Why is Irish stew so popular in Ireland?

Though the Romans had long outgrown it by then, stewing came to prominence in Ireland during the early 19th century, during a period of economic turmoil that led to mass poverty . With only a hanging pot, an open fire and a few fairly easily attainable ingredients, even poor families were able to survive on Irish stew.

How do I thicken my 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.

What is the most eaten vegetable in Ireland?

Carrot . After potatoes, carrots are without doubt the best-known and most popular root vegetable of all.

What food is eaten the most in Ireland?

The typical Irish diet included potatoes, wholemeal bread, porridge, vegetables and smaller amounts of meat, fish and eggs .

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.

Why do you add cornstarch to stew?

When a gravy, sauce, soup or stew recipe calls for flour, use half as much cornstarch to thicken . To thicken hot liquids, first mix cornstarch with a little cold water until smooth. Gradually stir into hot liquid until blended. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil and boil one minutes.

Does adding potatoes thicken stew?

Add a Starch One common way to add starch to a dish like beef stew is by adding uncooked potatoes or rice part way through cooking, allowing them to fully cook in the stew . This has the added benefit of turning your stew into a complete meal in itself.

What are potatoes called in Ireland?

The Irish language is very descriptive the common word for potato in Irish is práta (pl. prátaí) , hence the origin of Praties for Potatoes, There are literally 50 Irish words and descriptive phrases relating to the potato.

What is the national dish 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 did the Irish eat instead of potatoes?

Grains, either as bread or porridge , were the other mainstay of the pre-potato Irish diet, and the most common was the humble oat, usually made into oatcakes and griddled (ovens hadn't really taken off yet).

What makes Irish stew different from regular 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.

Why is Irish stew the national dish?

Historically, the Irish stew was a practical dish made by boiling mutton with potatoes and onions. This was an affordable meal for many Irish families during times when resources were scarce. Over time, this simple stew evolved into a symbol of Irish culinary tradition .

Mom's Irish Stew (2024)

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Classic Irish Stew is easy to make but is incredibly delicious! It’s made with basic ingredients like potatoes, carrots, beef broth, and beef or lamb stew meat. Cooking this dish in the oven makes the meat fall-apart-tender, the veggies saucy, and adds so much flavor to the dish.

this recipe

Mom’s Irish Stew for the win! My mom has made this for St. Patrick’s Day for as long as I can remember, and now, I do the same! It’s incredibly simple to make, is so delicious, and requires minimal effort to make. And, as we all know, I love low-effort, high-payoff recipes. This is certainly one of those!

Table of Contents

How to Make Easy Irish Stew:

Start with your chopped veggies – carrots, onion, celery, and potatoes. A traditional Irish Stew wouldn’t actually have the celery, but I always add it because it’s a good way to use up those last few stalks we always seem to have in the fridge.

Add the meat, some beef broth, spices and pop it in the oven! You can use beef or lamb stew meat for this dish. Lamb is the traditional option, but if you want something a little more budget friendly, you can certainly opt for beef.

Cooking Irish Stew in the Oven:

At the 1 hour mark, your stew will probably look like the photo below. At this point, it’s not quite done – give it a stir and add another 20-30 minutes. The beef should be very tender, along with the veggies, when it’s done. The broth won’t look super brothy anymore either – it will have thickened up a bit.

I like to take out a piece of carrot or potato and a piece of meat and set them on a plate to cool a tad, then I taste them to see if the stew seems done! If they’re tender to your liking and the broth has thickened up a bit, it’s done.

Not the prettiest food, but it’ll look a bit more like this when it’s ready. Full disclosure – I photographed the stew when it was a tad underdone (things were cooked through, it just didn’t get that extra 30 minutes to really get everything all saucy and tender). This happened for a variety of reasons, including me being a distracted person, and that photographing stew when it’s fully cooked is hard, because things can get a bit mushy and they don’t look as photogenic.

I took the shot below the next day because I really wanted you to see what you’re looking for when the stew is done – even if it isn’t “picture perfect”. So, that’s my confession for today! I hope we can still be friends ☺️.

Can I make Irish Stew in the slow cooker?

I know this seems like the type of recipe that can be made in a slow cooker/crock pot BUT I really prefer letting my stew cook for 1.5 to 2 hours in the oven in a dutch oven. It gives such a great flavor to the dish – and the meat is SO tender. It also might not thicken in the same way in a slow cooker.

I got the dutch oven pictured from Target a number of years ago – but here’s a very similar dutch oven that I highly recommend. I use it multiple times each week for so many things. I also love Lodge’s dutch oven.

Mom’s Irish Stew

A delicious, classic Irish Stew Recipe made with simple ingredients! It's perfect for St. Patrick's Day or any time you want an easy, delicious dinner! This is healthy comfort food at it's finest.

5 from 8 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Healthy Food

Keyword: Lamb Stew Recipe, St. Patrick's Day Recipes, Easy St. Patrick's Day Recipes, Easy Irish Stew, Irish Stew Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 368kcal

Ingredients

1 1/2 to 2 lbs lamb or beef stew meat fat trimmed
2 TBS flour can sub a gluten-free flour blend
1 medium onion, thinly sliced or diced
4 stalks celery, chopped
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed Sometimes I don't peel them!
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp thyme, divided
1 and 1/4 - 2 cups beef broth

Instructions

Prep:Spray your dutch oven with non-stick spray (mine is non-stick but I just wanted to be safe). Don't preheat the oven.
Make the stew:Cut all your veggies, as noted above in the ingredients. Mix together in a bowl and add the garlic.
Toss the meat with the flour, some salt and pepper to taste, and 1/2 tsp of thyme in a bowl. Add 1/3 of the meat to the bottom of the dutch oven, then 1/3 of the veggie mixture. Alternate this with the remaining meat and veggies. (The layers don't need to be perfect here!) Add the spices and beef broth.
Bake:Place the covered dutch oven in a cold oven. Set the temperature to 425 degrees. Bake for about 1.5 - 2 hours, stirring at the hour mark (see note, below, and photos above for reference!). Taste, and add extra seasoning if desired.
Enjoy warm with soda bread!
Serve + Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week.

Notes

NOTE:If you sub a gluten-free flour here, I don't recommend almond or coconut flour. Try a gluten-free flour blend that you use and trust.

NOTE:I've gone all the way up to 2.5 lbs of meat here without increasing the other ingredients (well, I did add an extra tbsp flour) - so feel free to increase the meat or any of the veggie quantities if desired!

NOTE: I think that the baking dish you use and your oven (they're all a little different) can affect cooking time. Make sure to set your timer for only one hour to begin - and when you stir the stew at the hour mark you can see how much longer it really needs to cook. Pierce the veggies + potatoes with a fork - if they're tender, it's likely done! The meat will be fork tender, too, when done, and the broth will have thickened up a bit. Again, reference photos above.

Nutrition

Calories: 368kcal

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