Celebrate St Patrick’s Day and every day with lamb stew! This one-pot meal, full of tender lamb, smoky bacon, and hearty veggies in a flavorful broth, is a tried and true recipe you’ll keep coming back to!
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Best Stew With Lamb
This is the kind of wholesome and hearty stew that sticks to your bones in the best way possible. Made with lamb and tender vegetables sautéed in bacon grease with simple herbs and plenty of flavor! The lamb is braised in a red wine and beef broth, making this stew as cozy and delicious as it gets!
Whether celebrating St. Patrick’s Day or gathering on the weekend, my whole family loves a good stew. This lamb stew, crock pot beef stew, or pork stew, to name a few are all favorites any time I make it.
Give us a bowl with a homemade biscuit or garlic breadstick, and we may never leave the table!
Irish Lamb Stew Ingredients Notes
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe. Scroll down to the full recipe card for the specific amounts.
- Bacon: Dice the bacon. You’ll cook it and use the fat for extra flavor!
- Lamb shoulder: Use a sharp knife to cut it into 1 ½-inch pieces. If you can’t find lamb shoulder, swap it for a different cut of lamb like lamb stew meat, lamb legs, or use boneless or bone-in lamb shanks. The bone-in meat will fall off the bone when it’s finished cooking.
- Seasoning: Salt, garlic powder, black pepper.
- All-purpose flour: Coating the lamb in flour helps to give it a nice seared crust and will eventually help to thicken the stew.
- Olive oil: to sear and brown the lamb.
- Vegetables: Diced onions, minced garlic, golden potatoes cut into cubes, chopped carrots, and frozen peas, thawed. Pearl onions are a fun swap for the diced onions.
- Beef broth and dry red wine: Use whichever wine you prefer to drink. Merlot, cabernet sauvignon, or pinot noir are all great.
- Tomato paste: Gives the stew a beautiful red color and a nice acidity, and the paste also helps to thicken the broth.
- Fresh thyme and bay leaves: Fresh is best but use half as much dried thyme if that’s what you have on hand. You can also add a little fresh rosemary too..
Variations You Can Make
1. You can also swap the wine for Guinness beer or other dark ale to make this an Irish lamb stew.
2. To make this without alcohol, double the amount of beef broth or beef stock.
3. Sweet potatoes or baby potatoes can replace diced yellow potatoes.
4. Some people like to serve their stew over mashed potatoes, rice, or egg noodles. If this is you, feel free to omit the potatoes from the recipe.
5. Add sliced mushrooms for extra veggies.
How to Make Lamb Stew
This recipe takes some time but it’s easy and well worth it. C’mon, I’ll walk you through it!
Step 1: Cook the diced bacon in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the bacon fat in the pot.
Step 2: Pat the meat dry with paper towels. Removing the moisture will help give the meat a better sear. Season each piece of lamb with garlic powder, salt and pepper. I like to rub the seasoning into the meat with my hands. Then, sprinkle the lamb pieces with flour and toss until fully coated.
Step 3: Add oil to the bacon fat and let that heat up. Then, sear the pieces of lamb for about 2-3 minutes per side on medium heat until brown. You may need to work in batches to not overcrowd the meat. Add extra oil in between batches if you need to.
Step 4: In the same pot, sauté the onions until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Next, add the garlic to cook for another minute.
Step 5: Pour in the broth and wine and add in tomato paste and herbs. Stir, using a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits on the bottom of the pan for extra flavor. Once everything is combined, place the bacon and seared lamb back to the pot and bring to a boil.
Step 6: Cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 1.5 hours and then add the potatoes and carrots, submerging them under the broth.
Step 7: Place the lid back on the pot and simmer for another 20–25 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender. Stir in the green peas.
Step 8: Ladle the stew into serving bowls, and if desired, garnish with fresh thyme or parsley. Enjoy yours on its own or with a piece of crusty bread!
Tips
Skim any fat or foam that floats to the top when cooking. This helps prevent it from becoming too oily.
For a thicker broth, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water and mix it into the sauce. Cook until it thickens.
To thin it out, stir in ¼ cup of beef broth at a time until it has reached your desired consistency.
How to Store Leftovers
Refrigerate: Once cooled to room temperature, keep leftover stew stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. It’s even better the next day!
Freeze: Can be kept frozen for up to 1 month. Sometimes the texture of potatoes changes when thawed, so if you know you’re going to be freezing it, leave the potatoes out of the recipe and add them in once you reheat it.
Reheat: This is an easy dish to reheat in the microwave. If you’ve got a larger portion that needs warming up, use a pot on the stove top.
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Easy Lamb Stew Recipe – Hearty One-Pot Meal
Ingredients
- 6 strips bacon diced
- 3 pounds lamb shoulder cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 large onion diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves minced, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1.5 pounds gold potatoes cut into cubes
- 4 large carrots chopped
- 1 cup green peas frozen and thawed
- Fresh thyme or parsley for garnish optional
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven or soup pot, add the diced bacon and cook over medium-high heat until crispy. Leave the bacon grease in the pot and place the cooked bacon to a plate.6 strips bacon
- Pat the meat dry with paper towels and sprinkle each piece with salt, garlic powder, and pepper. (I like to massage it into each piece).3 pounds lamb shoulder, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Then sprinkle the lamb with flour and toss until coated completely.¼ cup all-purpose flour
- In the same dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat and sear each of the lamb pieces for about 2-3 minutes each side. Don’t overcrowd the pot. Cook batches if necessary. Add another tablespoon oil to the dutch oven between with each batch as needed. Place the cooked lamb pieces on a plate and set aside.2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- In the same pot, add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes until it is translucent.1 large onion
- Add in the garlic and sauté for an additional minute.5 cloves garlic
- Next, add in the broth, wine, tomato paste, thyme leaves, and bay leaves and stir.4 cups beef broth, 1 cup dry red wine, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, 2 bay leaves
- Place the seared lamb and bacon back to the pot and bring to a boil.
- Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes until the meat begins to get tender.
- After 1 ½ hours, add the potatoes and carrots and cover with the sauce.1.5 pounds gold potatoes, 4 large carrots
- Cover again and simmer for an additional 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Stir in the green peas and let it cook for an additional 10 minutes.1 cup green peas
- Garnish with fresh thyme or parsley if desired.Fresh thyme or parsley for garnish
- Enjoy over mashed potatoes, rice or egg noodles. If serving it over mashed potatoes, you can leave out the added potatoes. Serve with crusty bread.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclosure
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
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