35 Traditional Irish Food & Recipes In 2024 (2024)

Traditional Irish food and Traditional Irish recipes for you to make in your own kitchen. Some of our favorite traditional Irish food recipes includes bacon and cabbage with potatoes, Irish stew (made with lamb), colcannon (mashed potatoes), coddle (sausage, mutton, or beef), boxty (potato pancakes), bacon and potato, and the soda farl. For desserts, Irish mist brownies, Irish apple cake, Irish shortbread toffee bars and fudgy, chewy Guinness Brownies.

35 Traditional Irish Recipes

check out our video

1. Colcannon (Irish Mashed Potatoes) – Traditional Irish Food Recipes

The Irish have all kinds of ways of cooking potatoes. That also includes their festive names like champ, boxty, pandy, bruisy, and this one, colcannon.

This mashed potato dish has as many recipes as there are cooks in Ireland. Every household and location has a preferred method for preparing colcannon. The use of copious amounts of butter, potatoes, and dairy products, together with cabbage or kale as the preferred vegetable to give volume and flavor to this delectable meal, appears to be a similar theme in all of them.

Pick floury potatoes for the ideal colcannon because they have more starch and less water and make a fluffier mash. For a robust and tasty authentic Irish lunch, serve the colcannon with boiling ham, Irish bacon, corned beef, Irish stew, or lamb chops.

Mashed potatoes and greens mixed with heavy cream create a warm and satisfying side that pairs well with bangers (sausages) and other meat dishes. A traditional Irish comfort food.

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Irish Mashed Potatoes (Colcannon).

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Colcannon (Irish Mashed Potatoes).

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Irish Colcannon.

2. Irish Pasties – Irish Dinner Recipes

These Irish turnovers are filled not only with roast beef, potatoes, and gravy That’s a winning combo! They are delicious way to use up leftover roast beef all year long.

Although originated from Cornwall, these portable pies have now become a staple of Irish pub fare. They are typically served with crisps (Irish for fries) and, if you’re feeling really adventurous, gravy for dipping.

The ideal treat for St. Patrick’s Day is one of these Irish pub pasties. They are a delicious and simple meal that is guaranteed to be a hit with everyone! The best aspect is that they can be made vegetarian, vegan, or with meat because they are entirely adaptable.

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Irish Pasties.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Irish Pasties.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Irish Pub Pasties.

3. Irish Stew – Traditional Irish Recipes

Irish stew has mutton or lamb, a few vegetables, stock, salt, and pepper, and perhaps parsley and/or a bay leaf. Its humble ingredients date back to the plain cookery of rural land labourers. Nothing further. The renowned national cuisine of Ireland is Irish stew, which is straightforward and utterly delicious.

Nothing is more comforting and satisfying than a hearty bowl of Irish stew, a beloved international cuisine from Ireland. Although it used to be cooked with mutton (sheep), it is now frequently made with lamb because it is more widely available. Both types of beef will yield a flavorful, filling stew.

The necessity to create something from leftovers gave rise to the concept for the Irish stew. Though I’d be willing to cook it from scratch because it’s so hearty and rich!

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Traditional Irish Stew.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Irish Stew Recipe.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Traditional Irish Stew.

4. Irish Mist Brownies – Modern Irish Food Recipes

There are several names for Irish Mint Brownies, including Grasshopper, Irish Mist, Luck o’ the Irish, and Mint Irish Cream, but they all share the same characteristic. These fudgy, chocolatey, minty brownies are hard to put down. They are stunning with the vivid green icing as well!

Easy saucepan brownies are Irish Mist Brownies. These brownies may be prepared quickly, allowed to cool, and then enhanced with a butter and cream cheese frosting with a little peppermint extract for flavor.

The three layers of this dessert are very simple to make. The simple filling and melted chocolate are made quickly, while the bottom layer is your standard brownie. Waiting for these wonderful brownies to cool and resisting the urge to eat them all is the hardest part!

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Irish Mist Brownies.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Irish Mint Brownies.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Irish Mint Brownies.

You Might Also Like:

5. Traditional Irish Beef and Guinness Stew – Traditional Irish Dishes

This hearty and strong Irish Beef Guinness Stew, one of Ireland’s most well-known pub meals, will make your taste buds sing and have you begging for more. Yummy meat and delicate vegetables in a Guinness-based, thick sauce!

Ireland’s beef stew is unique from other beef stews because, as its name implies, it contains Guinness stout. As the dish simmers slowly, the alcohol evaporates, leaving behind a rich, hearty flavor with fork-tender beef, waxy potatoes, and the sweetness of parsnips and carrots.

The stew that started it all may very well be Irish stew. You know that anything simmering for a long time will be beneficial. However, this stew is the stuff of your dreams. The greatest of the best, this sauce has a rich, dark brown flavor and is arguably the most delectable of all stews. Use Irish Soda Bread to wipe your bowl clean!

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Traditional Irish Beef and Guinness Stew.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Irish Beef and Guinness Stew.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Guinness Beef Stew.

6. Classic Irish Fish Pie with Colcannon Topping – Traditional Irish Food Recipes

Excellent comfort food on a chilly, rainy Friday. a heartwarming fish pie with a twist. Irish comfort food at its purest and most opulent is Irish Fish Pie with Colcannon Topping. Shepherds herd sheep, thus lamb is used in the traditional cuisine, as you are undoubtedly aware. I adore the depth that lamb gives it.

There are numerous moving pieces in this recipe. However, there is work arounds that can be done! While the potatoes are boiling for the colcannon, you can prepare all of the vegetables in advance and begin preparing the filling. You can also prepare the filling, colcannon, or both dishes up to two days in advance. Alternately, construct the pie and refrigerate it the day before you intend to bake it (just cover it with plastic wrap).

The comfort food you didn’t realize you needed is this fish pie with colcannon with Irish influences. It’s a fantastic weeknight meal option because it’s ready in 40 minutes.

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Fish Pie with Colcannon Topping.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Easy fish pie with colcannon.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Guinnes-Colcannon Shepherd’s Pie.

7. Irish Soda Farls – Irish Dinner Recipes

The dough for soda bread is shaped into a circle and divided into farls, which stand for four pieces. Following that, it is fried on a dry griddle or pan. Historically, this was the quickest method for preparing soda bread for last-minute visitors who drop by for some good fun. While cooked as part of an Ulster breakfast, this Irish dish is wonderful when eaten fresh with butter and jam.

You’ll adore Northern Ireland’s version of soda bread if you enjoy Irish soda bread. In this region of the country, farl fried in a skillet is always referred to as “soda bread.”

