Traditional Irish Stew

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 2 hrs 20 mins
Total: 2 hrs 40 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Nothing is more warming and filling than a delicious bowl of Irish stew, a popular dish from Ireland and loved the world over. It was traditionally made with mutton, but it is now often made with the easier-to-find lamb. Either meat will make a delicious, hearty stew.

Traditional Irish stew in a Dutch oven and a small bowl sprinkled with parsley

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Potatoes Only?

Controversy reigns over whether adding vegetables other than potatoes makes the perfect Irish stew, but the choice is yours. Adding onions, leeks, carrots, and cabbage does add extra flavor and nutrition to the stew and means that little else is needed to make it a meal.

St. Patrick's Day Only?

Though a hugely popular dish on St Patrick's Day, it's far too good to reserve for a few days a year—eat it when you want something comforting and warming. Serve with crusty bread to soak up all of the delicious sauce.

What's the Difference Between Irish Stew and Beef Stew?

Irish stew is traditionally made using lamb or mutton, while beef stew is made with beef.

Tips for Making Irish Stew

  • A word about potatoes—There are basically three types of potatoes: starchy, waxy, and all-purpose. Starchy potatoes (like russets) will break down, while waxy (like red-skinned potatoes) will remain intact and hold their shape; all-purpose (like Yukon Golds) fall somewhere in the middle. The recommended type of potato for stew is waxy, but you can use a combination if you'd like some of the potatoes to break down and help thicken the sauce.
  • Swap it— If lamb is hard to source where you live, substitute beef stew meat.
  • Thin or thick stew—The consistency of this stew can be adjusted in a couple of ways. If it's too thick, add more beef stock. If it's too thin, simmer it, uncovered, at the end of cooking until thickened to your liking. You can also thicken it with a cornstarch slurry made by combining a small amount of cornstarch with a little water to make a thin paste. Add to the stew and simmer until thickened.
  • Stovetop instead of oven—Cooking this stew in the oven rather than on the stovetop helps it cook more evenly, avoiding the risk of boiling, which can toughen the meat. However, you can cook this on the stovetop over very low heat. Just be sure to check in on it every once in a while to make sure it isn't simmering too briskly.

"This Irish stew was excellent. Prep was easy and the stew came together quickly. I liked the fact that the stew was cooked in the oven (after the initial browning). I used red potatoes, which broke down a bit over the long cooking time, but they were small to begin with." —Diana Rattray

Traditional Irish Stew Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

  • 1 pound boneless lamb or mutton, cut into 2-inch/5-centimeter chunks

  • 2 pounds waxy potatoes, peeled and quarted

  • 1 cup coarsely chopped carrots

  • 1 cup coarsely chopped onion

  • 1 cup thinly sliced leeks

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 3 cups beef stock

  • 2 or 3 cabbage leaves, thinly sliced, optional

  • Fine salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 F.

    Ingredients for traditional Irish stew recipe gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil on medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add half of the 1-pound boneless lamb or mutton pieces and brown all over.

    Lamb chunks being browned in frying pan with ample space between them

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Remove the lamb pieces with tongs and place them in a large Dutch oven or other heavy-duty oven-safe pot.

    Browned lamb chunks placed in a Dutch oven

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Cover with half of the 2-pounds waxy potato quarters, half of the 1 cup coarsely chopped carrots, half of the 1 cup coarsely chopped onion, and half of the 1 cup thinly sliced leeks.

    Carrots, onions, leeks, and potatoes added to lamb in Dutch oven

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the skillet on medium-high heat. Add the remaining lamb, brown all over as before, and add to the Dutch oven.

    Remaining browned lamb chunks added to Dutch oven with lamb and vegetables

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Cover with the remaining potatoes, remaining onion, remaining leeks, and remaining carrots.

    Remaining potatoes, carrots, leeks, and onions added to casserole

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Add 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour to the still-hot skillet and stir really well to soak up any fat and juices. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes.

    Flour added to lamb fat in the frying pan and being stirred with a wooden spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  8. Add 3 cups beef stock, 1 ladle at a time, and mix until you have a thick, lump-free sauce. You may not need all the stock.

    Stock gradually added to frying pan and stirred with wooden spoon to a thick, smooth sauce

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  9. Pour the sauce over the lamb-vegetable mixture in the Dutch oven.

    Sauce poured over stew ingredients in Dutch oven

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  10. Add any remaining stock, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and transfer to the oven. Let cook undisturbed for 1 hour.

    Stock added to Irish stew in Dutch oven

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  11. Add 2 or 3 cabbage leaves, thinly sliced, if using, replace the lid, and cook for 1 more hour. Check from time to time to make sure the stock hasn't reduced too much. If it has, add a little boiling water. The meat and vegetables should always be covered in liquid. If the sauce is too runny at the end, you can always cook the stew a little longer with the lid removed.

    Season with fine salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Serve piping hot, and enjoy.

    Traditional Irish Stew in a casserole and a small bowl

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

  • Add a kick with a little Guinness or Irish whisky to the stew at the beginning of cooking.
  • Add some color by garnishing with some fresh tender herbs such as parsley and oregano.
  • Enhance the meal by serving with crusty bread and a good Irish butter.

How to Store

Like all stews and casseroles, this Irish stew tastes just as good, if not better, the next day. It will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.

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