Traditional Irish Stew
Traditional Irish stew with tender lamb shoulder, potatoes, carrots and onions slowly simmered in a light, herby broth. Simple, honest comfort food for a cold night.
By Tasty Nest Recipes Editorial TeamPublished
2 hr 35 min total About 10 cupsEasy
Photo: jeffreyw · CC BY 2.0. Illustrative photo; your results may look different.
About this recipe
Irish stew is one of Ireland's national dishes, built on just a few humble ingredients: lamb or mutton, potatoes, onions and sometimes carrots, slowly simmered until tender.
Some of the potatoes break down and naturally thicken the broth, while others hold their shape. This version browns the lamb first for extra flavour. Serve with soda bread and butter.
Equipment you'll need
- Large Dutch oven
Tips for success
- Use a mix of potatoes: floury ones thicken the broth and waxy ones keep their shape.
- Skim any fat from the surface before serving.
- Like most stews, it is even better the next day.
Substitutions and variations
- Use lamb neck or bone-in shoulder chops for extra flavour (remove the bones before serving).
- Add a splash of stout to the stock for a richer, non-traditional flavour.
- Use beef chuck if you prefer, for a beef and potato stew.
Storage and reheating
To store: Refrigerate for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months (the potatoes may soften).
To reheat: Reheat on the stove over medium heat until steaming hot throughout, adding a little stock if needed.
Recipe
Traditional Irish Stew
Traditional Irish stew with tender lamb shoulder, potatoes, carrots and onions slowly simmered in a light, herby broth. Simple, honest comfort food for a cold night.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 2 hr 15 min
- Total
- 2 hr 35 min
- Yield
- About 10 cups
- Level
- Easy
Ingredients
Tick off ingredients as you gather them.
Instructions
Step 1: Brown the lamb
Season the lamb with 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Heat the oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the lamb in batches, 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.
Step 2: Soften the vegetables
Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook for 5 minutes, scraping up the browned bits.
Step 3: Simmer the lamb
Return the lamb and juices to the pot. Add the stock, thyme and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 1 1/4 hours.
Step 4: Add the potatoes
Add the potatoes and the remaining salt and simmer, partly covered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the lamb is very tender and some potatoes have started to break down into the broth.
Step 5: Serve
Remove the herb stems and bay leaves, adjust the seasoning and sprinkle with parsley.
Cuisine: Irish · Course: Dinner
Estimated nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 460
- Protein
- 36 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
- Sugars
- 5 g
Approximate values estimated from typical nutrition data for the listed ingredients, excluding optional toppings and serving suggestions. Actual values vary with brands, portion sizes and substitutions. Not verified by a dietitian or laboratory analysis.
tastynestrecipes.com/recipes/irish-stew
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