Boxty: the Best Ever Irish Potato Pancakes Recipe
Boxty are the holy grail of pancakes for potato lovers and they’re so easy to make with this boxty recipe! Combining mashed and raw potato with buttermilk makes a dreamy, yet simple meal. Also called Irish potato cakes, they are often made for St. Patrick’s Day here in the US.
If you’ve never tasted an Irish boxty, you are in for a treat.
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This Irish pancake recipe is simple and truly delicious.
When I visited Dublin a few years ago, I saw these on pub and restaurant menus, and couldn’t believe how expensive they were.
Updated 2023: I was in Dublin in October and took a photo of the famous Gallagher’s Boxty House restaurant.
Especially given the fact that this is one of the least expensive (but tastiest) meals you can make at home. I bet there will be no complaints from anyone, even the pickiest of your family members!
What are Irish Boxty?
Boxty is a potato pancake made from mashed potatoes and grated raw potato. It’s like Irish potato bread and a hash brown/latke type pancake got together and had a baby–what’s not to love?
Serve these Irish potato pancakes in the morning with eggs and bacon for a lovely breakfast or brunch, or add a salad for lunch. The contemporary way of serving them includes using them as one would a tortilla or flatbread. Just fill the Irish boxty and serve them like a “wrap” type entree.
My favorite way to eat them is as part of a British breakfast. However, I’ve also made miniature Irish boxty and served them as a luxurious appetizer! They’re so versatile.
Furthermore, you can add this Irish boxty recipe to your list of Irish foods to make when St. Patrick’s day arrives!
How to Make Boxty
A combination of raw and cooked potato is what sets boxty apart from other types of potato pancakes or scones. Once the batter is mixed, they are cooked on a pan or griddle” like normal pancakes. Just follow the step-by-step directions below for perfect results.
Need a St. Patrick’s Day dessert idea? Try this Irish” Whiskey Cake!
How to Serve These Irish Potato Pancakes
Boxty are very versatile and can be served in many savory ways. In the US, think of how biscuits and rolls accompany meals. Here is the boxty menu from the Boxty House restaurant in Dublin.
Want a foolproof soft-boiled egg recipe? Perfect” Soft Boiled Eggs with Soldiers!
My favorite way to serve Irish boxty is with a traditional Irish breakfast: eggs, bacon, and if available, black and white pudding. Don’t forget a piping hot cup of tea!
“Boxty on the griddle, boxty in the pan, if you can’t make boxty, you’ll never get your man!”
Try” Irish Bangers and Mash for another great Irish meal.
Boxty Recipe
Recipe adapted from Faith Magazine – makes about 12
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients
- flour
- baking powder
- salt
- mashed potatoes
- potato (raw)
- buttermilk
- butter
Directions
NOTE: for the best boxty, squeeze the grated raw potato in a clean tea towel until all the water runs out; discard the water.
In a small bowl, place the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
Using a large mixing bowl, combine the mashed potatoes with the grated raw potato, then add the flour and mix well.
Next, slowly add the buttermilk and stir gently with a wooden spoon (do not over mix).
The mixture should turn into a batter, so add more buttermilk if needed. You can make them as thick or runny as you prefer.
Heat a nonstick frying pan or cast iron pan over medium-high heat, and add a pat of butter, just before scooping out some of the boxy batter onto the pan. You are now cooking Irish potato cakes!
Flatten and shape into a nice, round pancake shape and fry until golden brown on the bottom.
Turn the potato pancakes and continue to cook until golden brown on top, too. Turn the heat down if they are browning too quickly (remember there are raw potatoes which need to cook).
Continue to add a little butter and fry the boxty until all the batter is finished.
Serve the pancakes hot, as desired, with or without toppings. I love them with HP Sauce!
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Boxty: the Best Ever Potato Pancakes
Special Equipment
- 1 griddle
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp Kosher or sea salt
- 1 cup mashed potatoes Russets boiled in salted water
- 1 ½ cups potato raw Russets, grated,
- 1 cup buttermilk (or more if needed)
- 2 Tbsp butter more or less as needed, for the griddle
Instructions
- NOTE: for the best boxty, squeeze the grated raw potato in a clean tea towel until all the water runs out; discard the water.
