What Luck! 29 Crowd-Pleasing Irish Appetizers For St. Patrick’s Day And Beyond!

Are you wondering what kinds of Irish appetizers are delicious to make at home? Enjoy these 29 crowd-pleasing Irish appetizer recipes at any of your parties all year!

You don’t have to visit Ireland to try delicious, traditional St. Patrick’s Day appetizers, you can enjoy them at home!

From pancakes and beer cheese to slaw dip and tacos, these Irish party recipes are real crowd-pleasers. 

Trust me; these Irish finger foods will make you wish it was St. Patrick’s Day all year long.

The mini-classic Soda Bread MUFFINS, brilliant Guinness-glazed Meatballs, fun and tasty Irish Cheese Toasties, potato-rich Boxty, and so much more. 

And give our #21 a look: a twist on an old Canadian classic!

The best part is that some of these Irish party snacks are naturally green foods, so they’re fit for your Irish holiday party!

Best Irish Appetizers

1. Boxty (Irish Potato Pancake)

Boxty potato pancakes are a delicious appetizer that combines mashed potatoes, raw grated potato, flour, buttermilk, salt, and pepper. 

They’re cooked in a skillet until golden brown on both sides, then served as an appetizer or sometimes a side for main dishes like seasoned chicken wings and chicken tenders.

2. Vegan Irish Potatoes

These incredibly tasty Irish potato bites load up with ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, and cream cheese. 

Plus, these finger foods are vegan.

Simply combine all the ingredients, form the mixture into balls, roll each ball in cinnamon, bake until golden, and you’re good to go!

3. Irish Pub Cheese

This Irish pub cheese is a great addition to your St. Patrick’s Day party menu. 

The recipe has a rich and smooth consistency, a satisfying beer flavor, and it’s loaded with Irish cheddar—it’s bound to impress!

The cheese dip is best when paired with pita chips, small pieces of bread, crackers, or apple slices.

4. Irish Potato Bites

This fun twist on potato bites features basic ingredients: 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, a half cup of corned beef, and butter. 

The recipe is straightforward—it starts by cooking the potatoes until tender. 

Cut each potato in half, then scoop out the inside of each potato half saving the potato insides in a bowl.

Once the potato halves are scooped out, take the bowl of saved potato centers, stuff the ingredients then pop the little bites in the oven. 

Don’t forget to top these Irish potato bites with a dollop of sour cream and green onions!

5. Irish Soda Bread Muffin

If you’re looking for Irish appetizer recipes, these muffins should get you started.

Kid-friendly and immensely scrumptious, these Irish soda bread muffins are the perfect appetizer for your upcoming Irish breakfast alongside corned beef and cabbage. 

And the best way to make them more enjoyable? 

Top them with some butter or jam!

6. Irish Cheddar Cheese Scones

These warm cheese scones are bursting with nice flavors from buttermilk, fresh scallions, and cheddar cheese. More, please!

But before you start making them, it’s a great idea to have handy cookie cutters so you can cut the scones. 

The Irish themed party food can stand on its own, but you can also pair them with a bowl of Irish soup for dinner, or how about ham and turkey for brunch?

7. Reuben-Topped Irish Nachos

The next time you’re preparing for an Irish-themed party, don’t forget to include these Irish nachos in your appetizer menu!

This one isn’t your typical nacho recipe—this great appetizer idea combines crispy potatoes, aromatic Thousand Island dressing, and savory Reuben topping.

Pro tip: Spreading the potatoes on the baking sheet in one layer and not stacked on top of each other is the key to getting them that toasty, crispy, and golden brown exterior.

8. Reuben Dip

Hot appetizers? Count me in!

Serve this ooey-gooey, cheesy dip with rye crackers and bagel chips to your next St. Patrick’s Day party and witness how this great recipe disappears like leprechaun magic!

Filled with chopped corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Thousand Island dressing, it’s irresistibly creamy and tangy.

9. Guinness Corned Beef Sliders

Overwhelmed by the idea of having leftover corned beef and cabbage? 

Fear not—these corned beef and sauerkraut or cabbage sliders should solve this.

