Lamb Stew with Vegetables
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Cozy up with a bowl of Guinness-spiked lamb stew—each spoonful promises succulent meat, hearty broth, and pure comfort.
This lamb stew is a comforting classic, much like my popular beef stew and Hungarian goulash, but with a distinctly Irish twist. Tender, seared lamb is slow-cooked in a Guinness-spiked broth, giving the stew a rich, malty flavor, while carrots and potatoes make it wonderfully hearty. Pair it with my Cheddar soda bread, and you’ve got a hearty meal that’s perfect for warming up on a chilly day.
“Delicious! I doubled the recipe and made it for a crowd of friends all from Ireland the weekend before St Patrick’s Day…No leftovers, unfortunately!!”
What You’ll Need To Make Lamb Stew With Vegetables
- Lamb Shoulder: Rich in flavor, this cut and becomes fork-tender when cooked slowly over low heat.
- Onions and Garlic: The flavor base of the stew.
- Tomato Paste: Adds umami, richness, and a slight acidity.
- Flour: Thickens the stew.
- Guinness: Adds a unique, malty depth and a hint of bitterness.
- Beef Broth: The savory liquid base for the stew.
- Bay Leaf and Fresh Rosemary: Bring earthy flavor.
- Carrots and Baby Yukon Potatoes: Add heartiness to the stew.
- Peas: Bring a pop of color, sweetness, and freshness.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Pat the lamb dry and season with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large Dutch oven until shimmering. Brown the lamb in batches, adding more oil as needed, and letting it develop a crust before turning.
Transfer the browned meat to large bowl and set aside.
Add the onions, garlic and 2 tablespoons of water to the pot.
Cook until the onions are soft, then add the tomato paste and cook a few minutes more.
Add the lamb with its juices back to the pan and sprinkle with flour.
Stir until fully combined, then add the Guinness, broth, water, bay leaf, rosemary, and sugar. Bring to a boil.
Cover the pot with a lid, turn the heat down to low, and simmer for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Add the carrots and potatoes to the stew.
Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender and the meat is very soft, 30 to 40 minutes. Stir in peas and simmer until warmed through. The stew can be made up to 3 days ahead of time or frozen for 3 months.
You May Also Like
Lamb Stew with Vegetables
Cozy up with a bowl of Guinness-spiked lamb stew—each spoonful promises succulent meat, hearty broth, and pure comfort.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds lamb shoulder, well-trimmed and cut into 1½-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, cut into 1½-inch
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup Guinness
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 cups water, plus 2 tablespoons more for cooking onions and garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 small sprig fresh rosemary
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks on diagonal
- 1 pound small white boiling potatoes (baby yukons), cut in half
- 1 cup frozen green peas
Instructions
- Pat the lamb dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat one tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Brown the lamb in three batches, adding one more tablespoon of oil for each batch. Do not crowd the pan and let the meat develop a brown crust before turning with tongs. It should take 5-8 minutes per batch. Transfer the browned meat to large bowl and set aside.
- Add the onions, garlic and 2 tablespoons of water to the pot. Cook until the onions are soft, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of pan, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook a few minutes more.
- Add the lamb with its juices back to the pan and sprinkle with flour. Stir with a wooden spoon until the flour is completely mixed in, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the Guinness, beef broth, water, bay leaf, rosemary sprig and sugar. Stir with a wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits from the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid, turn the heat down to low and simmer for one hour and twenty minutes.
- Add the carrots and potatoes to the stew, then cover and continue simmering until the vegetables are cooked and the meat is very tender, 30-40 minutes. (Be sure to stir a few times to prevent vegetables from sticking to bottom.)
- Remove the bay leaf and rosemary sprig, and then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. If serving right away, add the frozen peas and cook until the peas are warmed through. Otherwise, let the stew cool, then cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Reheat gently on the stovetop and add the peas right before serving.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: Prepare the stew as directed, then cool it to room temperature before refrigerating. It can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat until hot. If you want to freeze the stew, transfer it to an airtight container once it has cooled. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw the stew overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 789
- Fat: 52g
- Saturated fat: 20g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Sugar: 9g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 42g
- Sodium: 1242mg
- Cholesterol: 150mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Currently making this (Happy St Patrick’s Day) and just added the potatoes and carrots. Followed the recipe to a T, however, there is no sign of thickening. Aren’t you supposed to simmer without cover? I had the cover on for the hour 20 mins but I’m taking it off in hopes that it will start to thicken…
It smells amazing and I know it will have great flavor but I do want a stew and not a soup.
Hi Jess, It won’t thicken until the very end. Hope it turned out!
Jenn, once the stew is put together, can I put it in a low oven to cook?
Hi Carol, Yes, you can cook this in the oven if you’d prefer. I’d stick to the times indicated in the recipe. Hope you enjoy!
I always make lamb stew twice a year, March and December. And this is my favorite recipe so far because its simplicity both in prep and ingredients lets the lamb really shine through. Using beef broth instead of chicken broth also plays strongly in favor of the lamb, but I recommend using only 2 cups of beef broth instead because, again, you’ll want to play to this recipe’s strength, that robust lamb flavor, and not overpower it. Also, don’t be afraid to be more liberal with the rosemary. The recipe also calls for 1 cup of Guinness, which leaves you at a critical life decision, do you pour the remaining 4 oz down the drain (heresy), do you drop the remaining 4 oz into the recipe (recommended), or do you just drink it (inevitable)? 5 Stars.
Your beer quandary made me laugh – glad you like the stew! 🙂
This recipe is easy and delish! Highly recommend giving it a try.
Most flavorful lamb stew ever! Mmeat was so tender. Absolutely no contest with first lamb stew I made 30 years ago. Will definitely make this my go to lamb stew recipe. Thank you!!
HI jenn, my family is gluten free. What can I use instead of flour to thicken the stew?
Hi Debbie, gluten-free flour would also work nicely here. Enjoy!
Have made many recipes from Once Upon a Chef.. have loved each one. Made this stew and followed recipe no substitutes. Stew was rich in flavor and delicious, I did add few more veggies as our family likes vegetables. The whole family was raving about richness of flavor, I served this with cornbread, and salad.. The best!
I had Irish stew last year at a pub in Ireland. I loved it and when I found your recipe, I just had to try it. It came out amazing. Just like the one I had in Ireland. Thank you. I can’t wait to make it again.
Hello Jenn,
I can’t find lamb shoulder anywhere in my area. The butcher offered to cut lamb shank or inside round instead. Would that work? Thanks a lot!
Hi Tina, I’d suggest lamb shank. Hope you enjoy!
I cannot begin to tell how much I enjoy all your recipes! Have a question for this one. Can it be done in n a slow cooker? What would be the procedure? Thanking you for all the good recipes.
Madeleine Cotterill
So glad you enjoy the recipes, Madeleine! This stew could be done in a slow cooker; You’d still need to go through all of the initial steps like searing the meat on the stovetop, so not sure it’s worth it. If you do choose to use a slow cooker, here are some tips that may help you to adapt the recipe.