There's more to Irish food than corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes... we promise. So get a taste of the land of luck with our yummy traditional side dish Irish recipes that taste great no matter what you're serving for the main course.
Boxty
We love a potato, which may be why we like Irish food so much. Potato-heavy cuisines rock. We have Ireland to thank for the potato in the first place, and these Irish potato pancakes are a great use of one of our favorite ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 one-pound russet potato
- ¾ cup of all-purpose flour
- ½ cup buttermilk or whole milk (less might be needed)
- 1 beaten egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- ¼ cup of milk
- Salt to taste
- Vegetable oil
Instructions
- Peel the potato and cut it in half.
- Place half of the potato in a bowl of cold water and reserve in the refrigerator.
- Cut the remaining half of the potato into quarters and boil in salted water until soft.
- Drain the boiled potatoes and place them in a bowl with the 2 tablespoons of butter and ¼ cup of milk.
- Mash until smooth, and taste for salt.
- Grate the remaining potato, squeeze out excess water, and add the grated potato to the mashed potato.
- Add the flour, beaten egg, and ½ teaspoon of salt and mix well.
- Add milk to make a slightly thick batter. The batter should have the texture of very firm mashed potatoes.
- Heat your largest skillet over medium-high heat until very hot.
- Add a few tablespoons of oil to the skillet to barely coat the pan.
- Drop the batter by tablespoon into the skillet and then flatten until about 2 inches across.
- Repeat until you have three or four dollops in the pan.
- Fry until golden brown on the bottom, 2-3 minutes.
- Turn over and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil as needed.
Related: Irresistible Corned Beef & Cabbage: A Classic Recipe Revisited
Irish Soda Bread
If you enjoy a buttermilk biscuit (and who wouldn't?), then we know you'll love Irish soda bread. It has similar ingredients, and it's super easy to make.
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ¾ cups buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Using a whisk, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Add the buttermilk and mix with the dry ingredients using a rubber spatula.
- Once the mixture has formed a sticky dough, turn the dough out onto a flour surface and gently knead until the dough holds a round shape.
- Place the dough in a cake pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray and lightly floured.
- Cut a cross into the top of the bread.
- Cover the first pan with the second pan (inverted) and bake the bread like this for 30 minutes.
- Remove the top pan from the bottom pan and bake for another 15 minutes or until the bread has a golden brown crust.
- Remove from the oven and turn out onto a rack to cool.
When Irish Eyes Are Smiling, It's Probably the Sides
We adore a simple side that elevates the entire meal. So whether you're eating a traditional Irish main dish or you are looking for something a little different to go with your dinner, we know these sides will make your eyes smile, too.