The Scots term “fardel,” which describes a three-cornered cake or the fourth quadrant of a circular, is where the word “farl” originates. Although any flatbread that is prepared by dividing a round into four equal quarters might be referred to by this word, only soda bread or potato cakes are correctly named that.

Traditional Irish soda farls are made with simple ingredients like flour, salt, baking soda, and buttermilk to produce a bread that lightly rises with a distinctive flavor. Since ancient times, baking soda and buttermilk have been employed in Irish cooking as a raising agent in a variety of breads, from the classic Irish soda bread to buttermilk scones. Buttermilk acts as an acid to activate the baking soda and cause it to work its magic in addition to providing a little sour flavor.

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Soda Farls.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: No. Ireland Farl (Soda Bread).

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Irish Soda Farls.

8. Yellow Man (Irish Honeycomb Candy) – Traditional Irish Recipes

Although closely related to honeycomb toffee, Irish Yellowman Candy is distinctive in its own right. It’s a customary sweet treat that has long been sold at Northern Ireland’s Ould Lammas Fair.

The fair, which honors the conclusion of the harvest season, is held on the final Monday and Tuesday of August. Rock-hard blocks of the Irish Yellow Man can be found. Because it is so hard, vendors will use a hammer to break off bits and give the debris to you in paper cones.

Brown sugar, golden syrup, butter, vinegar, and bicarbonate of soda are frequently listed as ingredients in yellowman, but there are various regional variations in both the ingredients and methods. To get the golden syrup and sugar mixture to the “hard-crack” (300 °F), the point at which cooked sugar becomes brittle when cooled, Yellowman must be heated to high temperatures.

As long as you have a candy thermometer and are speedy at the final stage, the bubbling stage, the recipe was actually quite simple to create. By first adding vinegar and then baking soda, which produces carbon dioxide, the bubbles are produced. Because the volume can increase by three or four times, use a tall pan. The secret is to incorporate the baking soda fast and thoroughly and pour the toffee into a pan before it hardens.

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Unique Irish Yellowman Candy.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Irish Yellow Man.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Irish “Yellow Man” Candy.

9. Irish Brown Bread – Modern Irish Food Recipes

A traditional soda bread recipe called Irish Brown Bread uses a mixture of whole wheat flour and white flour in equal amounts. It is incredibly simple to put together and has amazing flavor and texture. Making soda breads is a lot of fun, especially if you’re a beginner baker because it only takes a bowl and a spoon to quickly turn out a tasty loaf of bread. This substantial loaf is perfect for breakfast or as a side dish with other dishes.

The basic ingredients for traditional Irish brown bread are whole wheat flour, white flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk; this variation adds a little enrichment in the form of sugar and butter (or oil) to create a softer, slightly sweeter loaf. At any time of the day, the craggy top and moist crumb beg to be ripped apart and devoured, especially when smothered in salted butter.

The top of the loaf of Irish brown bread is sliced with a cross before baking. A hint of sweetness is added by the rich, viscous molasses. Science is the driving force behind this. By cutting into the bread, you may allow the heat to permeate it and properly cook the middle. According to superstition, the cross is a doorway for the devil.

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Traditional Irish Brown Bread.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Irish Brown Bread.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Irish Brown Bread.

10. Dublin Coddle (Irish Sausage and Potato Stew) – Traditional Irish Dishes

Dublin coddle is sort of like the Irish version of beef stew. If you’ve never tasted it before, it is made up of bacon, pork sausages, potatoes, onions, and is long-simmered in a rich brown gravy. This is not a delicate dish. While you are working hard, this dish can slowly cook away in the oven for hours and hours and still be great when you get home. (But, I do not suggest using a crock pot.)

How could you not love this? Bacon, sausages, potatoes, and onions are on the menu. all piled in a single pot, then cooked to tenderness and mouthwatering perfection! As there is only enough liquid to partially cover the ingredients, even though it is referred to as a stew, it is actually more of a casserole. As a result, the foods cook in the steam produced by the braising liquid and also get to somewhat caramelize when they come into contact with hot air.

The word “coddle,” which is derived from the French verb “caudle,” means “to simmer slowly, parboil, or stew,” ergo, its name. And the reason for that is that this stew quietly cooks for hours at a low temperature in the oven. Coddle is extraordinarily flavorful because it’s been cooked for a long time and spiced. It’s cozy and down home, yet also worthy of a celebration.

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Dublin Coddle Recipe (Irish Sausage and Potato Stew).

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Dublin Coddle.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Coddle.

You Might Also Like: 33 Easy Recipes for Traditional England Foods To Eat

11. Traditional Irish Potato Soup – Traditional Irish Food Recipes

Simple ingredients that were freely accessible in rural Irish kitchens are used in Irish potato soup. I’m not kidding when I claim that making this soup is simple. Potato, onion, butter, stock, cream, and salt and pepper to taste are the only seven ingredients. When the pantry was mostly empty, Irish housewives would make a simple potato soup.

Since I can remember, I’ve been making this classic Irish potato soup, and it’s always been one of my “go-to” meals. It’s comfort cuisine at its finest, and the greatest part is that you probably already have all the ingredients in your cupboard!

This potato-based creamy soup is substantial and “stick to the ribs” in texture. In addition to being a strong source of potassium and vitamin B6, potatoes are a great source of vitamin C. The serving size is only 110 calories, which is the best part. When made with milk, celery, and onions, this creamy potato soup takes the top spot and is a filling dinner.

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Traditional Irish Potato Soup.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: The Best Irish Potato Soup.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Irish Potato Soup.

12. Authentic Irish Apple Cake – Irish Dinner Recipes

Compared to the conventional apple pie, our quick and simple Irish apple cake recipe requires less preparation time while still tasting wonderful. Use an apple corer, peeler, or slicer to prepare this wonderful cake with even less effort. When you’re craving something sweet at any time of the year, this dessert is fantastic.

Even though this traditional Irish apple cake seems unassuming, it is a gem. It’s like an apple pie and an American coffee cake hybrid, and it’s amazing. This apple cake’s cake portion is light and moist, and the apples are finely sliced to finish it off. When I make this cake, I use granny smith apples since their somewhat sour flavor wonderfully counteracts the richness of whatever they are combined with.

Irish apple cake is incredibly moist and perfectly spiced, and it has a buttery streusel topping. And a warm custard sauce drizzled over it. The mixture bakes into a streusel that is deliciously sweet and buttery and turns golden brown.

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Irish Apple Cake Recipe.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Irish Apple Cake.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: My Mum’s Irish Apple Cake Recipe.

