22+ Easy Traditional Irish Recipes (2024)

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By Kristie Sawicki 1 Comment

Cooking Traditional Irish Recipes is a great way to connect with your heritage, celebrate Irish culture and history, and enjoy delicious dishes.

Many traditional Irish family meals have been passed down from generation to generation and represent an integral part of the national identity.

From warm soups and potatoes to stews and soups, here are some traditional Irish recipes for you to enjoy.

Below you’ll find several great traditional Irish dishes to make for St. Patrick’s Day!

22+ Easy Traditional Irish Recipes (1)

Irish Stew

A comforting bowl of this Irish Stew is always pleasing; even more so when it’s served with an Indian-style flatbread like naan or chapati, although potatoes work just as well as an accompaniment!

This recipe calls for mutton or lamb stewed until it’s falling off the bone in Guinness beer gravy – perfect for a rainy day!

Be sure to include plenty of carrots, onions, celery root and parsnips for additional depth of flavor.

Corned Beef & Cabbage

The classic dish of is a flavorful combination that has long been popular in Ireland.

The tender beef simmered in a savory broth made with vegetables, spices, beer or wine pairs perfectly with the crunchy cabbage or carrots and potatoes.

This recipe can be cooked on the stovetop, Instant Pot or slow cooker – all three methods yield a hearty dinner that’s full of flavor!

Boxty

Boxty is one of Ireland’s oldest dishes – it dates back as far as 1845!

It gets its name from bácstaidh which means “poor house bread” in Gaelic -a type of potato pancake made with shredded raw potatoes combined with cooked mashed ones, grated onion and flour before they’re fried up into golden patties.

For a heartier version, serve boxty topped with smoked salmon and other fillings.

Coddle

Coddle is a simple layered dish traditionally made from pork sausage links and rashers (bacon) amongst diced onions, potatoes and spices; however nowadays there are all kinds of variations on this recipe.

It’s best eaten freshly made but also works great reheated; making it ideal for busy families who want something filling but relatively quick to prepare after school or work hours.

Colcannon Potatoes

No meal would be complete without Colcannon potatoes – easily recognized by its bright green hue due to added kale or cabbage!

Boil up creamy potatoes then mash them while adding elements like sautéed bacon bits, scallions or parsley along with butter or cream cheese before spooning into oven-proof dishes ready for baking.

Serve these spuds up warm alongside whatever main course you’ve picked out ,and you’ll have a restaurant quality meal on your hands – minus the price tag!

22+ Easy Traditional Irish Recipes (2)

More Irish Recipes

More St. Patrick’s Day Recipes

If you like these St. Patrick’s Day recipes, you’ll love these ones too!

  • Original Irish Soda Bread– This authentic quick bread recipe is the best Irish Soda Bread you’ll serve at your kitchen table!
  • Irish Beef Stew– Tender and juicy seasoned beef loaded with a rich and decadent sauce that surrounds the tender beef and all the vegetables.
  • Homemade Shamrock Shakes– Delicious homemade green minty milkshake.
  • Irish Potato Candy– Contrary to the name, these little bite sized sweet treats have no mashed potato in them. That’s right! They get their name because they look like little potatoes.
  • Guinness Bread– This Guinness Bread is the perfect way to start your festivities this year.
  • Green Velvet Cupcakes– If you are looking for a fun St. Patrick’s Day recipe, try these Green Velvet Cupcakes with Baileys Cream Cheese Frosting!
  • Guinness Cupcakes with Bailey’s Buttercream– These are a delicious treat to add to your festivities.
  • Shamrock Shake – This copycat recipe tastese even better than the expensive ones from McDonald’s.

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About Kristie Sawicki

I'm the blogger behind Saving Dollars & Sense. I started this website over ten years ago, to share my journey out of debt, while living a simple, frugal lifestyle. You'll find lots of great MONEY SAVING TIPS, DIY PROJECTS, HOMEMADE RECIPES, SIMPLE LIVING IDEAS and MORE!! I'm so glad you're here.

22+ Easy Traditional Irish Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the most traditional Irish dish? ›

As a result, bacon and cabbage is technically the more traditional Irish dish; corned beef and cabbage is the Irish-American variant. Irish soda bread is a quick bread made without yeast. It rises, because, when combined, baking soda and buttermilk act as a leavening agent.

What is a normal Irish dinner? ›

From lamb in spring to fish in summer, stews and soups in winter and, of course, potatoes at almost any time of the year, Irish food involves simple, hearty, family cooking that follows the seasons.

