Bacon Onion Roly-Poly Pudding is a classic British suet pastry dish which is traditionally steamed and occasionally baked. I’ve adapted it to cook slightly quicker in the air fryer with no loss of the soft texture, crisp outer or simple but delicious flavours. And no chance of the pot boiling dry whatsoever! This is proper old school comfort food at it’s best.
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Bacon onion roly-poly is a proper traditional British dish that has been a little bit forgotten. Although what Tiktok has taught me is that it is also quite traditional and still made in many traveller communities.
The pudding is simply made with suet pastry and the bacon is added raw. It is quite traditional to add onions raw too but I find that they don’t cook enough with this air fryer cooking method. So I suggest cooking them first until golden brown and a little sweet.
This kind of rolled suet pudding is usually wrapped in cloth then steamed or boiled for several hours. But just like with Jam Roly Poly, they’re sometimes baked in the oven instead. My version is much faster to make than either of these options with no loss to the final result. By wrapping the roll in baking paper then foil, you would never know that it hasn’t been cooked traditionally. Just like my series of Microwave “Steamed” Sponge Puddings, the steamed effect is very easily recreated. It’s quicker, easier and there is no chance of the pan boiling dry!.
Suet pastry is one of the simplest pastries to make so please don’t be put off by needing to make it from scratch. There is no rubbing in, no need to use a machine or any intensive kneading. It’s easy to work with, doesn’t have a tendency to split and can be made in minutes. The texture is quite unique because it contains a raising agent. Please don’t be tempted to make this with something like ready rolled shortcrust or puff pastry and the results will slimy and stodgy, not fluffy as it should be.
How to Serve
I do find that anything made with suet pastry is best served hot. Or at least warm. When cold, puddings can become a little gummy and hard which isn’t so pleasant to eat.
The most traditional way to serve such a pudding would be with some kind of potato side. Simply boiled potatoes, creamy mashed potatoes or even roasties would be quite classic. I’ve opted to serve with minted boiled new potatoes which is also a traditional British dish.
And then there will always be vegetables. Perhaps some roasted but most traditionally boiled – carrots, spring greens or savoy cabbage are staples. A swede or swede and carrot mash (or smash if you prefer) are also common. I also added some sweetcorn for brightness and a little leftover chicken gravy from a previous roast. I’m not personally a fan but a quick gravy made with gravy granules would also be very common.
You don’t need to stick to this kind of traditional meal. I like to fry slices of the pudding in butter then serve with a big pile of chips and baked beans. A fried egg or two on the side would be no hardship.
Ingredients
Suet Pastry
Suet pastry is really easy to make. Which is lucky because I’ve never seen it available to buy ready made. I’ve linked to the recipe rather than repeating it here in this post. There is lots of helpful information about the ingredients and method.
You need 1lb/450g of the pastry to make this pudding recipe which is exactly one batch of the pastry recipe. I like to make things as easy as possible.
Traditional Suet Pastry Recipe
Bacon
Bacon can be quite contentious with everyone having an opinion on their favourite type. The most common options here in the UK are streaky bacon which is make from the belly and back which is made from the loin. Steaky is most similar to US bacon and has a higher ration of fat to meat. Back bacon is the option you want to be using for this recipe. Even if your usual preference is streaky, you’ll likely find that it is just too fatty to eat in this manner.
The other variation and preference is whether than bacon is smoked or unsmoked. The most traditional recipes stick with unsmoked bacon and this is my preference also. But if you are a staunch fan of smoked then you can use this instead.
I’ve given a weight of bacon to use in the recipe rather than a number of rashers. This is because the size and thickness of an individual rasher can vary wildly. The rashers that I used were pretty thick and covered the pastry in pretty much one layer with a tiny overlap. If your rashers are thinner, just keep layering them until all the bacon is used.
Onion
I’ve not really specified what kind of onion to use as it doesn’t really matter. White onion would be the most traditional but I don’t think that red onion is going to be any kind of disaster. Cut the onion thin and they will cook more quickly.
You can ignore my instructions to fry the onions in a little butter and add them raw if you prefer. But I really do find the finished flavour to be very overwhelming and harsh. Spending 15 minutes gently frying them with a little butter and a little oil is worth it. If you want to speed up the process a little more, you can microwave the sliced onions for 5 minutes then fry them for 5 in the fat.
Seasoning
Bacon is salty, The onions fried with salted butter are well seasoned. And the suet pastry is properly salted too. As a result I find that adding any kind of additional salt makes the pudding overwhelmingly salty.
