Irish Boxty, The Only Potato Pancake You'll Ever Need (2024)

Updated: Apr. 12, 2024

Boxty has a delightfully crispy exterior and soft pancake-like center, making them irresistible. Learn how to make them at home.

Boxty is a traditional Irish food typically eaten around Halloween, or Samhain as the Irish refer to it. This was because potato crops were bountiful this time of year, so making boxty was a very affordable way to feed people.

Boxty is different from other potato pancakes or latkes, and you’ll see that once you bite into one and notice the crispy hash brown-like outside and soft, dough-like inside.

What Is Boxty?

Boxty is a traditional Irish potato pancake, that gets its unique texture from the combination of mashed and shredded raw potatoes.

Fried in oil, these little potato pillows from heaven are perfectly crispy when you bite into them, but soft like a pancake on the inside. With the addition of buttermilk, flour and baking soda, they puff up slightly in the oil while getting a deep golden crust. Drooling yet?

How to Make Boxty

Ingredients

  • 1-1/2 cups cold mashed potatoes
  • 2 cups peeled and shredded potatoes
  • 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 to 1-1/2 cups buttermilk
  • Oil for frying

Tools You’ll Need

  • Veggie peeler: You need to peel quite a few potatoes for this recipe. Make sure you have a good peeler on hand. This model is just $5 but our Test Kitchen swears by it.
  • Box grater:A box grater is a necessity for any kind of potato pancake, including boxty.
  • Tea towels:To press the water out of the potatoes, you’ll want thin kitchen towels at the ready.

Directions

Step 1: Prep the potatoes

Boxty has two types of potatoes: mashed and shredded. Make some mashed potatoes in advance. Boil the potatoes until soft and mash with a masher or potato ricer. No need to add any milk or butter here; that’ll come later.

Let the mashed potatoes cool completely.

Step 2: Shred and squeeze

Irish Boxty, The Only Potato Pancake You'll Ever Need (4)TMB Studio

Start by shredding your potatoes with a box grater just like you would for any other potato pancakes. Using a clean dish towel, squeeze out any excess liquid from shredded potatoes. This will help the batter hold together better and allow your boxty to crisp up better.

Step 3: Make the batter

Irish Boxty, The Only Potato Pancake You'll Ever Need (5)TMB Studio

In a large bowl combine the flour, baking soda, salt and pepper. Add the mashed and shredded potatoes to the flour mixture and stir to combine. Add a cup of buttermilk to the mixture, adding more as needed.

Step 4: Fry

Irish Boxty, The Only Potato Pancake You'll Ever Need (6)TMB Studio

In a large frying pan, heat 1/8-inch oil over medium heat. Using 1/4 cup, drop batter into hot oil and flatten into patties. Fry until golden brown on each side, adding more oil as needed.

It’s better to cook these longer and lower than higher and quicker, as you don’t want the outside to crisp up before the shredded potatoes have cooked through.

What to Eat with Boxty

Irish Boxty, The Only Potato Pancake You'll Ever Need (7)TMB Studio

It’s true they are so tasty that you may want to just eat them alone, but if you’re looking to make a meal of it try serving your boxty with either fresh butter, crème Fraiche, green onions, bacon, smoked salmon and eggs. For an authentic Irish dinner try serving it with corned beef and fried cabbage.

Irish Boxty, The Only Potato Pancake You'll Ever Need (2024)

FAQs

What does boxty mean in Irish? ›

'Boxty' originates in the 1700s and may get its name from the Irish 'arán bocht tí', meaning 'poor house bread', due to its humble ingredients, making it a staple in Irish households where potatoes were relied upon to survive. It is a simple potato pancake using mashed and/or grated potatoes.

What are the different types of boxty? ›

There are three types of boxty: boiled, baked and pan boxty. Boxty is made simply from grated raw potato, cooked mashed potato, flour, milk and water. That said, every house will have different variations of the above and all will claim to be the best boxty ever! Where would boxty traditionally be sold or served?

What is a Fermanagh boxty? ›

Boxty (Irish: bacstaí or Irish: steaimpí) is a traditional Irish potato pancake. The dish is mostly associated with the north midlands, north Connacht and southern Ulster, in particular the counties of Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Fermanagh, Longford, and Cavan.

What's the difference between a latke and a boxty? ›

These pancakes are, round, like regular pancakes, but thicker. Generally made with mashed potatoes, but some times cut up potatoes. Latke, is more brown, and slightly thinner, like has browns.

What is potato slang for in Irish? ›

Spuds. We can't talk about Irish slang without mentioning potatoes! “Spuds” is another word for potatoes.

What is the national dish in 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.

Who invented boxty? ›

Boxty originated in Ireland sometime in the late 18th century, primarily in the northern counties of Cavan and Donegal. Now they're eaten all over Ireland, usually alongside meat or stew.

What's the difference between potato farls and boxty? ›

It differs from boxty as boxty is made of raw potatoes whereas potato cake is made from cooked potatoes. In Ireland potato cakes are typically known as potato bread and are served in traditional breakfasts along with eggs and bacon. The Recipe: Boil potatoes in hot water until they are completely soft.

What is traditional Irish Crubeens? ›

Crubeens are a traditional Irish dish of boiled pigs feet that are often served fried and eaten by hand. Removing the bones and stuffing it with mashed potatoes elevates this Irish classic Sunday Supper status while keeping it in comfort food territory.

What is a traditional Irish potato basket? ›

The Skib by Joe Hogan is a traditional Irish basket used for straining and serving potatoes. After use it was washed and hung on the kitchen wall to dry and in this way began to be seen as a decorative object.

What is the difference between Colcannon and Champ? ›

Colcannon is made with cabbage or kale while champ is made by flavoring milk with green onions, then mixing them into mashed potatoes. To finish the dish off, it's mixed with melted butter.

What do the English call potato cakes? ›

Potato scallops/Potato cakes

In Australia and England, potato scallops are thin slices of potato that have been battered and deep-fried.

What country invented potato pancakes? ›

Although many Americans associate potato pancakes with Hanukkah, they have more broad origins. They originated in the eastern European countries of Germany Austria, Russia and Poland as a peasant food. Potatoes were cheap, plentiful and easy to store, making them a staple and necessitating inventive potato recipes.

What are German potato pancakes made of? ›

Beat eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl; stir in potatoes and onion. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of potato mixture into hot oil in batches. Press to flatten.

How do you say mashed potatoes in Irish? ›

English–Irish Dictionary (de Bhaldraithe): Potato-mash. Potato-mash, brúitín m (prátaí). Mashed potatoes, brúitín m. Mashed potatoes, brúitín m, prátaí brúite.

What is spuds in Irish? ›

The Irish language is very descriptive the common word for potato in Irish is práta (pl. prátaí), hence the origin of Praties for Potatoes, There are literally 50 Irish words and descriptive phrases relating to the potato.

How do you pronounce the name boxty? ›

How is the noun boxty pronounced?
  1. British English. /ˈbɒksti/ BOCK-stee.
  2. U.S. English. /ˈbɑksti/ BAHK-stee.
  3. Irish English. /ˈbɑksti/

What's the difference between boxty and potato bread? ›

Irish potato bread is typically made from mashed potato, and either flour or baking soda, and is usually fried. This is not the same dish as boxty; boxty is made using raw potatoes, whereas potato bread is made using cooked potatoes.

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