Irish Boxty Recipe: Enjoy This Delicious Food Featuring an Iconic Irish Ingredient!

One of our favorite foods, this Irish Boxty recipe, is made from the simplest of ingredients. Think of it as a potato pancake - with many possible variations. And it is so easy and quick to prepare!

By playing with the ingredients and steps, you can give it different textures and flavors, making it one of the most flexible ways to express your Irish side through food.

No matter how you do it, the basic idea is the same – a hugely popular and delicious meal made from the core of the traditional Irish diet, the potato.

Please enjoy our favorite Irish boxty recipe!

From Humble Beginnings

Boxty is yet another example of a simple, hearty food made from ingredients that were close at hand for the traditional Irish farmer.

It was (and still is!) often made from the leftover mashed potatoes from the meal before. The main ingredient – potatoes – could be grown in the harshest, rockiest of climates.

Typical garnishments such as onions and apples (applesauce) are also commonplace in the Irish countryside.

Irish Boxty Recipe: Ingredients

2 pounds of peeled russet potatoes
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter (salted)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
3/4 cup of buttermilk
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 teaspoons sea salt

Irish Boxty Recipe: Preparation

First, mash half of the potatoes. Chop them into large chunks and place in a saucepan. Cover with water and add sea salt. Bring water to a boil, then lower the heat and allow to simmer 10-12 minutes or until the potatoes can be mashed with a fork.
In the meantime, grate the remaining potatoes. It’s a good idea to do this step second, because grated potatoes will brown quickly if not used. Use the large holes in a grater, preferably the ‘box’ variety. Spread and pat the potatoes dry with a towel, then place in a bowl and set aside for the moment.
When the boiled potatoes are ready, drain them, return them to the pot. add half of the buttermilk and mash until the mixture is smooth. Combine the mashed and grated potatoes in a large bowl.
Briskly whip the egg, flour, pepper, remaining buttermilk and garlic salt. Add the potatoes to the mixture and stir until combined into a smooth batter.
Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium heat and add butter to cover the surface. We prefer a somewhat generous amount of butter to ensure a crispy exterior to the potato cake. Scoop ¼ cup portions of the batter onto the heated surface and cook until the bottom is golden brown (3-5 minutes). Then flip the cakes and repeat for the other side.
Serve straight from the griddle.

Fun Variations

For a dinner version of an Irish boxty recipe, add 1 cup of finely chopped onion to the batter.

For breakfast, consider diced ham or sausage.

Great garnishes include tomato slices or asparagus spears, applesauce and sour cream, cream cheese and lox.

Experiment and enjoy!

Hungry for More Irish Recipes?

Sharing Irish food is one of our favorite ways to enjoy an Irish experience, wherever in the world we happen to be! The flavors of an Irish meal, and the stories that come along with many Irish recipes, gives us a sense of connection with the Emerald Isle.

To help feed your Irish side, we have over the years created many downloadable, share-able Irish games, puzzles, recipes, songbooks, quizzes, and much, much more.

Want them right now? Keep reading to learn about "Your Irish Expressions Playbook."

And That's Not All!

At Irish Expressions, our our goal is simple: to provide you with a unique Irish experience, on demand, wherever you are in the world.

If you have enjoyed our section on Irish Food Recipes, you have probably been exposed to many of the most delicious flavors that Ireland has to offer!

Will that entice you to visit Ireland - or to return if you have already been?

We hope so!

But even if that is not possible, you can still enjoy the magic of Ireland in these pages. Check out the links at the top of the page for simple instructions on how to explore Irish landmarks, enjoy Irish food, practice Irish customs, and much more!

More Fun With Irish Expressions

Congratulations on learning more about the Emerald Isle and discovering what we like to call your "Irish Side." You may be thinking "I'd love to actually VISIT Ireland but that's really not in the cards right now. What am I supposed to do with the stuff I just learned?"

Well never fear! Since 2009 we have collected all of the best printable, shareable resources we could find, to help you put your new knowledge of Ireland to good use. We've put them all together in a single download we call "Your Irish Expressions Playbook," which contains over 50 pages of games, puzzles, recipes, songbooks, quizzes, travel guides and much, much more.

Purchase them ALL for one small price, print as many copies as you like and share them with your friends - with no limitations! But order soon - we are already adding to the Playbook for future editions and this price will not last long.

Oh, want one more reason to order right away? If you buy YOUR copy of the Playbook now, you will be allowed to upgrade to any new future edition for FREE.