This traditional Irish Stew is a comforting dish made from tender, braised chunks of lamb, root vegetables and some herbs. Perfect for cool winter nights, this stew comfortably feeds 6-8 people, so it's great for entertaining or for batch cooking.
Irish Stew recipe
Anything with meat and potatoes is always comforting. Irish cuisine loves this combo and is full of hearty food - from boxty, to colcannon and champ, coddle and of course, the eponymous Irish Stew.
Irish Stew is simple to make, and once the meat is browned and everything’s in the pot, it’s just a matter of giving it time. What you get is a comforting dish with soft vegetables, tender lamb and a light, savoury broth. Serve it with Irish soda bread or a side of greens, and it’s a complete meal with very little fuss.
Irish Stew ingredients
Check out the recipe card further down the post for comprehensive ingredients and quantities.
- Oil - any neutral oil works fine.
- Lamb - I've written the recipe using diced lamb leg, but if you're able to get shoulder, it will give a better result. A butcher is your friend - they'll be happy to dice the lamb for you.
- Stock - I've used chicken stock because it's widely available, but if you make your own stocks or can source lamb stock, use that instead. You can also use water in place of the stock if you prefer.
- Thyme, bay and parsley.
- Onions and carrots.
- Swede (also known as rutabaga) and leek are both optional. You could also use parsnip if you'd like.
- Barley can be used to thicken the stew and bulk it out a bit. It's optional, add it if you'd like.
- Potato - Irish Stew is a traditionally potato heavy dish. Cut back the amount of potato if you'd prefer. Use a waxy variety so the potato doesn't fall apart in the stew.
Essential equipment you need to make Irish Stew
To make Irish stew, you'll need a large (6-8L/qt) Dutch oven or pot with a heavy base. You need something that will retain the heat and be able to hold the large volume of ingredients that go into making the stew.
You ideally need a lid for the Dutch oven or pot to prevent too much liquid evaporating. If you don't have a lid, keep an eye on it and top the water up as required - no need to add extra stock. Not using a lid will also increase the cooking time.
Step-by-step guide to making Irish Stew
Check out the recipe card further down the post for comprehensive instructions.
- Cut the potato, carrots and swede (if using) into bite sized pieces. Cut the onion into large dice, and then wash and slice the leek (if using). Rinse the barley (if using).
- Brown the lamb.
- Add the carrot, onion, swede (if using), thyme (if using), bay and barley (if using) along with the stock. Cover, bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes.
- Add the potato and leek (if using). Cook for a further 30 minutes.
- Add the parsley and then remove the thyme sprigs (if using) and bay leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Tips
- Brown the meat in batches for the best result.
- Where possible, use lamb shoulder. It's harder to find, but the result is better.
- If you want to make the stew thicker, you can mash some potatoes after cooking or toss the meat in flour before browning.
- Use waxy potatoes rather than floury potatoes - they hold their shape and won't break apart while cooking.
- Using bone in lamb shoulder chops (known as forequarter or 1/4 chops) is a good alternative - the bone will add extra flavour to the stew.
- If using barley, make sure you rinse well to remove excess starch and dust.
What to serve with Irish Stew
This hearty Irish Stew is a complete meal by itself, but here are some ideas for what you can serve it with:
- Irish soda bread - perfect for mopping up the broth, plus it's a quick and easy bread to make.
- Green vegetables - serve with steamed cabbage, kale, peas or beans to balance the richness of the stew.
- Leave the potato out of the stew and serve it on top of Irish mash - colcannon or champ are fantastic for hearty stews.
What sort of meat goes in an Irish Stew?
Traditionally, an Irish Stew is made with the leg or shoulder meat from mutton, which is a mature sheep.
Mutton is no longer widely available and as such, many modern recipes use lamb. I've chosen to use diced lamb leg because of its availability. If you're able to source lamb shoulder, use it - it will take slightly longer to cook but it has a better texture.
With that said, lamb is not easy to find in some parts of the world. If all you can get is beef, or you don't like lamb, use beef - it will still make a great stew. It won't be Irish Stew, but it will be an Irish stew 🙂.
What vegetables should I use in an Irish stew?
Irish Stew is a farmers' dish and they'd traditionally use whatever root vegetables they had available:
- Potato
- Carrots
- Onions
Swede is often added, as is parsnip. Modern variations also often add leek.
My recipe includes potato, carrots, onions, swede and leek. The swede and leek are optional, but the other vegetables should be included.
Make ahead, reheating and freezing Irish Stew
As with most stews, soups and braised dishes, Irish Stew is easily made ahead of time and reheated as needed. Make up to 3 days in advance and store it covered in the fridge.
Irish Stew freezes well. Portion into airtight containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge.
To reheat, do so in a covered pot or saucepan over medium low heat, stirring occasionally. If it's a little dry, add a splash of water.
Irish Stew
| Prep | Cook | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 10 mins | 75 mins | 85 mins |
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1kg (2.2 lb) lamb leg, cut into large cubes or shoulder, or use mutton - see note 1
- 1L (4 cups) chicken stock (or water or lamb stock - see note 2)
- 3 thyme sprigs optional
- 2 bay leaves
- 85g (1/3 cup, 3 oz) pearl barley, rinsed optional - see note 3
- 4 carrots, cut into large dice
- 3 onions, cut into large dice
- 2 swede (rutabaga), cut into large dice optional, around 400g/14oz - see note 4
- 800g (1.75 lb) waxy potato, cut into large dice see note 5
- 1 leek, halved, sliced and washed optional - see note 6
- Finely sliced parsley, for serving
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Irish soda bread, to serve optional but recommended
- Brown lamb - add the oil to a large (6-8L/qt) Dutch oven with a lid or similar thick bottomed pot. Heat over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the lamb, take care not to overcrowd the pot - you might need to work in batches otherwise your meat might not brown. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is browned.
- Start stew - add the stock or water, thyme sprigs (if using), bay leaves, pearl barley, carrots, onion and swede (if using). Increase heat to high, bring to the boil.
- Simmer - reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, covered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add potato - add the potato and leek (if using). Place the lid back on and cook for a further 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Finish - when the lamb is tender and the potato is cooked through, remove from the heat. Stir through the parsley, if using. Season with salt and pepper, and then serve in bowls with freshly made Irish soda bread.
- Lamb - I've written the recipe for lamb leg, because it's the easiest to find and is available as "diced lamb" in butchers and most supermarkets. Using shoulder will give a better result, both in taste and texture, but will take slightly longer to cook. Mutton is the traditional choice but is significantly harder to find and some people will be put off by the strong smell and taste. If using shoulder or mutton, cook the stew for an hour before adding the potato and leeks, rather than the 30 minutes written.
- Stock - if you make your own stock or are able to find it, use lamb stock. The earliest versions of this recipe would have used just water.
- Barley - optional but often added in modern recipes to make it a more substantial meal. It also thickens the stew.
- Swede - optional but often added. You could also add parsnip.
- Potato - use a waxy potato that's suitable for boiling - if you use a starchy variety, it will fall apart. Traditionally this recipe is designed to stretch meat which is why there are so many potatoes. Feel free to reduce the amount of potatoes if needed.
- Leek - another optional modern addition. Leave it out if you prefer. Leek has a tendency to capture soil while growing, so wash it thoroughly.
- Soda bread - this is a simple and easy to make bread - I have a post on how to make Irish soda bread with step-by-step pictures if you want to try making it.
- Thickening - the texture of Irish Stew should be more like a soup than a thick stew. Using the barley will somewhat thicken it, but if you prefer it thicker I suggest mashing a few of the potatoes up once cooked.
