These St. Patrick's Day Recipes Are Pure Gold
Cheers to St. Patrick’s Day for gifting us so many fun, green, corny (or rather, corned beefy) recipes. It’s your lucky day; eat your Irish heart out!
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Traditional St. Patrick's Day meal of corned beef, cabbage, carrots, and potatoes
Come March 17th, everyone will be looking for a taste of Ireland — and donning bedazzled shamrock-shaped sunglasses. Lucky for us, this annual March holiday offers plenty of Irish and Irish-inspired fare to fit every taste preference. From colcannon, soda bread, and other traditional Irish foods to shamrock shake popsicles, Guinness mac ‘n cheese, and more surprising modern twists, we've got all the St. Patrick’s Day recipe inspiration you need to make sure your party guests (or kids!) are the luckiest on the block. Whether you're looking for Irish breakfast recipes, a classic dinner of corned beef and cabbage, bright green milkshakes, or a Baileys cocktail, these festive recipes are sure to bring out your inner leprechaun.
Jump ahead to:
Festive St. Paddy's Day drinks >>
St. Patrick's Day appetizers, sides, and breads >>
Traditional St. Patrick's Day entrees >>
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Festive St. Paddy's Day drinks
You don't need to join a pub crawl to drink glamorously on St. Patrick’s Day. Make your own whiskey cocktails, fun green elixirs, and Guinness-based drinks, and have a St. Patrick's Day party right at home.
St Patrick's Day Green Dublin Cocktail
This bright green cocktail combines Irish whiskey, cranberry juice, and green apple schnapps for the perfect party drink. Pucker up: It's especially ideal if you like things sour!
Guinness Punch
This classic Jamaican drink is extra creamy thanks to sweetened condensed milk and whole milk. Everything goes in the blender together for an extremely quick recipe that asks you to “hurry up and wait.” That’s because you’ll want to chill the mixture in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.
Irish Kiss Cocktail
Jameson Irish Whiskey, clover honey, and ginger beer are all you need for an Irish kiss! But instead of mixing everything together in a cocktail shaker and then serving it up, you add each ingredient separately to the serving glass and layer them in over ice.
Guinness Red Velvet Cocktail
Equal parts Guinness and Champagne result in a magical concoction that appears as red as the red in red velvet cake!
Shamrock Sour Cocktail
This is what happens when you invite a Whiskey Sour to a St. Patrick’s Day party. This sweet and sour — and very green — drink brings together lime juice, lemon juice, simple syrup, and Irish whiskey. The green food coloring is, well, obligatory.
Irish Grasshopper Cocktail
This recipe is as simple as vodka, creme de menthe, and creme de cacao. But what makes this drink a grasshopper is the garnish! Crush chocolate chips in a plastic bag to coat the rim of the glass. So fun!
Homemade Baileys
Why buy Baileys Irish Cream when you can make it at home! This neat DIY recipe shows you what it takes to arrive at the flavor yourself, and even includes preferred ingredient brands if you’re really particular about getting that beloved creamy concoction right.
Irish breakfast recipes
Wake up on St. Patrick’s Day morning and sip on spiked coffee while chowing down on corned beef hash and eggs. We’ve got Irish breakfast ideas to start your holiday off right.
Irish Coffee
Combine coffee, sugar, Irish whiskey, and heavy cream for the best morning beverage ever. It just proves you don’t have to wait till happy hour to start celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.
Maple Irish Coffee Cocktail
A spin on the more traditional Irish coffee, this version replaces sugar with maple syrup for a slightly different, and totally delicious take.
Irish Cold Brew Coffee
Live where it’s hot? Or just love cold brew? Here’s the cold brew version of Irish coffee. But in addition to the presence of Irish whiskey to make this Irish, you also add Guinness stout — to make this doubly Irish.
Irish Breakfast
Irish breakfast doesn’t refer to one of the three meals of the day; it’s a specific dish in Ireland that is sure to fill you up! Think meat and potatoes and much, much, more. Typically, Irish breakfast consists of bacon and sausage, eggs, potatoes, toast, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Sometimes you’ll find blood sausage on the plate, too, but that’s a bit more polarizing among American palates. It’s a hearty, indulgent dish, so maybe just make this your once-annual St. Paddy’s Day breakfast (or brunch) tradition.
