Welsh Rarebit Recipe (15 Minutes)

Name: Welsh Rarebit
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon mustard powder; 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika; 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, divided (or more to taste); 2/3 cup dark stout or porter, at room temperature; 12 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese Please use bright orange cheddar; 4 thick slices sourdough or country-style bread; 1 large egg yolk

Welsh rarebit on a baking tray — Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

Welsh rarebit is a curious name for a dish that is so storied—certain sources even date early versions back to the Middle Ages. Ironically of English origin (not Welsh), “rarebit” is known to be a corruption of “rabbit,” and all of it was likely the English teasing the Welsh about their apparent love for roasted cheese and inability to afford actual rabbit. Neighborly squabbling at its best!

Welsh rarebit is cheesy toast made a bit fancy, but thanks to some key ingredients, it's not at all difficult and packed full of flavor. There are so many variations that it’s possible that no two people can agree on the way to prepare it.

What nearly everyone can agree on is the best time to eat it: late at night, either at the bar or after the bar. However, you don’t need to be a regular at the local pub to enjoy this comforting, cheesy creation—it’s perfect anytime at all.

Serving of Welsh rarebit on plate with a side salad at a table with another serving on a plate and more welsh rarebit on a cutting board — Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

Tips for Picking the Best Ingredients

Since there are so few ingredients in a Welsh rarebit, each one has to be the best quality possible.

Cheese: Good quality, sharp cheddar is a must. Beloved Vermont-based Cabot is delicious and available in grocery stores all over the country. If for some reason cheddar is not your vibe, sub in a nutty cheese like Comte, gruyère, or Gouda.
Bread: There is a time and a place for Wonder Bread, and this is not it. Your bread has to be sturdy, thick slices that hold up under the broiler. A crusty sourdough or a country-style loaf will be your best choice, better yet if you can get it from a bakery, not the supermarket shelf. Just be sure whatever bread you buy has a relatively tight crumb on the inside. Slices with large bubbles are not quite right for Welsh rarebit, as your cheese would just ooze right through the gaps.
Beer: The third tenet of a great rarebit is a strong beer that brings flavor and dimension. Traditionally, a stout or porter works perfectly. Try your favorite craft brewery’s version, or use a widely available classic like Guinness. Don’t overthink it! Just be sure to steer away from any flavored beers, or anything too light. Stick to the ale family and avoid lagers.

Mustard: There are few ingredients more quintessentially English than Colman’s mustard and mustard powder, so a rarebit recipe without it might have me banned from the country altogether. If you can’t find it or are loyal to a brand of your own, sub it in equal quantity—I imagine the Brits are used to us rebelling from the other side of the pond. I’d wholeheartedly endorse a strong Dijon or whole grain mustard and not yellow or honey mustard, both of which would negatively impact the flavor.

Round It Out for a Meal

Welsh rarebit is typically enjoyed on its own, but to make it a complete meal, I suggest serving it with a salad full of crisp and crunchy things to contrast the gooey richness of the cheese—celery, apples, radishes, and bitter lettuces would all work well. Bonus points if you toss it with a mustardy vinaigrette to compliment the mustard powder in the cheese mixture.

Classic British Recipes

Welsh Rarebit

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 15 mins

Servings 6 servings

Yield 1 1/2 cups sauce

Avoiding beer? A good quality beef broth does the trick (or mushroom broth if you want to keep it vegetarian), plus a splash of brewed coffee for extra umami and depth.

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2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, divided (or more to taste)
2/3 cup dark stout or porter, at room temperature
12 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
4 to 6 thick slices sourdough or country-style bread
1 large egg yolk

Cook the rarebit sauce:

Set a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter, and once it melts, add the flour and whisk well. Continue whisking and let the flour cook for about a minute, until the mixture turns slightly golden and begins to smell slightly nutty, about 1 to 2 minutes. This will allow the raw flour taste to cook out.

Add the mustard powder, paprika, and 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. Whisk well and cook for about 30 seconds. Slowly pour in the beer little by little, whisking constantly, until the mixture is smooth and thick, about 2 minutes.

Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
Add the cheese and egg yolk:

Add the cheddar in small increments, whisking constantly, until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. It will be very thick and look about the color of milky coffee.

With the pan off the heat, whisk in the egg yolk until a smooth sauce comes together. If after adding the yolk it has the consistency of wet sand, don’t fear. It’ll still melt smoothly under the broiler. Set aside.

Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
Toast the bread and top it with sauce:

Meanwhile, toast bread lightly on both sides in a toaster, toaster oven, air fryer, or under the broiler.

Evenly spread a thick layer of sauce on each of the toasts, being sure to spread all the way to the edges so that the toast doesn’t burn.

Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
Broil the rarebit, garnish, and serve:

Set the oven rack about 5 inches from the broiler element. Preheat the broiler. Broil the rarebits until the sauce is browned in spots and bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes.

With a spatula, transfer each rarebit to a plate. With the back edge of a butter knife, press into the rarebit slightly–diagonally in one direction, then diagonally in the opposite direction–to make the traditional crosshatch pattern. Sprinkle rarebits with remaining Worcestershire sauce, if desired, and serve immediately.

Refrigerate any leftover sauce for up to 4 days.

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How do you make Welsh rarebit? Please leave a comment; we’d love to hear about it.

Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
486	Calories
26g	Fat
38g	Carbs
22g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories	486
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26g	33%
Saturated Fat 14g	70%
Cholesterol 128mg	43%
Sodium 789mg	34%
Total Carbohydrate 38g	14%
Dietary Fiber 2g	6%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 22g
Vitamin C 0mg	1%
Calcium 450mg	35%
Iron 3mg	17%
Potassium 163mg	3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.