Colcannon Recipe (Irish Mashed Potatoes With Cabbage)
, Published Feb 22, 2026
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Colcannon – buttery Irish mashed potatoes with cabbage. This classic Irish recipe combines creamy potatoes with gently cooked cabbage or kale and plenty of butter. A truly comforting side dish that’s humble, hearty and full of flavor. Perfect alongside roasted meats or enjoyed all on its own, colcannon proves simple ingredients truly shine together.
Tired of the same old mashed potatoes? If you’re looking for a side dish that’s just as comforting but even MORE nutritious and hearty, it’s time you met colcannon. This classic Irish recipe will become your new favorite way to eat potatoes – I can’t get enough of it!
So, what is colcannon? Think of it as mashed potatoes taken to a whole new level of deliciousness – creamy, buttery spuds mixed with tender greens like cabbage or kale. This is classic “stick-to-your-ribs” Irish food that delivers pure comfort in a bowl.
While it’s perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, colcannon is welcome on our family table any time of year. Serve in a warm bowl with a generous “flake” of butter and follow the Irish tradition of enjoying colcannon from the outside in, dipping each forkful into that gorgeous puddle of melted butter!
DID YOU KNOW?
- Colcannon is deeply rooted in Irish history, where simple ingredients like potatoes, greens, milk and butter come together to create hearty, budget-friendly meals shared around the family table for generations.
- The word is a Anglicized form of the Gaelic cál (=cabbage or leafy greens) ceannann (white-headed or white-stemmed).
- Traditionally served during Samhain (Halloween) when families would hide trinkets in the pot to predict the futures of those at the table. Let’s hope you find a lucky coin (= wealth and prosperity) or a ring (= marriage on the horizon) and not a stick (= trouble and strife coming your way)…
Here’s What You’ll Need
This easy recipe walks you through every simple step, from choosing the right potatoes to ensuring a perfectly creamy texture.
- Potatoes: The secret to a perfectly light and fluffy Colcannon isn’t a special technique – it’s choosing the right potato from the start. For this creamy potato recipe, you’ll want to reach for starchy potatoes like Russets or Idahoes (opt for Maris Piper in Ireland and the UK).
- Greens: The traditional recipe calls for cabbage, which cooks down to be soft, sweet and mild. Variations often use kale – great if you prefer more of a bite and a pronounced earthy flavor.
- Alliums: Infuse your Irish mashed potatoes with lots of flavor by adding lots of onion family veggies such as scallions, leeks, garlic and chives.
- Seaweed: This dark horse of an ingredient has deep roots in Irish cooking especially in coastal regions where dulse or carrageen moss are readily available. I love to add shredded nori in my colcannon for texture, umami and hidden nutritional boost!
- Dairy: Use high-quality butter and whole milk – this is no time to use low-fat anything.
How to Make Colcannon
Prepare the potatoes
- Place peeled and quartered potatoes to a Dutch Oven and cover with cold water. Add salt, bring to a boil and cook until fork tender (about 20 minutes).
- Drain well and let the potatoes steam dry in the colander for a few minutes for the fluffiest possible results.
Cook the greens
- Meanwhile melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Sauté leeks and cabbage for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Stir in the garlic and green onions, saving some of the green ends as a garnish, and cook for a couple of minutes. Add salt and pepper plus the seaweed and mustard powder if using.
- Pour the milk into the cabbage mixture and warm through.
Put it all together
- Add the drained potatoes to the pan with the wilted greens and use a potato masher to mash everything together until the potatoes are creamy and fluffy. Have a taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Transfer your colcannon into a warm bowl and use a spoon to make a deep well in the center. Add several curls of butter and garnish with chopped chives, reserved green onions and a final sprinkling of black pepper.
Leftovers and Storage
- Storage: Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Reheating: Place in a pan and reaheat on the stovetop over low heat with a generous splash of milk to revive the creaminess.
