Irish Beef Stew
Amazingly slow-cooked tender beef with garlic mashed potatoes – comfort food at its best, and something you’ll want all year long!
Have you ever had Irish Beef Stew before? Because if you haven’t, you are really missing out.
To be exact, this is what’s involved here: slow cooked tender beef in the most amazing gravy-like stew over the a bed of buttery, garlic mashed potatoes.
See, I told you. You’d be missing out.
And whether it’s St. Patrick’s Day or not, this needs to be made more than just once a year, especially on those chilly nights. It’s truly pure comfort food at its best!
Irish Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 leek, thinly sliced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 cup dark stout beer*
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup frozen peas
For the garlic mashed potatoes
- 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 4 cloves garlic
- ½ cup half and half*
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- To make the garlic mashed potatoes, place potatoes and garlic in a large stockpot or Dutch oven and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes; drain well and return to the stockpot.
- Stir in half and half and butter. Using a potato masher, mash until smooth and creamy; set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season beef with salt and pepper, to taste. Add beef to the stockpot and cook until evenly browned, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.
- Add garlic, onion, leek and carrots to the stockpot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste until well combined, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in beef broth, beer, parsley, thyme, bay leaf and beef; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer until the beef is tender, about 90 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine butter and flour. Add mixture to the stockpot until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in frozen peas until heated through, about 1-2 minutes.
- Serve immediately with garlic mashed potatoes.
Notes
*Half and half is equal parts of whole milk and cream. For 1 cup half and half, you can substitute 3/4 cup whole milk + 1/4 cup heavy cream or 2/3 cup skim or low-fat milk + 1/3 cup heavy cream.
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Great recipe, but, we don’t serve irish stew on a bed of mash, EVER!! The potatoes are in the stew from the beginning, they are what thicken the stew. Some people then add more half way through for extra body.
This is one of my go to recipes, and I’ve been making it for 5 years. SO GOOD! I’ve followed it to a “T” and I’ve also tried all sorts of alterations (no booze, veggie broth, no leek, less onion, Whole30 adaptations, served with cauli mash, double the meat.) It always performs well and tastes magnificent. With this said, the only thing I’ve never done is freeze it. Does anybody know if this freezes well? I’ve got baby #2 coming and I’d love to have this comforting meal ready to pull from the freezer.
Hi! I come back to this recipe often. My family loves it and kids ask for it! Thank you for such a great recipe. It is easy and delicious.
I always wanted to make Irish Stew, and I chose this recipe because of the simplicity of preparation, the enticing photograph of the dish, and the positive experiences I have had with Damn Delicious recipes.
This was delicious, and I made it exactly as written. ( I cut up my meat from a chuck roast.)
Many thanks for this awesome recipe!
Great recipe! I ended up speeding this up in my InstantPot on the pressure cook normal for 45 minutes. So working mom edition. While it’s in the IP, you do the taters. It all works out on time together.
Thanks for the tip! I will be trying this in the IP!
Made this for my spouse tonight for st Patrick’s day as we have an Iris background! This was fabulous! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
I have made this twice now and it’s amazing. I use “Dragons Milk” Stout beer which is aged in bourbon barrels. It gives the recipe incredible depth. The funny thing is I can’t stand dragons breath by itself but mixed in here it’s amazing. I do Beef bourguignon on special occasions for the family and I honestly like this better.
This recipe is a bit labor-intensive for someone like me who likes an easy meal, but it is absolutely worth it! I loved it. Before serving I add a sprinkle of garlic salt as well and it’s delicious!
This is the second time I made this. Delicious both times. This recipe is a keeper.
Great recipe! I didn’t add any salt because I thought the beef broth might add enough, but it probably could have used a little bit. The flavors in this were great and we made it over the mashed potatoes which really put it over the top.
I can’t wait to make this! Would this taste good over egg noodles?
Delicious! I didn’t have leeks, otherwise made as directed.
This was delicious! We made it as written with a few additions. We browned a few ounces of diced bacon and seared the meat in about a tablespoon of the reserved fat. Then we browned about 2 cups of quartered cremini mushrooms in the rest of the bacon fat and put them in with the peas at the end. We also added a few thinly sliced scallions to the mashed potatoes. It would have been delicious as is, though. The flavor of the gravy is just perfect. Definitely adding this to our recipe arsenal!
If you only knew how many times I’ve made this and it’s always a special request from my 18 year old.
Made this for the family today, it was delicious!!
I doubled the tomato paste , broth, beer, parsley and seasonings. Everyone loved it definitely will be having it again!