But it is quite traditional to crumble a beef stock cube (oxo cube) over the bacon and onion before rolling it up. I tried it and I don’t think it added enough depth of flavour to make the over saltiness worth it. But I’ve added the option into the recipe if you want to go this route.
Allergen Information
This recipe is free from egg and nuts.
Gluten Free: To make this recipe gluten free, you’ll need to make a gluten free suet pastry – I’ve discussed this in my pastry recipe post as there are a few things to consider.
Dairy Free: It is quite easy to make the pastry dairy free, but again I would direct you to the information in that dedicated post. You will also need to switch out the salted butter for a dairy free option or just increase the amount of oil you are using.
Please note that this recipe may contain other allergens not referred to above and any variations suggested have not been tested unless otherwise stated. For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.
How Long to Air Fry Bacon Roly-Poly Pudding
This pudding does have a fairly long air fry time at a low temperature. Cooking it at a higher temperature for a shorter time would result in both the bacon and pastry in the centre of the roll not being cooked properly. So the 60 minute cook time is all necessary.
If you are still thinking that this feels long, just remember that to steam the pudding would take at least another 90 minutes to 2 hours!
How to Air Fry Suet Roly-Poly From Frozen
I would not recommend cooking the roly-poly from frozen. It can be frozen prior to cooking but you must allow it to fully defrost before cooking. This is for the same reason as the longer and slower cooking – the centre of the roll wouldn’t cook through properly before the outer layers were cooked to a crisp and dry as heck.
Leftovers – Storage & Reheating
I love to cook a full size roll then eat part and save some for later as leftovers reheat really well. It can be frozen for longer term storage or kept in the fridge for several days. I do prefer to freeze in individual slices and reheat in slices too. This makes it easier to make sure that it is piping hot all the way through.
There are a couple of ways to reheat leftovers. The first is to gently fry slices in a little butter/oil. This gives you crispy edges which are delicious. You can also air fry the slices directly on the rack in the air fryer so similar results – just make sure to give it a brush or spray with some butter or oil on both sides to prevent it drying out.
If you prefer to retain the softness of the roll, you can simply microwave the roll or loosely wrap it back in foil and air fry until hot all the way through.
Tips for Perfect Bacon & Onion Roll
- Don’t forget to measure your air fryer space to make sure that you are making a roll that will fit in your machine!
- Try to roll your pastry as square as possible. This way you won’t end up with skinny ends to your roll so al your slices are nice and evenly rolled and filled.
- Be careful to not wrap the roll tightly in either the paper or foil. The pastry and therefore whole roll needs some room to expand as it cooks – remember that suet pastry contains raising agent so it goes nice and fluffy as it cooks.
Common Air Fryer Questions – A Brief Guide to Air Frying
- What exactly is an air fryer?
- What are the benefits of using an air fryer?
- Are all air fryers the same?
- Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?
- Do air fryers need to be pre-heated?
- What is the best temperature to air fry at?
- What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…
- Can food be cooked from frozen in an air fryer?
- Can I reheat food in an air fryer?
- Are air fryer liners a good idea?
The Air Fried Feast Community
Come on over to Facebook and join my community discussing all things air fryer. Get involved in sharing your experiences and trials, help out others and find out what wonderful things everyone is cooking in their air fryers!
What Exactly is an Air Fryer?
Very simply, an air fryer is a small convection (fan) oven. The benefit is that the hot air is circulated all around the food being cooked which speeds up the cooking time and cooks the food more evenly.
What are the Benefits of Using an Air Fryer?
Size, time and energy usage. Air fryers are ideal for cooking smaller quantities. Heating up a space that the food just fits into requires less energy and means that the heat source is much closer to the food. Combining these two things can speed up the cooking time.
Are all air fryers the same?
Nope! The term air fryer is now used very broadly. I consider there to be 4 main types:
Basket Air Fryers
These are what I would consider to be the most common, especially in the UK. A boxy type unit has a pull out drawer/basket. Food isn’t usually visible whilst cooking.
Some larger models have two drawers so different items can be cooked at different temperatures or for different times.
This is the type that you’ll see in the images in this recipe. I mostly use a Cosori Lite 3.8L (CAF-LI401S) with a 3.8 litre capacity. The square(ish) shaped basket is 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal. It isn’t an overly expensive or fancy model.
