This Authentic Irish Lamb Stew Recipe Makes a Hearty Meal (2024)

When you conjure up thoughts of Ireland, you likely think of sloping thatched-roof houses with gardens in front and huge fireplaces in rooms where the owners take refuge from Ireland's frequent rain. And on the table, by the fire, you would probably find Irish stew, a regular one-pot meal. Rustic, simple, and hearty, there's no one true recipe for the stew. It has evolved and adapted over time and different places, but it's usually made with lamb, onions,and potatoes. Other ingredients have been added or replaced over time; originally the stew was made with mutton—older animals with tougher and fattier meat—but nowadays lamb's shoulder seems to be the go-to cut. It was also made without potatoes, as these came to Ireland only in the 16th century when they were brought over from South America.

This Authentic Irish Lamb Stew Recipe Makes a Hearty Meal (1)

Each family has a favorite variation, but most people like to add carrots. Parsnips, peas, turnips, or celery can also appear, and even Guinness is added in some versions. Our recipe has tasty bacon and bacon fat to add an extra layer of flavor to the broth.

What Is the Difference Between a Stew and an Irish Stew?

What mainly sets the Irish stew apart from other stews is that it is, in origin, made with very few ingredients, like lamb, potatoes and carrots. Nowadays, the recipes have many more ingredients, but the true base is a humble and simple one-pot meal. Besides the number of ingredients, what differentiates Irish stews from other similar preparations is that they're thickened by the starch in the potatoes, and not by a roux. Even if adding a slurry of flour and cooled broth from the stew would thicken the consistency, Irish stews rarely rely on this trick.

This recipe appears in"The Frugal Gourmet on Our Immigrant Ancestors"by Jeff Smith.

Tips for Making This Irish Stew

  • In traditional fashion, make this stew the day before and refrigerate overnight, as it is even better reheated. The flavors have time to blend together more, which results in a more flavorful dish.
  • Accompany your meal with a loaf of good soda bread. Some pickles and sauerkraut can complement the earthy and bold flavors of the lamb.
  • If you want to use fewer dishes, cook the bacon, lamb, and garlic-onion mixture in the Dutch oven before making the stew.

This Authentic Irish Lamb Stew Recipe Makes a Hearty Meal (5)

"I was shocked that only 4 cups of beef stock produced so much stew. The lamb is super-tender and the veggies are tender without being mushy. Very nice recipe and relatively easy once you're cooking it." —Melissa Gray

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound thick-sliced bacon, cut thin crosswise strips

  • 6 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces

  • 1 teaspoon fine salt, more to taste

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more to taste

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

  • Vegetable oil, as needed

  • 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

  • 3 large yellow onions, 1 finely chopped, 2 thinly sliced

  • 4 cups store-bought or homemade beef stock

  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar

  • 4 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 3 pounds potatoes, peeled, quartered, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme

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  • 1 bay leaf

  • 1/2 cup dry white wine

  • Chopped parsley, for garnish

  • Soda bread, for serving, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

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  2. In a large skillet, sauté the bacon until crisp. Drain the fat and reserve both the bacon and the fat. Don't wash the skillet; you'll use it again.

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  3. In a large bowl, place the lamb, salt, pepper, and flour. Toss to coat evenly.

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  4. Add some of the bacon fat to the reserved skillet. In batches, brown the lamb on all sides. If you run out of fat, use some of the vegetable oil.

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  5. Transfer the browned meat to a large Dutch oven or other heavy-duty pot, leaving about 1/4 cup of fat in the skillet.

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  6. Add the garlic and the chopped yellow onion to the pan and sauté until the onion begins to color a bit.

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  7. Add the garlic-onion mixture to the Dutch oven with the reserved bacon, beef stock, and sugar.

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  8. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until the lamb is tender.

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  9. Add the sliced onions, carrots, potatoes, thyme, bay leaf, and wine to the pot and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 1 hour. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.

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  10. Garnish with parsley and serve with soda bread, if desired.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
584Calories
22g Fat
35g Carbs
57g Protein

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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories584
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g28%
Saturated Fat 7g34%
Cholesterol 164mg55%
Sodium 832mg36%
Total Carbohydrate 35g13%
Dietary Fiber 4g13%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 57g
Vitamin C 14mg69%
Calcium 70mg5%
Iron 6mg34%
Potassium 1607mg34%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This Authentic Irish Lamb Stew Recipe Makes a Hearty Meal (2024)

FAQs

What is a traditional Irish stew called? ›

Irish stew (Irish: Stobhach Gaelach) or Stobhach is a stew native to Ireland that is traditionally made with root vegetables and lamb or mutton, but also commonly with beef. As in all traditional folk dishes, the exact recipe is not consistent from time to time, or place to place.

