Colcannon Cakes

Fried potato patties made from leftover colcannon, a combination of mashed potatoes, kale or other greens, and scallions or green onions.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated April 14, 2024
Elise Bauer
Colcannon Cakes
Elise Bauer

Have you ever made colcannon?

It's a traditional Irish mashed potato dish with lots of greens. If there's a heaven for kale, it's this, mixed in with mashed potatoes and butter.

Colcannon cakes, sort of an Irish version of potato latkes, are what you make with leftover colcannon.

The only thing is, colcannon is so good, who has leftovers? So, you may just have to make a new batch to make these cakes.

Or just make twice as much colcannon as you think you might need, just so you have enough to make these cakes.

Oh my these are good. We liked them with a little fresh lemon juice squeezed on top. I had one with a runny egg for breakfast. Yum!

Colcannon Cakes

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 50 mins
Total Time 65 mins
Servings 4 to 6 servings

You can also add some chopped fresh parsley to the colcannon mix.

Here's a fun idea for breakfast, serve the colcannon cakes with a poached egg on top!

Ingredients

Colcannon:

  • 2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

  • Salt

  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 3 lightly packed cups chopped chard, kale, spinach, or cabbage

  • 1/2 cup green onion greens, chopped

  • 1 cup milk or cream

Colcannon cakes:

  • About 3 cups colcannon

  • 1 cup flour

  • 1 egg

  • 2 to 3 teaspoons salt

  • 4 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil

  • Lemon for garnish

Method

  1. Make the colcannon:

    Make the colcannon first (see our colcannon recipe.) Put potatoes in a pot, cover with cold, well salted water by an inch, bring to a boil, and cook until fork tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

    Drain the potatoes and remove them from the pot. Melt the butter in the still warm pot, add the chopped greens, cook for 3-4 minutes until wilted, then add the green onions and cook for another minute.

    Add the potatoes, milk or cream to the pot, mash until everything is well mixed.

  2. Mix with egg, flour, salt, and chill:

    Mix the egg, flour and salt in with the colcannon. You may want to chill the mixture for 15 minutes or longer to make it easier to shape the patties.

  3. Form into patties:

    Form into little cakes of whatever size you want, but make them flat so they will cook through without burning. If the mixture is too wet, add more flour until the mixture is easy to shape.

  4. Fry until golden:

    Heat the butter or vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, place the formed patties in the pan so they are not touching. Lower the heat to medium and gently fry until golden, about 3-4 minutes.

    Turn and cook the other side. Let the cakes rest on a paper towel while you cook the others. Serve with slices of lemon.

Colcannon Cakes
Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
526 Calories
29g Fat
63g Carbs
10g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 526
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 29g 37%
Saturated Fat 12g 62%
Cholesterol 84mg 28%
Sodium 1209mg 53%
Total Carbohydrate 63g 23%
Dietary Fiber 8g 30%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 104mg 521%
Calcium 129mg 10%
Iron 4mg 22%
Potassium 1142mg 24%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.