Delicious! Planning to double the recipe next time. Recipe doesn’t make as much as I expected. I would love to make this in a crock pot. Planning to brown the beef first, add garlic last 5 minutes, then add everything to crock pot except for the thickening ingredients and peas which I would do last 20 minutes. Appreciate any thoughts:)
How did this work in the crockpot? I’m wanting to try the crockpot for this recipe too.
I absolutely love all of your recipes, and this one did not disappoint. I had to add a bit more beef stock near the end of the simmering to keep the stew at the consistency I wanted. This makes me want to go back to Ireland!
That was soooo good! Thanks a lot!
I am making this tonight…I have never cooked with leeks! Do I use both the white and the green parts? Thanks! I am so excited to try this. 🙂
I prefer to use just the white and light green parts. Hope that helps!
Do you use the whole huge leek? Mine I got are as long as my arm! Seems like too much
You can use as much or as little as you’d like! 🙂
Thanks for the recipe! It was delicious!
I wish when people judge a recipe as not “authentic”, they would include what changes they would make. I’d be interested.
In any case, I have your stew simmering right now – probably for the 10th time! – always so good. My husband loves it, and when I see him walk in from shopping with the Stout beer in hand, I know he’s telling me it’s time to make it again!
Thank you for sharing a wonderful recipe.
This is not Irish stew, HOW I GREW UP, and my mom is full blooded Irish. Straight out of Belfast. When i say 100 percent…
Also has a chance to visit Ireland and meet my grandparents and eat their Irish stew. I understand there could be variations but this is not how I remember it. Just saying my perspevtive.
Hi Kathleen – thanks for sharing your perspective! There can be many variations to a recipe but this is just simply my take on it. Happy cooking! 🙂
Your right there couldn’t possibly be more than one way to make Irish stew. Maybe we can call this South Irish Stew to make you feel better. Please share what your version is so we can know how to cook both.
Chill out with the caps lock there Kathleen. Just because it’s not the stew you grew up with, you have no say to tell Chungah that this isn’t Irish stew. You’d be amazed at how many variations and numerous ways to cook a lot of dishes. And like Chungah said, this is her take on it. She does what is comfortable for her to do with the ingredients she can obtain/already have.
Next time, appreciate her effort. Don’t knock her down with your 100% full-blooded background, thinking you (your family) are better. That’s the vibe you’re giving off when you say stuff like that and that’s not cool.
@Kathleen: What is YOUR version? I think we’re all curious to know what exactly is different between yours & hers. Not in a negative way, just trying to figure out why you’re so adamant about it being highly incorrect. Would love to know the variation.
Changing beef to chicken for hubby can’t have red meat. Chicken broth. I’m sure this Still will be yummy
My husband and I really enjoyed this recipe. We added mushrooms during the last hour of simmering. I didn’t use the mashed potato part of the recipe but instead made them the way I always do just with less milk so they would be thick. I think this will make a great leftover too. Thank you for the recipe!
Can’t wait to try this recipe. If I’m using beer instead of beef broth, do I use 2 cups of beer?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
At the very first hint of fall weather last night, I decided I wanted to try my hand at beef stew. I love the other recipes I’ve tried from Damn Delicious, so when this showed up on Pinterest in my search, I knew it was the one I’d go with.
I made a few alterations based on what I had on hand – I substituted a half of a small can of tomato sauce instead of paste (forgot paste at the store), and included diced potatoes in with the veggies. I also used the entire bottle of beer because I didn’t want to waste the rest, and neither of us wanted to drink it. We used an oatmeal stout very similar to Guinness.
I’ve recently become obsessed with my Instant Pot, so I used that instead of on stove top. I sauteed the beef on Sautee, adding in the onions and carrots and cooked until slightly softened. Then I dumped in the rest of the ingredients, put the lid on, and set it to 30 min. Then did a QR of pressure at the end. I put in the melted butter/flour mix and let it simmer for about five minutes while I microwaved store-bought mashed potatoes (I was being lazy).
This was FANTASTIC! It was done, even with all chopping and prep, within an hour. It had a great flavor, and I can easily see this going into our fall rotation. Thank you so much for the yummy dinner. I can’t wait to eat the leftovers!
Thanks for Instant Pot info, that’s how I want to cook it, so I can make it on a work night.
I am currently making this. It’s been simmering for 30 minutes and all of the liquid has evaporated from the pot. What could I be doing wrong? Heat up too high? I added more broth and the rest of the beer but I just wanted to know for future reference!
Yes, the heat may have been set too high!
Do you know if this freezes well?
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
Could red wine be substituted for the beer?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment.
