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.

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"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

  • 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 traditional Irish stew made of? ›

Irish stew is considered a national dish of Ireland. Irish stew is a celebrated Irish dish, yet its composition is a matter of dispute. Purists maintain that the only acceptable and traditional ingredients are neck mutton chops or kid, potatoes, onions, and water.

What are 2 names for Irish stew? ›

Irish dishes
English nameIrish name
Irish stewStobhach/ Stobhach Gaelach
JambonSiamban
Limerick HamLiamhás Luimnigh
Irish seafood chowderSeabhdar
32 more rows

Why do Irish people eat Irish stew? ›

The origins of Irish stew are somewhat shrouded in mystery, but it's believed to have originated in the 17th or 18th century. At that time, the dish was often made by shepherds and rural farmers who had access to only a few ingredients but needed a nourishing meal to sustain them through long days of work.

What is the difference between stew and Irish 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. Our version includes beef chuck, which is less traditional, but easy to make and equally delicious.

What is lamb stew made of? ›

This Irish Lamb Stew recipe is incredibly easy and delicious! Made with tender lamb (or beef), baby potatoes, carrots, peas, cipollini onions, and fresh herbs with only 30 minutes of hands-on time.

What is Ireland's national dish? ›

The National Dishes of Ireland

Irish Stew is a thick, hearty dish of mutton, potatoes, and onions and undisputedly the national dish of Ireland. Within the dish are many of the ingredients synonymous with the island, potatoes being one of the most recognized.

What is a true Irish meal? ›

A combination of savory sausage and cheesy potatoes served with tomatoes and peas, bangers and mash is a traditional Irish food that also shows up on English menus. It's a pub favorite and easy meal to make when you need a novel yet authentic St.

Can you taste the beer in Irish stew? ›

Guinness Beer is a dark coloured rich Irish beer and it is the key flavouring for the sauce of this stew. You CANNOT taste it in the finished dish, it just melds into an amazing sauce.

What is the difference between goulash and Irish stew? ›

Irish stew is made of lamb, potatoes and carrots and is very simply flavored with perhaps parsley or thyme and salt and pepper. In contrast, Hungarian goulash is made of beef and flavored very strongly with paprika.

Why do Irish eat potatoes? ›

The potato, which had become a staple crop in Ireland by the 18th century, was appealing in that it was a hardy, nutritious, and calorie-dense crop and relatively easy to grow in the Irish soil.

What is an Irish person's favorite food? ›

Colcannon has been a favourite comfort food in Ireland for some time and is something that the nation prides itself on inventing. The ingredients of traditional Irish colcannon are mashed 'floury' potatoes, kale, butter and milk.

Why is Irish meat so good? ›

Over 80% of all Irish beef is grass fed and pasture raised according to Bord Bia. This allows for any beef product to be fully tracible from farm to fork. Ireland has some of the best pastures in the world which allows us to produces the best beef.

What is the best way to thicken Irish stew? ›

Whisk a teaspoon of flour in a little cold water to make a slurry, then stir into the stew as it's cooking. Don't add dry flour directly to the stew as it may clump. After adding the slurry, bring the stew to boil. This will cook out the flour taste and allow the starch to swell.

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.

Is Irish stew better the next day? ›

As Rogers and Shields point out, Irish stew tastes even better the next day, so the easiest way to degrease is to drain the stew, then chill it and the liquid separately, so the fat solidifies on top of the gravy.

What is the difference between Irish and English stew? ›

While Irish stew (in the modern sense) can be made with mutton, lamb, or beef, beef stew is always made with beef. Both stews can contain potatoes, root vegetables, flavorings like beer or wine and herbs, and thickened with potato, flour, cornstarch, or nothing at all.

What is the main ingredient of many traditional Irish dishes? ›

Irish ingredients – from seafood, meat and dairy products to soda bread, oats and the ubiquitous potato – are the basis of Irish cuisine.

What did the Irish eat instead of potatoes? ›

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. The most common form of bread consisted of flatbread made from ground oats.

References

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