British & Irish Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Boxty
Traditional Irish potato pancakes — crispy outside, soft and slightly starchy within, made with both grated raw and mashed potato for a unique texture.
Contains common allergens
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Good to know
- Crispy
- Ready in under 30 minutes
Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: crispy recipes30-minute meals
Instructions
6 steps- 1
Prepare the raw potato: Place the grated raw potato into a clean tea towel and squeeze forcefully over the sink to remove as much liquid as possible.
- 2
Mix the base: In a large mixing bowl, combine the squeezed grated potato with the cooled mashed potato, plain flour, baking powder, and salt.
- 3
Make the batter: In a separate jug, whisk together the buttermilk and the egg. Pour this wet mixture into the potato bowl and stir well to form a thick, cohesive batter.
- 4
Heat the pan: Heat a large heavy-based frying pan or griddle over medium heat. Add a generous knob of butter or a splash of oil.
- 5
Fry the boxty: Drop large spoonfuls of the batter onto the hot pan, flattening them slightly into round pancakes about 1cm thick.
- 6
Cook until crisp: Fry for 4-5 minutes on each side until deep golden brown and crispy on the outside, and cooked through on the inside. Serve hot with butter or as part of a breakfast.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
78/100
Good fit for most families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving180
Calories
6 g
Protein
35 g
Carbs
1 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
Boxty — from the Irish 'bachdam' meaning 'poor-house bread' — originated in the rural west of Ireland, particularly counties Leitrim, Sligo, and Mayo, where potatoes were plentiful and little else was. The dish makes clever use of both raw grated potato and leftover mashed potato, bound together with flour and cooked as a flatbread-style pancake that stretches limited resources further than either potato form alone. A traditional rhyme — 'Boxty on the griddle, boxty on the pan, if you can't make boxty, you'll never get a man' — suggests how central it was to household cooking skill in the 19th century.
Listahan note
This version wrings every drop of excess liquid from the grated potato before mixing, which is the single most important step between a boxty that holds together and one that falls apart in the pan.
Technique cues
- After grating the raw potato, squeeze it in a clean tea towel or through several layers of cheesecloth until almost completely dry — the grated potato releases an enormous amount of starch-filled liquid that will prevent the boxty from browning.
- Reserve the starchy liquid that drains from the grated potato, let it settle for 5 minutes, pour off the water, and add the starch sediment back to the mixture — this starch is what binds the pancake.
- Cook over medium rather than high heat: boxty needs time to cook through to the center while the exterior browns, and high heat burns the outside before the inside sets.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Grate and squeeze the potato first, then mix in the other ingredients while the pan heats — the batter comes together in about 5 minutes.
- Make-ahead
- The batter can be made 1 hour ahead and refrigerated; stir before cooking as some liquid may separate.
- Leftover move
- Leftover cooked boxty reheats well in a dry pan and makes an excellent base for fried eggs, smoked salmon, or a dollop of sour cream.
- Cleanup rhythm
- The squeezed grated potato is the messiest step; do this over a bowl or in the sink and the rest of the preparation is straightforward.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
raw floury potatoes
textural base
Purpose: Raw grated potato provides a dense, chewy texture and makes boxty distinctly different from a regular potato pancake.
Handling: Grate on the coarse side of a box grater, then squeeze completely dry in a cloth; reserve the starch-water that drips out.
Adaptation: Any floury potato variety works; avoid waxy types which release less starch and produce a denser result.
leftover mashed potato
binder and smoothness
Purpose: Cooked mash lightens the texture of the grated raw potato and helps the boxty hold together without being too dense.
Handling: Use cold, well-seasoned mash from the previous day; fresh mash can be used if it has cooled completely.
Adaptation: All-raw potato makes a denser, crispier version similar to a rosti if no mash is available.
plain flour
structure
Purpose: Flour reinforces the potato starch and gives the boxty a cohesive structure that holds through flipping.
Handling: Add gradually to achieve a thick, scoopable batter rather than a pourable one.
Adaptation: Gluten-free plain flour blend works as a direct substitute.
buttermilk
liquid and acid component
Purpose: Buttermilk adds a slight tang and its acidity reacts with any leavening to produce a slightly lighter, less dense pancake.
Handling: Add just enough to bring the mixture to a thick dropping consistency — the quantity varies depending on the moisture content of the potatoes.
Adaptation: Regular whole milk works; add a teaspoon of lemon juice to approximate the acidity of buttermilk.
Technique notes
- The batter should be thick enough to hold a mounded shape when dropped from a spoon; if it pours like a crepe batter it is too thin and will spread into a lacy, fragile pancake.
- Grease the pan lightly for the first boxty; after that the potato starch self-seasons the surface and subsequent pancakes rarely stick.
- Resist moving the boxty during the first 3-4 minutes of cooking — it needs that undisturbed contact time to set enough to flip cleanly.
Ingredient swaps
- Dairy-free direction
- Replace buttermilk with oat milk plus a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar; use plant-based butter for frying.
- Gluten-free direction
- Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend; the boxty will be slightly more fragile but tastes the same.
- Elevated serving suggestion
- Top finished boxty with sour cream, sliced smoked salmon, and dill for a sophisticated appetizer that showcases the traditional base.
Serve alongside
- Smoked salmon and creme fraiche
- Fried eggs and grilled bacon
- Sauteed mushrooms with thyme
- Strong Irish breakfast tea
- Cold Guinness
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Cooked boxty keeps refrigerated for 2 days; reheat in a dry pan over medium heat.
- The batter does not keep well beyond a few hours as the potato continues to release liquid; cook promptly.
Equipment
- Box grater for consistent raw potato texture
- Clean tea towel or cheesecloth for squeezing moisture from the grated potato
- Wide cast iron or non-stick pan for even heat distribution
- Flexible spatula for flipping without tearing
Make this household-aware
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