Irish stew: the ultimate comfort food meal that tastes like you’ve been tending a pot over the fire all day. Brown some beef (or lamb!), toss it with some carrots and onion, then let the oven or slow cooker do the work. One bite and you will be magically transported to a stone cottage amid rolling green hills. Serve with mashed potatoes or Colcannon for St. Patrick’s Day or any hearty winter dinner!
There are some things that Americans love to pretend to be, and Irish is one of them. We had a real live taste of this last summer, when we traveled to Dublin to see Bono’s childhood home for a visit. (Eric used to have a position as a writer for the most popular U2 fan site, to give you an idea of his level of obsession. Ireland is, maybe, the Holy Land?)
We did lots of amazing things in our few days there, but by far the most memorable was the night we went to a local pub to hear some “trad music.”
Nothing will make you feel more Irish (or maybe just feel like you want to be more Irish) than sitting absolutely crammed in a tiny ancient Pub From The Past, with a dozen volunteer musicians plunkered down, tin whistles and fiddles at the ready, cold Guinness’ on the side table.
There were more musicians than there was space for. Several hopefuls held their cases by the door, waiting for a spot. The music was absolutely ethereal. It was all impromptu, but everyone seemed to know exactly what to play. And they were good.
The woman in the back with the silver hair was leading them somehow, but I never saw her speak. Sometimes, out of nowhere, one of the musicians would sing a ballad along with the music, confident and strong, and we would exchange wide-eyed stares of awe. How is this a regular Friday night for them??
We sat there drinking our Diet Cokes, trying not to look too American.
I bought a tin whistle at the next shop we went to. It sounds exactly how you’re thinking, like a 3rd grader who just got a recorder at school for the first time. An accomplished musician, I am not.
Irish stew: your new favorite dinner
But I can make things happen in the kitchen. You know how certain flavors wake up certain emotions. This Irish Stew does something to bring back that achey, homesick-for-something-that’s-not-my-home feeling. It’s warm. It’s hearty. It’s savory. I’m absolutely in love.
This hearty stew is simple. It’s not trying to be something it’s not. You will find no surprises in the ingredient list. It’s just beef, carrots, onion, garlic, and the most incredible gravy of your life. Served over Aunt Shirley’s Mashed Potatoes, it will take you somewhere, I promise. Let’s go over some rules!!
Important ingredients…and rules
- Listen, don’t make beef stew without a good beef roast. It’s just essential. We’re relying on the flavor of the roast you choose to make a great stew, so pick a chuck roast or at least a bottom round. If you can find a high quality lamb shoulder, that’s even more traditional for Irish Stew, and brings a rich, earthy flavor (I tested this with beef, and my assistant Sarah tested this with lamb. She lives in Cambridge, England, where it is much more common.)
- No potatoes. I said what I said folks. As much as I want this stew to look exactly like the stew that Fezzik feeds to Inigo when he’s trying to sober him up in the Thieves Forest, I just have strong feelings about potatoes in stew. They get overcooked and overworked and under flavored and it’s just a crime folks. I have the same rule for my traditional Pot Roast or Corned Beef and Cabbage. Serve over Mashed Potatoes or Oven Roasted Potatoes!!
- Big ol hunks of carrot. This stew is getting cooked way down. Carrots chopped in big chunks ensure they don’t melt away. Instead they turn into golden gems of YES.
- Guinness makes for a rich gravy, and quite a distinct flavor. It is NOT a traditional ingredient in Irish Stew, but has become more popular over the years. Don’t replace it with a cheap can of beer. Substitute the beer with beef broth if you want to skip it. I don’t drink alcohol, but I do cook with it in moderation. If you love the bold, complex flavor that Guinness brings, then definitely use it. If you are feeding an unsure crowd, then swapping it with beef broth is a totally respectable and delicious option!
- Tomato paste isn’t a traditional ingredient in Irish stew but it adds insane flavor, plus it thickens and enhances the texture. (Read: it makes a savory gravy to drown your creamy mashed potatoes in, yes please.)
- TIME. You cannot rush a stew. We try to Instant Pot everything these days, and you can, if you want. But this stew is BEST when made in the oven (for the best gravy texture), and a second close is the slow cooker, details in the notes.
How to make the best Irish stew
Here is the lineup! Like I said, no surprises here.
Here is the chuck roast I chose for this stew. Are they cutting down chuck roasts sizes where you live?? It’s a crime. I have to buy two roasts these days to get the same weight as I did before with one roast.
It’s no big deal for this recipe since we are chopping it up anyway:
Add kosher salt to the beef chunks while you heat the pot. Then add in some neutral oil:
Once you’ve put the beef in salt side down, salt the other side too. Make sure you don’t crowd the pieces of beef! Or they won’t get browned.
Flip after a couple minutes, when it looks like this:
Repeat in batches until all the beef is done. Then add in the onions with some salt and pepper.
