Slow cooked Irish lamb stew

Succulent lamb cooked in a rich gravy flavored with thyme and Guinness, makes this Irish lamb stew the perfect comfort food served with mashed potatoes.

If soft, succulent lamb cooked in a rich Guinness and red wine gravy with potatoes and carrots seems like your kind of thing, you’ve come to the right place. And may I just say, you have excellent taste. Because this Irish lamb stew is the kind of recipe dreams are made of. The sauce is full of flavor thanks to the dark beer, red wine and herbs and there is nothing more comforting than a big pot of stew served with creamy mashed potatoes.

Use deboned lamb (shoulder or leg of lamb work best) and to cut down on cooking time, make sure the chunks aren’t too big. Of course you can make this lamb stew in a pressure- or slow cooker which makes it a totally hands-off dish. Just be sure to sear the meat well before adding the cooking liquid as this is where so much of the flavor develops.

How to make Irish lamb stew

Sear stewing lamb in a large, oven-proof pot, until well-browned all over. Cook the onions, carrots, celery and garlic until fragrant then add thyme and the red wine. Allow the wine to reduce by half then add the lamb back into the pot along with the Guinness. If necessary, add beef/lamb stock to ensure the meat is covered with liquid. Simmer gently, with the lid ajar, for 1-1½ hours or until the lamb is starting to soften. Add peeled and chopped potatoes and simmer for another 30-45 minutes until the potatoes, carrots and lamb are all soft and cooked through. Season to taste and serve.

What to serve with Irish lamb stew

• Cheesy mashed potatoes
  
• Garlic Parmesan mashed potatoes
• Cheese and herb Irish soda bread
  

Love stew? Try these stew recipes:

1. Slow braised beef short ribs with cheesy mash
2. Instant Pot Guinness beef stew
   
3. Beef shin stew with Parmesan dumplings
4. Lamb ragu with cauliflower gnocchi

Irish lamb stew

Succulent lamb cooked in a rich gravy flavored with thyme and Guinness, makes this Irish lamb stew the perfect comfort food served with mashed potatoes.

4.67 from 6 votes

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Course: Dinner, Stew

Cuisine: Dinner

Keyword: Irish lamb stew, Irish stew, Lamb stew

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 321kcal

Author: Alida Ryder

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)
• 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

Instant Pot Guinness beef stew

Cheese and herb Irish soda bread