13. Irish Potato Cakes or Potato Farls – Traditional Irish Recipes

Irish potato bread is probably not the kind of potato bread you’re used to. Popular in Ireland and Northern Ireland, it is a delectable potato pancake, scrumptious for breakfast and any meal! These thick, savory, and spud-tacular pancakes are made even better by being pan-fried in bacon grease!

Make my Authentic Irish Potato Farls if you want a genuine Irish breakfast; they are delicious when fried and served with eggs, tomatoes, and bacon. They were a morning staple that my mother used to prepare with leftover mashed potatoes and a standard fried.

There are numerous names for a potato Farl! It is also referred to as boxty, potato fadge, potato cakes, and griddle cakes. It was created as a method to use up any remaining mashed potatoes from the previous night’s dinner. It’s a simple recipe that uses ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen, but boy are they good.

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Irish Potato Cakes (Potato Farls).

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Authentic Irish Potato Farls.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Irish Potato Farls.

14. Traditional Irish Soda Bread – Traditional Irish Dishes

Despite only only a few basic ingredients, this traditional Irish soda bread turns out to be a gorgeous loaf of bakery quality. If you can’t stand waiting for the dough to rise, it’s even easier to make than you may think. Seriously, from beginning to end, you can have a beautiful loaf of baked bread on the table in about an hour.

The secret, I suppose, is to bake the bread with an inverted cake pan on top. I have no idea what sort of baking magic that inverted pan uses. Simply said, I know that this recipe will always yield a gorgeous loaf of Irish soda bread that is of bakery quality.

Buttermilk is one of the few ingredients needed for Irish soda bread. The leavening for the bread is produced by the reaction of buttermilk and baking soda. The flavor it adds is also fantastic! It has the most beautiful crusty exterior and is both soft and dense. Its exquisite success is due to buttermilk and chilled butter.

It bakes up with a crusty outside and a fluffy, tender interior. Although the flavor is very simple, it is wonderfully balanced. It produces a beautiful loaf that you’ll love to eat for breakfast, as an appetizer, or as a side dish to your meal, you can jazz it up with unusual add-ins if you’d like.

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Grandma’s Irish Soda Bread.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Traditional Irish Soda Bread.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Irish Soda Bread.

15. No Bake Irish Fifteens – Modern Irish Food Recipes

It’s very simple to create this Irish Fifteens traybake recipe without baking. These “biscuits” are easy to make using basic ingredients. The recipe calls for fifteen large marshmallows, fifteen candied cherries, and fifteen digestive cookies (or graham crackers), hence the name “Fifteens.”

All of the components are combined using sweetened condensed milk, after which the mixture is formed into a log, covered in desiccated coconut, and stored in the refrigerator. Cut the cooled log into 15 pieces, as you may have imagined.

Although Irish Fifteens are frequently called a traybake, baking is not necessary. This makes them even more alluring because they simply need to be quickly mixed before being rolled. Place them in the refrigerator, then wait a few hours. Make these authentic Northern Irish cookies and serve them at gatherings or for dessert!

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: No bake Irish Fifteens.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Irish Fifteens | No-Bake Irish Dessert.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Fifteens.

You Might Also Like: 25 Easy Traditional German Food Recipes

16. Boxty (Irish Potato Pancakes) – Traditional Irish Food Recipes

Irish potato pancakes known as boxty are created from grated potatoes and mashed potatoes that are fried to a deliciously crunchy exterior with a soft interior. They are delicious beyond belief! Simple ingredients are needed: potato (mashed and grated), buttermilk, flour, baking soda, and The potato pancakes get a little lift from the baking soda, which is activated by the buttermilk, which also adds flavor.

Although this breakfast hybrid is delectable on its own, you can also serve it with cheese, meats, and vegetables. While it’s most frequently made as a fried pancake, boxty has also historically been baked in a loaf pan and cut into slices, as well as by making the dough thicker, forming it into a ball, and boiling it gradually like a large dumpling.

Each of the binding ingredients that can be used to make boxty batter — buttermilk, milk, cream, eggs, and butter — produces a different texture. You can experiment to see which one you like because it primarily depends on personal taste.

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Boxty (Irish Potato Pancakes).

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Boxty – Irish Potato Pancakes.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Best Ever Potato Pancakes, with a Twist.

17. Irish Shortbread – Irish Dinner Recipes

There is only one bowl needed to make these crisp, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth wonderful Irish Shortbread Cookies. Make enough because they come together rapidly and disappear much more so! The ingredient list for shortbread is possibly the shortest of all sweet treats and consists only of butter, sugar, and flour.

Shortbread has a long history that dates back to Mary Queen of Scots’ reign in the middle to late 1500s. Any dough that was left over after making bread was traditionally dried out in a low oven until it hardened and became extremely crisp. It was given the name ‘biscuit bread.’

The bread’s yeast was gradually replaced with butter (and additional sugar) to create what is currently known as shortbread. In the UK, shortbread is still a traditional teatime delicacy, and people all around the world love these delectable, crisp, buttery cookies.

The butter, of course, is the only real component that makes this a genuine Irish Shortbread biscuit or cookie. Irish butter is significantly different since it has a slightly higher fat content. While European butter has been churned for a longer period of time and has 82 percent butterfat, American butter only has 80 percent butterfat. Although that may not seem like much, it makes a significant difference when baking or cooking with it. *Check out Recipe #33 Making Irish Butter

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Easy Irish Shortbread Cookies.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Real Deal Irish Shortbread Cookies.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Easy Irish Shortbread.

18. Champ – Traditional Irish Recipes

Because potatoes were occasionally the only meal the Irish could afford to eat, they are virtually always found on the menu of Irish cuisine today. It is also one of three factors that contributed to the death of a third of the Irish people during the Great Hunger, or Irish Potato Famine as it is known on this side of the pond. A potato monoculture crop and a potato blight are the other two causes. This indicates that the potato lacked sufficient genetic variety to fend off a potato blight.

One of my favorite side dishes is champ, an Irish potato specialty. Champ is produced by warming finely chopped green onions in milk and combining them with mashed potatoes. When milk is heated with chopped green onions, or scallions as we say in Ireland, the milk absorbs a mild onion flavor that elevates mashed potatoes to a whole new level of deliciousness. These potatoes with onion flavor ooze buttery goodness when topped with a knob of melting butter.

Champ can be made if you can make homemade mashed potatoes. This meal’s ability to be scaled up or down without really requiring a recipe is one of my favorite things about it. Simply prepare as many potatoes as there are mouths to feed, add some dairy products and onions, and everyone will be content.

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Irish Champ.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Traditional Irish Champ.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Easy Traditional Irish Champ.

