Lamb Stew with Vegetables

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Cozy up with a bowl of Guinness-spiked lamb stew—each spoonful promises succulent meat, hearty broth, and pure comfort.

lamb stew in bowl with striped napkin

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!!”

Catríona

What You’ll Need To Make Lamb Stew With Vegetables

Lamb Stew Ingredients on marble board
  • 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.

lamb meat seasoned 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.

seared lamb pieces in Dutch oven

Transfer the browned meat to large bowl and set aside.

seared lamb pieces on plate

Add the onions, garlic and 2 tablespoons of water to the pot.

onions and garlic in Dutch oven

Cook until the onions are soft, then add the tomato paste and cook a few minutes more.

onions, garlic, and tomato paste mixed together

Add the lamb with its juices back to the pan and sprinkle with flour.

adding flour and lamb to Dutch oven

Stir until fully combined, then add the Guinness, broth, water, bay leaf, rosemary, and sugar. Bring to a boil.

broth, beer and herbs added to the Dutch oven

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.

potatoes and carrots added to the partially cooked 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.

lamb stew in Dutch oven

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Lamb Stew with Vegetables

lamb stew in bowl with striped napkin

Cozy up with a bowl of Guinness-spiked lamb stew—each spoonful promises succulent meat, hearty broth, and pure comfort.

Servings: 4 to 6
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes
Total Time: 3 Hours

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Stir in the tomato paste and cook a few minutes more.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.)
  7. 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.
  8. 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 Edamam

  • 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.

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Comments

  • Wow. My first time making lamb stew and it came out So amazing. I’m done looking for other recipes!

  • I’m in the process of making the stew now but I’m not exactly following your recipe; I’m just here for ideas. I don’t get why you’re against a bone in leg. Rotisseried a leg for easter this past Sunday and I made a stock from the bone and leavings and it tastes phenomenal. I’d rather have lamb stock than beef stock as it adds something that beef stock can’t. Granted this is just a way for me to utilize the leftovers, but nothing beats good old bone marrow while preparing stock. Thank you!

  • Yum! Was better than my moms! Love the photos too.

  • The Guinness and Lamb Stew was delicious. Reminded us of Ireland.

    • — Kathleen French-Wilson
    • Reply
  • This is one of our favorites. I have been a follower of your blog post for two – three years now and love every recipe I’ve tried!

  • Fantastic! I used a belgian style ale. Other than that, I followed the recipe to a T. The family could not stop raving about how delicious this was, and the lamb was incredibly tender. Thank you for a great recipe.

  • Made this last night and served it tonight. Delish! Cleaned out the pot. The lamb was incredibly tender. Will make this again!

  • Yet another winner!! 🙂

  • This was a great dish. Very rich tasting. Everyone came back for seconds.

  • made this recipe “college edition”. So beef instead of lamb and pabst blue ribbon instead of guinness. Still amazing!

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