Prepare this traditional rich, thick Irish Stew recipe on the stovetop or in the slow cooker for a hearty and delicious comfort food dinner! Perfect for St. Patrick's Day or a regular Sunday supper, the classic combination of lamb or beef with vegetables and potatoes is always a crowd-pleasing dish!
What's Irish Stew?
So what makes Irish Stew Irish? Traditional Irish Stew originated in Ireland and was made with lamb (or mutton) and root vegetables. Recipes vary by chef and region, but basic ingredients in an Irish Stew include the meat, along with potatoes, onions and parsley. Some versions also use carrots, turnips or barley.
Mutton was the primary ingredient in traditional Irish Stew recipes because the Irish culture valued sheep for their wool and milk, and therefore only used older animals for cooking. Irish Stew dates back to the early 1800's, so this is a long-standing classic that we have now adapted for modern American culture as well.
The recipe yields a rich, hearty stew that's full of succulent, tender meat and perfectly cooked (not mushy) vegetables, all coated in a thick gravy. It's warming, comforting and ideal for a cold night!
How to make Irish Stew:
I prefer a stovetop Irish Stew, because it gives me more control over the timing of adding the vegetables (and therefore their texture in the finished dish), and it allows me to simmer the pot uncovered (resulting in a thicker stew at the end). If convenience wins out and you'd rather make this stew in the slow cooker, I've included those instructions below. Let's get started with the best Irish Stew recipe ever!
Ingredients:
- Mutton or lamb stew meat, or sub with beef stew meat
- All-purpose flour
- Red wine, or sub with Guinness stout
- Condensed beef broth
- Garlic
- Brown sugar
- Bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper
- Onion
- Carrots
- Potatoes
- Parsley
While Irish Stew traditionally uses lamb or mutton, you can also substitute with beef stew meat if you prefer. We're using the beef here for a couple reasons: first, it's easier to find in our little rural grocer, and second, my family prefers the familiar taste of the beef over the lamb. Pick your favorite -- both work well!
Whether you're using a Dutch oven or a slow cooker, the first step is the same: dredge the meat in flour and brown in oil. This adds delicious flavor to the stew!
You'll probably need to work in batches so that you don't overcrowd the meat in the pan. You don't want it to steam, but instead you want it to get some nice rich color on the outside.
Return all of the browned meat to the Dutch oven, then stir in the wine, condensed broth, water, garlic, brown sugar, salt, pepper, bay leaves and thyme.
Using the condensed beef broth, just a little bit of water, and some red wine give the stew a thick, rich consistency!
After the pot simmers, covered, for about 90 minutes, add the onion, carrot and potato. Cover and cook for about 30 more minutes.
Remove the cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the stew thickens slightly.
Finally, remove the bay leaves, stir in the parsley, and ladle into bowls.
How to make Irish Stew in a Slow Cooker:
While it's not my preferred method, you can also make this stew in a slow cooker. After browning the meat in a skillet or pot as instructed, transfer all of the browned meat to a Crock Pot. Stir in the remaining ingredients (except the parsley), cover, and cook on LOW for about 6-8 hours or on HIGH for about 3-4 hours.
What to serve with Irish Stew:
With meat, potatoes and veggies, you've basically got an entire meal in one pot -- no sides necessary! That said, if you'd like to offer extra options, here are a few ideas:
- Irish Soda Bread, dinner rolls or a crusty French baguette
- A simple green salad
- Brown rice
- Mashed potatoes
Since you're using red wine in the stew, this dish would also pair nicely with a glass of red wine. A shiraz or a cabernet sauvignon would both be great -- you certainly don't need anything fancy for this rustic meal. If you prefer beer, try serving the stew with the Irish classic -- Guinness stout!
Is Irish Stew healthy?
This dish is loaded with nutritious vegetables, and can be a healthy, filling option. The recipe is not gluten-free, thanks to the flour that you use for dredging the meat.
Cook's Tips and Recipe Variations:
- Use lamb or beef in this recipe. The recipe calls for lamb stew meat, which is a generic term for various cuts of lamb that are suitable for long, slow cooking. Lamb stew meat is generally diced shoulder, neck fillet, shank or breast. For a leaner cut, diced leg also works well.
- If using beef instead of lamb, look for pre-diced beef stewing meat as a shortcut. Alternatively, you can dice your own chuck roast or brisket at home to use in this recipe.