Read The Full Story ›
Why is Irish stew the national dish of Ireland? ›

Though the Romans had long outgrown it by then, stewing came to prominence in Ireland during the early 19th century, during a period of economic turmoil that led to mass poverty. With only a hanging pot, an open fire and a few fairly easily attainable ingredients, even poor families were able to survive on Irish stew.

Tell Me More ›
What is the difference between Irish stew and regular stew? ›

The main difference between an Irish stew and classic beef stew comes down to the protein. Traditional Irish stew is usually made with lamb, while beef stew is always made with beef.

Find Out More ›
What gave the Irish stew its fresh flavor answer? ›

What gave the Irish stew its fresh flavour? - Quora. Simply by using good quality meat and FRESH vegetables, not frozen. While making stew, the woman of the house would go out to the kitchen garden and cut or pull what she needed, rinse them in cold water, chop them up and add them to the pot.

See Details ›
What thickens Irish stew? ›

In addition to chuck beef and Guinness Beer, here are the other ingredients in Irish Stew. Flour and tomato paste – to thicken sauce and the tomato paste also adds some flavour; Guinness Beer and broth/liquid stock – the braising liquids.

Read More ›
What is the most famous Irish dish? ›

One of the most popular and iconic Irish foods is undoubtedly the traditional Irish stew. This hearty dish typically consists of tender chunks of meat (such as lamb or beef), potatoes, onions, carrots, and sometimes other vegetables like celery or parsnips.

Read On ›
What did they eat in Ireland before potatoes? ›

Grains. Until the arrival of the potato in the 16th century, grains such as oats, wheat and barley, cooked either as porridge or bread, formed the staple of the Irish diet.

Learn More Now ›
Why is my Irish stew bitter? ›

Stouts, like Guinness, are known for their bitterness. If the stew is cooked too quickly or if it doesn't include ingredients to balance the bitterness, this flavor can be very pronounced.

See Details ›
Can you overcook Irish stew? ›

However, the good news is that it is very difficult to actually overcook this dish. Your primary focus should be ensuring that it has cooked adequately rather than worrying about overcooking. A properly cooked Irish Stew should have a slightly thickened deep brown broth and extremely fork-tender meat.

View Details ›
What potato is best in stew? ›

ANSWER: Waxy potatoes or those called boiling potatoes stand up well in soups and stews. These have thin skin and are high in moisture and low in starch. Potatoes that are low-starch and high-moisture hold together better. Yukon Gold potatoes are on the medium-starch side and will hold their shape in soups.

Get More Info Here ›

What is an interesting fact about Irish stew? ›

The famous Irish stew made with lamb, carrots, potatoes and onion was frequently featured on menus for third-class passengers on the Titanic. The stew would be consumed as part of the passengers' high tea, which was their second and final meal of the day.

Read On ›
What is the Irish stew beginning with C? ›

This traditional Irish meal is a sausage and potato stew dressed up with any ingredients you have in your kitchen. This is how a coddle, which comes from the French word caudle—which means to stew or boil gently—got its start.

Learn More Now ›
How to make stew more tasty? ›

Most casserole and stew dishes start off with the same base of onions, celery and carrot, sauteed gently to release the flavours. Sauteed means cooked gently and stirred often until the sugars wake up in the vegetables, allowing them to release their full flavour. You could add a little crushed garlic if you like that.

Explore More ›
What's another name for Irish stew? ›

Irish stew, "ballymaloe" or "stobhach gaelach" as it is called in Gaelic, traditionally contains chunks of lamb or mutton (less tender meat from sheep more than two years of age), potatoes, onions and parsley. Often the neck bones, shanks and other trimmings were the only basis for the stock.

Read The Full Story ›
What is the Irish native dish? ›

Shepherd's Pie

A classic found on dinner tables throughout Ireland, shepherd's pie combines beef and vegetables in a crust of mashed potatoes. It's a traditional Irish food that gathers distinctly Irish ingredients in a single dish. And it can even be made with a plant-based twist in this vegan shepherd's pie recipe!

View Details ›
Why is it called hobo stew? ›

Mulligan stew, also known as hobo stew, is a type of stew said to have been prepared by American hobos in camps in the early 1900s.

Tell Me More ›
What are three dishes that are traditionally stewed? ›

Stew
  • Etouffee.
  • Gumbo.
  • Jambalaya.
  • Beef Stew.
  • Goulash.
  • Pork Stew.
  • Seafood Stew.
  • Brunswick Stew.

Explore More ›
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