Irish Stew Recipe

This Irish beef stew recipe is full of tender mutton, and a rich broth, root vegetables, and flavored with Guinness.

There is nothing better on a chilly evening than a hearty bowl of stew. Unfortunately, a lot of husbands seem to disagree. I know mine did when we first got married. I thought maybe my days of indulging in soups and stews might be over, but found out pretty quickly that a lot of that feeling comes from being served watery soup. So if I made it hearty enough, with the right solids to broth ratio, he changed his mind. It also helps to serve it with gluten-free cornbread, or sourdough biscuits.

In any case, let’s talk about this soup, which is, yes, hearty enough, and meaty enough to please most men I know.

Ingredients for Irish Beef Stew

This is going to look like a lot of ingredients, but a lot of them are seasonings, so it’s not as much as it looks like at first.

• Lamb or mutton roast. My husband raises sheep, so we have no shortage of mutton available, and I love the way it flavors this stew. HOWEVER, don’t be afraid to use beef if mutton isn’t your thing, or if you simply would rather not pay the additional price for it.
• Potatoes. I like to use red potatoes in this stew. Their waxy, lower starch texture compliment the other flavors and textures well, while holding their shape during cooking. As a bonus, they have more tender skins that won’t need to be peeled.
• Carrots. These are a classic in any stew, lending sweetness, and light texture to the mixture.
• Parsnips. These are a bit of a mix between carrots and potatoes with a slightly sweet, earthy and nutty flavor, with some warm undertones similar to ginger and cinnamon.
• Onion. The kind of aroma and flavor, I can’t imagine making any soup, let alone this rich-flavored stew without it.
• Garlic. Perhaps the co-king with onion. Garlic adds to the complexity to the stew with its savory, spicy flavor.
• Dark beer. Ideally you would use a dark beer like Guiness in this soup, but a lighter beer also lends a delicious, yeasty flavor, and can sometimes be preferred when serving a mixed crowd, especially with kids who might turn up their nose to a darker brew (you’ll see in my photos that my beer is relatively light. Tell me you have kids without telling me, right?)
• Beef broth. The base for the broth of you Irish stew. If I have broth from lamb or mutton, I’ll use that instead, but usually, I use beef broth.
• Tomato sauce. This adds a bit of depth to your broth, and helps balance the savory, higher alkaline flavors in your stew.
• Worcestershire sauce brings a deep umami flavor to the stew.
• Bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper. Savory additives that add flavor and aroma to your stew.

How to make Irish Stew

1. Cut lamb roast into 1-2” inch chunks, trimming off any excessive gristle or fat as needed.
2. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large dutch oven until it’s hot enough to sizzle.
   
   
3. Add roast chunks, and brown, stirring occasionally to brown each side. Don’t worry about cooking them all the way through – you’re just searing the outsides here.
4. While the lamb browns, dice onion, and mince garlic.
5. When lamb is browned for the most part, remove from pan into a large bowl, and add the second tablespoon of oil to pot.
   
   
6. Add onion, and cook over medium, stirring frequently until translucent.
7. Peel carrots and parsnips, and dice into bite-sized pieces along with potatoes.
   
   
8. When onions are translucent, add carrots, parsnips, and garlic to pot, and sauté, stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes.
9. Add potatoes, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, browned lamb, salt, and pepper, and stir together.
   
   
   
10. Top with bay leaves, and sprigs of thyme.
11. Cover with lid, and bring to a simmer.
    
    
12. Let simmer for 30 minutes or until ready to serve.

I have found with mutton, that it becomes much more tender with 2-3 hours of simmering, so I give myself lots of time to simmer, or even put it in the crock pot. Lamb and beef are a lot more tender from the get-go, so you can get away with doing the short, 30 minute cook time.

More soup and stew recipes for you:

• Oxtail soup recipe
• 15 bean ham soup recipe
• Simple ravioli soup
• How to can vegetable soup
• Italian Peasant Soup

Print