17 Traditional Irish Breakfast Recipes (2024)

Eat like you’re on the emerald isle with these hearty, delicious, and very filling Irish breakfast recipes.

Breakfast is a very big deal in Ireland. And you can see why with dishes like potato farls, slow-cooked oatmeal, and soda bread muffins on offer.

17 Traditional Irish Breakfast Recipes (1)

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From boxty to blaas, breakfast is anything but boring with these meals.

You might want to save some of them for a St. Patrick’s Day menu, and others may become year-round favorites.

But before diving into this list of delicious Irish breakfast recipes, let’s talk about the “full Irish.”

This legendary platter isn’t just a meal, it’s a cultural tradition. If you want to recreate it, you’ll have to know what you’re in for.

What Is Included in a Full Irish Breakfast?

The full Irish breakfast was created for farmers heading out to the fields for a day of back-breaking work.

Also known as a ‘fry-up’ or, if you’re in the North, an ‘Ulster fry, this is a heavy breakfast that hits all the food groups.

Protein-rich egg and meats provide the energy, bread and beans bring the filling fiber, and mushrooms, tomatoes, and potatoes give you your daily serving of veggies.

A traditional full Irish includes:

  • Bacon (known as rashers in Ireland)
  • Sausage
  • Fried egg
  • Black or white pudding
  • Mushrooms
  • Tomatoes
  • Potatoes – usually in the form of pancakes or hash browns
  • Baked beans
  • Soda bread

Oh, and don’t forget the cup of tea!

1. Full Irish Breakfast

If you have a busy day ahead, eat like a farmer with this classic recipe for a full Irish.

This pan-fried platter has all the traditional ingredients for an authentically Irish meal.

It’s made with black pudding, hash browns, and all the other ingredients that make a full Irish fully flavorful and filling.

Done properly, a full Irish takes a bit of time to throw together, but it’s well worth the effort, especially on lazy weekends when you have a serious brunch craving.

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Other Irish Breakfast Recipes

2. Farls (Irish Potato Bread)

Farls are a soft, buttery, flatbread made from cooked potato.

They’re ideal if you have any leftover mash, and they work really well with fried eggs and bacon.

Also known as fadge, farls are a breakfast staple in Ireland.

There are a couple of non-negotiable farl rules if you want to eat like a local, though.

They have to be served piping hot. You need lots of butter. And always use good quality potatoes (preferably an Irish variety!).

3. Irish Oatmeal

This slow cooker oatmeal is a set-it-and-forget-it kind of breakfast.

It’s perfect for winter mornings when getting out of bed is a struggle.

Just toss everything in the Crockpot the night before and wake up to a warm bowl of nourishing porridge.

Drizzled with plenty of maple syrup, it’s an appetizing antidote to sluggish mornings.

4. Irish Soda Bread

Nobody makes soda bread better than Irish grandmothers. So you know this recipe, inspired by the author’s granny, is the real deal.

Soda bread is a no-yeast quick bread that’s perfect for beginner bakers.

You won’t have to hang around waiting for dough to rise with this easy recipe that comes together in just 10 minutes.

The result is a perfectly buttery bread that’s thick and hearty with a dense, but soft, crumb.

5. Irish Soda Bread Muffins

Once you’ve mastered soda bread, it’s time to move on to soda bread muffins.

These moist muffins are perfect for breakfast, or a mid-morning snack.

Crammed with juicy raisins and flecked with caraway seeds, they’re sweet, savory, and delicious, especially when generously spread with creamy butter.

6. Corned Beef Boxty

Boxty is a fried potato pancake, stuffed with different fillings.

There area few different versions of this classic Irish snack, but this boxty recipe knocks it out of the park with a corned beef and swiss cheese filling.

It’s meaty, melty, and mouth-watering.

7. Waterford Blaas

Waterford is known for its fine cut-glass crystal, and its blaas.

Blaas is a soft, floury bread roll similar to a hamburger bun.

If you want to get really Irish, make your dough the day before and let it ‘rest’.

The naturally fermented dough and long proofing time give you an airy, fluffy roll that’s perfectly light and squishy.

Having blaas for breakfast? Serve warm, with plenty of butter, and a few rashers of thick Irish bacon.

8. Irish Scones

Scones are an essential part of life in Ireland.

They’re enjoyed with a cup of tea in the afternoon, served after dinner for a supper snack, and gobbled up at breakfast for a quick bite.

This recipe is easy, quick, and gives you foolproof scones every time.

Toss in dried fruit like raisins to make your scones sweeter, or stick to plain and smear with butter and jam.

