Traditional Irish Farmhouse Recipes • all the classics! (2024)

Traditional Irish recipes from Irish stew, colcannon, and soda bread to rustic apple cake and homemade Irish Cream!

Traditional Irish Farmhouse Recipes • all the classics! (1)

IRISH APPLE CAKE

This is an authentic old fashioned Irish apple cake, the kind that would be made throughout the apple harvest season all over Ireland, where every farmhouse has its own prized version of the recipe. It’s delicious with or without the traditional custard sauce.

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IRISH OATMEAL SODA BREAD

Rustic Irish soda bread made with oatmeal is delicious. It’s a miracle how this easy no-yeast, one bowl recipe bakes up into an authentic, crusty, artisan loaf. Serve for breakfast with butter and jam, or alongside any soup or stew.

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INSTANT POT IRISH STEW

The real deal, a classic rich stew made with lamb, potatoes, root veggies, cabbage, and, of course, a good dose of Guinness.

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CLASSIC FISH PIE

Delicious fish pie topped with mashed potatoes ~ I’m crazy for a great creamy fish pie. You can use all sorts of fish or shellfish in this uber comforting meal.

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COTTAGE PIE

Cottage Pie and its cousin Shepherd’s Pie is as traditional as it gets. Cottage pie is traditionally made with ground beef, while shepherd’s pie is made with ground lamb. Serve with peas, Brussels sprouts, or a fresh salad.

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DUBLIN CODDLE

One of my favorite of all Irish recipes! Onions, potatoes, sausages, and bacon (basically all the best things) get slow cooked together in this wonderful dish. The name comes from the fact that the ingredients were traditionally coddled or slowly cooked over a long period of time.

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TRADITIONAL IRISH LEEK AND POTATO SOUP

Leek and potato soup is a traditional Irish recipe that has been popular in Ireland for many years. Its origins can be traced back to the Irish potato famine of the 1840s, when potatoes and leeks were two of the few ingredients that were readily available.

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IRISH SODA SCONES

For an authentic Irish country breakfast, it doesn’t get more perfect than these scones, some Irish butter, and a dollop of homemade jam. This recipe comes from Darina Allen’s Forgotten Skills of Irish Cooking.

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COLCANNON

Colcannon is a traditional Irish recipe made from mashed potatoes, butter, milk, and seasonal vegetables like cabbage and kale. In some regions, spring onions and bacon might also be added. Colcannon has been a staple in Irish kitchens since the 17th century.

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CORNED BEEF

Classic cured beef brisket is perfect for corned beef and cabbage, and deli sandwiches!

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CLOTTED CREAM SHORTBREAD

Crisp, buttery shortbread proves that dessert doesn’t have to be decadent to be fabulous. While Ireland can’t lay claim to the invention of shortbread, it’s a hugely popular snack. Irish variations include brown sugar shortbread, and oatmeal shortbread.

HOW TO MAKE IRISH COFFEE

It’s believed that the first Irish coffee was created in the 1940s by a bartender named Joe Sheridan who worked at the Foynes Airbase in County Limerick, Ireland.

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GUINNESS BREAD

Have you got a couple of minutes? Why not make this almost too good to be true Guinness bread? Just whisk a few ingredients together in a bowl, pour in a bottle of Guinness, and stir it up. That’s all you need to do! It sounds crazy but the results speak for themselves. (You’ll have just enough time to fix yourself a cup of tea!)

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BOXTY

A traditional Northern Irish potato cake made quick and easy in your cast iron skillet. Irish Boxty can be served with butter, bacon, sausage, or eggs and can be eaten as an accompaniment to a main meal or as a light snack.

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IRISH BROWN BREAD

An ancient whole grain bread with a rustic texture and hearty flavor. This Irish recipe for brown bread has been passed down for generations. Its origin can be traced back to ancient Ireland when the Celts began baking flatbreads made with water and grains.

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HOMEMADE IRISH CREAM

Because no Irish recipe round up would be complete without a little tipple ~ cheers!

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NO CHURN BAILEY’S ICE CREAM

A dangerously easy no churn ice cream made with Bailey’s Irish Cream! Not sure if this is a traditional Irish recipe, but it should be! The history of Bailey’s Irish Cream dates back to 1974, when it was first introduced by a man named Tom Jago. He was inspired to create this unique cream liqueur after trying a concoction of whiskey, cream, and coffee made in a bar in Ireland.

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GUINNESS BEEF AND ONION POT PIE

This beef and onion pot pie with potato topping looks like it would be right at home on an Irish farmhouse table. Cooking with Guinness beer can add a rich and complex flavor to so many different kinds of dishes ~ I always keep a few bottles in my pantry.

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IRISH BREAD PUDDING WITH WHISKEY CARAMEL SAUCE

Transform a plain loaf of bread into a sumptuous dessert by making classic bread pudding. I think I need to start putting whiskey caramel sauce on everything!

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OVERNIGHT STEEL CUT OATS WITH WHISKEY BUTTER

This Irish style porridge is a fantastic way to treat house guests — or your own family — to a cozy, bed & breakfast style morning with little effort.Healthy porridge or oatmeal has been a staple of the Irish diet for centuries.

