Boxty is a traditional Irish potato pancake that showcases the country’s deep-rooted love for the humble spud. Crispy on the outside and tender inside, boxty is made from a combination of grated raw potatoes and mashed potatoes mixed with flour, baking soda, and buttermilk. The result is a rustic, satisfying dish that’s been enjoyed in Irish households for generations, especially in the northern and western parts of the country.
What makes boxty unique is its blend of textures. The grated raw potato gives it a slight bite and crispness, while the mashed potato keeps it soft and creamy. The batter is usually cooked on a griddle or frying pan, much like a pancake, and served hot and golden brown. Some versions are thick and hearty, while others are thin and crepe-like, folded around savory fillings.
Boxty is incredibly versatile and can be served in many ways. It’s often enjoyed as part of a traditional Irish breakfast alongside eggs, sausages, and black pudding. It also works beautifully as a side dish for roasted meats or stews. In more modern preparations, boxty is used as a wrap for fillings like smoked salmon, vegetables, or creamy chicken.
Rich in history, boxty is sometimes tied to old Irish rhymes and folklore. It was once considered a special meal for holidays or feasts, but today it’s celebrated for its simplicity and adaptability. Despite its modest ingredients, boxty delivers a hearty, comforting experience that connects generations of Irish cooks.
Whether made at home or ordered at a local Irish pub, boxty remains a beloved staple that highlights the creativity of traditional Irish cooking. It’s a dish that turns potatoes into something both humble and special.
Ingredients
- 2 cups grated potatoes peeled and raw
- 1 cup mashed potatoes cooked
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter for frying
Instructions
- Combine the grated potatoes, mashed potatoes, and flour in a large bowl.
- Mix in the buttermilk, baking soda, and salt until you have a smooth batter.
- Heat a pan over medium heat and add the butter.
- Spoon the batter into the pan to form pancakes, cooking until golden brown on each side, about 3-4 minutes per side.
- Serve hot as a side dish or with toppings of your choice.
This looks amazing! My grandma used to make boxty all the time. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Too much butter! It was greasy. Next time I’ll use less. But overall, pretty good.
I don’t know, isn’t boxty supposed to be made with just raw potatoes? Adding mashed potatoes seems off.
Nah, it’s gotta be raw potatoes only! Adding mashed sounds weird. 😕
I thought boxty was just grated potatoes too, but it actually tastes great with mashed potatoes! Gives it a nice texture.
It tasted alright, but I think I put too much flour… What does buttermilk even do? 🤔
Buttermilk adds moisture and helps with the fluffiness! Don’t stress too much about the flour, just tweak it next time!
This turned out great! Can’t believe how easy it was! I added some cheese and it was delish!
I’m so glad it worked out for you! I love cheese too, definitely going to try that next time!
Easy to make and delicious! My kids gobbled them up! 😊
I tried making this but it turned out soggy. Not sure where I went wrong. Perhaps too much buttermilk? I’m not sure I’ll try again.
I don’t know, this seems too complicated! Can’t I just use regular potatoes? What’s the point of all this mixing?
Made this in a rush using leftover mashed potatoes. Not bad, but I overcooked ’em. Oops!
Sounds like a creative way to use leftovers! Sometimes my best meals come from mistakes too. 😊
Boxty is from Ireland, right? I don’t think this is the authentic way. But it was alright.
Boxty? Sounds fancy! Just call them potato pancakes. Haha! Still yummy though. 3 stars.
Why add buttermilk? Can’t I just use milk? Anyway, I liked it.
Looks simple but I find it kinda confusing. Do you really need both kinds of potatoes?
I think using both types of potatoes gives it a better texture! The grated ones make it crispy, while the mashed ones keep it soft.
These are surprisingly easy. I served them with sour cream and chives and it felt like a fancy brunch. Will definitely make again.
Yum! I added some cheese and herbs to the batter and it turned out fantastic! Will be making again for sure.
Cheese and herbs sound like a great idea! I never thought of that. I might try it next time!
I love this! But can I substitute buttermilk with regular milk? I don’t have any at home right now.
I tried and it was okay… my family ate it, but they said it’s more like potato fritters than pancakes. Still, not bad for a quick meal.
Tried this boxty tonight—so crispy on the outside and soft inside. The batter being smooth worked out perfectly for me. I served it with sour cream and chives and it was gone fast. Great comfort food!
Yes!! That’s exactly how boxty should be—crispy edges, tender middle. Glad the smooth batter tip worked for you. 🙌
Mmm, crispy edges! But I feel like butter could be more or less…depends on taste!
Great taste! I added some cheese in the mix. So good!
This recipe is amazing! The boxty turned out perfect and everyone loved it. Will make again!
Made these last night—so crispy outside, soft inside! I used slightly less flour because my potatoes were wetter, and it worked great. Definitely a keeper.
2 cups of rawe potatoes? R you sure? I used less, and it was still too much for me. Somebody help me figure this out.
I think you need more salt? The batter tasted bland before frying. After adding cheese on top it was better. Recipe is fine but adjust to taste.
My boxty stuck to the pan even with butter. I think my butter burned too fast. Also I turned the heat up too high—oops.
Did you really just mix raw and cooked potatoes? I feel like that could go wrong. I’m skeptical but might try.
The baking soda + buttermilk combo is doing something here, wow. Mine browned faster than expected though—3-4 minutes might be too long on my stove.
Boxty? Never heard of it. Sounds weird to me. Why would you mix mashed and grated potatoes? Seems odd.
I followed the steps but my pancakes were kinda gummy in the middle. I think I used medium heat but maybe my pan runs cold. Any tips for getting them cooked through?