9. Irish Brown Bread

At the turn of the century, you were more likely to find brown bread than white in Irish homes as white flour was more expensive.

And thank goodness for that.

Without those inventive, thrifty bakers, we wouldn’t have this delicious recipe for a grainy, thick, whole wheat loaf.

With its crunchy crust and scrumptiously soft crumb, this is a fantastic quick snack for busy mornings.

Grab a slice, smear with raspberry jam, and go!

10. Irish Eggs

If you love scramble for breakfast, you’ll love this hearty recipe.

Comfort food meets morning meal here with fluffy scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, and green bell pepper.

Throw some sausage or bacon in there if you want more protein-rich fuel for the day ahead.

11. Irish Flapjacks

These flapjacks are a quick, tasty, and nutritious breakfast option.

Loaded with fiber and energy-boosting oats, they’ll keep you going until lunch while satisfying your sweet tooth.

And if you’re wondering what a flapjack is, it’s basically the Irish equivalent of granola bars.

Rolled oats are mixed with brown sugar, maple syrup, and butter then baked until golden and crispy.

12. Potato Apple Bread

This breakfast also works for dessert, so make a big batch and enjoy it as you both start and end your day.

This is a soft potato cake with a fluffy crumb that hides chunks of tart apple.

Flavored with a hint of vanilla and cinnamon, it’s sweet without being sickly and very versatile.

You can enjoy a slice on its own, spread with butter, or dress it up with a dollop of whipped cream and lemon curd.

13. Green Pancakes

Every day can be St. Patrick’s Day in your house with these green pancakes for breakfast.

Homemade pancake batter is given an Irish makeover with the addition of a few drops of green food coloring.

Fry them up and serve with your favorite toppings for a kid-friendly Irish breakfast.

14. Green Oatmeal

Fair warning – this oatmeal contains spinach. But don’t let that put you off, it’s just there for color and you’ll barely taste it. Honest!

Made with rolled oats, bananas, milk, chia seeds, and, yes, spinach, this is an eye-catching bowlful of nutritious Irish-themed porridge.

Perfect for St. Paddy’s, it’s festive and healthy.

17 Traditional Irish Breakfast Recipes (2)

15. Baileys French Toast

There’s an old Irish saying – “what butter and whiskey won’t cure, there is no cure for.”

By that logic, this Irish-French fusion will cure whatever ails you, as there’s plenty of both in this delightfully decadent breakfast.

Baileys Irish Cream is used to make both the custard and the topping here, so its sweet creamy flavor carries through in every bite.

Whipped with cream and eggs and poured over toasted sourdough bread, this boozy breakfast is not for the faint-hearted.

Be sure you wake up hungry for this one.

16. Chocolate Chip Irish Soda Bread

If you’ve a sweet tooth in the morning, start your day with a chunky slice of this irresistible chocolate chip loaf.

The classic soda bread recipe is taken up a notch here with a liberal helping of chocolate chips scattered throughout the batter.

There’s brown sugar in there too, giving the bread a subtle caramel taste.

And if that doesn’t sound sweet enough for you, the author includes a recipe for homemade salted honey butter to serve on the side.

17. Fruit Salad

Irish breakfasts don’t have to involve potato, or bread. If you’re looking for something lighter, this St. Patrick’s Day fruit salad is a great option.

As you may have guessed, we’re going green for this one. Green apples, grapes, kiwis, and pears.

All your favorite green fruits are tossed in a sweet orange syrup to highlight their natural sweetness and complex flavors.

If you’re craving a sundae more than salad, simply pile it into a bowl and layer it with creamy Greek yogurt and mandarin orange slices.

17 Traditional Irish Breakfast Recipes (3)

17 Traditional Irish Breakfasts Your Family Will Love

Bring some luck to your morning with these Irish breakfast recipes! From oatmeal to soda bread to eggs and flapjacks, you’ll flip for these Irish dishes.

Instructions

  • Select your favorite recipe.
  • Organize all the required ingredients.
  • Prep an Irish breakfast in 30 minutes or less!
17 Traditional Irish Breakfast Recipes (4)

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17 Traditional Irish Breakfast Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What are traditional Irish breakfasts? ›

All full Irish breakfasts include some or all of the following: Bacon, sausages, baked beans, eggs, mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, and perhaps some cooked leftover potatoes made into a hash or a bubble and squeak. There will also be toast, butter, marmalade, and lots of tea to drink.

What is Irish breakfast menu? ›

But a full Irish breakfast usually means a hot meal with a particular set of ingredients. Expect a fully belly and at least one piece of bacon, a sausage and an egg (or three). Toast and butter are also a must. Mushrooms, tomatos, baked beans, hash browns and other regional variations are all optional.

