Classic Irish Recipes: Emerald Isle Comfort Food at its Best (2024)

Irish Recipes | RECIPES | St. Patrick's Day

ByStephanie Wilson

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Authentic, classic Irish recipes from the Emerald Isle, are comfort food at their very best.

Classic Irish Recipes: Emerald Isle Comfort Food at its Best (1)

We rounded up authentic Irish recipes — from corned beef and cabbage to colcannon, lamb stew and cream of potato soup, Irish soda bread, and scones… traditional recipes you’ll want to explore.

Ireland is filled with natural ingredients and generations of recipes and great cooks. Their traditional foods are filled with hearty vegetables and meat, accented with their famous butter.

RELATED: View more 31Daily St. Patrick’s Day recipes here→

Classic Irish Recipes

So go beyond the green cupcakes, and try some of these delicious classic Irish recipes the Emerald Isle has to offer.

Classic Irish Recipes, Emerald Isle Comfort Food at its Best

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Full Irish Breakfast Blaa

Photo Credit:donalskehan.com

"The full Irish breakfast is up there with Irish stew, colcannon and barmbrack and rightly so. We have some of the best sausage and rasher producers in the world so why shouldn’t we find joy in them sandwiched together in a light floury bap with a squidge of ketchup. This breakfast blaa is messy business but an instantly memorable breakfast."

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Mutton Casserole Recipe with Champ

Photo Credit:www.greatbritishchefs.com

"Hayden Groves shares a delicious mutton casserole recipe served with comforting champ potatoes, the perfect slow-cooking dish for the winter months."

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Bean and Sausage Stew

Photo Credit:www.saveur.com

“At Gubbeen Farm, a 250-acre plot of land in West Cork, an Irish twist on French cassoulet results in a flavorful, brothy stew of lima beans and thin Irish pork sausages.”

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Beef Stew And Dumplings Recipe

Photo Credit:www.greatbritishchefs.com

“There’s nothing quite like a comforting bowl of beef stew, especially when topped off with fluffy little dumpling pillows. Dominic Chapman makes sure the meat is meltingly tender in his recipe by braising it for several hours, and adds flavour with salty pancetta, star anise and plenty of hearty veg.”

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Irish Soda Bread with Buttermilk and Raisins

Irish Soda Bread, a national heritage… and a Wilson family favorite. Whether it be St. Patrick’s Day or any spring day. A delicious twist on thetraditional Irish Soda Bread.

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Traditional Irish Colcannon Recipe

A dreamy concoctionof potatoes, cabbage or kale, and cream. A favorite comfort food — any day of the year!

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Potato Topped Shepherd's Pie Recipe: Deliciously Irish

An easy comfort food, this Shepherd's Pie recipe is a delicious potato-topped ground lamb or beef casserole. Which is steeped in a flavorful sauce with vegetables that will bring to mind the beauty of Ireland.

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Irish Onion Soup with Reuben Cheese Toasties

Photo Credit:donalskehan.com

"An Irish twist on a classic French onion soup with an open faced reuben sandwich on the side would easily make a delicious meal on a cold dark night."

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Smoked Haddock and Cheddar Mash

Photo Credit:www.saveur.com

“The haddock and cheddar mash at Dublin’s The Winding Stair restaurant represents the best of Ireland: sea, dairy, and spud.”

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Perfect Comfort Food: Cream of Potato Soup

Easy to prepare in under 30 minutes, warm and creamy soup is a perfect antidote for cold, wintry nights, brisk fall afternoons, rainy spring days… or any other day as well.

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A Traditional Irish Lamb Stew

An all-time favorite Irish comfort food — this stew has bubbled over Irish fires for generations. Hearty and delicious!

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Irish Barmbrack

Photo Credit:donalskehan.com

"Barmbrack is a traditional Irish fruitcake which is also known as Irish Tea Cake depending on the time of year that you’re eating it! This recipe makes a really moist, fruit loaf which is packed with flavour from mixed spice and dried fruit."

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Easy Irish Cottage Pie

This Irish Cottage Pie recipe is an easy and tasty comfort food meal everyone loves. This family favorite is made with ground beef (mince) and vegetables baked in a delicious gravy filling topped with pastry and baked until perfectly golden brown.

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IRISH SHORTBREAD

Photo Credit:www.thekitchykitchen.com

Ireland is famous for its butter, which makes buttery shortbread a perfect Irish comfort food. This recipe gets its lovely texture and subtle nuttiness from corn flour, which is just finely ground cornmeal.

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Ultra-Buttery Irish Scones

Photo Credit:www.epicurious.com

“These tender, flaky scones are all about the butter. And since the flavor of the butter really shines through, this is a good time to splurge on a high-quality Irish butter like Kerrygold. The extra flaky, buttery texture is achieved by using a technique borrowed from puff pastry—spreading butter onto the rolled-out dough and folding it in layers.”

Classic Irish Recipes: Emerald Isle Comfort Food at its Best (2024)

FAQs

What is the most popular Irish dish? ›

1. 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 food of Ireland? ›

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 eaten vegetable in Ireland? ›

Carrot. After potatoes, carrots are without doubt the best-known and most popular root vegetable of all.

What do the Irish typically 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.

Which meal is known as the full Irish? ›

Irish dishes
English nameIrish name
Full breakfast Also known as "full Irish", "Irish fry" or "Ulster fry"Bricfeasta friochta
Garlic cheese chipsSceallóga le cáis agus gairleog
GoodyGudaí
Gur cakeCáca gur
32 more rows

What is the main meal of the day in Ireland? ›

The main meal of the day for locals is dinner, meaning making reservations is a good idea, especially if you're planning to dine during peak Irish dinner hours (from 8:00 p.m. onward).

What Irish eat before potato? ›

Grains. Until the arrival of the potato in the 16th century, grains such as oats, wheat and barley, cooked either as porridge or bread, formed the staple of the Irish diet.

What is Ireland's signature dish? ›

An easy and flexible meal that's commonly considered the national dish of Ireland, says Amy Lawless, an Irish American and co-owner of The Dearborn in Chicago. Though generally made with mutton, onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes, Irish stew can also be created with beef or chicken, she explains.

What is the most common Irish meal? ›

What are the most popular Irish foods?
  • Corned beef and cabbage. Corned beef and cabbage is a dish steeped in history, often associated with St. ...
  • Shepherd's pie. ...
  • Irish stew. ...
  • Boxty. ...
  • Soda bread. ...
  • Colcannon. ...
  • Barmbrack. ...
  • Black pudding.
Mar 13, 2024

What kind of bread do the Irish eat? ›

Soda bread, depending on who you're talking to, can either be a craggy wholemeal loaf or a lighter, sweeter currant-studded one, or something in between. In Ireland, soda bread is often separated into two types: brown and white.

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 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 the national dessert of Ireland? ›

In conclusion, Irish coffee holds a special place as the national dessert of Ireland. Its rich history, simple yet flavorful ingredients, and cozy appeal make it a beloved treat for locals and visitors alike.

What is meant by black Irish? ›

In the earlier parts of the 19th century, "Black Irish" was sometimes used in the United States to describe biracial people of African and Irish descent. By the 20th century, "Black Irish" had become a performative identity played out by Irish-Americans authors such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Robert E. Howard.

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