Irish Stew

A dutch oven of Irish beef stew sitting on a cutting board, topped with fresh thyme.

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Irish Stew is a classic comfort food, made with pieces of beef slowly cooked in a tomato based broth with beer, bacon, veggies, potatoes, and herbs, perfect for chilly nights!

Prep Time10

Cook Time3

Total Time3 10

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Irish

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: servings

Calories: 611kcal

Author: Jacqui

Equipment

1 medium dutch oven or stock pot

Ingredients

2 pounds beef stew meat cut into 1-2" pieces
3 tablespoons gluten free all-purpose flour 1:1
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium Vidalia onion chopped
3 medium carrots peeled and chopped
2 medium celery ribs chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 pound bacon chopped
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce gluten free
8 ounces cremini mushrooms quartered
11 ounces gluten free beer (1 can)
2 1/2 cups beef broth low sodium, gluten free
1 pound yukon gold potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup frozen peas
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 medium bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pat the beef dry with a paper towel, and add to the mixing bowl. Add the flour and toss the beef until each piece is evenly coated.
Add half of the olive oil to the dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef in a single layer, leaving some space between each piece (you may need to work in batches). Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until browned on one side, then turn and repeat until all sides are browned. Remove the beef from the pot and set aside.
Add the rest of the oil and butter. Then add the onion, celery, and carrots, stirring occasionally and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook until the vegetables soften and the onions become translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
Move the vegetables to the side of the pot and add the garlic, cooking for less than a minute, then mix everything together. Do the same for the tomato paste, cooking for about a minute and mixing with the vegetables.
Push the vegetables to the side once more. Add the chopped bacon to the open space and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned. Stir the bacon together with the vegetables.
Stir in the beer, beef broth, mushrooms, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce to a simmer over medium-low heat. Stir to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add the bay leaves on top, gently pushing them under the broth.
Place the lid on the pot and simmer for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef starts to become tender and breaks apart easily. Remove the lid and stir in the potatoes.
Simmer for an additional 30-40 minutes, or until the broth has thickened and the potatoes are fork-tender. Stir in the peas, adjust the salt and pepper as-needed, and discard the bay leaves before serving.

Notes

Click on the time in the instructions to start a timer!

Storage

Refrigerate for 3-4 days in an airtight container.

Freeze for 2-3 months in a freezer-safe container.

Cooking Tips

I leave the bacon fat in the stew to add flavor. If your bacon renders down and leaves too much fat (roughly more than 2-3 tablespoons), ladle some of it out of the pot and discard.
Leave some room between the pieces when browning the beef. If everything is sitting together, they'll steam more than sear.
After browning the meat and cooking the vegetables, scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pot when adding liquid. These bits add a huge amount of flavor to the stew.
When you place the lid on the pot, check every so often to make sure you have a gentle simmer. We don't want this to boil for two hours.
I like to wait to add the potatoes until the end. If you add them in the beginning, they'll be falling apart by the time the stew is done simmering.

Nutrition