I love a good, comforting stew, and this Dutch Oven Irish Stew always hits the spot! From the succulent pieces of lamb to the tender potatoes and the rich, savory flavors from the stout and spices, you won't be able to resist. It's one of the best St. Patrick's Day meals that keeps you warm on a cold night.
Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Main Dish
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: 2 hours
- 🍴 Servings: 12
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Tender chunks of lamb simmered with hearty root vegetables in a rich, herb-infused broth.
- 🍚 Best Served With: Crusty bread or buttery mashed potatoes.
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Yes, it tastes even better the next day and reheats beautifully.
Summarize and Save This Content On
My favorite part about this recipe is the concentrated flavor and the texture of the lamb shoulder. It breaks down so well as it simmers in the Dutch oven, leaving fall-apart tender meat that's almost craveable. I highly recommend this recipe if you've never had lamb before, or if you aren't a big fan, it will change your mind!
If you're looking for other St. Patrick's Day dinner ideas, you'll love this corned beef brisket and veggies and corned beef stew. This hearty potato stew also fits the bill.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's approachable for home cooks: If you think that you need to be a professional to cook with lamb, think again! This stovetop Irish stew is easy enough for amateur cooks to make successfully.
- It's a one-pot meal: This entire recipe is cooked in the Dutch oven. It includes protein, some veggies, and a starch, giving you a complete and hearty meal. It saves you time cleaning up after.
- The leftovers are amazing: One of the best things about this Irish stew recipe is how well it reheats, even from frozen. It's perfect for weekly meal prep or lunch the next day.
Ingredients
To get the best texture and flavor possible, the ingredients below are most important. They add depth and complexity to the Irish stew, making it very successful every time.
- Lamb shoulder: I love using lamb shoulder in stews and soups because it cooks perfectly, just simmering in the Dutch oven. It breaks down and becomes delectably tender, more so than any other cut of lamb. Mississippi pot roast in the oven is another one of the best Dutch oven recipes, except it's made with beef.
- Stout beer: Any dry Irish stout, such as Guinness or Murphy's, is perfect for adding depth and a subtle malt flavor to the stew.
- Tomato paste: Another key ingredient in bringing depth and acidity to the Irish stew. As it cooks down, it adds umami and complexity.
- Baby potatoes: I love baby potatoes for this recipe because they hold their shape better than Russet potatoes and require minimal prep before they're ready to go in.
- Gluten-free flour: I use gluten-free flour to thicken this Dutch Oven stew, but you may use regular all-purpose flour instead.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Use more fresh herbs: Include sprigs of fresh thyme and some sage with the rosemary for even more freshness that complements the flavor of the lamb.
- Add bacon: Render some bacon and sear the lamb pieces in bacon fat. Then reserve the chopped bacon and add it at the end, before serving, for some smokiness.
- Omit the beer: If you would rather make this lamb Irish stew without stout, use more beef broth instead.
- Make it with beef: Prepare an Irish beef stew by swapping the lamb shoulder with a chuck roast.
If you're a lamb lover like me, you need to try these pan seared lamb chops or my boneless leg of lamb recipe. Sunday night dinners never had it so good.
How to Make Irish Stew in a Dutch Oven
I like to get started on this Guinness stew in the Dutch oven by measuring the ingredients and cutting up the lamb shoulder into chunks, so it's ready to go.
Step 1: Sear the lamb. Start by heating your Dutch oven over medium-high heat with oil and butter. Brown all pieces of lamb and set them aside.
Step 2: Sauté veggies and deglaze the pan. Cook the carrots and onions until soft. Then, you can add tomato paste and deglaze the pot with the Guinness.
Step 3: Cook the lamb. Put the lamb back into the Dutch oven with rosemary, Worcestershire, and seasoning. Cook for about an hour.
Step 4: Cook potatoes, peas, and thicken. Add the potatoes and cook until tender (45-60 minutes). Add the slurry and cook for another 15-20 minutes to thicken the stew. Finally, add the peas and let them get hot before serving with homemade fluffy dinner rolls.
Expert Tips
- Avoid overreducing the stew: If you let too much of the broth evaporate, it can become way too thick. Add ¼ cup of warm broth or water at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Don't add potatoes early: The lamb shoulder needs way more time to cook than the potatoes. So, they're added after the first hour to prevent them from overcooking and becoming mushy.
- Storage directions: Allow the stew to cool completely before putting it in an airtight container. It will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheating leftover stew: This stew is best reheated gently in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium-low heat. You can use the microwave, but in 1-minute bursts, stirring between each one.
A couple of other Irish recipes for Guinness lovers are this Guinness beef stew and this lamb stew (easy crockpot recipe).
Serving Suggestions
- If you want to add a simple vegetable side, I recommend air fryer cabbage or slow cooker Brussels sprouts.
- A fresh side that would complement the richness is a strawberry spinach salad with goat cheese.
- Use air fryer garlic bread to sop up the savory stew broth.
- Enjoy a delicious dessert like carrot cake blondies after a bowl of this Irish stew.
Recipe FAQs
The most common reason is that it wasn't cooked long enough. Simmer it gently because the collagen in the lamb takes time to break down, so the meat becomes tender. Cook over low heat and avoid boiling as well!
Too much broth or any liquid can make it watery, especially if the potatoes didn't release enough starch to thicken it. If it's still thin after adding the slurry, allow it to simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes to allow some of the liquid to evaporate.
It will be fall-apart tender. Anything less and it can cook longer. Lamb shoulder is very forgiving and cooks well in stews and slow cooker meals.
Yes! Once cooled, transfer the stew to an airtight container. Keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More Hearty Stew Recipes
Do you like stew recipes? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Dutch Oven Irish Stew
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 2 pounds lamb shoulder cut into chunks
- 2 cups carrots peeled and cut into ¼" thickness (larger round I cut in half)
- 1 yellow onion large and diced
- 2 tablespoons garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 cups beef broth low sodium
- 1 cup dark stout beer such as Guinness (can sub for more stock)
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound baby potatoes
- 3-4 tablespoons all-purpose flour can use gluten-free 1-to-1 blend if needed
- 2 cups frozen peas
- 1-2 cups water if desired
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and some oil and butter while working in batches and lightly sear the meat on all sides (I find it saves time to use bigger chunks and allow them to rest then cut into bite-sized pieces, but you can do that in reverse).
- Once complete with all the meat, transfer to plate (if desired lightly salt the meat while resting).
- If desired, you can remove some of the fat that has gathered from the meat, then add carrots and onion and cook until soft, then garlic for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium if needed.
- Cook tomato paste for 2 minutes, then add beer and deglaze the pan for about 3 minutes (it should be thick).
- Add seared lamb and rosemary sprigs, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Mix well and bring to a boil, then reduce to low and cook for an hour, covered (keep a light boil going the whole hour).
- Remove the rosemary sprigs and add potatoes to the Dutch oven and cook for an additional 45-60 minutes, uncovered or until the potatoes are almost fork tender.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, taste and add any additional season, or water if desired at this time. Then combine flour and ½ cup water to a spouted measuring cup and whisk. Pour this into the pot and bring to a rolling boil (not too aggressive) for about 15-20 minutes or until it has thickened slightly.
- When ready to serve add in the peas and stir to combine (they will warm up and soften quickly).
Notes
- Don't rush the process! It takes some waiting for the lamb to cook. If you don't cook it long enough, it will be tough.
- The leftovers freeze perfectly in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- You know the lamb is done when it's fall-apart tender. If it's still firm, just cook it longer!
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