St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, and with it, you get a free card to feast on anything from green beer to McDonald’s popular Shamrock Shakes. But which traditional St. Patrick’s Day foods will you be serving up on this ever–so-lucky day of Irish feasting?
We were curious, so we poured ourselves a glass of Irish whiskey (just this once, we would never betray our Kentucky Bourbon for too long!) and took to the internet to find out.
First, we took what are considered the most popular traditional St. Patrick’s day foods. Then, we checked out what people were Googling. It turns out, the data speaks volumes!
There are a lot of Irish dishes to love, but these are the ones you were curious about. You searched for them, you loved them, you cooked ‘em up and ate them.
Check out our list of traditional St. Patrick’s Day foods ranked (according to Google search).
Traditional St. Patrick’s Day Foods Ranked
Irish Stew (14,800 Monthly Searches)
First up on our list is Irish stew. But you might be wondering, what is the difference between stew and Irish stew anyway? The answer lies in the meat.
The stew Americans grew up with probably used beef. Irish stew, traditionally, uses lamb (or if you want to go back even further in history, mutton).
Back in the day, people didn’t have a lot to work with. And like many others, the Irish learned to survive on what they had. The earliest versions of this stew had as little as three ingredients–lamb, onions, and potatoes. Turnips and parsnips meant you might have had a little extra cash to spare.
But delicious things often come in simple packages. Want to try your hand at this dish? Check out The Spruce Eat’s Irish Stew recipe.
Colcannon (27,000 Monthly Searches)
Colcannon. What is colcannon you might be asking? It sounds more like something you might hear in a Revolutionary-War era film than something you’d find on your dinner plate.
But this word has nothing to do with coal or cannons. The word actually correlates with a Gaelic word for “cabbage,” but all you need to really know is that this side dish has a lot to love.
In short, colcannon is actually a type of mashed potatoes. You mix the creamy potatoes with a bit of kale or cabbage, alongside green onions, which is perfect for making your plate a bit more green in every way!
You can find this recipe printed on bags of potatoes in Ireland, it is that popular. It is perfect for St. Paddy’s day–and for getting your daily dose of vitamins!
(You might never go back to plain old mashed potatoes again.)
Irish Soda Bread (49,500 Monthly Searches)
Coming up next on our countdown is a bit of Irish Soda Bread. Now, to a lot of people, baking bread = a lot of work.
But this bread simplifies a lot of things. First of all, it doesn’t use any yeast so you don’t have to do any of that long wait for things to rise. It uses baking soda instead (thus the name… no… you don’t put Coca-Cola in this, folks).
And honestly, it is pretty easy to make. With a recipe like this one from Sally’s Baking Addiction, anyone can do it. When you’ve done it and you are using it to soak up all that deliciousness of those stews and sauces, you’ll thank us.
And don’t forget to do as the Irish do, and add the cross on top. Traditionally, adding symbol on the bread helps protect your household from evil.
Corned Beef and Cabbage (110,000 Searches)
There is nothing like corned beef and cabbage on a cold winter’s day. And don’t even get us started on the leftovers (bubble and squeak might be the best thing about the main dish itself).
The process of making corned beef includes soaking the meat in a solution of water, salt, and spices. This is called "corning" (a reference to the salt itself, aka, the “corns”). That slab of brisket (newly proclaimed “corned beef” is then cooked ever… so… slowly.
Check out this corned beef and cabbage recipe if you want to give it a try!
Shepherd’s Pie (301,000 Searches)
Necessity is the mother of invention. And this all-time popular traditional St. Patrick’s Day dish is a great example. The story goes that a lot of Irish moms were wondering what to do with all their leftovers. After all, waste not, want not, right? So they started trying different recipes, and this casserole-type dish was born.
Okay, it isn’t really a casserole, per se. It is more like delicious layers of meats and veggies and mashed potatoes all layered in what is the most delicious thing you can imagine.
With over 300k monthly searches, it seems users agree. This IS the quintessential Irish dish to have on your table!
We hope our round-up of St. Patrick’s Day foods helps you charm a leprechaun or two-or at the very least, leaves your tummy feeling warm and well-fed.
We may not be Irish, but to close, we honor their heritage with a traditional Irish blessing:
"May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow, and may trouble avoid you where you go."
Whether or not you are celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, an anniversary, or another special occasion, check out our small batch catering and live station options! We promise to surprise you with our culinary creativity. You bring your friends. We’ll do the cooking.