This savory and flavorful Irish stew is loaded with tender beef and vegetables. It’s thick and hearty, and perfect for a cold night!
If you love easy soups and stews as much as we do, be sure to check out a few more of our favorites – Crock Pot Taco Soup, Split Pea Soup, and Sopa de Albondigas.
A Traditional Irish Meal
If there’s one thing I love about the colder months, it’s that I can eat as many soups and stews as I want! There is really nothing better than a warm bowl of soup when it’s cold out. We eat soup or stew for dinner at least once a week at my house, and I could never choose just one type of soup to eat forever – they’re all favorites! This delicious and flavorful Irish stew has been one of my family’s top recipes for years. We make it every year for St. Patrick’s Day, but it’s a delicious meal at any time of the year!
A lot of traditional Irish stew recipes are made with Guinness stout, but since I don’t drink alcohol, I wanted to come up with a version that was just as flavorful but without the beer. This recipe is it! It’s simple and totally delicious, with a fantastic combination of flavors. It has all of the classic stew ingredients like beef, potatoes, onion, and carrot, but it gets an extra kick of flavor from a packet of onion soup mix and a little tomato paste.
How to Make Irish Stew
Prep – Start by sprinkling the beef with salt and pepper and then tossing it in the flour until it has a nice, even coat. Lamb is also commonly found in an Irish stew, so if you prefer to substitute the beef with lamb, go ahead!
Gradually Cook – The first step is to heat the olive oil in your large pot over medium heat. Then toss in the chopped onion and let it cook until it’s soft. Next, you’ll add the beef and let it cook until it’s brown on all sides. Make sure you stir the beef frequently so it browns and doesn’t burn. Finally, pour in the remaining ingredients, except for the peas, and give everything a good stir until it’s fully mixed.
This stew isn’t the quickest recipe to make, but letting it cook slowly over the course of an hour or two makes the vegetables and beef extra tender and delicious. It smells so good while it’s simmering! Just before serving, you’ll stir in some frozen peas to brighten up the flavor. You can leave them out if you’re not a fan, but I love the little pop of flavor and color that they add to the stew.
Serve – This hearty Irish stew is perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, but it’s so delicious that you’ll want to make it all year round! It’s hearty and filling without being too heavy, and has the perfect combination of flavors. Serve it with some fresh bread on the side, and you’ve got a delicious meal the whole family will love!
Serving Suggestion – If you are serving this stew for St. Patrick’s Day, be sure to try it with our easy Irish Soda Bread.
More Easy St. Patrick’s Day Recipes
- Delicious Shamrock Floats
- Irish Soda Bread Recipe
- Corned Beef & Cabbage
- Rainbow Jello Cup Desserts
- St Patrick’s Day Parfaits
Irish Stew
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds stew beef, cut into bite sized pieces
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped coarsely
- 3 medium carrots, cut into bite sized pieces
- 6-8 small golden potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 package onion soup mix
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 cups beef stock
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
Instructions
- Sprinkle the stew beef with salt and pepper, then toss the beef with the flour until coated.
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion to the pot, and cook until softened. Add the stew beef to the pot and cook, stirring frequently, until browned on all sides. Next, add the carrots, potatoes, onion soup mix, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce to the pot, and stir to combine. Pour in the beef stock, and stir until well mixed.
- Bring the stew to a simmer, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, covered, for at least one hour, or up to two hours. Just before serving, stir in the frozen peas, and cook until warmed through. Serve hot.
pure comfort food! I left out the peas because my youngest doesn’t like them but everyone raved about this!
I totally get it. My kids aren’t huge fans of peas either.:)
This Irish stew is so hearty and the flavor was perfection!
You’re too nice…thank you!
So rich! This is the perfect hearty stew! Love this! Definitely a favorite in my house! Delicious.
Thanks Betsy!
Great soup! I’ve beenlooking for a St. Patty’s day dinner! I did a test run and it was amazing!
I’m so glad you liked it…thanks!
This stew is amazing!!! We’re obsessed. Thanks for sharing!!
You made my day…thanks Chelsea!
My husband is of Irish descent, and I have never made him Irish Stew before so I decided to make it and it turned out so great!
Thanks Andie!
Making this for St. Patrick’s day! Looks amazing!!
Awesome! Let me know how you like it.
This stew is so great! super filling
Thanks! So glad you liked it!