- In a small bowl, place the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the mashed potatoes with the grated raw potato, then add the flour and mix well.
- Slowly add the buttermilk and stir gently (do not over mix).
- The mixture should be a batter; so add more buttermilk if needed. Make as thick or as runny as desired.
- Heat a griddle or nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat, and add a pat of butter, just before scooping out some of the boxty batter onto the pan.
- Flatten and shape into a nice, round pancake shape and fry until golden brown on the bottom.
- Turn and continue to cook until golden brown on top too, turning the heat down if they are browning too quickly (remember there are raw potatoes which need to cook).
- Continue to add a little butter and fry the boxty until all the batter is finished. Serve hot.
Notes
- It’s important not to over mix the batter for best results.
- NOTE: for the best boxty, squeeze the grated raw potato in a clean tea towel until all the water runs out; discard the water.
Nutrition
I’ve been dying to try these pudding cakes from Cynthia at What a Girl Eats Guinness stout dark chocolate pudding cakes with salted caramel sauce.
Here’s my Guinness Chocolate cake, too!
And this old Irish rarebit recipe which is another perfect menu idea for St Patrick’s Day!
If you enjoyed this boxty recipe, you may like these potato goat cheese cakes with European salad and balsamic vinaigrette.
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Hi
I live in South Africa, and we do not have all-purpose flour here; can I use self-raising flour or cake flour in this recipe; and if so, what would the measurements be?
Many thanks!
Hi Tanya, I’m almost positive you’d have an equivalent to all-purpose. What is your most “normal” flour that isn’t cake or self-raising? That is what you’d want to use. If you truly don’t have it, use self raising and omit the baking powder. Enjoy!
Hi Christina :-)
Unfortunately, we only have cake flour, bread flour and self-raising flour. I will try it with self-raising flour.
Thanks so much!
Yes, that’s the best option, then. I’m sure they’ll be great! :)
Thank you :-)
You can omit the baking powder.The reason the baking powder is used alongside the buttermilk is they both react with each other to help them rise. Self-rising flour already has the baking powder in it.
I noted that in my first response.
I think he was just giving a more in depth response
Love this. My Mom’s side of the family is Irish so I always love seeing amazing recipes like this.
You have to try the boxty then, Kim! What are you waiting for? :)
I love Irish boxty! The combination of mashed and grated potatoes really yields such a great texture. It’s been forever since I’ve had these and that needs to change. Yours look perfect!
Thanks, Kimberly! I do love them too, but then again, how can you ever go wrong with potatoes?! :)
awesome mouthwatering recipe..we do not use Buttermilk..is it ok to use normal cow milk?? Thank you
YES! Just add a squeeze of lemon to the normal milk and it’s a good substitution for buttermilk! :)
My family has an Irish background. My mom would purposefully make too many mashed potatoes using butter and milk so she could make potato pancakes with the leftovers! She would just add a little flour to it and then fry it! Being from the US we of course as kids are ours with ketchup!
Awesome, Kim! Lucky you-most US kids never had this luxury! :)
My Dad, an Irishman, used to make Potato Cakes for us kids for Sunday Nights tea (that’s all he could cook!). We loved them, except we hated having to peel them after they were cooked. My Dad used to make them with just Potato, butter, salt, Flour (only about 1/2 cup, they were mostly potato) and a little bit of Baking Powder. He would form them into cakes about 1″ thick. After they cooked, dry, on top of the stove we would then split them in half and slather them with homemade butter. They were wonderful hot with the butter running down your chin! One was enough even for the greediest kid.
What wonderful memories, Mary! I can just picture that scene and now I want Boxty!!! ;)
I’ve never had boxty before, but what’s not to like? Interesting that it uses buttermilk, and both grated and mashed potatoes. I need to try this!
You’d love them, Cynthia!