Irish Pancakes

This Irish pancake recipe is your new St Patrick’s Day savory potato sensation, where a clever mix of fluffy mash and shredded potato creates a perfect golden-brown, crispy exterior with ultra comforting and tender center. Ready to top with sour cream, bacon bits, shredded cheese, and more!

Think of these Irish pancakes as the ultimate potato upgrade. That combo of smooth mash and fresh, raw shreds is the secret to the best texture imaginable. They’re easily adaptable, call for simple and budget-friendly pantry staples, and can even be made with leftover mashed potato! 

So easy to whip up, you don’t even need the luck of the Irish on your side. Sláinte!

What are Irish pancakes? 

Irish pancakes, traditionally known as ‘boxty’, are savory potato pancakes that serve as a hearty dish. You could think of them as a tasty combination of pancake, a hash brown, a potato latke, and a rosti!

These Irish pancakes make the best use of the potato, blending both cooked mashed potatoes and raw shredded potatoes into one batter. This method creates a uniquely satisfying texture – crispy on the outside with a tender, flavorful interior. 

Irish pancakes are a delicious testament to the central role that the potato plays in Ireland’s culinary history and everyday comfort food! 

Why you’ll love this Irish pancake recipe 

• The genius combination of smooth mashed potatoes and freshly grated raw potatoes creates a crispy, golden-brown exterior with a tender, flavorful, and hearty center. It’s what makes boxty so special! 
• This Irish pancake recipe is easily customizable. Make it your own by adding some simple ingredient mix-ins.
• It’s the type of Irish dish that you can enjoy at any meal – breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. 

Ingredients needed to make Irish pancakes 

• Flour: All-purpose flour is my go-to sturdy flour for making fluffy pancakes that retain their shape. 
• Kosher salt: Enhances all the flavors in these Irish pancakes.
• Baking soda: Helps to create a good rise, combating dense and flat pancakes. 
• Ground black pepper: Added to the pancake batter for a little kick of warmth. Feel free to omit or use something like cayenne pepper if you prefer a kick of heat. 
• Russet potatoes: You’ll use a mixture of mashed potatoes and shredded potatoes to form the potato mixture for the pancake batter. The mashed potato acts as a glue while the shredded potato provides a delicious texture. 

• Green onions: Adds a mild, sweet, and savory onion flavor to these Irish pancakes. I also love adding them as garnish for a pretty pop of green – perfect for St Patrick’s Day!
• Egg: Acts as a binder and also provides moisture to the batter. 
• Whole milk: You could also use buttermilk to replace the milk and yogurt. Check out my variations section below for more details. 
• Plain Greek yogurt: Adds a delicious tangy taste and loads of moisture so that the pancakes don’t fall apart. 
• Butter: I prefer unsalted butter for better control of the salt content in these pancakes. If you choose to use salted butter instead, omit the salt added to the batter. 
• To serve: Serve these Irish pancakes with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, bacon crumbles, and fried eggs. 

How do you make these Irish pancakes 

Prep and preheat:

1. Position your oven rack in the middle and preheat the oven to 200°F.
2. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet and set it aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, baking soda, and black pepper. Set this dry mixture aside.

Cook and mash half of the potatoes:

1. Begin by peeling half of the potatoes (about 1 pound) and cutting them into ½-inch pieces.
2. Place the pieces in a medium saucepan and add 1 teaspoon of salt, then cover with cold water by about 1 inch.
3. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a medium simmer. Cook until the potatoes are very tender when pierced, about 15 minutes.
4. Drain the potatoes and let them cool in a colander for about 10 minutes, until easy to handle.
5. Transfer them to a large bowl and mash thoroughly with a fork or potato masher until completely smooth.

Shred the remaining potatoes:

1. While the boiled potatoes cool, peel the remaining 1 pound of potatoes.
2. Using a box grater set over a clean kitchen towel, shred the potatoes directly onto the towel.
3. Gather the towel’s edges and carefully squeeze out the excess liquid over the sink.
4. Add the dried, shredded potatoes to the large bowl with the mashed potatoes.

