Slow cooked Irish lamb stew
This Irish lamb stew is the ultimate comfort food. Tender lamb simmered in a Guinness gravy with potatoes and gravy, it’s a hearty and satisfying meal for chilly evenings.
Irish Lamb Stew: A Hearty and Flavorful Recipe
If you’re looking for a cozy, comforting stew recipe, this Irish lamb stew is a must-try. The combination of the melt-in-your-mouth tender lamb, rich Guinness and red wine gravy and hearty vegetables is simply irresistible.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Olive oil. Avocado oil, butter or bacon fat are all good substitutions.
- Lamb. Boneless leg of lamb cubes, lamb shoulder or stewing lamb.
- Aromatics: Onion, carrot, celery, fresh garlic cloves, dried thyme. Other dried herbs like bay leaves, rosemary and sage will also be delicious in this stew. Fresh herbs like fresh parsley or thyme can also be added.
- Red wine. Use a dry red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon.
- Flour. Helps thicken the gravy – a cornstarch slurry can be used instead.
- Guinness. Any stout beer will work well but Guinness is a classic.
- Beef broth/beef stock. Lamb stock can also be used.
- Potatoes. Other root vegetables like parsnips and turnips will also be delicious.
- Salt and black pepper.
How to make Irish lamb stew
- Start by building flavor: Pat the lamb dry and season with salt. Heat a large, oven-proof pot or Dutch Oven over medium-high heat and brown the lamb on all sides. Work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
- Sauté the vegetables: Add the onions, carrots and celery to the pot and cook, scraping off the browned bits on the bottom, until the vegetables are starting to soften. Add the garlic and thyme and stir in the flour.
- Make the gravy: Pour in the wine and allow to reduce by half then add the lamb back into the pot along with the Guinness. Cover the meat with beef/lamb stock and then cover with a lid.
- Slow cook: Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat and allow to simmer gently for an hour to an hour and a half until the lamb is starting to soften. This time depends on the size of the lamb cubes.
- Add the potatoes: Add the potatoes, cover and allow to cook for another 30-45 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender and lamb is soft and cooked through.
- Season and serve: Taste and adjust by seasoning with salt and pepper and serve hot with your favorite sides.
Tips for the best lamb stew
- Sear the lamb well: Brown the lamb well to build a lot of rich, meaty flavor. By doing this in batches, you’ll prevent overcrowding the pan which will cause the meat to boil instead of sear to a beautiful golden brown crust.
- Don’t rush the cooking: Slow cooking allows the connective tissue in the lamb to break down, making it impossibly tender and delicious.
- Adjust the liquid: If the stock becomes too thick, add a bit more stock.
- Add-ins: Feel free to add other vegetables like parsnips, turnips or mushrooms.
- Make it ahead: As with most stews, this dish is even better the next day. Allow the cooked stew to come to room temperature then store in the fridge overnight. Any leftovers can be kept in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The stew can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
This stew just begs for a creamy bed of cheesy mashed potatoes or Irish soda bread to soak up all that gravy. Vegetable side dishes like sautéed broccolini, bacon-sautéed green beans or Brussels sprouts will also be delicious. Grains like pearl barley or rice will also be good.
Other side dishes
Servings: 8
Calories: 321kcal
Ingredients
- 1½ kg (3 pounds) stewing lamb (shoulder/leg, de-boned and cubed)
- 2 onions finely chopped
- 4 carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 pieces fresh celery finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp flour (optional)
- 1 cup red wine
- 500 ml (2 cups) Guinness
- 1-2 cups beef/lamb stock (to top up the liquid of the stew if necessary)
- 500 g (1lbs) potatoes peeled and roughly chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large pot and brown the lamb in batches. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pot, sauté the onions, carrots and celery until they start to color slightly. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for another minute then add the flour.
- Stir to coat the vegetables in the flour then add the wine and some stock, if necessary. Allow to simmer until the wine reduces.
- Add the lamb and Guinness to the pot and stir to combine with the vegetables. If necessary, top up with stock to ensure the meat is covered in liquid.
- Lower the heat and gently simmer with the lid ajar for an hour to 90 minutes or until the lamb starts to soften. If necessary, add more stock during cooking.
- Add the chopped potatoes when the lamb starts to soften and cook for another 30-45 minutes over low heat until the sauce has thickened and the potatoes and lamb are cooked through.
- Adjust the seasoning and serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 321kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 145mg | Potassium: 714mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 5110IU | Vitamin C: 4.5mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 4.1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Could this be cooked in an oven?. If so, how would you convert the cooking times across?
Yes it could. Simply cook at 160 Degrees celsius for 60-90 minutes until the lamb and potatoes are cooked through.
Would this go ok in a slow cooker?
Yup! It will be perfect in a slow cooker.
This is in my top 10. I made it with garlic parmesan mash and a glass of red wine. So filling, and tasted even better the next day.
We have friends coming over so I decided to make this stew. Just had a sneak taste and WOW! Such a simple, delicious recipe. I made your cheesy bread too so can’t wait for dinner.
Oh yay! I’m so glad you like it. Enjoy dinner!
My husband Tom would LOVE this! He’s a huge stew fan. Comfort food doesn’t get much better Alida! Such a cozy meal!
It’s a stew-fan’s dream Mary Ann. Tom will love this one.