26 St. Patrick's Day Recipes

From drinks to dessert, find a complete menu for a traditional holiday feast

Corned Beef Shepherd's Pie

The Spruce / Cara Cormack

St. Patrick's Day originated in Ireland but today is celebrated around the world. Every March 17th, people gather to pay homage to the Irish patron saint with parades, parties, pints of Guinness beer, and all the wonderful traditional foods of the Emerald Isle.

If you want to host your own St. Paddy's Day party, we've got you covered with a full menu of hale and hearty dishes along with drinks. Whether you're craving authentic Irish fare like corned beef and cabbage or simply looking for ways you can cook (or bake) with a pint of the dark stuff, you'll find seasonal Irish recipes here to get you in the holiday spirit.

  • 01 of 26

    Shamrocked Shooter

    Shamrocked Shooter Recipe

     The Spruce

    Are you ready to get "shamrocked"? This easy green mix is a fantastic shot for St. Patrick's Day, and it's utterly delicious. Imagine a light, fruity flavor against a creamy background with, of course, a little bit of Irish whiskey tossed into the mix. The shooter goes down very easily; it doesn't leave you feeling like you've just had a shot, and the recipe makes four—enough to share.

  • 02 of 26

    The Irish Encounter

    The Irish Encounter

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

    The Irish encounter brings rum and Irish cream together to create a fun frozen cocktail. It's like a piña colada, only different. The drink prefers banana over pineapple and a shot of Baileys gives it a creamier twist (and that promised "encounter").

  • 03 of 26

    Irish Slammer

    Irish Car Bomb Shot

    The Spruce 

    The Irish slammer (formerly called the Irish car bomb) is a popular bar shot and incredibly easy to make. The combination of full-flavored and lightly bitter, malty beer and a creamy shot is a favorite of some. If you've enjoyed a few at the bar, it's time to learn how to create this fun party drink at home. You'll need just three Irish ingredients for your Irish slammer—Irish whiskey, Irish cream, and Guinness Stout.

  • 04 of 26

    Irish Eyes Cocktail

    Irish Eyes Cocktail

    The Spruce / S&C Design Studios

    Creamy, minty-fresh, and green enough to make you invisible to leprechauns, the Irish eyes cocktail is an excellent tipple for St. Patrick's Day celebrations. The delicious drink is incredibly easy to batch prep, with Irish whisky, green creme de menthe liqueur, and cream. Add a maraschino cherry for a festive garnish.

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  • 05 of 26

    Original Irish Coffee

    Original Irish Coffee

    The Spruce

    Beyond a pint of Guinness stout, there may be no boozy beverage so associated with Ireland as the Irish coffee cocktail. The classic combination of smooth Irish whisky with strong, hot black coffee that is sweetened and topped with rich cream is an absolute delight. It is the perfect pick-me-up to offer guests when they come in from the cold, and makes an excellent after-dinner drink, too.

  • 06 of 26

    Fadge (Irish Potato Bread)

    Irish Fadge Potato Cakes

    The Spruce Eats / Eric Kleinberg

    Fadge is the name given to potato bread and is used mainly, but not exclusively, in Northern Ireland and in parts of Northern England. Made from a combination of grated raw and mashed cooked potatoes, and fried until nice and crispy on the outside, and creamy inside, they are quick and easy. Feel free to fry them ahead of party time, and keep warm in a low oven until time to serve, either plain or topped with sour cream.

  • 07 of 26

    Irish Soda Bread

    Irish Soda Bread

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

    Grace your holiday table with a lovely loaf of traditional Irish soda bread (and don't spare the butter). This no-yeast bread is easy enough for newbie bakers to try. It uses baking soda and buttermilk (instead of yeast) to create a beautifully risen round loaf. Cutting a signature X on top is the time-honored way to keep troublesome fairies out of your bread.

  • 08 of 26

    Traditional Irish Wheaten Bread (Brown Soda Bread)

    Traditional Irish wheaten bread

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

    In Northern Ireland, brown soda bread is made with whole wheat flour and known as wheaten bread; in the Ireland, soda bread tends to be made with all-purpose flour. While some recipes for wheaten bread include a couple of teaspoons of sugar and tablespoons of butter, which makes it sweeter and a little richer, this recipe keeps it as simple as possible. 

