Irish Beef Stew Recipe

Irish Beef Stew Recipe – Easy Authentic & Traditional Irish Stew With Beef – the perfect winter warmer dinner meal idea that the whole family will enjoy.

This Traditional Irish Beef Stew was inspired by a stew I enjoyed on a recent trip to the Ring of Kerry here in Ireland.

I’ve lived here for 5 years now and have loved exploring the beautiful country, sampling local foods and cooking up traditional Irish recipes.

A traditional Irish stew has only 4 ingredients – stewing beef, potatoes, carrots and onions. I’ve added in garlic because I love the addition, and of course salt and black pepper to taste too.

You could also add in diced bacon for flavor and other root vegetables like leek, turnip or celery. You can also add in bay leaves for flavor and the finished stew can be sprinkled with herbs such as fresh parsley or thyme.

Another option is to swap the beef for lamb for a lamb stew instead, and also pour in some Guinness for an enriched Guinness stew, especially as a St. Patrick’s Day meal. (For more inspiration, here’s my full guide to what to eat in Dublin.)

I’ve kept it simple and cooked the hearty stew in water, but you can feel free to swap the water for beef broth or beef stock, or add in red wine, stout beer, tomato paste or Worcestershire sauce for added flavor.

As you’ll see from the recipe, I like to allow the stew meat to cook for about an hour and a half and then add in the chopped potatoes and carrots for the final 30 to 45 minutes of slow cooking time.

That way, the vegetables don’t turn to mush, they retain their shape and are still packed with great flavor. I’ve cooked the easy recipe on the stove top, but you can also throw everything into a slow cooker and cook according to your devices directions.

Regarding leftovers – the stew develops even more flavor in the fridge overnight so it tastes incredible the following day. You could pop leftovers into an oven proof dish and top with mashed potatoes or puff pastry for a speedy pie. Another option is to bubble away a portion of leftovers and serve with pasta or rice.

The great recipe really can be a super budget friendly comfort food dish as you just use the basic stew necessities and create a flavorful, hearty meal that’s warming on a chilly Winter day, snowy day or any time of year. You can serve the meal with Irish mashed potatoes such as Colcannon Mash.

How to make Irish stew with carrots and potatoes

Easy Authentic Irish Stew Recipe

1-1.5kg/2-3lbs Diced Stewing Beef
1 Onion
3-4 Garlic Cloves
500g/1.1lbs Potatoes
3-4 Large Carrots
Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
Coconut Oil, Olive Oil or Butter, for cooking

Heat oil or butter in a large saucepan over medium heat to high heat.
Season beef with salt and pepper, to taste then brown beef, in batches if need be, and move the browned bits to a plate, then repeat until all of the meat has browned.
Meanwhile, peel and chop the onion and garlic.
Once the meat has browned and the large pot is empty, add the chopped onion and garlic to the bottom of the pan.
Sauté vegetables until softened and browned from the accumulated juices of the seared beef.
Add the brown bits of meat back into the bottom of the pot.
Cover with water, you could also use stock and some Guinness, to taste.
Bring the stew up the boil, reduce to simmer at a low heat and cook gently for 1.5 hours.
After 1.5 hours, peel and chop the potatoes and carrots into bite sized pieces.
Add the potatoes and carrots to the stew and cook for a final 30 to 45 minutes or until the meat and vegetables are tender to your liking.
Remove the hearty Irish stew from the heat and serve with Irish soda bread and plenty of Irish butter, storing any cooled leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container and enjoying within a couple of days.