This Saint Patrick’s Day, skip the corned beef and cabbage and try some traditional Irish food instead.
While the holiday originally celebrated Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, it has evolved into a broader celebration of Irish culture—especially food and drink. In the United States, that celebration often centers around Guinness and corned beef and cabbage.
Guinness is undeniably Irish, but corned beef and cabbage is actually more of an Irish-American tradition. The dish became popular among Irish immigrants in cities like New York, where corned beef was more affordable and accessible than the pork that was commonly eaten in Ireland.
In Ireland itself, traditional dishes tend to be simpler and built around ingredients like potatoes, root vegetables, lamb, and pork. Here are some traditional Irish foods you should try this Saint Patrick’s Day alongside a pint of Guinness.
1. Irish Stew
Irish stew is one of the most traditional dishes in Ireland and has long been a staple of Irish home cooking. The classic version is made with lamb or mutton along with root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and onions slowly simmered together in a simple broth.
Earlier versions of the dish likely included whatever meat was available, and some historians believe goat may have been used in certain regions. Potatoes became a key ingredient after they were introduced to Ireland from the Americas in the 16th century, and they remain central to the dish today.
Modern versions of Irish stew often include carrots, onions, and fresh parsley for flavor. Some recipes also add a splash of Guinness to the broth. While that addition is popular in many pubs and modern recipes, it’s more of a contemporary twist than part of the traditional preparation.
If you want to try making it at home, you can follow this traditional Irish stew recipe.
2. Boxty (Irish Potato Pancakes)
Boxty is the Irish version of a potato pancake and is especially associated with the northern part of Ireland. Like many traditional dishes around the world, it’s a simple food built around a common ingredient—in this case, the potato—but with a preparation that reflects local cooking traditions.
Boxty is typically made using finely grated raw potatoes mixed with mashed potatoes, flour, milk, and sometimes egg. The mixture is then fried on a griddle or in a pan until lightly crisp on the outside while remaining soft inside. The combination of grated and mashed potatoes gives boxty a smoother texture than many other potato pancakes, making it closer to a thick pancake than a hash-brown style fritter.
Today, boxty is commonly served as a side dish or filled with meats and vegetables in Irish pubs and restaurants.
3. Soda Bread
Irish soda bread has long been a staple in Irish kitchens because it’s simple to make and requires only a few basic ingredients. Traditional recipes use soft wheat flour, salt, baking soda, and sour milk or buttermilk.
The bread became widely popular in Ireland during the 19th century after baking soda was introduced in the 1830s. Unlike yeast breads, soda bread rises through a chemical reaction between baking soda and the acidity in the milk or buttermilk. This reaction creates small bubbles of carbon dioxide that give the bread its dense texture and slightly crumbly interior.
Because it was inexpensive and easy to prepare, soda bread became a practical everyday bread throughout Ireland. Today it’s still commonly served with butter, soups, and stews in homes, bakeries, and Irish pubs.
4. Colcannon (Irish Mashed Potatoes with Cabbage)
Colcannon is a traditional Irish potato dish that is less widely known outside of Ireland. Like many classic Irish foods, it became popular because it used inexpensive ingredients that were widely available.
The dish is typically made by combining mashed potatoes with butter, milk, and cabbage. Some variations substitute kale for cabbage or add ingredients like scallions, onions, or leeks for extra flavor.
Colcannon is creamy and comforting, and it’s often served as a side dish alongside meats such as bacon or sausages. While it shares some similarities with the English dish bubble and squeak, colcannon is smoother and more similar to a mashed potato dish.
5. Shepherd's Pie
Shepherd’s pie is one of the most recognizable dishes served in Irish pubs and Irish bars around the world. While it’s widely associated with Irish pub food today, the dish likely originated in the United Kingdom and was first documented as cottage pie in the late 1700s.
Both dishes were originally created as a practical way to reuse leftover meat. Cooked meat was combined with vegetables and gravy, topped with mashed potatoes, and baked to create a hearty meal that could easily feed a family.
The difference between the two comes down to the meat used. Cottage pie is made with beef, while shepherd’s pie is traditionally made with lamb. Today the terms are sometimes used interchangeably on restaurant menus, but the lamb version is considered the more traditional shepherd’s pie.
6. Irish Coddle
Irish coddle is a traditional Dublin stew made with sausages, bacon, potatoes, and onions that are slowly simmered together until tender. The dish dates back to the 18th and 19th centuries when it was a practical way to cook inexpensive ingredients in one pot.