This recipe looks absolutely delicious. Question though… what kind of stout beer do you recommend? Each beer tastes so different and since I’m not a beer drinker I don’t have the background knowledge to know which one would taste a certain way.
Guinness Extra Stout would work really well.
What beef cut would you recommend for stew meat? I usually use sirloin because it’s low fat but I wasn’t sure if that would become chewy or not.
Thanks!
Yes, sirloin can end up quite dry. I recommend using chuck.
This was wonderful! Thank you for the recipe.
I’m wondering if you have a suggestion about replacing the tomato paste. I’m allergic to tomatoes and want to try this recipe, but can’t use the tomato paste.
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot advise an appropriate substitute that will not alter the overall taste/texture of the dish. Using a substitution may also result in a mediocre outcome, but if substitutions must be made, please use your best judgment.
Another delicious recipe!! I doubled the ingredients for the broth (we’re from the south and there’s NO SUCH THING as too much gravy) and it was amazing! Thank you. As a full time working wife and mother to two picky eaters (8 & 5yrs. Old), your site is a goto EVERYTIME!
Have you posted anything since March 9th? If you have, it’s not showing up on your blog page.
thanks!
Yes, I have. My apologies on the inconvenience. The BLOG page should be updated with new recipes now.
Hi Chungah,
I’ve been a big fan of your blog for a long time now! I’m curious where do you get the beautiful wood and marble boards for your food to sit on in photos?
Thanks for all the awesome recipes! Can’t wait to try this stew!
Gabrielle – I purchased the marble slab from Crate and Barrel. As for the wood, I was able to find those on etsy.com.
This looks so good! My hubby LOVES roast, but I would like something like this with a little more flavor! PINNED =)
Not sure what you mean by “more flavor”.
I will say that stewing in a quart of good whiskey will add flavor if you are not against alcohol.
This is how I learned from an Irish friend.
Also, the Irish way of cooking veggies is to “sweat” them for about 30 minutes. This means putting your heat as low as possible and letting the veggies cook slowly. This makes a big difference.
Please don’t use garlic, it is not traditional in Irish food. Use salt and pepper to improve flavor. Bay leaf and other herbs work well too.
Traditional Irish food is naturally “bland”. Using a lot of spices for it is something only other countries feel they have to do. : )
Love the spoon…and the stew. My family loves stew and I just don’t make it very often. Need to give this one a try!
Yes, please! I love that you served the stew over potatoes. Love this recipe! Pinned.
im allergic to beer could I go without it? Would it lose flavor?
As indicated in the NOTES section, beef broth can be used for beer as a non-alcoholic substitute.
If you remove the beer from the stew you must also remove the word Irish from the name of the stew.
Sorry it just had to be said.
For a twist I have had good luck using a healthy dollop of red wine to get a similar flavor boost.
Made this for my family tonight. It was a big hit! Delicious! Thank you!!!
Don’t you EVER post anything that doesn’t taste good? I’m Irish, 80 yrs. old, and have made this all my life. This was oh, so good. Are you SURE you’re not Irish? : ) LOL
Your recipes are the best. You are so on top of it all. Just wanted to shout out Thank you!
o.k. I’m making this ! Love the spoon !! Where did you get it ??? Can I order one with a favorite word ?? I think I ‘ve seen them around ??
Denise, I purchased the spoon from etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MilkandHoneyLuxuries.
I love your recipes!!! Is there a way to do this in a slow cooker?
Unfortunately, it is very difficult to give exact conversion information to translate a traditional stovetop recipe to be used in a slow cooker without further recipe testing. However, here is an article worth checking out on a possible conversion guide: http://www.thekitchn.com/5-tips-for-converting-recipes-to-the-slow-cooker-189343.
I would think you could put everything in a crockpot instead of cooking on top of the stove for the 90 minutes.
Then put back into stock pot to thicken with butter and flour and add peas to heat thru. Looks really great!
This looks wonderful. This will be on my next weeks menu. New to me is melted butter and flour to thicken stew.
Could this recipe be put in the crock pot as well?…..except the mashed potatoes of course.
Unfortunately, it is very difficult to give exact conversion information to translate a traditional stovetop recipe to be used in a slow cooker without further recipe testing. However, here is an article worth checking out on a possible conversion guide: http://www.thekitchn.com/5-tips-for-converting-recipes-to-the-slow-cooker-189343.
Although I’m not a beef eater, I could totally make this for my boyfriend and mother. They would be extremely impressed. I’m all over those mashed potatoes, Chungah!
Omg…that was SO freakin good. I’ve done your left over ham bone soup also…so delish…but that right there was outstanding.
what is stour beer?
Jean, that was a typo – it’s actually stout beer!