Make the pancake batter:

1. Use a fork or your fingers to mix the shredded potatoes into the mashed potatoes until just incorporated.
2. Stir in the scallions and egg, then add the flour mixture and mix until combined.
3. Finally, gently stir in the milk and Greek yogurt with a spatula until you have a thick, pancake-like batter with no streaks of dry flour.

Cook the pancakes:

1. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat until it bubbles.
2. Scoop 4 heaping ¼-cup portions of batter into the skillet, flattening each into a 4-inch wide, ½-inch thick circle.
3. Cook undisturbed until the underside is golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes.
4. Carefully flip and cook until the second side is golden brown, another 4 to 6 minutes.
5. Transfer the cooked pancakes to the wire rack-lined baking sheet and keep warm in the oven.
6. Repeat with the remaining batter, cooking in three batches total and adding 2 tablespoons of fresh butter to the skillet for each batch.

Garnish and Serve:

1. Just before serving, sprinkle the hot pancakes with the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt and extra scallions for garnish.
2. Enjoy with your favorite toppings, such as sour cream, shredded cheddar, bacon, or fried eggs.

Serving

Make sure to feast on these Irish pancakes as part of your St Patrick’s Day celebrations, whether for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner! I love to top them with thinly sliced green onions, sour cream, freshly shredded cheddar cheese, crispy bacon pieces, or fried eggs. 

Of course, they can also be enjoyed as a side to a variety of Irish-inspired main meals, such as:

• Smoked Corned Beef Brisket
• Guinness Beef Stew
• Guinness Pot Roast
• Irish Mac and Cheese
• Irish Salad (aka Irish Flag Salad)

Be sure to end on a sweet note with Bailey’s Chocolate Chip Cookies, or a slice of Bailey’s Irish Cream Cake!

Sandy’s tips and substitutions:

• Storage: Store leftover Irish pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. For best results, reheat your leftover Irish pancakes in a single layer on a baking sheet in a 350 degrees F oven for about 10 minutes, or in an air fryer for about 3-5 minutes. A hot, dry pan with a little oil is also effective for smaller batches. 
• Freeze: For longer storage, freeze these pancakes, once cooled, for up to 3 months in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag and reheat as mentioned above. 
• Use leftover mashed potatoes: You can substitute fresh mashed potatoes with 2 cups of cold leftover mashed potatoes. Simply combine them with the freshly grated potatoes, egg, flour mixture, and scallions, then begin stirring in the milk and Greek yogurt gradually, adding more in small increments only if necessary, until the batter reaches a thick, pancake-like consistency.
• Avoid overmixing: When combining the shredded potatoes with the mash and folding in the flour mixture, stir only until just incorporated. Overworking the batter can activate the potato starch and make the pancakes dense or gummy.
• Test the skillet heat: Before adding the batter for the first batch, check that your skillet and butter are properly heated by dropping in a small bit of batter which should sizzle gently upon contact. This ensures a perfect golden-brown sear and prevents sticking. 
• Squeeze out excess liquid: Excess liquid must be squeezed out of the shredded potatoes to prevent a watery batter so you end up with crispy pancakes. 

Variations:

• Add buttermilk: Use 1 cup of buttermilk in this Irish pancake recipe to replace the milk and Greek yogurt, if you prefer. 
• Cheesy Irish pancakes: Fold grated cheddar or Parmesan into the batter for a savory, melty twist.
• Spicy warmth: Add warmth with ground cumin, smoked paprika, or a pinch of nutmeg. 
• Mix-ins: For extra texture and flavor, consider crispy bacon bits, caramelized onions, or sautéed garlic. 
• Sweet potato pancakes: Replace all Russet potatoes with sweet potatoes which will give you a slightly sweeter, vibrant color, and a softer texture.
• Gluten-free Irish pancakes: Substitute all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. 

Potatoes hold a cherished place in Irish cooking, forming the comforting foundation of classics. From the golden Potato Cheese Bread to the rich, savory Guinness Shepherd’s Pie, this humble vegetable is the star behind so many iconic dishes.

More St. Patrick’s Day recipes you may want to try:

• Irish Biscuits
• Irish Bangers and Mash
• Irish Mashed Potatoes
• Irish Slaw Dip
• Baileys Cake