Boxty: Irish Potato Pancakes

Prep Time: 10 Mins

Cook Time: 10 Mins

Total Time: 20 Mins

Serves: 3-4

For me, the star of a traditional Irish breakfast has always been Boxty. Imagine a perfect cross between a crispy latke and a savory pancake, and you've got this classic dish. What sets Boxty apart is its unique blend of textures—made from both raw grated potatoes and mashed potatoes, it delivers a crispy exterior with a tender, soft inside that’s simply irresistible.

Ingredients

1 cup grated potato (all-purpose or floury varieties work best)

1 cup mashed potato (ideally without milk and butter in them, but can use leftover mashed potatoes in a pinch)

1 cup all-purpose white flour

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼-½ teaspoon fine sea salt

2 green onions, thinly sliced and set aside some of the greens for garnish

Butter for pan frying

Sour cream (optional) to serve

Directions

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1. Squeeze out the excess water of the grated potato and add to a bowl with the mashed potato, flour, buttermilk, baking soda, green onions, and sea salt (add less if your mashed potatoes were heavily salted and more if they were not). Mix until well combined. The batter should be the consistency of very thick mashed potatoes, if it’s too thick add a little milk, if it’s too loose add a bit more flour.

2. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of butter and swirl it around in the pan. You can make large or small pancakes, drop batter in mounds the size of the pancake you desire and use the back of a spoon to smooth them out and flatten them, so they are about 1-2cm in thickness.

3. As it cooks, bubbles will start to form and the top will become less shiny, this means it is time to flip, usually 3-5 minutes. Cook for the same amount of time. The pancakes should be nicely golden on each side.

4. You can transfer them to an oven set to 200°F (95° C) to keep them warm as you are making them in batches. Serve with the green onion for garnish and optionally sour cream.  

• Storing Tips

  Leftovers keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

• Nutrition

  Per 1 serving (4 total):

  Calories: 234

  Carbohydrates: 40g

  Protein: 7g

  Fat: 5g

  Saturated Fat: 3g

  Fiber: 3g

  Sugar: 4g

• Notes

  To make mashed potatoes. Peel and chop potatoes into 2cm cubes. Add to a pot with water to cover by 3-5cm, add salt and bring to a boil. Cook for 5-10 minutes until easily pierced with a fork. Drain and mash the potatoes with a masher or the back of a fork.