Why I love this Irish stew recipe
When we were living in France, we took a several trips to Ireland. Once to Dublin during the Christmas season and then again with my parents in the spring to check out the rest of the country and see the city where my grandfather was born. We even ended up meeting some distant relatives, which was pretty cool.
Each trip was amazing, and I loved the weather and the food so much. I ate so much Irish stew and so, so many mussels. It was pure heaven.
After both trips, I came home determined to replicate that delicious Irish stew, and the secret ingredient turned out to be parsnips! It gives it the unique flavor and makes the sauce thick and creamy – perfect for spooning over a heaping helping of dairy free mashed potatoes or Irish champ.
More St. Patrick’s Day recipes: corned beef tacos / Irish sausage / Irish potato candy / Lucky Charms cookies
Ingredient notes:
- Beef stew meat – Pre-cut stew meat works great here, but if you want the even better results, use chuck roast cut into 1-inch cubes.
- Guinness – A standard 14-ounce can is exactly what you need. The beer adds flavor and a slight bitterness that balances the sweetness from the parsnips and carrots. If you prefer not to use beer, substitute with additional beef broth.
- Parsnips – These are the secret to getting that classic Irish stew flavor by adding a subtle sweetness and thickening the sauce slightly as they cook down.
- Fresh vs. dried herbs – I’ve written the recipe for using either option, but if you can manage it, I highly recommend using fresh. It can make a huge difference to your end result, but dried herbs will work just fine in a pinch.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Melissa’s tips + tricks:
- Pat the meat dry. This helps it sear rather than steam when you add it to your pot, and a good sear builds flavor that carries through the whole stew.
- Don’t rush it! Two hours might feel like a long time, but it’s what makes the beef tender and the flavors mellow and rich.
- Make it ahead. This stew reheats really well and the flavor actually improves overnight. Make it a day in advance and reheat on the stovetop over medium-low, adding a splash of beef stock or beer, if needed.
Frequently asked questions
Technically, yes Guinness stew has alcohol in it, but since it’s simmer for such a long time, the alcohol content mostly cooks out of it, and it will become similar to the content in a non-alcoholic beer. Guinness also makes an NA version of their beer now, too!
You can thicken Irish stew – or really any stew – with a bit of liquid mixed with flour. Whisk about 1 – 2 tablespoons of flour with cold liquid until smooth and add it to the stew. Allow it to cook at a high temperature to thicken the sauce.
Yes. Complete the searing and sautéing steps on the stovetop first, then transfer everything to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 7–8 hours or on high for 4–5 hours. Add the flour slurry and peas in the last 30 minutes and turn to high to thicken.
If your leftovers are stored in an airtight container, this stew can last for up to 4 days in the fridge. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Just be sure to thaw it overnight in the fridge before reheating.
More soups and stews you’ll love: beef barley soup / Cincinnati chili / dairy free zuppa toscana / red wine beef stew
Irish Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, or cubed chuck roast
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 large (or 2 small) parsnips, peeled and chopped
- 1 medium sweet or yellow, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
- 1 sprig fresh thyme, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 14-ounce can Guinness stout
- 1 1/2 cups beef stock, divided
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Season and sear your meat. Pat the meat dry with paper towels and season it liberally with salt and pepper.Heat olive oil to medium-high in a Dutch oven. When it's hot, add the meat and brown, turning pieces as needed.
- Sauté the vegetables. Add the onion, carrots, parsnip and garlic and sauté with the meat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. If using dried herbs, add them now.
- Simmer the stew. Add the Guinness and 1 cup of the beef broth and bring to low boil. If using fresh herbs, submerge them in the liquid now.Then, reduce heat to medium-low. Cover the pot and allow the stew to simmer for about 2 hours.
- Thicken the stew. After 2 hours, whisk the flour with the remaining broth and add it to the pot, along with the frozen peas.Increase heat to medium and continue to cook for about ten more minutes, or until the liquid has thickened.
- Season and serve. Before serving, remove the herbs and adjust seasoning with salt & pepper, to taste. Serve with mashed potatoes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
I made this for St. Patricks Day and it was a huge hit. Will be making again and again! Yummy!!
Traditionally Irish stew is made from the cheapest cuts of lamb or mutton – sheep. But beef is nice. I’m Irish, from Galway.
I know someone from Galway. Cool stuff.
🙂
You should state when to add the herbs, that part is missing.
Sorry, my computer completely cut off half of the instructions.
Oh no big deal! I’m glad that part wasn’t missing though 🙂
My husband & I made your Irish Stew and it was delious. We both have cooked stew before, but your recipes never tasted as good as yousr. Thank you for sharing.
I made this for my family for dinner tonight and everyone absolutely loved it. The parsnips were so good and the thick meaty gravy smothered mashed potatoes was divine. Thank you for posting. Were having this again soon!
Love the recipe ! We just substituted beef for lamb and added a stout beer. So good!
This is by far some of the best Irish Stew I’ve had in a long time! Thanks for the post. I’ll be adding this to my menu rotation for fall/winter. Thank you!!
I just made this…and I planned on cooking it ahead and having it for dinner tomorrow and its taking ALL my self-control to not dive into a big serving tonight. I’ll just continue to “taste test” this a while longer 😉
Has anyone tried this in the crock pot? If so, any recommendations? How long to cook it?