Unlike Irish stew, which usually uses lamb, coddle gets most of its flavor from the sausage and bacon. The potatoes absorb the broth as it cooks, creating a rich and comforting dish that is commonly served in pubs throughout Dublin. If you visit Ireland, you’ll often see Irish coddle on menus as a classic example of traditional Irish comfort food.
7. Bacon and Cabbage
Bacon and cabbage is one of the most traditional Irish meals and has been a staple of Irish home cooking for generations. The dish typically consists of boiled bacon, cabbage, and potatoes served together with a simple broth or mustard sauce.
While many Americans associate Ireland with corned beef and cabbage, that combination is actually Irish-American. In Ireland, bacon and cabbage is far more common and reflects the country’s long history of farming pork and root vegetables. It remains one of the most recognizable traditional Irish foods and is often served in both homes and traditional Irish pubs.
8. Champ
Champ is a classic Irish potato dish made by mixing mashed potatoes with scallions (green onions), butter, and milk. It’s simple, but the flavor combination makes it one of the most beloved traditional Irish side dishes.
The scallions add a mild onion flavor that pairs well with the richness of the butter and potatoes. Champ is often served alongside meats like sausages, bacon, or lamb and is especially popular in Northern Ireland. Like colcannon, it highlights how important potatoes are in traditional Irish cuisine.
9. Irish Seafood Chowder
Irish seafood chowder is a creamy soup that showcases the seafood found along Ireland’s Atlantic coastline. The chowder typically includes a mix of fish such as salmon, cod, and haddock along with mussels, potatoes, onions, and cream.
Because Ireland is surrounded by water, seafood plays an important role in many regional dishes. Irish seafood chowder is especially common in coastal towns and is often served in pubs with a slice of brown bread. It’s a hearty dish that reflects Ireland’s strong fishing tradition and its access to fresh Atlantic seafood.
What Do People Eat on St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland?
While corned beef and cabbage is commonly associated with St. Patrick’s Day in the United States, it is actually more of an Irish-American tradition. In Ireland, the foods served on St. Patrick’s Day are usually the same traditional dishes eaten throughout the year.
In the United States, corned beef and cabbage is often considered the classic St. Patrick’s Day meal. However, the dish is actually more Irish-American than Irish. Irish immigrants in the United States began eating corned beef because it was cheaper and more available than the pork typically used in Ireland. In Ireland itself, dishes like bacon and cabbage, Irish stew, and soda bread are far more traditional.
Meals like Irish stew, bacon and cabbage, soda bread, and colcannon are common choices for celebrating the holiday. Many pubs also serve hearty dishes like seafood chowder or Irish coddle, along with pints of Guinness or other Irish beers. The focus is less on a specific holiday dish and more on enjoying classic Irish comfort food with family and friends.
More Traditional Irish Foods to Try
In addition to the dishes listed above, there are several other traditional Irish foods that are commonly found in pubs, bakeries, and homes throughout Ireland.
Irish brown bread is a staple that’s served with many meals. Made with whole wheat flour and often baked with buttermilk, it has a dense texture and slightly nutty flavor. You’ll commonly see it served alongside soups and seafood chowder in Irish pubs.
A full Irish breakfast, sometimes called an Irish fry, is one of the most well-known meals in Ireland. It typically includes eggs, rashers (Irish bacon), sausages, black and white pudding, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, and toast or soda bread. Hotels, cafés, and pubs across Ireland serve it as a hearty start to the day.
While it originated in England, bangers and mash is also widely served in Irish pubs. The dish consists of sausages served over mashed potatoes and topped with onion gravy. It’s a simple but filling meal that fits right in with the hearty comfort foods commonly found on Irish pub menus.
Is Guinness a Traditional Irish Drink?
No discussion of Irish food and drink would be complete without mentioning Guinness. The famous Irish stout has been brewed in Dublin since 1759 at St. James’s Gate and is one of the most recognizable beers in the world.
Known for its dark color, creamy head, and roasted flavor, Guinness is commonly enjoyed alongside hearty Irish dishes like stew, shepherd’s pie, and seafood chowder in pubs throughout Ireland. While Ireland has many great beers and ciders, Guinness remains one of the drinks most closely associated with Irish culture and St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
Final Thoughts on Traditional Irish Food
Traditional Irish food is built around simple ingredients and hearty cooking. Potatoes, root vegetables, lamb, pork, and fresh bread have long been staples in Irish kitchens, and many of the dishes above reflect that history.
From comforting meals like Irish stew and shepherd’s pie to classic sides like colcannon and champ, these foods highlight the flavors that have shaped Irish cooking for generations. If you’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day or simply exploring Irish cuisine, these traditional Irish dishes are a great place to start.
