Traditional Irish Colcannon is a dish that I crave all year long, not just on St. Patrick’s Day. It’s my family’s favorite “mashed potato” recipe with the addition of buttery green cabbage and green onions. Worried about calories those potato calories? The addition of cabbage means fewer calories for a healthier option.
This Colcannon is perfect for an authentic Irish meal, or as a side dish to any roasted beef or baked chicken dish. One bite of this delicious fluffy Traditional Irish Colcannon and you’ll be adding it to a variety of dinner menus at your house, too.
What is Colcannon?
Colcannon is an Irish dish that is comprised of mashed potatoes, cabbage or kale, milk, and butter. Variations include the addition of green onions, leeks, chives, or onions. Colcannon is served as a side dish accompanying meals, such as boiled ham or Irish bacon, corned beef and cabbage, or used as the “mash” in bangers and mash. I much prefer colcannon to regular mashed potatoes and have found that this versatile dish goes perfectly with almost any meal.
Favorite Main Course Recipes
The Easiest and Most Flavorful Stroganoff Recipe 
Chili Sauce Baked Chicken 
Mom’s Southern Fried Chicken
How to make Traditional Irish Colcannon
Traditional Irish Colcannon is a very easy dish to prepare. The ingredients are simple and are likely to be items you keep on hand. I use milk for a lighter fluffier result, however; you can use cream if you prefer.
Equipment Used
- Dutch Oven or Large Pot – used for cooking the veggies and mixing ingredients together
- Cutting Board – used to slice the green onions and to chop the potatoes and cabbage
- Potato Masher – used to mash the potatoes (using a blender will over-process the potatoes)
Ingredient List
- Vegetables – russet potatoes, green cabbage, green onions
- Cream and Seasoning – milk, salt, butter
Recipe Preparation
- Using a scrubber, clean the russet potatoes. Peel potatoes and cut into large chunks. If the chunks are too small they will cook too quickly and your final dish will be more “mashed and soupy” than light and fluffy.
- Fill a Dutch oven or large pot with 8 to 10 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt. Set pot to boil on medium/high heat. Once water is boiling reduce heat to medium and add the potatoes. Boil until almost tender (10 to 12 minutes). You want to cook these potatoes until a fork or knife can penetrate without crumbling the potato. Over cooking the potatoes will produce watery chunks, while under cooking the potatoes will produce crispy pieces mixed into your dish. Drain cooked potatoes.
- While potatoes are cooking, chop the cabbage and thinly slice the green onions.
- In the same pot that was used for the potatoes, add 6 tablespoons butter and melt over medium heat. Add cabbage and green onions and cook until chopped cabbage has wilted and released its water (about 3 to 5 minutes). Do not burn or brown the cabbage and onions as this will adversely affect the flavor of the colcannon.
- Add milk (or cream), potatoes, salt, and 2 tablespoons butter to the cabbage onion mixture. Using a potato masher, blend all ingredients together until well incorporated and fluffy. My family likes a few small potato chunks in the colcannon, but feel free to mash until all clumps are gone. Taste for seasoning. Serve Traditional Irish Colcannon warm with a pat of butter. You can’t have too much butter with your potatoes! 😉
- Don’t like cabbage? That’s okay. A lot of people use kale in their colcannon. If using kale, the recipe will remain generally the same. Wash, dry, and chop the kale. In a Dutch oven, melt the butter and cook the kale and onions until wilted (about 5 minutes). Add the rest of the ingredients and mash.
Traditional Irish Colcannon
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 russet potatoes peeled and cut into large chunks
- 4 cups green cabbage chopped
- 1/4 cup green onion sliced
- 8 Tbsp butter divided
- 1 1/2 tsp Salt more to taste if needed
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- Fill a Dutch oven, or large pot, with 8 to 10 cups water and and 1 teaspoon salt. Set pot to boil on medium/high heat. Once water is boiling reduce heat to medium and add the potatoes. Boil until almost tender (10 to 12 minutes). Drain potatoes and set aside.
- While potatoes are cooking, chop the cabbage and thinly slice the green onions.
- In the same pot that was used for the potatoes, add 6 tablespoons butter and melt over medium heat. Add cabbage and green onions and cook until chopped cabbage has wilted and released its water (about 3 to 5 minutes).
- Add milk, potatoes, salt, and 2 tablespoons butter to the cabbage and onion mixture. Using a potato masher, blend all ingredients together well incorporated and fluffy. Taste for seasoning. Serve Traditional Irish Colcannon warm with a pat of butter.