I’ve also recommended to several friends and family the model with a slightly larger basket. This is the Cosori 4.7L (CAF-L501) with a 4.7 litre basket. The unit is no larger than the 3.8 litre model on the outside but does have a larger internal basket capacity. I’ve since bought this version to use for some recipes where my smaller model was just too small. I’ll always note this in the recipe.
Rotary Air Fryers
Round air fryers with a paddle in the centre that rotates to move the food. This is the type I used for years – the most common is a Tefal Actifry.
Rotary types are not usually good for recipes where the food is breaded, glazed, likely to break up or in a tray/container. They do however make the best chips and roasted veg.
My 2 in 1 version like the one I’ve linked also has a rotating tray for things that could be broken up by a paddle, but the height clearance with the lid isn’t deep enough to use it to cook some items like sausage rolls. I’ve now actually retired by Actifry in favour of having my two basket type fryers.
Mini Oven Air Fryers
These usually have a glass door, shelves and overall are really quite large. You can cook quite a decent quantity of food in them so are best if regularly cooking for multiple people. They often come with extra features like a rotisserie spit or kebab skewers.
Multicookers with Air Fryer Functions
Some like Ninja 11 in 1 and some of the earlier versions with a few less functions, have an air fryer option. They mostly operate the same as a basket fryer but the basket drops in the top rather than sliding in like a drawer.
Some electric pressure cookers like Instant Pots can also air fry when used with a specific lid.
Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?
As much as I do love air frying, the honest answer to this is no. And the more detailed answer is that it will always depend on what you’re cooking, how much of it you’re cooking and what type and size of air fryer you have.
Once you need to cook in more than 2 batches, it often makes more sense to use an oven. If you already have the oven on to cook other items, it may make more sense to throw one more item in rather than using an additional appliance.
I don’t think either method is often necessarily better than the other. The important point to note is that there is absolutely no difference in the finished product.
Do Air Fryers Need to Be Pre-Heated?
The answer to this is rather annoying – it depends. It depends entirely on your model and type of air fryer. The best advice I can offer is to check your manual and follow their guidance. My Cosori models have a preheat function. I press a button and it heats at 205c/400f for 4 minutes.
It’s also worth noting that regardless of whether you are supposed to pre-heat or not, if you are cooking in batches, it is quite likely that anything after the first batch will cook a little quicker because of the retained heat. It is best to check on them before the cooking time is completed.
What is the best temperature to Air Fry at?
It will always depend on what you are cooking and from what state. All of my air fryer recipes don’t use temperatures above 200c/390f because many of the most common fryers in the UK don’t go above this. Mine goes to 230c/450f and I use this temperature a lot but it is no help for me to share recipes which many people can’t use.
What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…
Not all air fryers have different settings like this. When they do it usually relates to the fan speed. The default setting to use will always be “air fry” so unless something else is specifically stated in the recipe, always use the air fry option.
There are other air fryers that have an additional heating element which cooks from underneath rather than just the top. Just as with the other settings, unless you are using a recipe which states to use a second heating element, stick with just using the top down air fry option.
Of course if and when you become more confident with air frying, using recipes and the settings of your air fryer, you can start adapting them to suit.
Can Food Be Cooked From Frozen In An Air Fryer?
Absolutely! To cook from frozen you usually will need to reduce the cooking temperature and increase the time to make sure your food is cooked right through to the middle.
It is best to check my individual recipes for cooking from frozen advice as some items are a little different. And there are occasionally exceptions to the rule.
Can I Reheat Food In An Air Fryer?
Yes. As a general rule I reheat food for roughly 1/3 of the original cooking time at the same temperature. Or at 10 degrees lower for half the time for larger items.
Are Air Fryer Liners a Good Idea?
Unless otherwise stated, I do not use liners when air frying. Basket and rotary type air fryers are designed to be used without liners. Mini oven types will generally require some kind of tray like with a regular large oven although most come with crisper racks to use.
There are many air fryer liners available including quite thick silicone ones. These will affect the cooking times and possibly temperatures of your cooking/baking. I also don’t like how cooking juices are prevented from dripping through the basket rack. This can stop food from crisping all the way around.
When I do want to collect the juices, I mostly use some foil, or occasionally a foil tray which can be washed and reused.
If you do prefer to use them, once you have got a feel for how they affect your cooking and baking, you may need to make adjustments to the recipe accordingly.
More Air Fryer Recipes
All my recipes with instructions for how to cook or bake them in the air fryer can be found in my Air Fryer Recipe Index.
Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you try making this recipe – I want to know what you think and if you made any substitutions, how did it turn out?
Still Have Questions?
Simple! Just contact me and I will do my best to help as quickly as I am able. Head over to my Contact Me page, any of my social media channels or post a comment at the bottom of this page and I’ll see what I can do.
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The Recipe
Bacon Onion Roly-Poly Pudding (Air Fryer Recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 200 g Onion
- 1 tsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 tbsp Salted Butter
- 6 tbsp Water
- 450 g Suet Pastry - click for the recipe
- Plain Flour (All Purpose) - for dusting
- 400 g Thick Cut Back Bacon
- 1 Beef Oxo Cube - optional – see notes
Instructions
Prepare the Onions
- Peel and finely slice around 200g Onion. Try to keep the slices fairly thin so they cook quickly.
- Put the sliced onion into a frying pan/skillet along with 1 tsp Vegetable Oil and 1 tbsp Salted Butter.
- Fry over a medium heat for a minute or two until the onions start to heat, the oil is hot and the butter has melted.
- Add around 6 tbsp Water to the pan and continue to cook the onions. The water will help them to soften but evaporate off after a few moments.
- Continue to cook and regularly stir the onions until they are soft and a light golden brown. They don't need to be caramelised unless you want to cook them further so this should only take around 10 minutes.
- Remove the onions from the heat and set aside.
Roll the Suet Pastry
- Take 450g Suet Pastry and make sure it has had a chance to rest for at least 5 minutes and it is still relatively cold. Put it in the fridge for a few minutes if needed.
- Roll the pastry into a rectangle. Try to keep the corners fairly square, you can stretch them out with your hands if needed. Turn the pastry over after each roll so it doesn't stick. Dust some flour onto the board if needed but try to keep it minimal.
- You will need to check that the pastry is being rolled to a size that will fit in your air fryer. Use your crisper rack or basket to check the size remembering that you can put the roll in to cook on a diagonal if using a square basket. A rectangle about 25cm wide by 35cm long – roughly 1cm thick. (10"x14"x½") was perfect for my 4.7l air fryer.
Assemble The Roly-Poly
- Optional – Crush 1 Beef Oxo Cube up between your fingers and sprinkle this over the whole of the pastry. You can use some or all. Personally I prefer not to as I think it makes the pudding overall too salty.
- Lay around 400g Thick Cut Back Bacon over the pastry. You want to cover all the pastry without big gaps. A little overlap is fine. If you are using thinner rashers then you may want to double layer them.
- Evenly spread the cooked onion mixture over the bacon. Make sure to spread it right to the edges and try to be even so all the slices contain a good amount of the onions.
- Fold over the bottom edge of the pastry over the filling then continue to roll.
- Continue rolling right to the end of the pastry. Use your fingers to stretch the last bit of pastry and make a bit of a seal.
- Pinch and tuck each end so the filling doesn't have chance of escape.
- Wrap the roll in baking paper. Don't roll too tight to allow the pastry chance to expand. Twist the ends to secure them.
- Take a piece of kitchen foil that is a similar size to your baking paper was. Place the pudding on top. Again, loosely wrap the pudding and crunch the ends to secure.
Air Fry the Pudding
- Carefully place the pudding into the air fryer basket and air fry for 60 minutes at 160c/320f.
- You can carefully unwrap the pudding and see if it is fully cooked though. It will be firm to the touch and a little browned on the outside. You need to trust the process and your gut with this one!
Notes
- The air fryer version of this recipe is tested in a 4.7 litre capacity Cosori 4.7L (CAF-L501). I cannot fit roly poly of this size in my Cosori Lite 3.8L (CAF-LI401S) which has a square(ish) shaped basket of 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal unless it is a little crushed in or rolled narrower and thicker. You will need to add to the cooking time if you do this.
- Not all models advise preheating is required. Please follow the recommended instructions for your model. Mine has a specific preheat setting which is 4 minutes at 205c.
- Required cooking times and temperatures can also vary between models and brands. If you know that your air fryer runs a little hotter than most recipes suggest, use a lower temperature. And vice versa. Equally if you find that food cooks more quickly in your machine than instructions usually state, reduce the cooking time (or check it earlier) and vice versa.
Lesley says
I forgot how easy and forgiving suet pastry is to make. Great instructions, easy to follow and the savoury filling worked a treat.
Dave says
I had never made a roly poly before, but I followed the instructions and it was really easy! What a tasty and filling dish, I’ll definitely make another.