Dublin Coddle
Cooked low and slow, this Dublin Coddle will make your home smell amazing! Make this authentic Irish recipe to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day or for when you are craving warming comfort food.
If you’re looking for other Irish (or St. Patrick’s Day-inspired) recipes, be sure to check out my other Irish dishes. From corned beef to homemade Irish cream, I’ve got a selection to please even the pickiest leprechaun!
A hearty sausage and potato stew!
I think I have a new favorite Irish dish.
Don’t get me wrong, corned beef is delicious and we always eat it around St. Patrick’s Day! But this coddle… Oh my God, this coddle will knock your socks off.
What’s not to love? We are talking bacon, sausages, potatoes, onions. All layered in one pot and then cooked until tender and irresistibly delicious!
And while it’s considered a stew, it is really more of a casserole, as there is only enough liquid to partially submerge the ingredients. So they cook in the steam that is released from the braising liquid but also get to kinda caramelize in contact with the hot air.
Pretty perfect if I might say so myself!
What is Dublin Coddle?
Dublin Coddle is a traditional Irish dish consisting of layers of sausages, bacon, potatoes and onions that are braised in broth to perfection. Sometimes, it can also include barley.
The name comes from the word “coddle“, which derives from the French verb “caudle“, meaning ‘to boil gently, parboil or stew’. And that’s because this stew gently cooks for hours, in the oven, at a low temperature.
This hearty winter dish dates back to the first great famine of Ireland, in the 1700s, and is particularly associated with Dublin, the capital of the country.
Nobody really knows how it became so popular, but legend has it that devoted Irish wives would throw everything in the pot and go to bed, leaving the coddle simmering until their husbands would arrive home from a night drinking at the pub.
 | Fun Fact: Back in the days, the Dublin Coddle was often served on Thursdays. Since the Irish were predominantly Catholics, they had to abstain from eating meat on Fridays, so the dish was a convenient way to use up any leftover sausages or rashers (bacon). |
Grocery List
WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO BUY:
- 1/2 pound thick cut bacon
- 1 pound sausages
- 2 large onions
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
- 1 carton chicken broth
- 1 bunch parsley
- Optional: beer (stout)
PANTRY ESSENTIALS:
Ingredients I’m assuming you already have in your pantry. But, if not, make sure to buy them as well!
- Salt
- Pepper
What kind of sausage should I buy?
Dublin Coddle is traditionally made with bangers, a pork sausage seasoned with garlic and herbs.
However, since they can be difficult to find here in the United States, you can use any other high-quality pork sausage, like bratwurst or even mild Italian sausage.
What potatoes are best for stews?
Avoid starchy potatoes, like Russets and Idahos, as they do not hold their shape when cooked for a long time.
I usually go for Yukon Golds, which are considered medium-starch, but you can use any kind of waxy potatoes (like Red potatoes), as they are low in starch and high-moisture, making them perfect for soups and stews.
How to make Dublin Coddle
This is one of those dishes that has a thousand variations. Every Dublin family makes it slightly different and swears by it!
Some will use beef or ham broth instead of chicken broth. Others will add a splash of Guinness at the end of cooking, and I have even seen a few recipes using hard apple cider.
Which is the most authentic way? I honestly do not know. I am not Irish, after all. But I can guarantee you that my version will have you licking the bowl clean.
And while you can skip deglazing the pot with beer, do not skip browning the bacon and sausage before braising. Not only browning gives them more flavor but also adds texture and color, making the dish more pleasing to the eyes.
Recommended tools: Dutch Oven.
Here’s how I make Dublin Coddle. As always, you will find the printable (and more complete) version of the recipe at the end of this post!
- Cook the bacon until golden brown.
- Brown the sausage on all sides. Believe me, this makes all the difference in this stew. Browned, caramelized sausage > Boring boiled sausage.
- Cook the aromatics: Sauté the onions until beginning to brown. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Optional: you can add 1 cup of beer to deglaze the pot and add more flavor to the dish.
- Create the layers: Off the heat, start by scattering half the potatoes on the bottom of the pot. Season with pepper and sprinkle chopped parsley.
- Top with half the onions/garlic and half the bacon.
- Add the remaining potatoes, seasoning with pepper and sprinkling parsley.
- Layer the rest of the onions and bacon.
- Finish with a layer of the sausages. You can place them whole or cut them into smaller pieces.
- Braise in the oven for 2 hours: Pour the broth. Bring to a boil on the stove, then cover and cook in the oven for at least 2 hours (or up to 4 hours).
| Olivia’s Tip: Since the bacon and sausage are already salty, you don’t have to season this dish with salt until the very end. After it’s done braising, I taste and then season if necessary. |
How to reheat Dublin Coddle
When properly stored, this sausage stew keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Gently reheat on the stove, over medium low heat, or in a 300 degrees F oven for 30 minutes.
Can I freeze it?
Because if contains potatoes, this dish is – unfortunately – not a good candidate for freezing.
Potatoes do not freeze well, and get mealy and mushy when thawed. So do yourself a favor and eat it all up within 3-4 days.
What to serve with Dublin Coddle?
While this dish is an one-pot meal, I’m sure Dubliners would tell you that a pint of Guinness and some soda bread to mop up the sauce are mandatory!
No soda bread? Any crusty bread will do the job!
Dublin Coddle
Ingredients
- ½ pound thick-cut bacon slices, diced
- 1 pound Irish sausages bangers (or any other high-quality pork sausage)
- 2 large onions, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup stout beer, optional
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 4 cups chicken broth
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ⅓ cup chopped parsley
- Kosher salt, to taste
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300ºF.
- Place a large Dutch Oven on the stove, over medium-high heat, and add the diced bacon. Cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove into a paper towel-lined plate, to soak up the excess grease. Reserve.
- Add the sausages and brown on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove and reserve.
- Discard most of the fat rendered in the pot, leaving just a couple tablespoons. Add the onions and sauté until beginning to brown, 3-4 minutes. You can add a little vegetable oil, if needed. Then, add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
- Optional: Pour the beer to deglaze the pot, cooking and scraping all the browned bits from the bottom, until almost all evaporated. Remove the onions and reserve.
- Remove the Dutch Oven from the heat.
- Add half the potatoes to the bottom of the pot. Season with black pepper and sprinkle some chopped parsley. Then, add half the onions and top with half the cooked bacon. Repeat with another potato layer seasoned with pepper and parsley, followed by onions and bacon. Finish by layering the sausages, whole or cut into chunks.
- Pour the chicken broth. Bring the pot back to the stove and bring to a boil, over medium-high heat.
- Cover and transfer the pot to the oven. Cook for at least 2 hours (and up to 4 hours), checking every now and then to see if more liquid needs to be added. There should be at least 1 inch of liquid at the bottom of the pot at all times, to prevent burning.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
- Garnish with more parsley and serve!
