Irish Lamb Stew with Guinness

A warm and cozy meal to share with family and friends is Irish Lamb Stew with Guinness. The hearty comfort food dish is loaded with tender lamb, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, peas with a rich stout gravy. This is the BEST classic Irish stew recipe.

Cooking as a labor of love for me. I enjoy setting aside time to prepare delicious food for my family and friends. And this hearty Irish stew is a favorite around the St. Patrick's Day holiday. My Irish lamb stew recipe is the ultimate definition of a comfort food.

Plan to set some time to make this traditional Irish stew recipe. The time it takes to make this recipe is well worth it. You want the cubes of lamb shoulder to become ultra-tender. And the sauce cooks to a rich and delicious beefy beer gravy with tender chunks of carrots, parsnips, potatoes and sweet green peas.

Stews are always welcome at our dinner table. Along with my Homestyle Pork Tenderloin Stew, Instant Pot Spicy Asian Beef Stew and this special occasion Beef Tenderloin Stew, my Guinness Irish stew is a favorite in our house. I hope you love it too.

why you'll love this hearty Irish stew

A good stew is so satisfying! This recipe is a keeper, and one you'll love for many reasons.

• Easy to make ~ With only a few steps, the hardest part of the recipe is waiting for it to finish cooking.
• Different than other stews ~ As opposed to its cousin Irish beef stew, this version is made with lamb cubes and a rich Guinness sauce that's toasty with a touch of sweetness.
• Economical ~ The ingredients of an Irish lamb stew are easy on the wallet. Lamb shoulder is less expensive than other cuts such as leg of lamb or rack of lamb without sacrificing flavor.
• Delicious leftover ~ After a day or 2 in the refrigerator, the flavors of the stew meld and combine making it even more tasty as a leftover.

ingredients & substitutions

Gather the ingredients to make this great recipe. If substitutes can be made to the ingredients, they're listed. Scroll to the recipe card for full quantities of the ingredients.

• olive oil
• lamb shoulder ~ Lamb shoulder is best for an Irish stew recipe. Cuts like leg of lamb or lamb chops are better to grill or roast.
• kosher salt ~ The larger grain salt enhances the flavor of food without making it overly salty.
• freshly ground black pepper ~ It's more flavorful than already ground pepper.
• all purpose flour
• yellow onion ~ Vidalia or white onion is an alternative.
• celery
• garlic cloves
• tomato paste
• Guinness Stout ~ To skip the alcohol, substitute 2 cups beef stock and 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce.
• reduced sodium beef stock ~ If you used regular beef stock, adjust the amount of salt you add to the stew.
• fresh thyme ~ In a pinch, use 1 teaspoon dried thyme.
• carrots
• parsnips
• small potatoes ~ cubed Russet, Yukon Gold or red potatoes are alternatives.
• frozen green peas

how to make this Irish stew recipe

Combine the ingredients using everyday kitchen tools to make the best Guinness lamb stew. This is a brief overview of the recipe. Scroll to the recipe card for the complete instructions and a step by step video.

Step 1. Season the lamb chunks with with kosher salt and pepper. Sear in olive oil until browned. Remove the meat from the pot and place it in a bowl.

Step 2. Toss the browned meat with flour. Set aside.

Step 3. In the same pot, add the onion, celery and garlic. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Sauté the vegetables until they begin to soften.

Step 4. Add the tomato paste, stir to combine with the vegetables and cook 1 minute.

Step 5. Add the Guinness, beef stock and thyme springs. Scrap up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil then add the browned lamb meat.

Step 6. Cover the pot and simmer the stew for 1 and ½ hours or until the meat is tender.

Step 7. Add the carrots, parsnips and potatoes.

Step 8. Return the cover to the pot and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Step 9. Stir in the peas and serve.

expert tips

1. Start cooking the meat first and then add the vegetables for the last half hour so the vegetables do not get mushy. Don't skip searing the meat. This step achieves a nice brown crust on the lamb and adds intense deep flavor to the stew.