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  • 09 of 26

    Irish Nachos

    Irish Nachos

    The Spruce / S&C Design Studios

    What can't the Irish do with the humble potato? For those looking for something different, our fun and unique Irish nachos bring a taste of the Irish pub to the popular nacho platter snack. With fried potato slices instead of tortilla chips, and an indulgent topping of stout-flavored cheese, crumbled bacon, green salsa, and sour cream, they are an ideal munchable for smaller holiday (or game day) gatherings.

  • 10 of 26

    Easy Boiled Cabbage

    How to cook boiled cabbage

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

    Cabbage is a versatile vegetable that can be cooked as a side dish or as part of the main dish. This basic boiled cabbage recipe calls for just four ingredients—cabbage, butter, salt, and pepper—and it cooks in about 20 minutes. Once cooked, you can drizzle the cabbage wedges with a little cider vinegar or pepper vinegar sauce if you like. 

  • 11 of 26

    Butter-Braised Cabbage

    Butter-Braised Cabbage

    The Spruce

    No Irish feast would be complete without a dish of cabbage on the table. Use regular green cabbage, or the curly savoy variety, for this easy and tender cabbage side that cooks on the stove-top in 20 minutes. A knob of melting butter, and a few grains of salt, are all you need to braise the inexpensive vegetable to perfection. Chop the cabbage in advance, and store in the fridge until just before the meal, to make holiday cooking even easier.

  • 12 of 26

    Traditional Irish Colcannon

    Traditional Irish Colcannon

    The Spruce

    If you like your potatoes and greens together in one dish, you'll love authentic Irish colcannon. The beloved Irish recipe for buttery mashed potatoes with cabbage, kale, or leeks is the traditional side dish for corned beef, Irish stew, and other St. Paddy's Day mains. Leftovers can be used to make fried potato cakes for a next-day Irish breakfast cook-up.

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  • 13 of 26

    Smashed Brussels Sprouts Recipe

    Smashed Brussels Sprouts

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

    Sweet and tender inside, with crispy and cheesy exterior, these smashed Brussels sprouts will make converts even out of the pickiest eaters. You can easily prepare them ahead by parboiling the Brussels sprouts, then storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days until ready to use. Get creative with the seasoning by adding some spice, citrus juice for sweetness, or even smoked salt.

  • 14 of 26

    Roasted Radishes

    Roasted Radishes

    The Spruce / Elaine Lemm

    If you only know radishes as a salad garnish, get ready to have your mind blown. Red radishes are not only loaded with antioxidants and nutrients, these good-for-you globes take on a gorgeously sweet and peppery flavor when roasted at a high temperature, dressed in just a little olive oil and salt. They are a foodie's dream, and a seasonal find for budget-minded cooks.

  • 15 of 26

    Easy Irish Champ

    Easy Irish Champ

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

    One of the easiest and best-loved Irish potato recipes is champ. All you need to do to produce a crowd-pleasing champ is boil some potatoes, mash them with hot milk and butter, and mix in chopped green onions, which are abundant in early spring. The creamy, green-flecked mash is a simply perfect side dish for all your holiday mains.

  • 16 of 26

    Smoked Corned Beef

    Smoked Corned Beef

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

    Use your smoker to add an extra kick to corned beef brisket. A simple rub and smoking produce a flavor that is similar to pastrami. People will debate exactly what to call it, but regardless of the name, this recipe will make some of the best sandwiches you've ever had. The spices are easy to find in the grocery store, and you probably already have most of them in your spice rack.

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  • 17 of 26

    Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage

    Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage

    The Spruce / Rachel Riesgraf

    For an old-fashioned Irish country supper, it doesn't get more perfect than corned beef and cabbage. While the traditional version takes hours to cook, the Instant Pot pressure cooker dramatically slashes the cooking time. Better yet, it yields an entire St. Patrick's Day supper in one pot, with perfectly-spiced, fork-tender corned beef, potatoes, cabbage, onion, and carrots. Serve with grainy mustard alongside.