Corned Beef Hash
On the one hand, corned beef hash is extremely appropriate for a St. Patrick’s Day breakfast item, but on the other hand, it makes a lot of sense to serve it the very next day, when you have leftover corned beef from St. Patrick’s Day dinner. Whenever you decide to serve this up, you’re sure to love well-seasoned cubes of crispy potatoes and corned beef. A fried egg on top would be a welcome addition.
St. Patrick's Day appetizers, sides, and breads
Corned beef and cabbage are probably on your St. Patrick's Day party food menu, but don't stop there! Serve up some Irish soda bread on the side, and hand out stout candied bacon as an amuse bouche.
Irish Soda Bread
This soda bread recipe is the perfect side dish for any Irish meal. Irish soda bread relies on baking soda instead of yeast to help it rise. The texture is dense without being too heavy. Serve warm, slathered generously with salted butter. And try it the next day as your morning toast or for sandwiches at lunch.
Pesto Shamrock Palmiers
St. Patrick's Day kid food ideas often involve desserts, but for a change of pace, get the kids involved in making these fun swirly appetizers. Store-bought frozen puff pastry and jarred pesto sauce are the secret shortcuts for super easy but impressive-looking shamrock-shaped savory palmiers.
Stout Candied Bacon
Candied bacon is always a good thing, but flavoring it with stout makes a good thing even better. You prepare a simple glaze of brown sugar and stout, brush it on the strips of bacon, and toss them in the oven to roast, basting with more glaze now and then. This will be the hit of your St. Patrick’s Day party.
Boxty (Irish Potato Pancakes)
Originally a peasant food in Ireland, this humble potato side dish is filling and versatile. The buttermilk-based pancake batter uses a combination of mashed and raw grated potatoes to create the ideal texture. Because of its basic flavors, it goes well with a meaty main, or alongside eggs for breakfast.
Ultimate Slow-Cooker Loaded Potato Soup
Vegetable broth, evaporated milk, and potatoes form the basis of this delicious soup. While the ingredients list might seem long, that’s only because of the “loaded” options for toppings and mix-ins — bacon, cheddar cheese, chives, sour cream, and more. They shouldn't really be optional, though.
Colcannon
The Irish sure do love their potato dishes! Colcannon is another on the list of beloved Irish recipes that is worth a try. It’s a twist on mashed potatoes that’s flecked with cabbage or kale and green onions, and lots of cream and butter. If you're looking for green food for St. Patrick's Day apart from drinks and desserts, this one delivers.
Oven Roasted Cabbage Steaks
This cabbage recipe uses a head of cabbage a bit differently than you’re probably used to. Instead of chopping the head, you cut thick slices or disks, and roast them on a sheet pan in the oven. Because cabbage is a heartier leaf than most, it holds together well during cooking. Serve a cabbage steak with your celebratory corned beef for a dreamy St. Patrick’s Day dinner.
Guinness Bread with Molasses
This beer bread is a yeast-free quick bread made with stout, molasses, sugar, and self-rising flour. It has a delightfully long shelf life compared to other breads, and tastes great fresh or toasted with a generous coating of butter.
Lucky Leprechaun Snack Mix
Whether you’re looking for festive kid-friendly snacks, or wanting some munchies to serve with your St. Patrick’s Day cocktails, this Lucky Leprechaun Snack Mix is what you need. Get creative with how you present these — individual four leaf clover-patterned paper muffin cup liners, green cellophane baggies, or a big gold cauldron bowl all make for fun eating.
Traditional St. Patrick's Day entrees
Sure, the creative shamrock-shaped treats and green drinks are fun, but these very traditional Irish entrees are absolute musts on your Taste of Ireland tour.
Patrick's Corned Beef and Cabbage
When you think of St. Patrick’s Day food, corned beef and cabbage are often the first things to come to mind. This excellent version uses a can of Guinness, a cup of malt vinegar, and a slew of spices to turn a regular block of corned beef brisket into a memorable meal, complete with carrots, potatoes, and cabbage to serve on the side.
Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
Instant Pot lovers will rejoice once they’ve tried making their corned beef in the Instant Pot. Heavenly tender meat is made possible in expedited fashion when it’s pressure cooked with seasonings.
Crockpot Corned Beef and Cabbage
Set it and forget it with this slow cooker corned beef recipe. Assemble the ingredients in the morning, enjoy your happy hour Guinness, and come home to dinner that's ready to be served up!
Irish Dublin Coddle
Here’s another traditional meat and potatoes dish from Ireland. And good news, it’s a one-pot dish! Pork sausage and bacon are cooked in a cast iron skillet; then onion, potatoes, and broth are added and brought to a boil; and finally, the whole thing is covered and set in the oven to cook for more than an hour. It's total comfort food.
Short-Cut Shepherd’s Pie
This classic meat and potatoes dish is known to many as cottage pie. Whatever you call it, you're bound to love it. Comfort food in a casserole dish, designed to feed a crowd! Ground beef or other ground meat is cooked, seasoned, and mixed with veggies, then spooned into the bottom of a baking dish and covered with a thick layer of mashed potatoes before it's popped in the oven.
Cooking with Guinness
Guinness has found a place in home kitchens around the world, not just for drinking, but as an ingredient in stews, sauces, and even baked goods. Check out some of the interesting ways Guinness can show up at your St. Patrick’s Day party.
Guinness and Cheddar Dip
It’s always snack o’clock on St. Patrick’s Day. This yummy dip is the perfect companion to your Irish beer. You start by blending cream cheese, cheddar, mustard, and half-and-half together, then slowly add the Guinness and other flavorings. Pretzels, crackers, veggie sticks — anything goes well with this savory, creamy dip.
Steak and Guinness Pie
This hearty entree features cubes of sirloin steak, Guinness stout, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, shallots, and seasoning cooked together on the stovetop, then baked in a pie shell. Have fun cutting four-leaf clovers out of extra pie dough with cookie cutters to place on top of the steak filling before the whole thing goes in the oven.
Bangers & Mash with Guinness Onion Gravy
In case you haven't caught on yet, meat and potatoes seems to be a theme on St. Patrick’s Day. In this Irish twist on a British dish, sausages are pan-fried and served over a bed of mashed potatoes, and then a homemade Guinness-infused onion gravy is ladled on top.
Guinness Blue Cheese Burger with Guinness Cheddar & Caramelized Onions & Mushrooms
If you love Guinness, you are going to want to make this burger. Every aspect of the recipe features Guinness: the burger patty, which is flavored with Guinness before being wrapped around blue cheese, the cheese sauce, and the caramelized onions. No ingredient was spared from Guinness in the making of this dish. Guinness. Is. Everywhere. And don’t forget to pour yourself a tall glass of the stuff, too.
Guinness Irish Stew
The base for this hearty lamb stew is a combination of beef broth and Guinness beer. Not a fan of lamb? Use beef stew meat instead.
Guinness and Irish Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese
What better way to feed the whole family than combining Guinness with everyone’s favorite crowd-pleasing dish: macaroni and cheese. The Irish spin is in the cheese sauce, which heats together Irish cheddar, Dijon mustard, Guinness, and cream cheese. It wins bonus points for using a simple stovetop method; you never have to open the oven door. Serve with a big green salad and a tall glass of, well, Guinness.
St. Patrick's Day desserts
If you were looking for your pot of gold, these St. Patrick’s Day dessert recipes are it. From cakes infused with Irish cream or Guinness beer, to minty fresh and green cookies, these sweet recipes will bring good cheer to everyone who partakes in the St. Paddy's Day festivities.
Guinness Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
This gorgeous multi-layer cake has a moist crumb thanks to sour cream, and calls for 2 cups of Guinness. Tangy cream cheese frosting is the perfect accompaniment to the dark chocolate cake.
Irish Cream Bundt Cake
The beauty of this recipe is that it starts with a box of yellow cake mix and a package of instant vanilla pudding mix. Irish cream liqueur goes into the batter to give it an Irish personality. Top with more Irish cream liqueur in the form of a buttery glaze.
Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Irish Whiskey Buttercream and Salted Caramel
These cupcakes have an exciting surprise in the center: a filling of Irish whiskey buttercream and homemade salted caramel. After baking and cooling the cupcakes, you'll core each one to leave space for the decadent double filling. If you are looking for wow factor, this is your recipe.
Green Crinkle Cookies
Rolled in powdered sugar, these green-tinted chewy cookies get a crackle effect across the top as they spread during baking. There’s nothing tricky about this recipe — in fact it starts with a box of cake mix — but you will want to set aside time to hand-roll each ball of cookie dough in the confectioners' sugar.
St. Patrick's Day Rice Krispie Treats
Kids and adults alike love crisp rice cereal treats. In this St. Patrick’s Day version, a green marshmallowy crisp rice treat batter is prepared and shaped into shamrocks. If you don’t own a shamrock cookie cutter, just about any cookie cutter shape will do. After all, the mixture is green regardless of shape!
Shamrock St Patrick's Day Cookies
Another shamrock-themed cookie, these butter cookies are partially dunked in melted chocolate and coated in sprinkles for a sophisticated, festive treat.
Guinness Brownies
Chocolate and Guinness go hand in hand. So including the stout in a brownie recipe is a no-brainer. But this clever recipe reduces the Guinness down first to concentrate the flavor before adding it to the batter. The result is a dense, chewy brownie with definite malty notes. Serve a la mode, for sure!
Mint Cheesecake
This is basically the cheesecake version of a Thin Mint cookie thanks to a chocolate wafer cookie crust and a mint-flavored cream cheese filling. There’s also Irish whiskey in that filling, because you’re making this for St. Patrick’s Day, right? But the best part of all is that you divide the batter into two parts and tint one of the parts green with food coloring, then alternate layering the two batters into the pan. When you slice the cheesecake, you get an awesome green and white striped zebra effect.
St. Patrick’s Day White Hot Chocolate Bar
This is the perfect St. Patrick’s Day dessert idea when you’re celebrating the holiday at home with kids. Whip up a hot chocolate bar, offering all sorts of creative holiday-themed toppings. Lucky Charms marshmallows? Definitely. Shamrock-shaped sprinkles and green M&Ms? You bet.
Shamrock shakes
Shamrock shakes are a favorite treat when March rolls around. The original version, popularized by a major fast food chain, is made with vanilla ice cream and mint syrup, but we’ve got plenty of variations to shake things up.
Homemade Shamrock Shakes
This copycat recipe will have you sipping on an authentic-tasting shamrock shake without stopping at the drive-thru.
Healthy Shamrock Shake
So you want to enjoy a minty milkshake without all the calories. Is that so much to ask? Try this healthy alternative that uses avocado, spinach, and Greek yogurt. If you top with a couple of green sprinkles, you’ll instantly feel like a kid again.
Oreo Shamrock Shakes
This cookies ‘n cream version of the shamrock shake is almost identical to the original, but you throw a bunch of Oreo cookies into the blender for those delicious flecks of chocolate. Garnish with more crushed Oreos on top.
Vegan Shamrock Shake
This recipe replaces the standard shamrock shake dairy with coconut cream and almond milk for a creamy vegan alternative. It also employs dates — Mother Nature’s natural sweetener — and spinach to offer more healthy, redeeming qualities.
Boozy Shamrock Shake
Creme de menthe and vanilla vodka elevate a kid-friendly shamrock shake to adults-only status. But just because you’re an adult doesn’t mean you should leave off the whipped cream, sprinkles, and cherry on top.
Shamrock Shake Popsicles
This creative spin on a shamrock shake shows you how to turn a beloved milkshake into a popsicle! And in case you were wondering, your eyes do not deceive you: There really is a Maraschino cherry frozen into the top of the popsicle mold.
Protein Shamrock Shake
Here’s what happens when a protein shake and a shamrock shake have a baby. Low-calorie ice cream, unsweetened almond milk, mint extract, and green food coloring are blended together for a less-indulgent-but-still-satisfying post-workout shake.
More St. Patrick’s Day ideas
From cooking with kids to mastering beef stew in the Instant Pot, the recipes in these next few articles give you plenty more inspiration a festive St. Patrick’s Day!