Classic Irish Recipes: Emerald Isle Comfort Food at its Best (2024)

FAQs

What is the most iconic Irish dish? ›

1. Irish stew. A comforting and hearty dish, Irish stew is made with tender lamb or beef, potatoes, carrots, and onions, simmered together in a flavourful broth until everything is beautifully tender.

Take your family to Ireland—right at the dinner table. Readers share their best traditional Irish recipes, from shepherd's pie and seafood chowder to herbed carrots and colcannon potatoes. Dig in on St. Patrick's Day or any day.

The food eaten by the early Irish people changed very little from the time when farming began until the arrival of the potato from America in the 1600s. The main parts of the early Irish diet were milk and cereals. Butter, buttermilk and cheeses also were very popular.

Irish Stew is a thick, hearty dish of mutton, potatoes, and onions and undisputedly the national dish of Ireland.

Representative dishes include Irish stew, bacon and cabbage, boxty, brown bread (as it is referred to in the south) or soda bread (predominantly used in Ulster), coddle, and colcannon.

(In Ulster in Northern Ireland the breakfast is also known as an "Ulster fry.") 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.

Representative Irish dishes include Irish stew, bacon and cabbage, boxty, coddle, and colcannon.

The Dining Experience in Ireland

The main meal of the day for locals is dinner, meaning making reservations is a good idea, especially if you're planning to dine during peak Irish dinner hours (from 8:00 p.m. onward).

Carrot. After potatoes, carrots are without doubt the best-known and most popular root vegetable of all.

What is the most popular dessert in Ireland? ›

3. Irish Apple Cake. One of the most popular traditional desserts in Ireland is the Irish apple cake. It's made with lots of fresh apples that are readily available in the country.

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).

The Irish often used the good land to grow things like wheat and corn that they would sell to pay their rent. This left the farmers with a small piece of land to grow their own food. Potatoes took up very little space and were very nutritious. One acre of potatoes could feed a family of four for a year.

While the Reuben sandwich itself doesn't have Irish roots (it was thought to be created in Omaha, Nebraska mid-poker game) the meat inside it – corned beef, does. Well, it kind of does. The Irish-corned beef relationship is considered to be much more Irish-American than it is purely Irish.

Ireland is known for its rich heritage, magnificent landscapes, rugged terrain, and friendly and warm people. This birthplace of the Game of Thrones has much to offer to all travellers, from gorgeous, diverse landscapes, Irish pubs, and the sport of rugby to castles, the world's best coffee, and beer.

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.

Meat in Ireland Food

Pork tops the list of Irish food. Mutton or lamb is also popular. Coddle is one unique Irish dish you may have never heard of. It is pork sausage, back bacon, potatoes and onions.