Scottish Traditional Haggis Dish (Printable)

A savory blend of spiced meats and oats, paired with mashed turnips and potatoes for a hearty, traditional meal.

# What You Need:

→ Offal & Meats

01 - 1.1 lb sheep heart, liver, and lungs, or lamb/liver mince substitute
02 - 7 oz beef or lamb suet, finely chopped
03 - 10.5 oz lamb or beef mince (optional for texture)

→ Grains & Binders

04 - 5.3 oz steel-cut oats, toasted

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

05 - 2 medium onions, finely chopped

→ Liquids

06 - 1 cup beef stock

→ Seasonings

07 - 1 tsp ground black pepper
08 - 1 tsp ground coriander
09 - 1 tsp ground nutmeg
10 - 1/2 tsp ground allspice
11 - 1 1/2 tsp salt

→ Casing

12 - 1 cleaned sheep stomach or large sausage casing, or oven-proof pudding basin with foil cover

→ Neeps & Tatties

13 - 1.1 lb potatoes, peeled and cubed
14 - 1.1 lb turnips (swede/rutabaga), peeled and cubed
15 - 1.8 oz butter
16 - Salt and black pepper to taste

# Directions:

01 - Rinse offal thoroughly. Place in a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 1 to 2 hours until tender. Remove from water, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid if desired. Let cool and finely mince the offal.
02 - In a large bowl, combine minced offal, chopped suet, toasted oats, finely chopped onions, and optional minced meat. Add beef stock and reserved cooking liquid if using. Season with spices and salt. Mix thoroughly to a moist but firm consistency.
03 - If using casing, rinse well. Loosely fill with mixture, leaving room for expansion. Secure ends with kitchen twine. If using pudding basin, spoon mixture inside and cover tightly with foil.
04 - Place casing or basin in a large pot of boiling water ensuring water does not cover top. Simmer gently for 2 hours, replenishing water as needed.
05 - Boil potatoes and turnips in separate pots until tender, approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and mash each with butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
06 - Remove haggis carefully from pot and let rest for a few minutes. Slice open and serve hot accompanied by mashed neeps and tatties.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's unexpectedly rich and warming, with layers of spice that sneak up on you in the best way.
  • Making it from scratch feels like you're part of something much bigger than a weeknight dinner.
  • Once you taste homemade haggis, the frozen versions will never satisfy you again.
02 -
  • Don't skip the simmering of the offal—that time is what makes it tender enough to mince smoothly and removes any strong flavors that would otherwise dominate.
  • If your haggis bursts during cooking, it's not a disaster; it'll still taste wonderful, just less visually dramatic. Usually it happens because you filled the casing too full or tied it too tightly.
  • The toasting of oats really does matter—raw oats taste floury, but toasted oats bring a warm, nutty dimension that makes people stop and notice.
03 -
  • If you're nervous about the casing bursting, wrap it loosely in cheesecloth before simmering—it holds everything together if something goes wrong.
  • The secret to balanced flavor is tasting the raw mixture before cooking and adjusting seasoning then, not after; you can always add more salt, but you can't take it out.
  • Ask your butcher to mince the offal for you if you don't have a food processor—they'll do it in seconds, and it saves you the messy step.
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