What's the difference between a full Irish breakfast and a full English breakfast? ›

An English breakfast, although very similar to the Irish one, might include fried potatoes, as mentioned above. The other key difference is its lack of two key components: sliced black pudding and/or white pudding. These pork products, original to County Cork, have become a requisite part of any Irish fry up.

How do the Irish eat their eggs? ›

Eggs are most commonly consumed today as part of the Irish breakfast, mostly fried, but also poached or scrambled. Fried egg and bacon are mentioned in 1732 as the favourite food of the Dean of Downlx.

What do they call bacon in Ireland? ›

Irish bacon, also known as back bacon or rashers, is a popular type of bacon commonly enjoyed in Ireland. Unlike the traditional American bacon, which is typically made from pork belly, Irish bacon is made from pork loin.

What is the most common Irish breakfast? ›

1: Full Irish Breakfast

Featuring Irish sausages, bacon, black and white pudding, eggs, Irish soda bread, and more additions depending on where you are in the country, full Irish breakfasts are easily the most popular breakfast anywhere in Ireland. Originally published in March 2021, updated in June 2023.

Is black pudding Irish? ›

Black pudding is a distinct regional type of blood sausage originating in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is made from pork or occasionally beef blood, with pork fat or beef suet, and a cereal, usually oatmeal, oat groats, or barley groats.

What are bangers in an Irish breakfast? ›

pork sausage made with less fat filler then the the. average breakfast sausage we are accustomed to. (delicious when served have with mashed potatoes.

What are the 14 most well known Irish main dishes? ›

  • Beef and guinness pie. [Beef and guinness pie] ...
  • Shepherd's pie. Shepherd's pie. ...
  • Boxty. Boxty. ...
  • Irish stew. Irish stew. ...
  • Irish soda bread rolls. Irish soda bread rolls. ...
  • Potato and leek soup. Creamy potato and leek soup.
  • Smoked cod and cheddar pie. Smoked cod and cheddar pie.
  • Slow-cooked lamb shank pie. Slow-cooked lamb shank pie.
Mar 15, 2022

What are 3 traditional foods in Ireland? ›

By the 21st century, much traditional Irish cuisine was being revived. Representative dishes include Irish stew, bacon and cabbage, boxty, brown bread (as it is referred to in the South) or soda bread (predominantly used in Ulster), coddle, and colcannon.

What is Ireland's national dish? ›

Believed to have been a staple of Irish cuisine since around the year 1800, heart-warming homemade stew remains a firm favourite to this day. To many across the country, Irish stew is the national dish of Ireland. The methods and flavour of an Irish stew vary from person to person and have evolved over the years.

What does Irish coddle mean? ›

The word “Coddle” derives from the French term caudle which means to boil gently, parboil or stew. Apparently, coddle dates back to the first Irish famine in the late 1700s where anything to hand got thrown into the pot.

What is an Irish pudding? ›

This humble pudding made from pork fat and blood and sometimes oatmeal or barley were originally made to sell at local markets, to supplement the income of the farm. It also fed the family as part of a traditional breakfast with home-produced rashers and sausages. Ireland has raised black pudding to culinary heights.

What is white pudding in Ireland? ›

White pudding is broadly similar to black pudding, but does not include blood. Modern recipes consist of suet or fat, oatmeal or barley, breadcrumbs and in some cases pork and pork liver, filled into a natural or cellulose sausage casing.

What is the most common breakfast in Ireland? ›

1: Full Irish Breakfast

Featuring Irish sausages, bacon, black and white pudding, eggs, Irish soda bread, and more additions depending on where you are in the country, full Irish breakfasts are easily the most popular breakfast anywhere in Ireland. Originally published in March 2021, updated in June 2023.

What is the difference between Irish and Scottish breakfast? ›

Irish Breakfast Tea: a strong, robust tea which is made with a blend of Assam and Ceylon. Scottish Breakfast Tea: the strongest blend of the three breakfast teas with a malty flavour. Made with a blend of Assam and Ceylon, infused with tea from Africa, Kenya and/or Indonesia.

What do the Irish put on their toast? ›

Looking at toast toppings, nearly 80% of respondents would go for the classic butter option, with jam coming in at 38%, followed by marmalade at 30%.

What is served at an Irish wake? ›

In the past, Irish wakes involved serving food and drinks, especially alcohol, over several days. Visitors would pay their respects, join in song, and share stories of the departed with each other, celebrating their life in the process. That tradition survives in modern Irish wakes, though in cut-down form.

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