Boxty Recipe (Irish Potato Pancakes)
My easy boxty recipe, or Irish potato pancakes, are made with a mix of shredded Yukon potatoes and leftover mashed potatoes, fried in butter until they are golden brown and crispy on the outside while staying soft and fluffy inside. Best part? I have them ready warm on the breakfast table in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 3 peeled medium-sized Yukon potatoes, this should make about 3 cups shredded
- 3 cups mashed potatoes
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- coarse sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
- unsalted butter for frying
Instructions
- Grate the potatoes onto a large flour sack towel or kitchen towel.
- Fold up the 4 ends of the towel and then twist it over the sink squeezing out as much of the potato liquid as possible.
- Add the drained potatoes to a large bowl.
- Next, add in the leftover mashed potatoes, flour, buttermilk, baking soda, salt, and pepper.
- Mix until the batter is combined. If It’s too thick add more buttermilk and if it’s too thin, add some flour. It should be the consistency of soupy mashed potatoes.
- Add the butter to a 10” cast iron skillet and heat until it’s melted over medium-high heat.
- Pour about 1 ½ to 2 cups of the potato batter to the cast iron skillet and spread out using a ladle to flatten it. Turn the heat down to medium.
- Cook the boxty for 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown and flip it over and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown and cooked throughout.
- Remove from the pan, garnish with optional sliced green onions, slice into triangles and serve.
Notes
The single most important step in this entire recipe is squeezing the liquid out of the shredded potatoes. I cannot stress this enough. If you skip this or do not squeeze hard enough, the boxty will steam instead of fry and you will end up with something soft and soggy instead of crispy and golden. I highly recommend you to take the extra minute to really wring that towel out.
Batter consistency matters: I aim for something that looks like soupy mashed potatoes. Too thick and it will not spread evenly in the skillet. Too thin and it will fall apart when I try to flip it. Adjust with buttermilk or flour as needed.
Oven finish for even cooking: If the outside is browning too fast and the center is still raw, I transfer the skillet to a 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes to finish cooking it through without burning the crust.
Go smaller for easier flipping: Making the boxty 2 to 3 inches in diameter instead of one large pancake makes flipping much easier and the cooking time shorter. This is a great move if you are making these for the first time.
Skillet swap: If you do not have a cast iron skillet, a regular 10" nonstick works great. You just will not get quite the same crispy crust.
Make-Ahead: These are meant to be eaten when they’re done cooking. You can keep them warm uncovered, placed on a rack on a sheet tray, and in the oven at low temperatures (200°) for up to 30 minutes before serving.
How to Store: Cover and keep them in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. These will freeze well and be covered for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge for 1 day or until thawed.
How to Reheat: Placed the desired number of boxty on a rack over a sheet tray and bake in the oven at 400° for 4 to 6 minutes or until hot and crispy.
Nutrition
Calories: 364kcalCarbohydrates: 70gProtein: 11gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 344mgPotassium: 707mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 177IUVitamin C: 31mgCalcium: 142mgIron: 3mg