These sliders are perfect for feeding a crowd—whether it’s an Irish-themed party, backyard summer get-togethers, or game day party. 

The secret to having a fork-tender and juicy corned beef is cooking the meat in a pressure cooker for more than an hour.

10. Guinness-Glazed Meatballs

These classic Irish appetizers are infused with Guinness beer smothered in Guinness-inspired BBQ sauce. 

The secret to the nice and thick sauce lies in the inclusion of ketchup, honey, dijon mustard, and cornstarch. 

While molasses, garlic powder, and onion give the special mix that savory flavor.

If you want to add a spicy kick, sprinkle on a dash of pepper flakes!

11. Reuben Wonton Cups

Start the party on a crispy note with these unarguably satisfying Reuben wonton cups!

The highlight of this recipe is the corned beef filling made from corned beef, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing. 

The filling is then nestled inside of crispy wonton cops alongside Swiss cheese, and then they’re popped in the oven until golden. Done!

12. Irish Ale And Cheese Soup

This cheese soup is one of the easy appetizers that should be included at your party. 

Why? It’s creamy, cheesy, and ultimately tasty. 

What I love about this recipe is that the addition of crumbled bacon on top gives the finished dish that notable smoky bite. Oh, my!

13. Bacon And Cabbage Pies

Bacon and cabbage come together in perfect harmony with this Irish-inspired pie appetizer.

Not only does this recipe call for ingredients found in your household, but it allows you to play around with the flavors. 

Try mixing cheddar cheese along with the ham and cabbage in the white sauce!

14. Mini Shepherd’s Pies

This appetizer isn’t really a pie. 

Instead, it’s a mini-casserole made from ground meat, vegetables (peas are a popular item in shepherd’s pie) smothered in rich brown gravy, and then a creamy layer of mashed potatoes—but in miniature!

P-E-R-F-E-C-T-I-O-N!

To assemble, cut the crescent roll dough into circles, press one circle into each section of the muffin pan, fill it with meat and veggies, and top it with a scoop of mashed potatoes. 

So maybe it really IS a pie. A tiny, tiny delectable Irish pie.

15. Irish Deviled Eggs

Give your favorite deviled eggs a fun spin with corned beef and cabbage!

Easy to put together and with only seven ingredients, these Irish deviled eggs will be even more delightful when garnished with carrots and parsley. 

Make these Irish Hors D’oeuvres deviled eggs a day before the big day! Just mix up the egg yolks and store them in an airtight container. 

When they’re ready to be eaten, assemble them by stuffing the filling into the sliced egg white.

16. St. Patrick’s Day Charcuterie Board

Your St. Patrick’s Day gathering won’t be complete without serving this epic Irish charcuterie board!

Laden with pastrami, white cheddar cheese, Irish cheese, wasabi peas, cucumbers, sweet potato crackers, and almonds, this is the ultimate green appetizer you need for the big day.

My vote? Add the positively dreamy, higher-fat Kerrygold butter next to some cut rye or pumpernickel and let your guests oooh and ahhh at the pure difference in taste from regular U.S. butter. Heavenly!

To complete, serve red wine or any Irish beverages to the guests.

17. Irish Pub Pasties

For your upcoming St. Patrick’s Day celebration, it’s best if you serve real traditional Irish appetizers just like these Irish pub pasties!

This homemade recipe is a bit different from the traditional pub version, which is usually dipped in batter. 

Instead, the appetizer uses ready-made rolled pie crusts, which are cut into quarters and stuffed with the vegetable mixture.

18. Irish Sausage Rolls

These Irish sausage rolls are going to be your new go-to Irish snack for sure. 

They’re full of the right amount of spices!

To make the sausage, simply start by grinding the spices in an herb grinder. 

In a small bowl, mix ground spices, minced garlic, and breadcrumbs. 

Toss the ground pork and add beaten egg to the mix. 

Then form a cylindrical shape out of the mixture, and congratulations!

19. Irish Egg Salad Sandwich

This egg salad sandwich is probably one of the must-try Irish Hors D’oeuvres you can find on the web. 

