Irish Stew

Name: Irish Stew
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Irish
Ingredients: 1 kg lamb neck, on the bone, cut into pieces (or 800 g boneless shoulder); 1 kg potatoes, a mix of floury and waxy, peeled and cut into chunks; 2 onions, thickly sliced; 2 carrots, in chunks (optional); 750 ml lamb stock or water; 4 thyme sprigs; salt and ground white pepper; chopped parsley, to serve

Lamb, potatoes and onions simmered slowly until tender: the plain, comforting stew of the Irish home kitchen.

By Author name, role and credentials: owner to supply

Published 26 September 2026

AI assistance: the introduction, ingredient list, method, tips and FAQ on this page were drafted with an AI writing tool, working from long-established traditional methods. Named editor who reviewed it: owner to supply How we work

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 2 hr
Total: 2 hr 20 min
Makes: 6 servings
Difficulty: Easy
Course: Main
Cuisine: Irish

Jump to recipe

A bowl of Irish lamb stew with potatoes, carrots and a sprig of rosemary — Photo: naotakem via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped

Irish stew is at heart a very simple dish: lamb or mutton, potatoes and onions, cooked slowly in water or stock. Whether carrots belong in it is one of Ireland's favourite kitchen arguments. Many families add them, purists do not.

Use a cut with bone and some fat, such as neck, which gives the broth its body. Some of the potatoes should be floury so they break down and thicken the stew.

Ingredients

6 servings

1 kg lamb neck, on the bone, cut into pieces (or 800 g boneless shoulder)
1 kg potatoes, a mix of floury and waxy, peeled and cut into chunks
2 onions, thickly sliced
2 carrots, in chunks (optional)
750 ml lamb stock or water
4 thyme sprigs
salt and ground white pepper
chopped parsley, to serve

Equipment

Shop links are affiliate links (disclosure).

Large heavy casseroleHow to chooseShop on Amazon(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
Chef's knifeHow to chooseShop on Amazon(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)

Method

1
Trim any excess fat from the lamb and season it. Prepare the potatoes, onions and carrots, if using.
Photo: Kolforn (Kolforn) I'd appreciate if you could mail me (Kolforn@gmail.com) if you want to use this picture out of the Wikimedia project scope. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. You are free: to share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work to remix – to adapt the work Under the following conditions: attribution – You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. share alike – If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same or compatible license as the original.https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0CC BY-SA 4.0 Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 truetrue via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped
2
Layer the lamb, onions and carrots in a large heavy casserole or pan, with the floury potatoes on top.
Photo: Alabama Extension via Wikimedia Commons, CC0
3
Pour in the stock, tuck in the thyme and bring to the boil. Skim, then cover and simmer very gently for 1½–2 hours (or cook at 160°C / 140°C fan / gas 3 / 325°F in the oven), adding the waxy potatoes for the last 40 minutes.
Photo: Kolforn (Kolforn) I'd appreciate if you could mail me (Kolforn@gmail.com) if you want to use this picture out of the Wikimedia project scope. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. You are free: to share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work to remix – to adapt the work Under the following conditions: attribution – You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. share alike – If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same or compatible license as the original.https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0CC BY-SA 4.0 Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 truetrue via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped
4
When the lamb is falling off the bone, check the seasoning. Scatter with parsley and serve in deep bowls with soda bread.
Photo: Rob Bertholf via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped

Tips

Better the next day: cool and chill overnight, then lift off the fat that sets on top before reheating.

If it goes wrong

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Meat is tough	Cooked too fast or not long enough	Keep it at a bare simmer and give it more time
Broth thin	Only waxy potatoes used	Include floury potatoes, or crush a few into the broth

Frequently asked questions

Is Irish stew made with lamb or beef?

Traditionally lamb or mutton, with potatoes, onions and carrots. Beef stew with stout is a popular pub variation.

Why is Irish stew better the next day?

The flavours develop, and once chilled you can lift off the fat that sets on top.

Which cut of lamb is best?

Neck, on or off the bone: it becomes tender with slow cooking and adds flavour to the broth.

Guides for this recipe

Some of these guides contain shop links, which are affiliate links (disclosure).

Buying guide

Casserole Dishes for Stews: Cast Iron and Beyond

An oval slow cooker with a stew cooking under the glass lid

Buying guide

Slow Cookers: What Size and Which Features?

A traditional black cast-iron kitchen range

Kitchen design

Range Cookers: Are They Right for Your Kitchen?

Buying guide

Chef's Knives: How to Choose One

Kitchen knives held on a wall-mounted magnetic strip

Kitchen design

Knife Storage: Blocks, Magnetic Strips and Drawer Inserts

More Irish Food recipes

Sliced boiled bacon with cabbage and a creamy white sauce

Recipe · 1 hr 55 min

Bacon and Cabbage with Parsley Sauce

Ireland's classic family dinner: a boiled bacon joint, cabbage cooked in the same pot and a creamy parsley sauce.

A barmbrack cut open to show the dried fruit inside

Recipe · 1 hr 30 min

Barmbrack (Irish Tea Brack)

A dark, sticky Irish fruit loaf made with tea-soaked fruit: the traditional bake for Halloween.

A bowl of Irish beef stew with potatoes, beside a pint of Guinness

Recipe · 3 hr 30 min

Beef and Guinness Stew

Chunks of braising beef slow-cooked with stout, onions and carrots until tender, in a deep, glossy gravy.

Card photos: An enamelled casserole dish on a hob, Kerri9494 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; An oval slow cooker with a stew cooking under the glass lid, Janine from Mililani, Hawaii, United States via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped; A traditional black cast-iron kitchen range, Wehha via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped; A chef's knife with a wooden handle, Frank Schulenburg via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; Kitchen knives held on a wall-mounted magnetic strip, Phil! Gold from Pikesville, MD, USA via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped; Sliced boiled bacon with cabbage and a creamy white sauce, Miss Ayumi via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped; A barmbrack cut open to show the dried fruit inside, Solo Beckett via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; A bowl of Irish beef stew with potatoes, beside a pint of Guinness, User:Jpatokal via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped. All credits: image credits.