  • 18 of 26

    Crockpot Irish Lamb Stew

    Crockpot Irish Lamb Stew

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

    If you're after a hearty dish for dinner, you will never go wrong with Irish stew. The famed, comforting bowl of lamb, potatoes, onions, carrots, and turnips or rutabaga is known and loved the world over, not just in Ireland. With our easy slow cooker recipe, you just sear the lamb and toss it into the appliance with the other ingredients, for a satisfying family meal that cooks mainly hands-free.

  • 19 of 26

    Beef and Guinness Pie

    Beef and Guinness Pie

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

    It's no surprise that a pint of Guinness beer is standard fare on St. Patrick's Day, but have you ever tried cooking with it? Rich, malty, bittersweet Guinness stout infuses beef and vegetables with unbelievable flavor, and produces a thick and luscious sauce, in this deep-dish, pastry-topped cottage pie. Serve with colcannon, mashed potatoes, or crusty soda bread for wiping your plate clean.

  • 20 of 26

    Classic Dublin Coddle

    Dublin Coddle

    The Spruce

    Dublin coddle is quintessential March fare, and just the thing to get you through the last days of winter. This beloved Irish spin on a rich, French-style stew is comfort food of the highest degree. It's a tasty one-pot meal with pork sausages, bacon, potatoes, carrot, and onions, all mingling in a savory stock. Serve with hefty slices of Irish soda bread and butter to soak up all the lovely juices.

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  • 21 of 26

    Corned Beef Shepherd's Pie

    Corned Beef Shepherd's Pie

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

    For St. Patrick's Day or anytime you need a comforting, delicious main dish pie, try this filling one-dish meal. Our corned beef shepherd's pie is a holiday-worthy casserole bake you can make with convenient store-bought ingredients, including deli-counter corned beef, and instant mashed potato flakes. It's full of flavor, and different enough from your weekday casseroles to feel special for the holiday.

  • 22 of 26

    Guinness Stout Chocolate Brownies

    Guinness Stout Chocolate Brownies

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

    If you have room for dessert after your holiday supper, give these Guiness stout chocolate brownies a try. Decadent and rich, these brownie bars have with an intense chocolate flavor that gets a boost from stout beer. The texture is surprisingly light, so these brownies will fix a chocolate craving, without knocking you senseless after a big meal.

  • 23 of 26

    Irish Bread and Butter Pudding

    Irish Bread and Butter Pudding

    The Spruce

    Irish bread and butter pudding is a cracking dessert for grown-ups to enjoy on St. Patrick's Day. The easy and scrumptious batter includes a generous glug of Irish cream liqueur (Bailey's is ideal), and plump raisins add lovely texture. It's just about the best thing you can do with a loaf of white bread, and goes nicely with a cuppa tea.

  • 24 of 26

    Rainbow Cake

    Vanilla layered rainbow cake

    Abby Mercer / The Spruce

    Rainbow cake is a festive St. Patrick's Day treat sure to shine for kids and adults alike. With each layer dyed a different color, this show-stopping rainbow cake may seem too hard to create a home. Not so! The gorgeous dessert requires little complicated cake decorating skills. All you need to do is bake, stack, and frost.

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  • 25 of 26

    Thin Mint Cookie Pie

    thin mint cookie pie

    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

    This Thin Mint cookie pie makes the perfect addition to your green tablescape. It's cool, creamy, and full of that quintessential chocolate-mint flavor. The recipe looks and tastes like it took all day, but is fuss free for more time to enjoy any leftover cookies. 

  • 26 of 26

    Guinness and Chocolate Cupcakes With Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting

    Guinness and Chocolate Cupcakes With Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting

    Elaine Lemm

    Cupcakes don't get any more grown-up or Irish than our incredible Guinness and chocolate cupcakes. Moist, rich, slightly bittersweet chocolate cupcakes are topped off with a creamy, decadent frosting made with Bailey's Irish cream. Together, the ingredients work a special magic to create a treat you won't soon forget.