How to make traditional Irish Porridge

Learn How to Make Porridge

Want to learn how to make porridge that gives you a great-tasting bowl of goodness to keep you going for the day?

Learning how to make porridge is a very simple task, and easy to make a delicious and nutritious bowl of porridge. My traditional Irish Porridge Recipe will set you right for a long day ahead and teach you how to make porridge correctly. Keep reading to learn how to make porridge that is nourishing as well as tasty.

Learning how to make porridge correctly will ensure you have a delicious meal to start your morning.

For a complete list of all my Irish recipes, click the link to visit my article on Irish Recipes

Irish Porridge Recipe

For me, there is nothing more warming and nourishing than a nice pipping hot bowl of creamy traditional Irish porridge on a cold and dreary Irish morning.  I love how the creamy, thick traditional Irish porridge mixed with a generous drizzle of honey warms the body from the inside out.  It’s just a fantastic way to start the day.

What is Porridge

Irish Porridge has been a staple diet in Ireland for thousands of years, largely due to the ease of growing oats, a rain-tolerant grain, in our rainy and wet country.

traditional Irish porridge was known to have been consumed in vast amounts in Ireland up until the introduction of the potato in the late sixteenth century.

In recent times, traditional Irish porridge has seen a bit of a comeback as more health-conscious consumers look for a healthier and more nutritious breakfast.

How to make traditional Irish Porridge

Eating a bowl of traditional Irish porridge for breakfast is a fantastic way to fuel your body for the day.  Oats, a low-GI food, are low in fat, with a typical bowl of water weighing 171 kcal, and are a slow-releasing carbohydrate.

This means that one bowl of porridge should give you enough energy to see you through to lunchtime without the need to snack in between.  This can be a great way to see you through the working day or a great way to boost your energy before taking a morning walk through the luscious green hills of the Irish countryside.

Irish Porridge vs Scottish Porridge

Irish porridge and Scottish porridge are both traditional breakfast dishes made from oats, but they differ in their preparation and consistency. Irish porridge, also known as oatmeal, is made from steel-cut oats that have been chopped into small pieces and boiled with water or milk until they become soft and creamy. It has a slightly grainy texture and a nutty flavour.

On the other hand, Scottish porridge is made from oatmeal that has been ground into a fine powder and then simmered in water or milk until it thickens into a smooth, creamy consistency. Scottish porridge is often served with salt, while Irish porridge is usually sweetened with honey or brown sugar. Both are nutritious and filling breakfast options that have been enjoyed for centuries in their respective countries.

How to Make Porridge

Here, I will talk about how to make Porridge to get the most flavour. Traditionally, in Ireland, we cook porridge with water and a pinch of salt. The salt helps bring out the flavours of the oats. 

We place the oats in a saucepan covered with water and cook them until fully cooked. Once the porridge is cooked, it is often served with a generous drizzle of honey and a splash of milk or a splash of whiskey as a little extra treat on the weekend.  How to make porridge is a simple process, and with a little practice, you will get a perfect bowl of porridge every time.

Some children love porridge with a few dark chocolate nibs added in, creating a beautiful chocolate heaven bowl; I know my daughter does.

This Irish Porridge Recipe is a traditional recipe that shows you how to make porridge with water.  Try adding various ingredients to this Irish Porridge Recipe to make it even tastier than it already is, like adding nuts, seeds, or just a bit of fruit.  This Irish Porridge Recipe is so versatile I hope you try it out and learn how to make porridge the right way for yourself.

Irish porridge recipe

Porridge Oats Calories

Porridge Oats Calories are pretty low, coming in at 115 calories per serving when made with water.  Using the traditional pinhead oatmeal cooked in water keeps porridge oats calories to a minimum while you gain extra nutrition contained in the pinhead vs rolled oats.

The more popular rolled or quick oats contain less nutrition than pinhead due to the processing.  Using traditional pinhead oatmeal to make your traditional Irish Porridge gives you the most nutritional value out of the grain.

This traditional Irish porridge made with water is a fundamental way of making a nutritional breakfast as well as keeping the porridge oats calories as low as possible but you can always add in different flavours to the recipe to create your own breakfast.

Try out my recipe and add your favourite toppings to it to create a bowl of pure joy for yourself.

Like this recipe then why not try my Traditional Brown Irish Soda Bread Recipe or my delicious Irish Potato Cake Recipe.

Make sure you check out my other recipes and posts for more information.

5 from 1 vote
How To Make Tradtional Irish Porridge
Traditional Irish Porridge Recipe
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
25 mins
 

This extremely healthy and nutritious recipe is one of the best ways to start the day.  This low fat, low-GI recipe will keep you nourished as well as help regulate your blood sugar levels.  For me the best part is that it tastes good and warms you from the inside out.

Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Irish
Keyword: easy porridge recipe, how to make porridge, Irish porridge recipe, porridge recipe, tasty porridge recipe, thick porridge, Traditional Irish Porridge, traditional porridge recipe
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 115 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1 litre Water 1 litre = 4 Cups
  • 115 g Pinhead Oatmeal 1 Cup of Oatmeal
  • A good pinch of salt
Instructions
  1. Add the water, pinhead oatmeal and salt into a heavy based pan and bring to the boil over a medium heat while stirring with a wooden spoon.  Once it starts to thicken reduce the heat to a simmer.

  2. Cook the porridge on a simmer for 25 minutes stirring regularly until the porridge is cooked to a smooth and creamy consistency.

  3. Serve hot with a drizzle honey and milk or add some dark chocolate nibs (my daughters favourite).  I love to add the milk to my porridge after it has been cooked to make it even more creamier.  It also helps to cool it down slightly so you can eat it without scalding your mouth. You just can’t beat that!

Recipe Notes

Allergens: Gluten

Alternative cooking method:

For a quicker porridge you can use rolled oats by using 115g/1 cup of oats to 750ml/3 cups of water with a pinch of salt.  This should take between 5 and 10 minutes to cook.

Pinhead oatmeal will cook faster if you bring the ingredients to the boil the night before then once it was reached a boil, turn off the heat, cover with a lid and leave until the following morning.  The following morning you can add a little bit of milk then reheat it and its ready.

What a fantastic way to start the day.

Enjoy.

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How To Make Porridge With Water

About the author
J.J. Sheridan
My Name is JJ Sheridan, born in Cork Ireland but spent most of my childhood in County Tipperary. I've been a Chef for a large number of years and have worked in a number of award winning restaurants. I love using local ingredients whenever possible in my food so that I can showcase the best of Irish. My passion is to share with you the best restaurants across Ireland from a Chefs perspective. For many years restaurants have been at the hands of the "food critic". Most of the time these critics will visit the same old restaurants and heap praise on them. Often forgetting about the smaller restaurants who are paving the way for Irish Cuisine. My Goal is to higlight all restaurants, especially the ones the so called food experts never visit and give you a complete list of the best Irish Restaurants to visit.

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