Crispy Outside, Fluffy Inside—for the Best Potato Pancakes, Make Them the Irish Way

I cook a fair amount of potatoes for my family. Whether I turn them into pan-fried crispy smashed potatoes, fluffy baked potatoes, or crunchy hash browns, it seems I always have spuds on my mind. Perhaps my all-time favorite way to eat potatoes is in pancake form, such as latkes and rösti. Yet it wasn’t until recently that I first tried boxty, Irish pancakes. Well, my Irish ancestors would be proud because boxty is my new favorite way to enjoy potatoes. 

Boxty check all of the boxes for what I’m looking for in great potato pancakes: They have crisp, lacy edges with a perfectly tender, fluffy interior; they're super simple to whip up; and their savory potato flavor pairs well with just about any toppings you can dream up. They are great served as part of a St. Patrick’s Day meal, but just as good for breakfast, lunch, or dinner any day of the week.

What Is Boxty?

Boxty is a traditional Irish potato dish that, according to The New York Times, originated in Ireland as early as the late 18th century. The dish was a resourceful way to transform leftover cooked potatoes into a hearty side dish. If you’re unfamiliar with boxty, imagine if a pancake, a hash brown, a potato latke, and a rösti had an Irish baby. 

If you are familiar with boxty, you probably know that there are quite a few different ways to prepare them. They can be boiled like dumplings or baked like a cake or bread, but the most common preparation involves mixing leftover mashed potatoes with grated raw potatoes into a batter that’s divided into portions that are pan-fried in butter.

My recipe below is for the pan-fried style. Each pancake has a gorgeous golden exterior with slightly crisp edges while it still retains a pillowy, fluffy interior. My version has a perky tang from the buttermilk that's used in the batter, while their savory potato flavor is still at the forefront. Here’s how to perfect them.

Using Fresh Vs. Leftover Mashed Potatoes

This recipe is incredibly simple, and dare I say a bit forgiving. While traditionally these Irish potato pancakes were a practical way to use up leftover mashed potatoes, I prefer using fresh mashed potatoes in my recipe. I find starting with freshly boiled potatoes that I mash myself, rather than leftover mashed potatoes, makes for a more consistent, reliable recipe and eliminates guesswork. 

However, you can absolutely use leftover mashed potatoes; just note that you’ll need to adjust the recipe since leftover mashed potatoes, like this ultra-fluffy mashed potatoes recipe, have quite a bit of added moisture from the butter and dairy already mixed in. This added moisture will throw off the ratio of ingredients. The solution is to add the buttermilk in increments rather than all at once, stopping once the mixture resembles a thick, slightly chunky pancake batter. If you were to add the full cup of buttermilk called for in the recipe all at once, the batter might end up too loose, and you’ll have to add more flour, which turns into a guessing game you don’t want.

The Key Ingredients for Great Boxty

The type of potato you use matters in this recipe. While red bliss or yellow medium starch potatoes like Yukon Gold will work OK, the higher starch content in russet potatoes will create the best texture: pillowy, soft, and tender with the right amount of crunch on the outside. Avoid overmixing the batter, which will cause the potato starch to turn gluey, resulting in tough, chewy pancakes. 

I also take a nod from my previous favorite potato pancakes, latkes, and add some allium flavor to the mix. Only, instead of grating yellow onion into the batter like I would for latkes, I fold thinly sliced raw scallions into the batter. Though scallions are not a traditional boxty ingredient, I like the fact that their delicate allium flavor enhances but doesn’t overshadow the potatoes, plus the pop of green makes for a pretty presentation.

Serving Suggestions for Boxty

Boxty are absolutely at their best right out of the skillet while they're piping hot and slightly crispy on the outside. But if you want to wait and serve them all together, you’ll need to turn on your oven to keep them warm and crisp while preparing them in batches. Keep your oven on its lowest setting and as you cook each batch, transfer the cooked pancakes to a wire rack–lined baking sheet and hold them in the oven. 

My family loves boxty with a dollop of sour cream and a good amount of sliced scallions scattered over top. They’re perfect as a light lunch or dinner on their own—or serve them with fried eggs, crispy bacon, sausage, and some beans for a filling Irish-style breakfast.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 200℉ (95℃); line a baking sheet with a wire rack and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, 1 teaspoon salt, baking soda, and black pepper; set aside.

Peel 1 pound potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. In a medium saucepan, add potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and enough cold water to cover by 1-inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and simmer vigorously until potatoes are very tender when pierced with a knife or fork, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes and let sit in colander in sink or over a bowl until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher until smooth and no lumps remain.

While the boiled potatoes are cooling, peel remaining 1 pound potatoes. Center a box grater over a clean kitchen towel and shred potatoes onto kitchen towel. Gather towel edges together and carefully ring out liquid from potatoes over a sink. Then transfer shredded potatoes to large mixing bowl with mashed potatoes. Using a fork or your fingers, stir until just combined. Add scallions and egg and stir to combine, then stir in flour mixture until combined. Using a spatula, add buttermilk and gently stir until mixture resembles a thick, pancake-like batter and no dry flour streaks remain. 

In a large nonstick or cast iron skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons (21 g) butter over medium heat until melted and bubbling. Dollop 4 heaping 1/4-cup portions of prepared potato batter into skillet and flatten into 4-inch wide and 1/2-inch thick circles. Cook, undisturbed, until golden brown on bottom side, 4 to 6 minutes. Gently flip and cook until golden brown on second side, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to prepared wire rack–lined baking sheet, then place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter, making 4 pancakes at a time for a total of 3 batches, adding 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in between each batch.

When ready to serve, sprinkle hot potato pancakes with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and sprinkle with additional scallions for garnish. Serve with your preferred toppings, such as sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, bacon, or fried eggs.

Special Equipment

Box grater, kitchen towel, large nonstick or cast iron skillet, wire rack, baking sheet

Notes

You can make this recipe using leftover mashed potatoes instead of making fresh mashed potatoes. If using leftover mashed potatoes, start with 2 cups of cold leftover mashed potatoes. Mix in freshly grated potatoes, egg, flour mixture, and scallions. Stir in 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk to start, and if needed, slowly add more in small increments, until mixture resembles a thick pancake batter.

The buttermilk can be replaced with 3/4 cup whole milk and 1/4 cup plain yogurt.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, bake in a toaster oven at 400℉ until hot or reheat in a skillet with melted butter on the stovetop.