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CHEDDAR AND BACON IRISH SODA BREAD

A colorful ‘bacony’ twist on a simple Irish recipe for no-yeast soda bread. The habit of adding a little bit of bacon is a frugal way to enrich recipes and is classically Irish.

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GUINNESS CAKE WITH IRISH CREAM FROSTING

If you thought Guinness cake was just a cute idea for St. Patrick’s Day, think again.Long story short, Guinness makes a better chocolate cake!

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IRISH FISH CAKES WITH 30 SECOND TARTAR SAUCE

These fish cakes are made extra light and fluffy with mashed potatoes. And of course the creamy homemade tartar sauce takes them over the top. This kind of crispy fish cake is often served as a snack in pubs.

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Irish recipe resources

Want to put more authentic Irish food on your table? Check out these books for more gorgeous, traditional Irish recipes

Traditional Irish Farmhouse Recipes • all the classics! (2024)

FAQs

What is a typical Irish farmhouse? ›

LOBBY-ENTRY AND DIRECT-ENTRY FARMHOUSES The typical vernacular farmhouse is 'four-bay' with a door and three windows in the front wall. Irish vernacular farmhouses tend to have one of two traditional layouts, lobby-entry or direct-entry.

What is the national dish 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 main ingredient of many traditional Irish dishes? ›

Potatoes formed the basis of many Irish dishes and were eaten both by the Anglo-Irish gentry and the mass of the people. This was unusual as the potato was shunned in most of Europe for centuries after its introduction, particularly by the elites.

What is the oldest Irish food? ›

Ancient Irish Cuisine: Oats. The oat has been around in Irish diets for a long, long time. Oats were easier to grow in colder climates than wheat. Oats were seen as poverty food, for the peasants, and wheat was a treat.

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 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 did Irish farmers eat? ›

There were sheep to provide meat and wool and they ate grass and gorse and heather. The Irish farmers fished salmon and cod and grew cabbage and leeks and harvested the eggs of shore birds and ate shellfish and raspberries and apples and seaweed and shellfish.

What is an Irish cottage? ›

Overall, a number of features are common: the Irish vernacular cottage is rectangular, divided into rooms which occupy the full width of the house with no central hallway or passage; it has thick strong walls, a steeply sloped roof supported by the walls rather than pillars or posts; there is an open hearth at floor ...

What is the traditional cottage layout in Ireland? ›

The most common cottage type in Ireland is the single-storey dwelling house, one room deep. These usually have three front sash windows, and a front door offset from the centre. They are linear in plan with no hallways but one room leading to another.

What is a true Irish dish? ›

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. And it can even be made with a plant-based twist in this vegan shepherd's pie recipe!

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 national breakfast of Ireland? ›

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 did Irish people eat before potatoes? ›

Grains, either as bread or porridge, were the other mainstay of the pre-potato Irish diet, and the most common was the humble oat, usually made into oatcakes and griddled (ovens hadn't really taken off yet).

What is the national dessert of Ireland? ›

The national dessert of Ireland is the traditional Irish apple pie. This delicious dessert is made with sweet, tart apples, warm spices, and a buttery pastry crust. How is Irish apple pie different from other apple pies? Irish apple pie is often made with a lattice crust on top, giving it a distinctive appearance.

What is an Irish dish for leftovers? ›

Coddle (sometimes Dublin coddle; Irish: cadal) is an Irish dish which is often made to use up leftovers. It most commonly consists of layers of roughly sliced pork sausages and rashers (thinly sliced, somewhat-fatty back bacon) with chunky potatoes, sliced onion, salt, pepper, and herbs.

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 is Ireland's national drink? ›

Over the last three centuries, Guinness has become a legendary part of Irish culture, celebrated as Ireland's national drink. And with over 8,000 years still left on the original St. James Gate brewery lease, there's still a lot more of 'the black stuff' to make and enjoy.

Why did the Irish only eat potatoes? ›

Why were potatoes so important to Ireland? The potato plant was hardy, nutritious, calorie-dense, and easy to grow in Irish soil. By the time of the famine, nearly half of Ireland's population relied almost exclusively on potatoes for their diet, and the other half ate potatoes frequently.

What fruit is native to Ireland? ›

Apples and wild strawberries are some of the most commonly grown fruits in Ireland. Another very common fruit is the bilberry. In Ireland it is referred to as a fraughan. It is also called the blaeberry, whortleberry, winberry, and fraughan.

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 is the staple food of Ireland? ›

The staples of the Irish diet have traditionally been potatoes, grains (especially oats), and dairy products. Potatoes still appear at most Irish meals, with potato scones, similar to biscuits or muffins, a specialty in the north.

What is traditional celtic food? ›

From Scotland's distinctive haggis, down through Manx kippers, Irish stew, Welsh cakes, Cornish pasties and on to the Breton galette crêpe, you'll find food here unlike any other in Western Europe. And the same goes for drinks. The most iconic is probably Scotch whisky (whiskey with an 'e' if you're in Ireland).

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.

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