19. Barmbrack – Modern Irish Food Recipes

The traditional Irish Christmas treat known as barmbrack is a hybrid of a cake and bread. Its distinctive flavor is provided by dried fruit, tea, and pumpkin spices. The Irish word “bairn breac,” which means “speckled bread,” is where the name “barmbrack” first appeared. It alludes to the scattered dry fruit inside the loaf. Barmbrack creates a delicious breakfast that every sweet tooth will love when generously slathered in butter and jelly.

The traditional Irish holiday cake is called barmbrack. It is customary to add items to the barmbrack after it has been poured into the prepared pan that represent particular things for the individual who will receive each slice. Before putting items in the barmbrack, give them a thorough cleaning. Or, the following items can be pressed into the loaf’s bottom after baking: Coin denotes riches or good fortune; ring, impending marriage; bean, poverty; pea, no impending marriage; matchstick, a miserable union; thimble, being single for the rest of one’s life.

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Traditional Irish Barmbrack.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Barmbrack – A Traditional Fruity Bread from Ireland.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Irish Barmbrack (Báirín Breac).

20. Easy Traditional Irish Lamb Stew – Traditional Irish Dishes

A classic Irish stew recipe with tender lamb, luscious root vegetables, and an unctuous broth. It is cooked according to tradition with basic materials, yet the final product is a complete show-stopper. Carrots, potatoes, and onions are added to lamb stew, which is then cooked in a hearty Guinness broth. The Irish are renowned for their homey, popular cooking, and they know how to keep things straightforward!

The most soft section of the lamb, the shoulder, is used to make this Irish Lamb Stew. Thyme adds a delicate taste to the dish. You can also use any well-marbled cuts of lamb or a boneless leg of lamb. The ideal dish to serve on a winter day is a stew. It’s flavorful, full of goodness, and quite simple to make.

a typical one-pot dish. There is no one perfect recipe for this rustic, straightforward, and substantial stew. It has changed and altered over time and in many locations, but the traditional ingredients include lamb, potatoes, and onions. Older animals with rougher and fattier meat, known as mutton, were used to make the stew in the past, but presently lamb’s shoulder seems to be the preferred cut. Although every family has a preferred variety, most individuals enjoy including carrots. Celery, peas, turnips, parsnips, and even Guinness have all been known to make an appearance.

Traditional Irish lamb stew would not have included alcohol, in contrast to many other recipes you will find. Peasants used to eat lamb stew. People would not have “wasted” their alcohol in food in that case. had a drink, but not IN the food, just WITH it. For an added Irish flair, you can sprinkle it up with a little Guinness. Serve this stew to the entire family after slow cooking it to perfection. This homemade lamb stew dish goes perfectly with some crusty soda bread for dipping in the decadent sauce.

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Lamb Stew (Irish Stew).

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Traditional Irish Stew.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Irish Lamb Stew.

You Might Also Like: 10 Best Traditional Dutch Recipes From Holland

21. Irish Bacon, Cabbage, and Parsley Sauce – Traditional Irish Food Recipes

The national dish of Ireland is bacon and cabbage, notwithstanding corned beef and cabbage’s popularity in the United States. In this recipe, entire loin bacon, a specialty of the British Isles, is called for and is cooked with the cabbage before being sliced and served with a creamy parsley sauce.

Irish bacon is substantially slimmer than streaky bacon because it is made from the back of the animal rather than the belly, unlike American bacon. Although different cuts of pork may be used, brined pork from a shoulder cut of meat is typically associated with Ireland for making boiling bacon. Instead of being sliced before frying like the bacon we are used to, it is cooked whole and then sliced. The dish corned beef and cabbage arose when corned meat was substituted for boiled bacon at various points throughout time. The cooking methods for the boiling bacon and the corned beef are comparable.

The bacon you select for this recipe adds the majority of the taste. The cabbage got abundantly porky, while the boiling bacon developed a ham-like flavor. A delightful feast of succulent, flavorful pork and properly seasoned fresh cabbage is Irish bacon and cabbage. As if it couldn’t get any better, you top the bacon with a decadent, creamy parsley sauce. This recipe embodies Ireland’s cozy home cooking at its best. It comes together quickly and is simple to set on the table.

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Traditional Irish Bacon, Cabbage, and Parsley Sauce Recipe.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Traditional Irish Bacon, Cabbage, and Parsley Sauce.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Irish Boiling Bacon and Cabbage (with Parsley Sauce).

22. Irish Traditional Christmas Cake – Irish Dinner Recipes

We enjoy a delicious, moist Irish Christmas cake, and this is among the first recipes we picked up after arriving in Ireland from Italy. We adore this unique dish that Irish people only make around Christmas.

This celebratory treat is authentic, loaded with alcohol, and if you’re skilled at icing decoration, the outcome is even more amazing! Years ago, this classic holiday cake was seen as a form of reward after months and months of work and effort; today, it is rather “simple” to produce because the materials are readily available and somewhat more reasonable. We can only imagine how expensive and difficult it was to find candied fruits. Receiving a slice actually signaled the start of Christmas and the need to move on from vegetable soup, bacon, and potatoes.

Irish custom dictates that it should be made at least a month before Christmas, rested in a moist cloth, and given more booze to ensure that it will completely soak it up. On the evening of December 24, it is expected to be iced, and on Christmas Day, it is to be served. When you slice it and serve it to the people you care about, everyone will be delighted—those who have never tasted it will be shocked, and those who have will be overjoyed.

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Irish Traditional Christmas Cake.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Traditional Irish Christmas Cake.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Irish Traditional Christmas Cake.

23. Irish Bangers & Mash – Traditional Irish Recipes

A common dish in Ireland is bangers and mash. Irish mashed potatoes with Irish brown sauce are obviously a favorite among the Irish. Irish gravy is a year-round, flavorful brown gravy dish. For a classic, hearty supper, Irish O’ Garlic bangers or sausages are served with mashed potatoes and Guinness-onion gravy. Due to the addition of dried bread to the meat during cooking, sausages used to burst or bang, giving rise to the moniker “bangers and mash.”

Delicious combination of tender sausage and caramelized onion in a scrumptious Guinness beer-based brown sauce. Oh, it’s still going on! Take pleasure in your bangers (Irish sausage) with buttery, creamy mashed potatoes.

It’s time to prepare classic Irish bangers and mash, so heat up your skillets. Starting with traditional Irish bangers sausages cooked in an onion stout gravy, the meal will be piled high with fresh mashed potatoes. You will adore this home-cooked Irish dish, regardless of how you decide to serve your bangers and mash.

Even though bangers and mash is a hearty dinner on its own, you can serve it alongside fresh vegetables like green peas, carrots, or a salad for more color and nutrients.