What is Ireland's national dish? ›

Irish Stew is a thick, hearty dish of mutton, potatoes, and onions and undisputedly the national dish of Ireland. Within the dish are many of the ingredients synonymous with the island, potatoes being one of the most recognized.

What is the most special dish in Ireland? ›

The national dish of Ireland is Irish stew! It's a delicious dish made with lamb or beef, potatoes, onions, and carrots. It's hearty, comforting, and perfect for a cosy meal. You can find it in many Irish homes and restaurants, especially on chilly days.

What is Ireland's most loved food? ›

The traditional dinner of meat and two veg remains the most popular meal for Irish adults, with chicken dishes and sauce-based pasta finishing in second and third, the research into Ireland's eating habits published by Bord Bia suggests.

What is a uniquely Irish food? ›

By the 21st century, much traditional Irish cuisine was being revived. Representative dishes include Irish stew, bacon and cabbage, boxty, brown bread (as it is referred to in the South) or soda bread (predominantly used in Ulster), coddle, and colcannon.

Which meal is known as the full Irish? ›

A large cooked breakfast of meat (bacon, sausages and black and white puddings), eggs, vegetables and potato all fried in creamery butter, it is served with a generous helping of homemade Irish soda or brown bread for soakage and washed down with a strong cup of breakfast tea such as Barry or Lyons tea (depending where ...

What do Irish eat for breakfast? ›

All full Irish breakfasts include some or all of the following: Bacon, sausages, baked beans, eggs, mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, and perhaps some cooked leftover potatoes made into a hash or a bubble and squeak. There will also be toast, butter, marmalade, and lots of tea to drink.

What is a standard Irish lunch? ›

Lunch often consists of a bowl of hot soup alongside freshly baked soda bread, but a heartier lunch menu can be found at the local pubs, where typical Irish plates are served around the clock.

What is Ireland's signature dish? ›

To many across the country, Irish stew is the national dish of Ireland. The methods and flavour of an Irish stew vary from person to person and have evolved over the years. Previously, it all depended on which ingredients were cheaper and more common at that time.

What is a typical Irish diet? ›

The staples of the Irish diet have traditionally been potatoes, grains (especially oats), and dairy products. Potatoes still appear at most Irish meals, with potato scones, similar to biscuits or muffins, a specialty in the north.

What fruit is native to Ireland? ›

Summer Berries: Wild strawberry, raspberry, bilberry, Autumn Sweetness: Rosehips, Elderberries, Hawthorn berries, Hazelnuts. Winter Wonders: Wintercress, Crow garlic, Wood sorrel. Edible Seaweeds: Sea spaghetti, Dulse, Sea lettuce, Serrated wrack and Velvet horn.

What is the number 1 Irish meal? ›

Irish stew: This is the dish Irish people are most likely to roll out for St. Patrick's Day celebrations. Hearty chunks of lamb are slow-cooked in a rich gravy with onion, potatoes, carrot and parsley. Coddle is a traditional Dublin stew with sausages, onion, potato and bacon – or rashers as they're known locally.

What is a true Irish dish? ›

Shepherd's Pie

A classic found on dinner tables throughout Ireland, shepherd's pie combines beef and vegetables in a crust of mashed potatoes. It's a traditional Irish food that gathers distinctly Irish ingredients in a single dish.

What is the national dessert of Ireland? ›

The national dessert of Ireland is the traditional Irish apple pie. This delicious dessert is made with sweet, tart apples, warm spices, and a buttery pastry crust. How is Irish apple pie different from other apple pies? Irish apple pie is often made with a lattice crust on top, giving it a distinctive appearance.

What is the oldest Irish food? ›

The food eaten by the early Irish people changed very little from the time when farming began until the arrival of the potato from America in the 1600s. The main parts of the early Irish diet were milk and cereals. Butter, buttermilk and cheeses also were very popular.

Why is a reuben considered Irish? ›

While the Reuben sandwich itself doesn't have Irish roots (it was thought to be created in Omaha, Nebraska mid-poker game) the meat inside it – corned beef, does. Well, it kind of does. The Irish-corned beef relationship is considered to be much more Irish-American than it is purely Irish.

What is the staple food of Ireland? ›

The staples of the Irish diet have traditionally been potatoes, grains (especially oats), and dairy products. Potatoes still appear at most Irish meals, with potato scones, similar to biscuits or muffins, a specialty in the north.

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