Best Irish Potato Dishes to Cook for St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day is rapidly approaching, and it’s time to whip up your favorite Irish dishes. Of course, no St. Patrick’s Day celebration would be complete without potatoes.

Potatoes are a staple of Irish cuisine and a key ingredient in many traditional recipes. So, as you prepare your St. Patrick’s Day menu, make sure you have at least one traditional Irish potato dish in the mix, if not several.

Importance of Potatoes in Irish Cuisine and Culture

Although potatoes are not native to Ireland, they have been a central part of Irish cuisine and culture for centuries. Originally from the Andes Mountains in South America, potatoes were introduced to Europe in the mid-16th century by Spanish explorers. By the late 16th century, they had reached Ireland, where the ideal growing conditions helped them quickly become a staple crop.

By the 18^th century, potatoes had become a core part of the Irish diet due to their nutrient density and versatility. Since then, spuds have also come to play a significant role in Irish culture, appearing in Irish songs, literature, and colloquialisms. Despite hard times, such as the Potato Famine of 1845, the vegetable has endured as a staple of Ireland’s culture and cuisine, and it is celebrated today through various festivals and cultural events.

6 Irish Potato Dishes You Need to Try

There’s no shortage of delicious Irish potato dishes you can make to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. In fact, they’re so good that you’ll likely want to keep them in your cooking rotation year-round.

Colcannon

Look no further than colcannon for a quintessential Irish dish. Widely considered the king of Irish potato dishes, colcannon is beloved, epitomizing the core tenets of Irish cooking: its ingredients are hearty, affordable, and easy to find.

Colcannon is traditionally made with mashed russet potatoes and sauteed greens, which are typically chopped cabbage or kale. The dish also contains green onions, milk, salt, and butter; it’s creamy, flavorful, and easy to make.

It’s also flexible, as you can easily substitute kale or cabbage with whatever green vegetables you have around the house. Colcannon will taste just as good with broccoli, chard, or watercress. This Irish classic makes it easy to get your veggies! It also pairs well with other popular Irish dishes such as corned beef, boiled ham, or Irish stew.

Boxty

Start your day the Irish way with boxty. This potato pancake has been a staple in Irish cuisine since the 1700s, and while it’s most commonly served on St. Brigid’s Day (February 1^st), it’s also a fun dish to kick off St. Patrick’s Day.

Boxty is made with grated and mashed potatoes for a crispy outside and soft inside. Use starchy potatoes, such as russets, because they absorb liquid better than waxy potato varieties and achieve a crispier texture when cooked.

Combine the mashed and grated potatoes with a mixture of flour, baking soda, buttermilk, and salt to make a batter. On a griddle, make small patties with the batter and cook them, flipping once, until the pancakes are golden brown on both sides.

Potato farls are another form of Irish potato pancake. They’re similar to boxty, but farls are made with only mashed potatoes that are then combined with flour, melted butter, and salt. The dough is rolled into a thin circle, cut into four sections, and cooked on a skillet until golden brown.

Top boxty or farls with a dollop of sour cream and serve them with a fried egg and smoked salmon or bacon for a delicious Irish breakfast.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

No discussion of St. Patrick’s Day food is complete without mentioning corned beef and cabbage, which is typically served with red potatoes. While the pairing of cabbage and meat comes from Ireland, where they used pork bacon, corned beef was paired with cabbage in America by Irish immigrants in 19^th-century New York City. Corned beef—or salt-cured beef, usually brisket—was easy to procure from Jewish butchers in the immigrants’ new home, and it reminded them of the pork bacon back in Ireland.

Making this classic dish that blends American and Irish culture couldn’t be simpler. In a Dutch oven, cover the corned beef with water, stock, or beer and spices. Then, bring it to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the meat is tender. Add potatoes and other vegetables, such as carrots and celery, to the pot; then add the cabbage for the last few minutes. Everything should come out perfectly cooked at the same time.

Shepherd’s Pie

Potatoes play a starring role in this classic Irish dish, which is a hearty, comforting, and delicious meal in itself.

Shepherd’s pie is a layered dish that is topped with mashed potatoes. Typically, the base is a combination of ground beef or lamb, chopped vegetables—including carrots, peas, celery, and onions—and gravy. After shepherd’s pie is assembled on the stove top, it is baked, turning the top layer of mashed potatoes into a golden crust.

Similar to a casserole, shepherd’s pie is great when it’s freshly made and also reheats well. Save a few servings for the day after St. Patrick’s Day!

Beef Stew with Potatoes

Though St. Patrick’s Day falls near the start of spring, cold weather is not uncommon on the day, so a hearty soup or stew is a popular Irish way to celebrate. A classic beef stew combines tender chunks of beef with potatoes, carrots, onions, and celery in a thickened broth flavored with Irish stout. This is another easy dish that comes together in one pot, so you can focus on celebrating instead of cooking!

Browse More St. Patrick’s Day Potato Dish Recipes

This list covers many of the classic Irish (and Irish-American) dishes you can enjoy on St. Patrick’s Day, but it’s not exhaustive. There’s also a whole world of Irish-inspired dishes that blend potatoes and traditional flavors with different cuisines to create delicious and unique foods fit for a celebration (did anyone say Shamrockin’ Egg Rolls?)!

For more classics and new favorites, browse the full list of St. Patrick’s Day potato dish recipes.