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Irish Bangers and Colcannon Mash.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Granny’s Bangers and Mash Recipe.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Irish Bangers and Mash
.

24. Irish Shortbread Toffee Bars – Modern Irish Food Recipes

The dish, which had reportedly been a Tennessee staple for more than three decades, was supposed to have originated in Ireland! The fact that they had butter (lots and lots of butter), caramel, and chocolate was further justification to make them.

The toffee bars were sweet, rich, and oh-so-delicious, just what you’d expect from an old Southern recipe collection. They were also known as “millionaire bars,” which I only learned about later.

Add a little whiskey or Baileys to the caramel to make it truly Irish. If there is anything left, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Irish Shortbread Toffee Bars.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Irish Toffee Shortbread.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Irish Shortbread Toffee Bars.

25. Irish Oat Cookies – Traditional Irish Dishes

Irish oat cookies have a milder sweetness than usual, highlighting the flavor of Irish butter. They are crispy on the sides and pleasantly chewy in the middle, making them ideal with a cup of tea.

Irish Oatmeal Cookies have a wonderful texture and chewiness and are produced with some of Ireland’s best-tasting ingredients! While baking, Irish steel cut oatmeal maintains its chewy texture and gains a nutty taste and nubby texture. Irish butter offers a thick, creamy flavor, and golden syrup gives a warm, toffee flavor.

These oatmeal cookies have the most basic flavor that is possible. Contrary to the majority of oatmeal cookies made in America, these do not contain cinnamon, spices, raisins, chocolate chips, or dried cranberries. However, they do have a buttery richness that is unmatched. Butter, which I like, is the flavor that comes through most strongly here.

I also appreciate that they aren’t excessively sweet. However, there is a faint taste of warm brown sugar, and the earthy, hearty flavor of oats comes through. A small amount of salt is also present, which truly carries and enhances the flavors. The texture is mildly crispy and delicate at the same time. It’s more of a tender-crisp cookie, in my opinion.

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Irish Oat Cookies.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Irish Oat Cookies.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Irish Oatmeal Cookies.

You Might Also Like: My 15 Favorite Traditional Norwegian Recipes

26. Cranberry Orange Irish Soda Bread – Traditional Irish Food Recipes

This bread is not only simple, but also quick! In the Irish soda bread tradition, the loaf is leavened with baking soda rather than yeast, which eliminates the need for rising time. Additionally, since this loaf is made in a rustic style, you don’t have to stress about it turning out perfectly, and you don’t need any specialized pans or tools to make it. But don’t be fooled by the straightforward appearance and short ingredient list. This delicate, delicious bread is just pleasure! Sincerely, it was difficult for me to resist eating the entire loaf before it had cooled.

A soda bread has a charmingly rustic appearance. It shouldn’t be smooth and flawless. The “X” cut across the top, ridges, peaks, and crevices are all part of the design. When I gaze at it, I sense warmth, comfort, and familiarity. A beautiful fusion of fresh citrus flavor from orange zest, a touch of sweetness from dried cranberries, and a bit sweat bread dough. Spreading some homemade orange honey butter on the slice is the finishing touch!

Even though this Irish soda bread isn’t made according to a traditional recipe, it still tastes great. This recipe yields a dense, buttery, golden-crisp loaf that is studded with dried cranberries and has a subtle orange taste. And there is absolutely no toast that is better than this.

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Cranberry Orange Irish Soda Bread.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Orange Cranberry Soda Bread.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Easy Cranberry Orange Soda Bread.

27. Irish Coffee – Traditional Irish Recipes

Up until I learned you could add whiskey to coffee, I never understood why you would drink it after a meal. Hot coffee, Irish whiskey, sugar, and whipped cream are the only four components required to make a traditional Irish coffee. For a rich and warm liquid dessert, combine your hot coffee with whiskey, sugar, and a spoon, then gently top with heavy cream.

The most decadent wintertime staple we can think of is coffee drinks. They are the ideal way to start or end the night because they deliver a direct double impact of alcohol and caffeine to the body. One of the most traditional coffee-based mixed drinks is Irish coffee. Irish whiskey, sweetened coffee, and whipped cream are the ideal complement to each other. It is warm, delicious, and remarkably simple to prepare.

The first Irish coffee was made in 1943 by a cook at an airport named Joe Sheridan for passengers whose flight had been diverted back to his little airfield outside of Limerick, Ireland. The warm beverage thrilled and calmed the passengers, and one of them dared to inquire, “Is this Brazilian coffee?” Joe Sheridan retorted, “No, it’s Irish coffee.” And the moniker endured!

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Best Irish Coffee.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Irish Coffee.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Irish Coffee.

28. Irish Porter Cake – Irish Dinner Recipes

On St. Patrick’s Day, all you need to satisfy your sweet taste is a thick and moist Irish porter cake! This cake, which is typically offered during the holidays and is simple enough to eat whenever you want as an afternoon snack, is made with dried fruit, warming spices, and porter beer. It’s not for individuals who prefer delicate, sweet flavors to eat this traditional fruit dessert. Even after baking, the flavour of the black porter drink remains. In addition, a drizzle should be added while the cake is still warm to help keep it moist.

The same cake is made in different ways around the British Isles using whiskey or brandy. Irish porter cake is essentially a boiled fruit cake. This is so that the cake’s dried fruit components can stew in their customary, luscious porter, butter, and sugar bath. While many authentic Irish pastries contain alcohol, the alcohol in porter cake evaporates during the boiling process. As a result, sweet and toasted notes are strongly absorbed into the generous fruit.

A tasty and simple boiling fruit cake called an Irish Porter Cake is made with Irish Porter or Stout. One of those cakes that, the longer you can stand to keep it, just gets better and better. With all the ingredients combined in one skillet, this recipe is incredibly easy to make. Irish Porter Cake is filled with sweet dried fruits, butter, and sugar. The mild bitterness in the drink balances out all of this sweetness.

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Irish Porter Cake.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Irish Porter Cake.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Irish Porter Cake.

29. Smoked Salmon On Irish Soda Bread – Modern Irish Food Recipes

The ingredients used for this distinctive canapes provide a wonderful blend of flavors that make this appetizer so irresistible. The moist soda bread, filled with raisins and caraway, perfectly complements the flavors of the chive and onion cream cheese topping and the smoky salmon sprinkled with dill.

This recipe is basic but sometimes simplicity is better. The smoked salmon goes perfectly with the nutty earthiness of the soda bread and the horseradish / creme fraiche mixture gives the dish just enough of a bite.

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Irish Soda Bread with Smoked Salmon and Horseradish Sauce.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Smoked Salmon on Irish Soda Bread.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Smoked Salmon on Irish Soda Bread with Chive Butter.