2. Let the stew simmer slow and low. A great stew needs time to develop the rich flavors and for all the ingredients to be deliciously tender.

frequently ask questions

what to serve with Irish lamb stew

Serve the steaming hot bowls of hearty stew with a crusty bread or a loaf of Irish soda bread (my recipe includes cranberries!). It's a delicious way to sop up the velvety rich gravy. It would be a shame to even waste a drop. Also serve it with the follow dishes.

more St. Patrick's Day inspired recipes

If you make my Irish Lamb Stew recipe, be sure to give it a rating and/or comment below. Take a photo and tag @amycaseycooks on Instagram. Thank you!

Recipe

Irish Lamb Stew with Guinness

A warm and cozy meal to share with family and friends for St. Patrick's Day is the delicious Irish lamb stew with Guinness includes carrots, parsnips, potatoes and peas.

5 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 507kcal

Author: Amy Casey

Equipment

• Dutch oven

Ingredients 

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• 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 2 pounds lamb shoulder cut in 2-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 medium yellow onion diced
• 1 stalk of celery diced
• 4 garlic cloves chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 14.9 ounce can of Guinness Draught
• 2 cups beef stock
• 3 springs of fresh thyme
• 2 large carrots cut on bias in 1-inch pieces
• 3 medium parsnips cut on bias in 1-inch pieces
• 1 pound small potatoes
• 1 cup of frozen green peas

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Instructions

• Sear the lamb: Heat a Dutch oven or medium sized stock pot over medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the lamb and season with salt and pepper. Shear the meat on all sides until browned or about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the meat from the pot and place it in a bowl. Add the flour to the browned meat. Toss the meat with a spoon until it is coated with the flour. Set aside.
• Sauté the aromatics: In the same pot, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, the onion, celery and garlic. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper. Sauté the vegetables until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Add the tomato paste: Add the tomato paste and stir to combine with the vegetables. Continue cooking for an additional minute.
• Add the stout and simmer: Add the Guinness, beef stock and thyme springs while stirring and scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil then add the browned lamb meat. Cover the pot, turn the heat down to medium low and simmer the stew for 1 and ½ hours or until the meat is tender.
• Add the vegetables: Add the carrots, parsnips and potatoes and stir to combine. Return the cover to the pot and continue simmering for 30 to 35 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
• Stir in the peas: Add the peas and stir. Continue simmering until they are heated through.
• Serving: The stew can be served immediately or stored for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat over medium heat.

Video

https://dashboard.mediavine.com/videos/anugalbccrud3ysfbc3t

Notes

• Use the right cut of meat. Lamb shoulder is best for stew instead of leg of lamb which is more suited to grilling or roasting.
• An enameled cast iron Dutch oven is ideal for making stews. It is thicker and heavier than steel pots and therefore conducts and retains heat more effectively.
• Don't skip searing the meat. This step achieves a nice brown crust on the lamb and adds intense flavor to the stew.
• Guinness beer adds a delicious roasted malty sweetness to the sauce of the stew. I highly encourage using it in the stew. If you would like to substitute a non-alcoholic liquid, try more beef stock or apple cider.
• Start cooking the meat first and then add the vegetables for the last half hour so the vegetables do not get mushy.
• Let the stew simmer slow and low. A great stew needs time to develop the rich flavors and for all the ingredients to be tender
• Serve the steaming hot bowls of stew with a crusty loaf of Irish soda bread for sopping up the velvety gravy. It would be a shame to even waste a drop.

Nutritional information is an estimate and based on the ingredients and cooking methods used in this recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of recipe | Calories: 507kcal | Carbohydrates: 35.1g | Protein: 47.7g | Fat: 16.4g | Saturated Fat: 4.8g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 411mg | Fiber: 6.7g | Sugar: 7.1g

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