Why? It’s easy, yet it’s full of true Irish flavors!

All you need to do is mix all the filling ingredients, take two slices of plain bread and butter each side. 

Spread over the filling, then top each sandwich with its paired buttered bread slice, and that’s it!

20. Corned Beef And Cabbage Egg Rolls

Corned beef is already hearty on its own, and when you pair it with cabbage and carrots? 

Now we’re talking!

True, these corned beef and cabbage egg rolls take a bit of effort to prepare, but when you see the final product—you’ll be amazed. 

Prepare the dressing by combining green ingredients like avocado and cilantro with sour cream, garlic, lime juice, water, and salt.

21. Irish Cheddar Poutine

A mouthwatering platter of french fries jam packed with bacon and Irish cheddar cheese? 

Sign me up!

The appetizer is garnished with scallions and served with Irish whiskey-based gravy drizzled over the top or on its side. 

It’s sure to satisfy everyone’s appetite before the main course arrives!

22. Irish Cheese Toasties

Finger foods should entertain and not be complicated to make, just like these Irish cheese toasties!

This combination of cheese, small slices of French baguette, cracked pepper, thyme, and Dijon mustard will disappear from your appetizer table in just a few seconds, as these bites are so addicting.

23. Irish Beer Cheese Soup

Who can say no to the creamy and cheesy goodness of this Irish beer cheese soup? 

Serve this recipe with bacon and chives on top to blow your guests away!

What’s more, this soup freezes well, so make a big batch and freeze them for the special day. 

Trust me, you’ll thank yourself later!

24. Dublin Coddle

This appetizer might steal the spotlight of your main entree. 

The secret to this tender and irresistibly delicious Dublin Coddle is cooking the sausage low and slow. 

Seasoning it with onions, pepper, salt, garlic, then combining the meat with bacon will bring that smoky flavor profile to the dish. 

And did I mention that you can prepare it using a slow cooker? Oh yes!

25. Irish Slaw Dip

This Irish-inspired slaw dip is light and oozing with fresh flavors. 

With a harmonious blend of carrots, red cabbage, cilantro, rice vinegar, herbs, and spices, it’s sure that it will have you going back for seconds!

Serve the slaw dip as an appetizer or as a side alongside tortilla chips.

26. Irish Spice Bag

Whether you’re looking for an appetizer for your party or just want to enjoy a good snack on the game day, this Irish spice bag is a great opportunity to get people around for some fun!

It features crispy fries, vegetables, and spicy fried chicken thighs—all tossed with a generous amount of spice mix.  

For a more authentic taste, try adding a little five-spice and curry powder into the mix!

27. Corn Beef And Cabbage Quesadillas

Corned beef and cabbage are a staple in Irish recipes, so in case you’re having a St. Patrick’s Day-inspired party, give these quesadillas a try!

All you need is five simple ingredients: flour tortillas, Swiss cheese, corned beef, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing.

For dipping, you can always rely on the nice tangy flavor of your mustard.

28. Irish Roasted Cabbage

Put your extra cabbage to good use by turning it into this Irish roasted cabbage appetizer. 

The recipe features roasted cabbage crowned with melted Dubliner cheese, savory corned beef, and fresh scallions on top. It’s an absolute crowd-pleaser!

Can’t find corned beef or Dubliner cheese? 

Use pastrami, Irish cheese, or sharp cheddar instead!

29. Corned Beef Tacos With Creamy Cabbage Slaw

These crispy corned beef tacos are filled with mayo-seasoned slaw, Thousand Island dressing, and sliced green peppers. 

To make the slaw, all you need is shredded purple cabbage, white onion, jalapeño pepper, mayo, apple cider vinegar, and spicy brown mustard.

The bottom line

Now that you know some delectable and easy Irish appetizer recipes, there’s no excuse for you not to achieve that fun and memorable St. Patrick’s Day gathering!

One last thing—when choosing a good appetizer, always pick those entries that can stimulate your guests’ appetites. 

Don’t worry if they’re plain and simple—it’s all about making a good first impression, after all.

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