30. Irish Breakfast – Traditional Irish Dishes

Put some butter in a skillet and let it to melt. Start frying your rashers in the butter and continue cooking them until they are well-done but not overly crunchy. To keep the rashers warm and keep them from becoming soggy, remove them from the heat source, lay them on a plate, then place the dish in a hot oven. The sausages should be fried in the same pan and then placed with the rashers to maintain warmth.

Add the chopped mushrooms, the white and black pudding, if using, and the quartered tomatoes to the pan. Cook everything together, then remove from heat. Lastly, cook your eggs in the same skillet while heating your baked beans (you can do that in a microwave). Serve hot with butter, jam, white toast, coffee or tea.

The Irish don’t flinch when they refer to this as a full meal. You have all the classic ingredients here, but feel free to combine them in different ways if you want a lighter supper. Canadian bacon is the closest alternative because Irish bacon is slimmer than American-style bacon. To replace your toast, you could alternatively prepare a loaf of soda bread if you’re feeling ambitious.

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Full Irish Breakfast.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Full Irish Breakfast.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Traditional Irish Breakfast.

You Might Also Like: 24 Best German Food and German Recipes

31. Chocolate Chip Irish Soda Bread – Traditional Irish Food Recipes

The origins of Irish soda bread are the most modest. It was created at a time when getting hold of high-quality ingredients was challenging. It was straightforward: low-protein flour, “soda,” otherwise known as baking soda, soured milk, and, well, that’s it!

I prefer to refer to this as modified Irish soda bread. A little cold grated butter and some rolled oats are added for texture. I substituted chocolate chips for the raisins because, well, it’s chocolate! You won’t ever want it plain again if you reheat it up and serve it with butter and honey.

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Chocolate Chip Irish Soda Bread.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Irish Soda Bread with Chocolate.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Best Irish Soda Bread With Chocolate Chips.

32. Irish Whiskey Truffles – Irish Dinner Recipes

The mouthwateringly creamy truffle center of Irish whiskey chocolate truffles is seasoned with this distinctive liquor and authentic Irish flavor. Do you want to create something unique for St. Patrick’s Day? Why not make your own homemade Irish-inspired chocolate truffles?

But why not use these whiskey-infused homemade Irish presents to elevate your chocolate truffles to the next level of richness and taste. These whiskey truffles will make an impression on your friends. They make excellent edible presents. However, keep in mind that they are only appropriate for people over 21 in America or over 18 in Ireland.

No cocoa powder is necessary. They are created with basic components. The ganache in the center is made up of cream, chocolate chips, and whiskey. Dark chocolate is melted and dipped into each dessert. For Irish celebrations, adding some green sprinkles or dusting sugar makes them much more spectacular.

Try it this way if you don’t want them covered in chocolate. Bring to a boil the cream, honey, and whiskey shot in a pot. Add the dark chocolate after turning the heat off. Let this concoction warm up to room temperature (approximately 15-20mins). Blend the butter and this mixture in a blender until smooth. Allow the mixture to cool once more to room temperature. Create little balls of the mixture with a spoon, then coat them with cocoa powder to complete. till you’re ready to serve, keep chilled.

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Irish Whiskey Truffles.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Boozy Irish Whiskey Chocolate Truffles.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Irish Whiskey Truffles.

33. Irish Butter (Homemade Grass-Fed Butter) – Traditional Irish Recipes

With just two ingredients, (and a mason jar, or a hand mixer or a blender) you can have an incredibly creamy grass-fed butter at your fingers in a matter of minutes. Since it originates from cows who eat a lot of grass, grass-fed butter is a better option than conventional butter. Grass-fed butter, also known as pastured butter, is easily recognizable by its distinctive, deep golden color and thicker texture.

Grass-fed butter can be expensive if bought from a store. A block of grass-fed butter, such Kerrygold or Vital Farms, is frequently more expensive than a pint of grass-fed heavy cream. Making your own butter at home is your best bet for obtaining the greatest possible price, flavor, and quality. You can change the amount of salt and buttermilk to suit your personal preferences.

Notably, organic butter differs from butter that has been raised on grass. Even though the cows who produce it are organic, they are not primarily fed grass. Irish butter, however, is mostly made from grass-fed cows because it is made from their milk. Irish cows produce Kerrygold butter.

Making your own butter at home is the healthiest way to obtain grass-fed butter that is also completely organic and free of preservatives. Not only is homemade butter better for you, but it also ends up being less expensive over time. Making butter at home allows you to customize the taste, choose whether it should be salted or unsalted, and more. One of the healthiest things you can include in your ketogenic diet is this one. Butter made from raw grass-fed cows contains no carbohydrates at all.

Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Mason Jar – Hand Shaking: Easy Homemade Grass-Fed Butter Using a Mason Jar.

♦ Hand Mixer Technique: How to Make Raw Butter – Hand Mixer.

♦ Using A Blender: How to Make Raw Milk Butter in a Blender.

34. Fudgy, Chewy Guinness Brownies – Modern Irish Food Recipes

Irish cream and Guinness beer are combined to create this delicious Irish treat. Beer, sugar, and chocolate are the ideal combination in the delicious brownies. The beer lends a tart flavor while the sugar sweetens them. The chocolate gives it a brown tint.

The brownies have a crispy exterior and a soft interior. They can be served frosted or unfrosted and are simple and quick to prepare. In any case, you now have a delicious dessert with brownies that are topped with whipped cream.

Combined with butter, chocolate, beer, and sugar. the most beautiful admixture we never realized was possible. This recipe is evidence that brownies can be made in a variety of ways and still taste great. Even though these brownies are very different from my favorite homemade brownies, they are nonetheless delicious. This recipe makes incredibly chewy, moist, fudgy brownies with crackly tops using melted chocolate, melted butter, and Guinness syrup.

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Guinness Brownies with Irish Cream Frosting.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Guinness Brownies.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Guinness Brownies.

35. Irish Cream Pie – Traditional Irish Dishes

Depending on the type of Baileys used, this delicious dessert can be either alcoholic or nonalcoholic. You can use coffee cream or liquor. Although it may take a while for the pie to cook, it actually cooks itself. The pie’s rich and tender filling is made up of cream, liqueur, marshmallows, and milk, while the pie’s crust is made of sugar and butter. The pie also melts in your mouth due to its velvety texture. The vanilla whipped cream gives the pie a lovely white appearance and makes it easier to cut into with a fork. This makes the pie even more delectable.

