This Irish stew is a blend of tender meat, carrots and potatoes, all simmered to perfection in a savory and complex beer broth. The perfect comfort food meal for a cold night!
When the weather turns chilly, you can never go wrong with a steaming hot bowl of soup such as slow cooker chili, ham and bean soup and this hearty Irish style stew.
You can never go wrong with a good beef stew. It’s a one pot meal that is sure to please all your family and friends. This Irish stew features tender beef and vegetables flavored with stout beer and plenty of seasonings.
What is Irish stew?
This dish is a meat and vegetable stew that is native to Ireland. Irish stews often contain some type of red meat, carrots, potatoes and other root vegetables. Irish stew can be made with lamb, mutton or beef. I’ve used beef for this version, but you can use lamb if that’s your preference.
How do you make Irish stew?
Irish stew starts with cubes of stew meat, which are browned in a pan. After the meat is golden brown, it’s time to add onions and garlic, which cook until softened. The next step is to stir in carrots, potatoes, tomato paste, beef broth, beer and seasonings. The stew is covered, then cooks in the oven for about 2 hours until the meat and vegetables are tender. Add a sprinkle of parsley, then serve and enjoy.
Tips for the perfect stew
- I use packaged beef stew meat because saves on prep time, but you can also buy a chuck roast and cut it into cubes if you prefer.
- Be sure to cut your vegetables and potatoes into large pieces so that they don’t get mushy during the long cooking time.
- Choose your favorite Irish beer, I typically use Guinness.
- Beef stew can be stays fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days, and can be frozen for 2 months. Freeze the stew in an airtight container or resealable bag, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove top.
Stew Variations
There are so many different ways you can alter this stew to customize it to your tastes!
- Veggies: Add other vegetables to the mix such as peas, green beans, mushrooms, butternut squash or parsnips.
- Potatoes: Instead of small yellow potatoes, try red potatoes, diced Russet potatoes or even cubes of sweet potato.
- Bacon: Stir 1/2 cup cooked crumbled bacon into the stew at the end of the cook time for a smoky finish.
- Meat: Instead of stew meat, try cooked and crumbled ground beef or cubes of lamb for a different flavor and texture.
Slow Cooker Irish Stew
This recipe can easily be adapted for use in the slow cooker. Brown the meat, onions and garlic, then place all of the ingredients in a crock pot except for the parsley. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Add the parsley, then serve.
Whether you’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day or simply looking for a dinner to please a crowd, this Irish stew will most definitely be a great choice.
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Irish Stew Video
Irish Stew
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 pounds beef stew meat
- 1 cup onion coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup Irish stout beer
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 pounds small yellow potatoes halved
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 2 cups carrots peeled, halved and cut into 1 inch pieces
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add half the beef cubes to the pot in a single layer. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until browned. Remove the beef from the pot and repeat with remaining meat. Remove all the browned meat from the pot.
- Add the onions to the pot and cook for 5-6 minutes or until tender. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Return the meat to the pot. Add the flour and stir to coat the meat and onions.
- Add the beer, beef broth, tomato paste, potatoes, thyme and carrots to the pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine and bring the pot to a simmer.
- Cover the pot. Place it in the oven and bake for 2 1/2 - 3 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with parsley, then serve.
Hi, could I add pearl barley to this recipe?
That should be fine!
Hi Sara, thank you so much for this lovely recipe. I added the pearl barley and it was perfect.
Made this tonight for my Irish parents, my husband and three kids and everyone was happy with the flavors and texture! Easy to follow recipe. Will make again when it’s chilly outside.
This was totally yummy… and I’m Irish!😁. Easy to make and very flavorsome.Saved to my favourites
This stew was fantastic. I made it for supper on St. Patrick’s day and everyone loved it.
The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because it lists the prep time as 20 minutes and I don’t even know if a professional chef could do that much prep in that length of time. My husband worked on trimming and cutting the beef while I chopped onion, peeled and cut carrots and potatoes and gathered the rest of the ingredients. I would make it again but realistically, prep time was more like 30 minutes with 2 people working on it.
Made this yesterday for Saint Patrick’s Day! This is absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for sharing.
I need to feed 15 people for dinner in about a month. Could I triple this recipe and use a huge soup pot in the oven? I’m concerned it won’t be the same consistency.
So glad you enjoyed it! I think it would be fine to triple the recipe. If you’re using a deep pot the beef might need more time to cook.
How thick is the broth/gravy supposed to be?
It should be thicker than a soup, but not so thick that it clings to a spoon like a sauce!
Does this have to be baked? I was hoping to cook stove top? Do you have any recommendations for stove top?
You can simmer it covered on the stove on low heat for 2 1/2 hours!
What can I substitute for beer to make it alcohol free? Any ideas?
You could just use more broth!
Guinness makes a non-alcoholic beer now! So you can still have the flavor without the alcohol.
You could use alcohol free beer but truthfully the alcohol cooks out of the beer and only leaves the flavor, which is why you want to use an Irish Stout. However, if someone is allergic to alcohol I would use the non-alcoholic version. Just keep in mind that this will change the flavor.
The alcohol cooks out
Absolutely Delicious!
Made this recipe but added more garlic – yum!!!
How much is serving?
It’s 1 1/2 cups
This Irish Beef Stew is absolutely the BEST stew recipe (of any kind) that I’ve ever eaten! Super simple yet with deep and delicious flavours. LOVE it. Thanks!
PS Serving it in two weeks for a St Patrick’s dinner (fundraiser) at our church. looking forward to the rave reviews 🙂
I am having a hard time finding stout. Can beer or lager be substituted?
Any dark beer should work!
This has become a quick favorite for my husband and I! We always do the prep work with the meat, potatoes, carrots, and onion ahead of time, which saves me. We’ve found it freezes and reheats fairly well, too. Thanks for sharing this fantastic recipe!
Love all your recipes! I halved this because there are just two of us. It came out pretty well but it was very dry and I had to add more broth. I cooked it for 2.5 hours – should I cut the cooking time next time?
I think it needed less time to cook since you cut the recipe in half, next time I’d start checking around 1.5 hours. It’s also fine to add more broth if needed!
For me, it’s just the 2 of us (me and my daughter). We love making big dishes. I don’t have time to cook every night. Leftovers are the best.