Chef John's 14 Best St. Patrick's Day Recipes

Chef John's Irish Stew

Lamb shoulder chops become meltingly tender when you braise them low and slow in this simple dish. Carrots, celery, and potatoes cook right in the same pot, too. "Well, as it were Saint Paddy's day today, I thought I'd give this recipe a wee bit of a go. Honestly, I'd rate it 5 stars for the smell it gives off in the house alone." – Larissa

Irish Cheddar Spring Onion Biscuits

Irish Cheddar cheese and sliced green onions are folded again and again into this easy biscuit dough to create mile-high layers of texture and flavor. "I layered butter and the cheese and spring onion into the biscuit dough," says Aelyn. "Warning" They puffed up a lot. They were positively delicious. I was hesitant to put the spring onion, but it gave it an excellent flavor."

Irish Shepherd's Pie

Ground lamb, peas, and carrots bake in a savory sauce under a lid of cheesy mashed potatoes enriched with egg and milk. If you make this with ground beef, you're going to have to call it a cottage pie instead.

Chef John's Irish Soda Bread

Irish soda bread is one of our most popular recipe searches for St. Patrick's Day because it's as easy to make as it is delicious to eat. Unlike yeast breads, this quick bread gets its lift from buttermilk, baking soda, and baking powder. You'll find honey, orange zest, dried currants, and golden raisins in Chef John's version.

Chef John's Corned Beef and Cabbage

This simple stovetop preparation cooks the corned beef, onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, and cabbage all in one pot for a classic Irish-American boiled dinner. Kathie says, "My husband and I watched the video. We didn't change a thing. Top ratings! We made this together and put the veggies in just when Chef John said to. What can I say? The meat was done to perfection and very juicy. All veggies were perfectly cooked."

• 19 Ways to Use Leftover Corned Beef

Beef and Guinness Stew

"The maltiness of dark beer really does amazing things for this gravy. It's a very simple dish, but at the same time it has a deep, complex, rich flavor. I served this in a nice ring of green onion-mashed potatoes. I hope you give this a try, whether for St. Patrick's Day or anytime of the year." – Chef John

Chef John's Irish Pork Stew

"I'm sure you've heard by now that corned beef and cabbage is not authentic St. Patrick's Day food. I decided to do a little mash-up and this Irish pork stew with baby cabbage was the result. By the way, baby cabbage can be a little hard to find, but you can use Brussels sprouts, and no one will know the difference, mostly because there isn't one." – Chef John

Chef John's Colcannon Hash

Here's an interesting take on a favorite way to use up leftover corned beef after your St. Paddy's feast. Diced potatoes, spring onions, and kale get fried up with pancetta and/or corned beef and served with Irish Cheddar cheese and poached eggs.

Chef John's Colcannon

Kale, leeks, and green onions are mashed up with potatoes, cream, and butter to make one of Chef John's favorite St. Patrick's Day side dishes. "This recipe was a delightful surprise," says Jennifer Highley. "Mine was a bright green which was perfect for St. Patrick's day. The leek and green onions added such a great flavor! You can't really taste the kale but you know it's there. Nice way to get kale into your diet. I will definitely be making this again!"

• What Is Colcannon — And How Do You Make It?

Coconut Milk Corned Beef and Cabbage

Let's let Chef John explain this one to you: "I was craving corned beef and cabbage recently, but the thought of doing the same old New England boiled dinner had me yawning. I tried to think of some new, interesting braising liquid, and that's when I remembered I've never had something stewed in coconut milk that I didn't like. The coconut milk gave the broth a subtle sweetness and richness that I was really happy with."

Kimchi Corned Beef

"Instead of the same old corned beef and cabbage recipe every year, try this new and exciting Korean twist on the St. Patrick's Day staple. The spicy fermented cabbage adds a lot of extra savoriness, not only to the meat, but even more so to the vegetables. The potatoes especially soak up a surprising amount of flavor, and may be my favorite part of the whole dish. Garnish with sliced green onions." – Chef John

Chef John's Shepherd's Pie

"Shepherd's Pie recipes are traditionally done with lamb, but are great with any ground meat—turkey and beef being the most popular modern versions. Give this great casserole a try, and watch everyone flock to the table." – Chef John (Yeah, we see what he did there.)

Chef John's Corned Beef Hash

"When I'm cooking corned beef, watching it simmer in the aromatic broth, I'll sometimes close my eyes and picture the delicious plate of food I have coming. The funny thing is, it's not the sliced corned beef and cabbage I'm dreaming of, it's the corned beef hash I'm going to be making with the leftovers. Garnish with green onions and a poached egg." – Chef John

Corned Beef and Cabbage Shepherd's Pie

It's corned beef, casserole-style:
"This is a combination of my favorite corned beef and cabbage recipe, and my favorite shepherd's pie recipe. By layering the ingredients in a casserole dish, each serving has the perfect proportions of beef, cabbage, carrots, and potatoes." – Chef John

• 10 Deliciously Simple Irish Recipes

Looking for More?

• Get All Chef John Recipes
• Quick and Easy Instant Pot Favorites for St. Patrick's Day
• See More St. Patrick's Day Recipes