Irish Recipes
14 recipesIrish cooking is built on good dairy, lamb, pork, seafood and above all the potato, with simple methods that let the ingredients speak. Stews and boiled dinners, such as Irish stew and bacon and cabbage, come from a tradition of one-pot cooking over the fire. Potatoes appear mashed with cabbage (colcannon), griddled as boxty, or boiled in their skins. Baking soda and buttermilk raise the soda breads, and teatime brings brack, cakes and scones. The long coastline provides salmon, mussels and white fish, turned into chowder or served smoked on brown bread. Butter, cream and stout are used generously, and the full Irish breakfast is a weekend ritual. Barmbrack is baked for Halloween and porter cake for Christmas, while Irish coffee warms the winter evenings.
Staple ingredients
- potatoes
- lamb and mutton
- bacon and pork
- butter and cream
- buttermilk
- cabbage and kale
- salmon and shellfish
- stout
Breakfast
Appetizers
Soups
Main Dishes
Irish StewIE2 h 55 minEasy
Dublin Coddle (Irish Sausage and Bacon Stew)IE1 h 10 minEasy
Irish Bacon and Cabbage with Parsley SauceIE2 h 30 minEasy
Irish Beef and Stout StewIE3 h 35 minEasy
Side Dishes
Boxty (Irish Potato Pancakes)IE1 h 5 minEasy
Colcannon (Irish Mashed Potatoes with Cabbage)IE45 minEasy
Breads
Desserts
Drinks
Common questions
What is Irish food known for?
Hearty, simple dishes such as Irish stew, bacon and cabbage, colcannon and soda bread, plus seafood chowder, smoked salmon and the full Irish breakfast. Potatoes, dairy and good meat sit at the center.
What is the national dish of Ireland?
There is no official one. Irish stew and bacon and cabbage are the two most often named, and both are slow, one-pot dishes built around potatoes.
Is Irish food spicy?
No. Seasoning is mild, with salt, pepper, parsley, thyme and mustard. Flavor comes from the quality of the meat, butter and dairy rather than from heat or spices.