This classic Irish stew is so easy to make and full of traditional Irish flavors. This stew is great for Saint Patrick’s day dinner or any night of the week. Let me show you how to make this easy Irish stew.

One of the things that I love about living back in Michigan is that we get to try a whole new variety of foods. When we were in Texas it was all about the Tex-Mex food. Now that we are back up north? It’s all about the potato!

I mean, they like other things up here but a majority of their dishes involve the all mighty potato. And no, that’s not a complaint! I love a good dinner with taters.

What is classic Irish stew?

Classic Irish stew is a pretty debated dish. Most people can agree that traditional Irish stew consists of mutton or lamb along with potatoes and onions. Carrots and other vegetables like cabbage get tossed in the mix, but are sometimes contested as being authentic. Most of the time Irish stew is made with a hearty beer.

Regardless, Irish stew is a basic dish made with stew meat and an assortment of vegetables. It’s easy to make on the stove top, crock pot or even your pressure cooker.

What is the difference between beef stew and Irish stew?

The main difference between a beef stew and an Irish stew is the broth and the choice of meat. Beef stew uses cubed pieces of beef, such as a stew meat or a chuck roast. Irish stew traditionally uses mutton or lamb and has a rich, thick beer based broth.

Easy Irish stew ingredients

To make Irish stew at home you will need the following ingredients:

• Stew meat
• Olive oil
• Garlic
• Spices
• Beef stock
• Guinness beer
• Red wine
• Tomato paste
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Onion
• Butter

Stew meat – Like I’ve mentioned, to be authentic you need lamb or mutton. The Irish don’t budge on this part of the recipe. But, a good stew meat will work and taste just as good. Either purchase stew meat at the grocery store or dice up a chuck roast.

Garlic – You need at least 6 cloves of garlic for this recipe. You can use fresh or pre-minced from the jar.

Spices – The spices in this dish are pretty easy and can be changed based on your taste preference. I used salt, pepper, thyme and Worcestershire sauce. Some people add bay leaves in, but I normally omit them.

Liquids – To get a thick hearty broth you need beef stock, red wine and a Guinness beer. The red wine helps deglaze the pot and adds a great depth of flavor. The beer also aids in the unique Irish flair.

Tomato paste – The tomato paste helps thicken the broth just a bit and can be found in the same aisle as other canned tomato products.

Potatoes, carrots, onions – Again, only potatoes and onions are considered to be part of a true Irish stew. The rest are preference. Some people dice their potatoes and some people leave them in quarters when they make this stew. It’s whatever you prefer!

How do you make easy Irish stew?

Once you have gathered all your ingredients, you will also need to get:

• large pot or dutch oven
• knife and cutting board
• measuring cups and spoons
• spatula
• smaller pot

Step 1 – Start by seasoning your stew meat. If you bought a roast, dice it up into chunks first and then season it with salt and pepper.

Step 2 – Place the olive oil in a heavy bottom pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Working in batches, brown the beef on both sides. It should take about 3 minutes per side to get a nice char.

Step 3 – Add the garlic, spices, tomato paste, beef stock, red wine and stout beer to your pot of meat. Stir to combine everything and allow to come to a simmer. Reduce the heat and cook on low for an hour. (This may seem like a long time but it allows the meat to break down and become fork tender.)

Step 4 – While the stew is simmering, place your butter in another pot and melt. Add in the carrots and onion and saute until fragrant – about 10 minutes.

Step 5 – Add in the sauteed carrots and onions to the simmering stew. Also add in the diced potatoes. Simmer for another 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Serve and enjoy!

How to make Irish stew in the Crock Pot

Making this Irish stew is super simple in your slow cooker as well! You can follow the directions below to make slow cooked and tender Irish stew:

• Dice and season your meat.
• Brown the meat in batches in a skillet over medium heat with oil.
• Place the meat in the slow cooker.
• Dice the potatoes and carrots.
• Add the vegetables to the slow cooker.
• Add in the remaining ingredients, beef broth, water, Guinness, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce.
• Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Can cook on high for 4-6 hours as well.

How to make Irish stew in the Instant Pot

You can make Irish stew even faster by using pressure cooker! Follow the easy directions below to make this stew in the Instant Pot.

• Dice and season your meat.
• Brown the meat in batches in the inner pot over medium heat with oil.
• Deglaze the pot.
• Dice the potatoes and carrots.
• Add the vegetables to the Instant Pot.
• Add in the remaining ingredients, beef broth, water, Guinness, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce.
• Cook on high manual heat for 30 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release before serving.

Irish stew side dish ideas

Now that you have your classic Irish stew, what are you going to eat with it? Try these equally delicious side dishes:

• Irish soda bread
• Coleslaw
• French bread
• Ryon’s beer bread

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