You will adore this pie if you enjoy Irish cream liqueur! Our delectable pie, which has an almond cookie crust and a velvety no-bake filling, will liven up your St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Like a glass of Irish cream, the pie is creamy and delicious and easy to eat.

Pick One To Add To Your Recipe Box

♦ Keep it classic with this recipe: Irish Cream Pie.

♦ Try something new with this recipe: Irish Cream Pie.

♦ Or, tweak this recipe to make it your own: Baileys Irish Cream Pie.

History of Traditional Irish Food

Jump Back To Top of Recipes 35 Traditional Irish Recipes
Jump To What are Some Traditional Irish Dishes?
Jump To Always Finish Your Irish Meals with Traditional Irish Desserts
Jump To FAQs For Irish Food and Irish Recipes

Irish cuisine is the style of cooking that originated from Ireland, an island in the North Atlantic, or was developed by the Irish people. It has evolved from centuries of social and political change, and the mixing of the different cultures in Ireland, predominantly from Great Britain and other European regions. The cuisine is founded upon the crops and animals farmed in its temperate climate and the abundance of fresh fish and seafood from the surrounding clean waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

The development of Irish cuisine was altered greatly by the Tudor conquest of Ireland in the early 17th century, which introduced a new agro-alimentary system of intensive grain based agriculture, with large areas of land being turned over to grain production. The rise of a commercial market in grain and meat altered the diet of the Irish populace by redirecting these products abroad as cash crops used to feed the soldiers and civilians alike throughout the British Empire. Consequently, the potato, after its widespread adoption in the 18th century, became just about the only food poor people could afford (which was the vast majority of the population).

By the 21st century, much of Irish cuisine was being revived. Representative traditional Irish dishes include Irish stew (made with lamb, mutton, or beef), bacon and cabbage (with potatoes), boxty (potato pancake), coddle (sausage, bacon, and potato), colcannon (mashed potato, kale or cabbage, and butter), and, in Ulster, the soda farl. Modern Irish food still uses these traditional ingredients but they are now being cooked by chefs with world influences and are presented in a more modern artistic style. [1]

Modern Irish Food Recipes

In the 21st century, the usual modern selection of foods common to the West has been adopted in Ireland. Common meals include pizza, curry, Chinese food, Thai food, and lately, some West African dishes and Central European-Eastern European (especially Polish) dishes have been making an appearance, as ingredients for these and other cuisines have become more widely available.

In tandem with these developments, the last quarter of the 20th century saw the emergence of a new Irish cuisine and modern Irish food recipes based on traditional ingredients handled in new ways. This cuisine is based on fresh vegetables, fish (especially salmon and trout), oysters, mussels and other shellfish, traditional soda bread, the wide range of cheeses that are now being made across the country, and, of course, the potato. Traditional Irish dishes, such as Irish stew, coddle, the Irish breakfast, and potato bread have enjoyed a resurgence in popularity. Chef and food writer Myrtle Allen – an early protagonist of such attitudes and methods – went on to play a crucial role in their development and promotion. Schools like the Ballymaloe Cookery School have emerged to cater for the associated increased interest in cooking.

Fish and chips take-away is popular. The first fish and chips were sold in Dublin in the 1880s by an Italian immigrant from San Donato Val di Comino, Giuseppe Cervi. His wife Palma would ask customers “Uno di questa, uno di quella?” This phrase (meaning ‘one of this, one of the other’) entered the vernacular in Dublin as “one and one”, which is still a common way of referring to fish and chips in the city.

In much of Ulster (especially Northern Ireland and County Donegal), fish and chips are usually known as a “fish supper”. The restaurant from which the food is purchased and the food itself is often referred to as a “chippy” throughout many northern regions of the country.

The proliferation of fast food has led to increasing public health problems, including obesity, where it was reported that as many as 327,000 Irish children are now obese or overweight and in response the Irish government is now considering introducing a fast food tax. Government efforts to combat obesity have also included television advertising campaigns and educational programs in schools.

Here are Some Twists on Modern Irish Food Recipes

Bacon Cheddar Beer Bread. Beer bread is great and all but this one stuffed with bacon, cheddar, jalapeños, and cream cheese is really something extra special.

Loaded Fried Mashed Potatoes. You’ve never actually had great mashed potatoes until you’ve tried them fried.

Twice Baked Potatoes. Twice baked potatoes are basically a way to eat mashed potatoes in a cute little potato boat, and we’re here for it.

Cheesy Cabbage Gratin. If you’re looking for a hearty veggie side, you’re in the right place.

Whole Roasted Cabbage. This roasted cabbage is the way to go! It’s savory, sweet, and salty on the outside and super tender on the inside.

Cheesy Bacon Butternut Squash. No matter what the centerpiece of your meal is, this cheesy squash skillet is sure to steal the show.

Slow-Cooker Creamed Corn. Corn and bacon should find a place on every St. Patty’s Day table.

Fried Cabbage. Game changer alert: cooking fried cabbage in bacon fat.

Best-Ever Cabbage Hash Browns. It might be hard to believe, but these cabbage hash browns really taste like they’re made with potatoes!

Irish Soda Bread. Who says Irish Soda Bread can’t be a side?

What are Some Traditional Irish Dishes?

Jump Back To Top of Recipes 35 Traditional Irish Recipes
Jump Back To History of Traditional Irish Food
Jump To Always Finish Your Irish Meals with Traditional Irish Desserts
Jump To FAQs For Irish Food and Irish Recipes

Soda Bread. Every family in Ireland has its own Irish recipe for soda bread, hand-written on flour-crusted note paper and wedged in among the cookery books. Some like it sweet with a spoonful of honey, sugar or dried fruits. Others prefer sprinkled-in seeds, bran and oats for a health boost, or treacle and Guinness for the opposite effect. However, the basic ingredients don’t change

Irish Stew. One-pot cooking doesn’t get much simpler than Irish stew, traditionally made with mutton, onions and potatoes. To avoid the stew being watery, some recipes recommend adding pearl barley, a spoonful of roux or sliced potatoes, while others reduce the liquid by leaving the stew to simmer.

Colcannon and Champ. Potatoes transformed the Irish diet and it’s population boomed with this cheap and plentiful food source. Potatoes are still a staple at most mealtimes, with this traditional Irish food remaining popular. Colcannon is a classic, comforting mash of potatoes, cabbage or kale and butter or cream, flavored with spring onions. Champ is a similar, mashed potato favorite, flavored with spring onions, milk and butter.

Boxty. Potato dumpling, potato pancake and potato bread are all descriptors for boxty. Some say the name originates from an Irish phrase meaning ‘poor-house bread’. The recipe calls for grated raw potato to be mixed with mashed potato and then either:
1. mixed with flour and salt and boiled before being sliced and fried in butter (‘boxty dumplings’)
2. added to a pancake-like batter before being fried (‘boxty on the pan’) or
3. added to a pancake-like batter before being baked in a loaf tin and then sliced and fried (‘boxty in the oven’).