- Freezing: I would not recommend it – the texture is never the same when thawed and reheated. Turn leftovers into colcannon cakes instead!
Serving Suggestions
While this simple dish is certainly hearty enough to be a simple meal on its own, Colcannon truly shines as a comforting side dish for savory main courses.
You can’t go wrong pairing colcannon with Corned Beef, Guinness Braised Short Ribs (pictured below), Irish Lamb Stew, Sausage Casserole or Steak and Guinness Pie – especially if you are making a feast for St. Patrick’s Day!
Try serving with a classic Beef Bourguignon, Mushroom Bourguignon), or even this ultra-rich French Onion Beef Stew. Comfort food bliss!
Pro Tips for Perfect Colcannon
- Be gentle! Never use a hand mixer or food processor to mash the potatoes (trust me on this). It will break down the starch, turning this beautiful side dish into a gluey mess!
- Use warm milk: Adding cold liquids into hot potatoes can make them lumpy and dense. Using warm milk and butter ensures they will absorb into the potatoes seamlessly creating that ultra-smooth, creamy texture we all love.
Recipe Variations
- Champ: The Ulster version skips the greens entirely, using lots of green onions steeped in butter and cream.
- Boxty: A unique North-West texture that uses a mix of grated raw potato and mashed potato, usually cooked on a griddle.
- Pandy: A simpler variation using mashed potatoes, milk, and chopped onions.
- Vegan colcannon: Simply use unsweetened non-dairy milk like oat or soy and your favorite plant-based butter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Floury, starchy potatoes like Russets or Maris Piper produce the fluffiest mash. Avoid waxy potatoes – their texture is completely wrong for this recipe.
When you mash potatoes too vigorously, the starch molecules break and create a glue-like consistency. Always mash by hand and fold gently.
Sounds like a good idea in theory, but spinach has a higher water content and is too delicate – it will break down too much. Stick to the more robust curly kale which will add texture without dissolving.
Place your colcannon in a slow cooker on the warm setting. You can serve directly from the crockpot.
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Colcannon Recipe (Irish Mashed Potatoes with Cabbage)
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs (900g) potatoes Russets / Maris Piper, peeled and quartered
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 large leeks white and light green parts only, diced
- ½ small green cabbage cored and sliced *see note 1
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 6 green onions finely sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp seaweed (nori) roughly chopped, optional
- 1-2 tsp dry mustard (= mustard powder)
- ¾ cup (180ml) whole milk or more, as needed
- salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
To serve
- 2 tbsp chopped chives to garnish
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Instructions
Cook the potatoes
- Place peeled and quartered potatoes to a Dutch Oven and cover with cold water. Add salt, bring to a boil and cook until fork tender (about 20 minutes).2 lbs (900g) potatoes, 1 tsp salt
- Drain well and let the potatoes steam dry in the colander for a few minutes for the fluffiest possible results.
Cook the greens
- Meanwhile melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Sauté leeks and cabbage for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.6 tbsp unsalted butter, 2 large leeks, ½ small green cabbage
- Stir in the garlic and green onions, saving some of the green ends as a garnish, and cook for a couple of minutes. Add salt and pepper plus the seaweed and mustard powder if using.1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, 6 green onions, 3 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp seaweed, 1-2 tsp dry mustard
- Pour the milk into the cabbage mixture and warm through (do not boil).¾ cup (180ml) whole milk
Put it all together
- Add the drained potatoes to the pan with the wilted greens and use a potato masher to mash everything together until the potatoes are creamy and fluffy. Have a taste and adjust the seasoning – you may need to add more salt.
- Transfer your colcannon into a warm bowl and use a spoon to make a deep well in the center. Add several curls of butter and garnish with chopped chives, reserved green onions and a final sprinkling of black pepper.2 tbsp chopped chives, 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Notes
- Note 1: replace the cabbage with 4 -6 cups (about 200g) chopped curly kale (stems removed).
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of milk to revive the creaminess.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