When the onions have started to turn translucent, that’s when you add the garlic.
Cook for just a minute until it’s fragrant,
then add in the tomato paste. Ooooh does this smell good.
Meanwhile, chop up your carrots.
Don’t chop them small! Nice big chunks.
Sprinkle the whole thing with some flour. This will help to thicken our stew.
Next, add in the Guinness, or beef broth if you like.
Starting to look like a stew! Don’t forget to add in a healthy dose of Better Than Bouillon Beef Base. It gives the BEST umami flavor, you can’t skip it.
Add in some water, return the browned beef to the pot, and add in a couple bay leaves.
Then stick it in the oven for a couple hours. The oven does the BEST job of braising this beef to tender-level-perfection, with the best consistency for the gravy. You can make it in the slow cooker too, you just won’t have as thick of a gravy. Either way works great!
Ladle into bowls with some Creamy Mashed Potatoes and don’t forget the Irish Soda Bread!
What to serve with Irish stew
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes >> basically not optional, because, hello, potatoes. If we’re doing an Irish meal we’re not leaving them out!
- Irish Soda Bread >> my version isn’t dry, sad, or crumbly. It’s amaaaazing
- Horseradish Sauce >> if you love a spicy kick with your beef stew, this would be so good
- Colcannon >> recipe coming soon!
- Shamrock Shakes >> obviously not really Irish 😆 but if you’re having a fun themed meal for St. Patrick’s Day these would be a great non-alcoholic drink!
Storing and reheating
Pop any leftover stew in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you have too much to eat in a short time, freeze it. It reheats really well, just defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat the whole batch in a pot on the stove on medium low. Or nuke individual servings in the microwave.
More beefy dinners
Recipes for Dinner
Old Fashioned Beef Stroganoff Recipe (Crock Pot)
Recipes for Dinner
Easy Curry Beef Recipe
St. Patrick's Day
Best Corned Beef Recipe (Crockpot or Oven)
Asian Recipes
Beef and Broccoli
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Irish Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast*
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, divided (use less, if you are using table salt)
- 2 tablespoons light olive oil, or any vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 8 carrots, medium or large
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 14 ounces Guinness stout beer**, see notes to replace with broth
- 3 cups water
- 1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon beef base
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Choose a well marbled 2-3 lb chuck roast that has plenty of fat. Use paper towels to dry it off when you open the package.
- Use a sharp chef's knife to cut the roast into 2 inch pieces.
- Sprinkle the beef chunks with 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
- Heat a heavy Dutch oven pot (or any pot that is oven-going) over medium high heat for at least 2 minutes.
- When the pot is very hot, add 1 tablespoon light olive oil (or vegetable oil.) It should shimmer right away.
- Add the beef pieces one at a time, salt side down, with at least 1 inch of space in between each one. Sprinkle the top with more salt. Let sear over medium high heat for about 2 minutes, until well browned. Use tongs to flip each piece of beef and sear the other side. If your beef is not browning, add fewer pieces next time.
- Remove the seared beef to a plate (or to the lid of your Dutch oven, if you are dish-lazy like me). Repeat the browning process with all the remaining beef. Turn off the heat if your veggies are not prepped.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Take a moment to prepare the onions, garlic, and carrots. Chop the onion. Smash and mince 4 cloves of garlic. Peel and chop 8 carrots into big chunks.
- Turn the heat (on the empty pot that you seared the beef in) to medium. If the pot is looking dry, add another 1 tablespoon oil.
- Add 1 chopped onion and saute. Add 1/2 teaspoon pepper to the onions and another dash of kosher salt. Saute for 3 minutes, until they are softening and browned a bit.
- Add in 4 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced. Saute 1 minute.
- Add 1/4 cup tomato paste. Stir it together and cook for about 1 minute.
- Add the chopped carrots and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of flour. Stir for about 1 minute.
- Add 14 to 16 ounces of Guinness.
- Add 3 cups of water and 1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon Beef Base.** Stir it all together.
- Return beef into the pot (including any juices).
- Add 2 bay leaves and 4 sprigs of fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme).
- Cover and bring to a simmer over high heat.
- Once it has started bubbling, remove from heat and cover tightly.
- Place in the center of the 325°F oven. Cook for 2 and 1/2 hours.
- Remove the lid and check the beef with a fork. It should be fall-apart tender, like so tender you don't need to cut at all, just fork. If it's not tender, replace the lid and continue cooking for another 30 minutes, until beef is fall apart tender.
- Taste your beautiful stew. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaves and thyme.
- Serve with Creamy Mashed Potatoes! Not optional. I mean it is, but, you know.
- Storage: Pop any leftover stew in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: If you have too much to eat in a short time, freeze it in a ziplock. It reheats really well, just defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat the whole batch in a pot on the stove on medium low. Or nuke individual servings in the microwave.