Boiled Bacon and Cabbage. Boiled bacon, boiled cabbage and boiled potatoes might not sound all that appetizing but it remains a firm family favorite. Traditionally, salted pork would have been soaked overnight (depending on how much desalting was needed) before being boiled, with the cabbage added to the cooking pot in the last 10 minutes.

Coddle. With roots as a working-class Dublin dish, the name coddle comes from the slow simmering or ‘coddling’ of ingredients in a one-pot stew. The leftovers at the end of the week would be slowly stewed in the oven for hours, with slices of pork sausage packed in alongside bacon rashers or leftover boiled bacon and sliced potatoes and onions.

What are Some Traditional Irish Dishes?

Irish Beef Stew. This rich and hearty stew is stick-to-your-bones good. The beef is incredibly tender. Served with crusty bread, it’s an ideal cool-weather meal.

Classic Irish Soda Bread. This traditional Irish food can be made with an assortment of mix-ins such as dried fruit and nuts, but I like it with a handful of raisins.

Irish Stew Pie. The only thing more comforting than a hearty bowl of Irish stew is having it baked into a pie! The flavors blend well with lamb, but you can use cuts of beef instead if you wish.

Slow-Cooked Corned Beef. It’s not luck; it’s just an amazing Irish recipe. With this in the slow cooker by sunrise, you can be sure to fill seats at the dinner table by sundown.

Asparagus Swiss Quiche. Fresh asparagus stars along with bacon, onion and Swiss cheese in this hearty quiche.

Savory Beef & Cabbage Supper. You can also make this dish with smoked sausage. It’s comforting on cooler days.

Date Pecan Tea Bread. Packed with dates and pecans, this sweet bread is excellent on its own and even better topped with the chunky cream cheese spread.

Braised Short Ribs. The fall-off-the-bone-tender entree is much appreciated on busy days

Something for Your Sweet-tooth: Irish Candies & Irish Cookies

Irish Shortbread. These crisp, buttery melt-in-your-mouth delicious Irish Shortbread Cookies require just one bowl and no mixer! They come together quickly and disappear even quicker, so make plenty!

Irish Mist Brownies You can whip these brownies up in hardly any time, let them cool and them make them extra special with a cream cheese and butter frosting that is flavored with a little peppermint extract.

Yellow Man (Irish Honeycomb Candy) A chewy, toffee-textured honeycomb produced in Ulster, the northern province in Ireland. Ingredients of yellow-man are commonly quoted as including brown sugar, golden syrup, butter, vinegar and bicarbonate of soda.

No Bake Irish Fifteens They are called Fifteens (15s) because the recipe calls for fifteen of each ingredient. Mix all ingredients, roll the mixture in coconut and place it in the fridge.

Irish Oat Cookies. Irish oat cookies are a little less sweet than normal, focusing more on the Irish butter flavor. Perfect with a cup of tea, they are crispy on the edges and deliciously chewy in the middle.

Always Finish Your Irish Meals with Traditional Irish Desserts

Jump Back To Top of Recipes 35 Traditional Irish Recipes
Jump Back To History of Traditional Irish Food
Jump Back To What are Some Traditional Irish Dishes?
Jump To FAQs For Irish Food and Irish Recipes

Irish Apple Cake. Recipes for the moist and tender cast iron cake are as varied as the beautiful people who live in the Emerald Isle. This heritage recipe is a simple and tasty dessert everyone will love.

Chocolate Guinness Cake. One bite and everyone will propose a toast to this silky-smooth chocolate Guinness cake. The cream cheese frosting reminds us of the foamy head on a perfectly poured pint. Absolutely, one of the best traditional Irish desserts.

Irish Traditional Christmas Cake. This festive dessert is genuine, full of booze, and if you’re good at decorate with icing the result is even more incredible.

Brioche Bread Pudding With Bourbon-Butterscotch Sauce. You can never go wrong with a brioche bread pudding — plus, you can totally swap in Irish whiskey instead of bourbon for the sauce. This one of the best traditional Irish desserts puts a smile on your face.

Baileys Cheesecake. This classic cream liquor (hint: you can make your own!) makes for the perfect base to a decadent dessert.

Irish Chocolate Pots de Crème. Get this: these classic desserts take only five minutes to make and are the perfect thing to serve at your St. Paddy’s Day party.

Soda Bread Pudding. Traditional Irish soda bread meets bread pudding with spiced cream and caramel sauce. Got stale soda bread? Use it up in epic traditional Irish desserts.

FAQs For Irish Food and Irish Recipes

Jump Back To Top of Recipes 35 Traditional Irish Recipes
Jump Back To History of Traditional Irish Food
Jump Back To What are Some Traditional Irish Dishes?
Jump Back To Always Finish Your Irish Meals with Traditional Irish Desserts

1. What is Considered Traditional Irish Food?

Some of our favorite traditional Irish food recipes includes bacon and cabbage with potatoes, Irish stew (made with lamb), colcannon (mashed potatoes), coddle (sausage, mutton, or beef), boxty (potato pancakes), bacon and potato, and the soda farl.

2. What Food is Traditionally Eaten on St Patrick’s Day?

Some of the favorite foods for St. Patrick’s Day is NOT corned beef and cabbage. While corned beef and cabbage is popular in America, boiled bacon and cabbage is the more traditional Irish food dish. Then there is soda bread, shepherds pie and colcannon.

3. What Should I Serve for an Irish Dinner?

Your Irish dinner recipes cannot be complete without three items. They include food like champ potatoes, fried cabbage, cranberry soda bread to name just a few. Others are cabbage and potato slaw, stew, sweet and sour cabbage.

4. Do They Really Eat Corned Beef and Cabbage in Ireland?

Boiled bacon and cabbage is the more traditional Irish food dish. Corned Beef and Cabbage is a meal brought to the U.S. by immigrants and turned into a tradition in the U.S. only.

5. Why Do Irish Eat Potatoes?

Ireland is not famous for its great farming due to poor soil conditions. That is why potatoes and cabbage play such a central part in Irish diets. These foods both grow well in poor soil and since both are winter crops allow the land to be rotated into hay and grains during warm weather. Potatoes play a large part in traditional Irish food dishes.

Check Out Our Recipes On Our Instagram – World Recipes OBE

You May Want to Join Our Campfire Recipes Group on Facebook For More Information

Check Out Our Pictures On Our Instagram – Our Big Escape.