- Whether you're using a Dutch oven or a slow cooker, don't skip the step of browning the meat. Dredging the meat in flour helps to thicken the stew, and it also creates a flavorful crust on the meat and insulates the meat from the high heat in the pan. This step adds so much flavor to the stew -- especially if you scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot as your stew simmers.
- Can Irish Stew be frozen? Yes; however, it’s important to know that the texture of the potatoes and vegetables will likely be mushier when thawed. To freeze, allow stew to cool to room temperature. Then package in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- How long will Irish Stew last in the refrigerator? Stored properly in an airtight container, the stew will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- To reheat the stew: When chilled the fat from the stew will rise to the top and harden. You can use a spoon to scrape off most of the fat, or you can simply leave it in the pot and stir it back into the dish when it heats up. Place the cooked stew in a saucepan or Dutch oven on the stovetop. Cover and warm over low heat, just until the stew reaches the desired temperature.
More easy stew recipes that you might enjoy:
- Beef Burgundy
- Farmhouse Slow Cooker Beef Stew
- Chicken Stew
- Autumn Harvest Pork Stew
- Oyster Stew
- Slow Cooker Brunswick Stew
Irish Stew
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil or vegetable oil
- 3 lbs. lamb stew meat or beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup dry red wine, or Guinness stout
- 2 cans (10.5 oz. each) condensed beef broth, NOT diluted
- 1 ½ cups water
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 medium onions, chopped
- 6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 ½ lbs. new potatoes, quartered (or use russet potatoes, peeled and diced)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
Instructions
STOVETOP METHOD:
- Place meat in a large bowl or Ziploc bag. Add flour, plus a dash of salt and pepper. Seal the bag and toss so that the meat is coated in flour.
- Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot (but not smoking), brown the beef on both sides until the chunks turn a rich color (about 8 minutes). You will probably need to do this in 2 or 3 batches so that the pan isn’t too crowded.
- Return all browned meat to the Dutch oven. Add wine, condensed broth, water, garlic, sugar, salt, pepper, bay leaves and thyme. Stir to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil; cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer (covered) for 1 ½ hours. Add onion, carrot and potato; cover, and cook for 30-45 minutes (or until vegetables are tender). For a thicker stew, remove cover for the final 15 minutes.
- Discard bay leaves, stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Ladle into bowls.
SLOW COOKER METHOD:
- Place meat in a large bowl or Ziploc bag. Add flour, plus a dash of salt and pepper. Seal the bag and toss so that the meat is coated in flour.
- Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot (but not smoking), brown the beef on both sides until the chunks turn a rich color (about 8 minutes). You will probably need to do this in 2 or 3 batches so that the pan isn’t too crowded.
- Transfer all of the browned meat to the slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients (except parsley). Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for about 3-4 hours.
- Discard bay leaves, stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Ladle into bowls.
Notes
- Use lamb or beef in this recipe. The recipe calls for lamb stew meat, which is a generic term for various cuts of lamb that are suitable for long, slow cooking. Lamb stew meat is generally diced shoulder, neck fillet, shank or breast. For a leaner cut, diced leg also works well.
- If using beef instead of lamb, look for pre-diced beef stewing meat as a shortcut. Alternatively, you can dice your own chuck roast or brisket at home to use in this recipe.
- Whether you're using a Dutch oven or a slow cooker, don't skip the step of browning the meat. Dredging the meat in flour helps to thicken the stew, and it also creates a flavorful crust on the meat and insulates the meat from the high heat in the pan. This step adds so much flavor to the stew -- especially if you scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot as your stew simmers.
- Can Irish Stew be frozen? Yes; however, it’s important to know that the texture of the potatoes and vegetables will likely be mushier when thawed. To freeze, allow stew to cool to room temperature. Then package in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- How long will Irish Stew last in the refrigerator? Stored properly in an airtight container, the stew will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- To reheat the stew: When chilled the fat from the stew will rise to the top and harden. You can use a spoon to scrape off most of the fat, or you can simply leave it in the pot and stir it back into the dish when it heats up. Place the cooked stew in a saucepan or Dutch oven on the stovetop. Cover and warm over low heat, just until the stew reaches the desired temperature.
Kathryn
The best stew I have ever made! The meat was so tender, and the veggies were soft but not mushy. I used a bottle of Guinness and a combination of chicken broth and beef broth to get the right amount of liquid. Thank you for always having the best recipes!
Blair
That's so good to hear, Kathryn! Thanks for taking the time to come back here and let me know. Happy almost St. Patrick's Day! 🙂