4 slices rustic bread
- Assemble and serve: Arrange all components on warmed plates. Serve immediately with strong black tea.4 cups black tea
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