Meh. They taste fine, but my kids didn’t like it. They prefer plain pancakes.
I get that! Kids can be super picky. Maybe try adding some chocolate chips next time?
Boxty? More like boooxty! Not a fan. Just make normal pancakes, much easier.
This boxty recipe is amazing! So easy to follow and they taste incredible. I can’t believe I didn’t know about this dish before. Definitely a 5-star!
I tried this but the batter was too runny. What did I do wrong?
Mine stuck to the pan a bit even with butter. Next time I’ll use a nonstick pan or add a touch more butter. Flavor was still solid though.
Oh no—boxty can definitely be a little stubborn like that. Nonstick is a great call. I also find grating the potatoes drier (and letting the batter sit a minute) helps, plus a touch more butter or even a light oil wipe on the pan.
This boxty recipe brought back so many memories! My grandma used to make it for us every Sunday. It tastes just like home. ❤️
Not a fan. The potatoes were too mushy. Maybe I overcooked them?
I love potatoes! Made this for brunch and my kids ate it up! Will make again.
That’s awesome to hear! Boxty is a hit in my house too. Kids love it!
Simple and delicious! I used leftover mashed potatoes from dinner and it was a hit with the fam. Highly recommend!
Eh, I tried it, but it didn’t turn out as good as I expected. Maybe my pan wasn’t hot enough. Who knows?
Idk, I thought it was super easy. Just follow the steps! Maybe you mixed the batter wrong? 🤔
Maybe you should try using a better pan next time! My boxty came out amazing! 🌟
So simple and delicious! I added a bit of cheese to the mix, and wow, what a game changer! 🌟
Not my thing, too heavy. Maybe I did something wrong? gonna stick with regular pancakes.
Super yum!!!
Looks good, but is it really that easy? I don’t wanna mess it up.
I tried this recipe and it was incredible! So fluffy and tasty. 😍
How many potatoes for this? The cups confuse me. 😕
Boxty is supposed to be Irish, right? I grew up with it and this recipe tastes pretty close. My only gripe is I prefer mine a bit thinner—still delicious.
I made these and they came out perfectly golden—crispy outside, soft inside. The batter consistency was exactly what I hoped for. Great comfort food.
These taste like my grandma’s cooking (or maybe I’m just hopeful). The texture is the best part. I topped with sour cream + chives.
Wasn’t sure about using grated potatoes with mashed ones. It seemed strange, but they actually came together well.
I totally get what you mean! I was skeptical too, but it ended up being a hit at dinner. Who would’ve thought?!
I had no buttermilk so I used regular milk with lemon. They were kinda tangy and okay, but not the same. Still ate them all, so… yeah.
Okay but I don’t get the “smooth batter” part… I mixed and it stayed kinda lumpy because potatoes are potatoes 😅. Still, the pancakes tasted great. Maybe I overmixed? Or undercooked? Not sure.
Not bad, but I’m skeptical about the 3-4 minutes per side part. Mine took way longer on medium heat. Either I’m doing something wrong or “medium” varies wildly.
Maybe try higher heat? If it’s raw in the middle then the outside won’t brown. But if your skillet runs cold, 3-4 mins won’t work. Also do you drain the grated potatoes? I think extra moisture makes them slower.
Yeah, I agree—3–4 min/side sounds fast. I usually need closer to 5–7 minutes depending on the pan and how hot “medium” really is. If it’s browning too fast, lower the heat; if it’s staying pale, give it more time.
Tasty, but I burnt a few! 😅 Practice makes perfect, I guess. Next time will be better!
Don’t worry, everyone burns a few! Just turn down the heat a bit next time. They taste great regardless! 😄
Ugh, I always mess up pancakes too. I think it’s just practice. At least they weren’t a total disaster! 😂
I followed the steps, but mine were pale and not as golden as in the picture (none of us in the comments have pictures anyway 😅). Flavor was still good though—maybe my pan wasn’t hot enough.
Not gonna lie, I was skeptical because the batter looked kinda thick, but it cooked up really well. I added a little extra salt by instinct and it was awesome.
I’m skeptical about using both grated raw potatoes and mashed cooked potatoes—sounds like it could get gummy. Mine did hold together though, but the texture was sort of chewy. Still edible and flavorful, just not what I expected.
Totally get the skepticism—raw + cooked potatoes *can* sound like it would turn out gummy. But boxty is kind of built on that mix. The cooked mash helps bind, while the grated raw adds starch and structure. If yours was chewy, that may mean the grated potatoes were pretty wet or the pancakes were a little thicker—next time try squeezing the grated potatoes a bit and keep the heat at medium so they brown before getting too soft.
Good flavor, but my batter was a bit too thick? I ended up adding a splash more buttermilk. Also, 3-4 minutes per side felt long on my stove—next time I’ll watch for that golden brown more closely.
The batter came out super thick for me, not really “smooth.” I whisked harder and it loosened, but next time I’ll measure buttermilk more carefully.
Meh. I followed it exactly and they stuck to the pan even with butter. Also my first batch was bland—salt maybe? I probably should’ve used more. Would not make again.
Ugh, that sounds frustrating. I’ve made boxty a few times and mine only really sticks when the pan isn’t properly preheated or the potatoes are too wet. Did you squeeze out some moisture from the grated potatoes?
I think you nailed the salt issue. 1 tsp for that much potato/flour/buttermilk can taste mild depending on the potatoes. Next time try a little more salt (or even season the batter right before frying).
Honestly? I didn’t get the right texture. Like, the pancakes were kind of chewy and dense. Maybe my grated potatoes were too wet.