10 Great Irish Foods and Dishes

Irish stew, also known as Stobhach, is one of Ireland’s national dishes. It’s a hearty stew, traditionally made with lamb or mutton, but there’s some debate over its exact ingredients. You’ll hear people saying that a true Irish stew should only contain mutton, onions, and potatoes, but nowadays, you’ll see it made with beef, carrots, celery, and even a drop or 2 of Guinness.

This dish is said to date back to the early 18th century, when farmers only had access to a few ingredients, but needed a good meal to keep them warm and full. It’s still hugely popular today, and you’ll love feasting on this filling stew on a chilly winter’s night in Ireland.

Bacon and cabbage is a staple dish in many Irish households. It consists of sliced back bacon, which is boiled, then served with potatoes and cabbage. The dish dates to the late 18th century, when most households grew cabbages and potatoes and usually reared a pig or 2 as well, so families had the ingredients on hand to cook a filling meal.

Nowadays, you’ll see this tasty dish on the menu of most Irish pubs, although it tends to be served with mashed potatoes and either a white or parsley sauce. After a day of sightseeing in Ireland, head to a cozy pub and choose this delicious dish to warm you as you soak up the friendly atmosphere.

Beef and Guinness pie combines succulent beef chunks, onions, carrots, and stout, topped with a flaky puff pastry. It’s a popular comfort food in Ireland and it’s a hearty and filling dish. The Guinness adds a rich flavor and velvety texture to the beef, and the pastry melts in your mouth.

Even though its origins date far back, this savory pie has been adapted and recreated by numerous celebrity and Michelin-starred chefs, and you’ll still find it on the menu of many restaurants today. It’s usually served with either buttery mashed potatoes or chunky chips and vegetables, and it’s irresistible.

If you’re looking for a feast to set you up for the day or something to soak up a hangover, he Ulster fry is a tasty choice. If you’re watching your calorie intake, this copious breakfast probably isn’t for you. The Ulster fry is also known as a fry-up and it’s a huge plate of fried food, including bacon, sausages, eggs, black pudding, tomato, potato farls (potato cakes), and soda bread.

Head to a cafe in Northern Ireland and you’ll see this filling meal on most breakfast menus. Some will even provide a vegetarian alternative, omitting the black pudding, and offering veggie sausages and bacon instead of the meat versions.

Irish oysters are celebrated and enjoyed throughout the entire Emerald Isle. You’ll see them on menus in seafood bars, pubs, and restaurants, on proud display on market stalls, and as the star attraction in the country’s numerous oyster festivals. Head to Connemara in July for a showcase of the region’s chefs and oyster producers or to the Galway festival in September for cooking events and a masked parade through the city’s streets.

You can also take an oyster farm tour to learn how and where oysters are produced and the different farming methods used. Be sure to try some paired with a creamy pint of Guinness.

Waterford blaa is a bread roll that takes its name from the city in southeast Ireland where it originated and where it’s still produced today. It’s made from just 4 ingredients: flour, yeast, salt, and water. It has a subtle malt flavor, a slightly square shape, and a distinctive, doughier texture that differentiates it from a bap or burger bun.

Locals start their day with a generous spread of butter on a fresh blaa and a mug of tea. You’ll also see breakfast blaas on cafe menus where they’re served with a fried egg, bacon, and sausage inside. Blaas come in a soft or a crusty variety, so make sure you try both types. Which one will you prefer?

The traditional Irish soda bread originated in the late 1830s. As more and more households struggled with poverty, people turned to making soda bread, using inexpensive and basic ingredients, including salt, soured milk, baking soda and “soft” wheat flour. It’s a delicious bread with a hard crust, dense texture, and a slightly sour taste.

This staple Irish food is traditionally eaten on St. Patrick’s Day but it’s popular year-round. You’ll see people eating it with butter and jam or to accompany a main meal. You’ll also see rustic loaves of Irish soda bread marked with a cross on top. It’s a superstition, thought to ward off evil.

Boxty is a potato pancake that is especially popular in northwest Ireland. This tasty dish is fried, so it’s crispy and golden on the outside, but light and fluffy on the inside. There are many variations on how to make it, but the recipe always includes the essentials of grated raw potatoes and flour. Enjoy boxty as part of a filling fry-up or serve it with scrambled eggs or smoked salmon for a light lunch.

This versatile Irish food even has its own rhyme. The recipe for boxty is straightforward, but if you mess up your cooking, you’ll hear, “Boxty on the griddle, boxty in the pan; if you can’t make boxty, you’ll never get a man.”

Apple cake is a mouthwateringly moist cake which is spiced with cinnamon. Enjoy it hot or cold, by itself, or with creamy custard or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s a decadent treat which melts in the mouth and tickles the nose with its spiced apple scent. Modern recipes offer many versions of this classic Irish cake, and you’ll see it paired with salted caramel or whiskey sultanas on restaurant menus.

Apples feature often in Irish folklore so it’s natural that they’re used in a traditional dessert. The saying goes that if you peel an apple in one long, continuous strip and throw it over your shoulder, the apple peel will spell the initial of your future spouse.

Irish coffee features on pub and restaurant menus not just in Ireland, but worldwide. It’s a smooth, caffeinated alcoholic drink. Legend states that it dates back to the early 1940s, when a flight was rerouted to Foynes in County Limerick. It was a cold and blustery night and the passengers disembarked in a weary mood. A local chef decided to warm everyone up by creating his delicious Irish coffee and it’s now a popular choice on a chilly winter’s evening.

Traditionally, Irish coffee is made using whiskey, freshly brewed coffee, brown sugar, and a cream topping. You’ll find other varieties available, including maple syrup and Baileys.