Classic Irish Stew
Celebrate St. Paddy’s Pay with this Classic Irish Stew Recipe. Super easy to make using simple ingredients you probably already have on hand.
I remember growing up my Mom used to make a Classic Irish Stew on a regular basis. Probably because she is of Irish descent and that you can make this delicious stew for relatively cheap.
The beauty of a recipe like this is you can easily tweak it to your liking. I realize many out there make their Irish Stew with lamb meat but I prefer to use Beef.
I recommend using whatever meat you prefer or have on hand. Additionally, you can use beef broth in place of the chicken broth for this recipe.
What is Bouquet Garni
A bouquet garni is a bunch of herbs, typically encased in a cheesecloth bag used for flavoring stews or soups. The bouquet is cooked with the other ingredients but is removed before serving.
There is no standard recipe for bouquet garni, but most French recipes include thyme, bay leaf and parsley. Variations may include basil, rosemary and peppercorns or other spices.
If you are feeling lazy or not in the mood to deal with a Bouquet Garni, simply add your seasonings to the pot.
Word of caution though, if you add Bay Leaves, which I highly recommend, make sure you remove them before serving.
I would hate for one of your guests to get a mouthful of Bay Leaves.
When chopping up the potatoes, don’t cut them too small or they will get “mushy” while cooking.
I would suggest a little bigger than bite size but you may want to experiment a bit and find the size that works for you and your guests.
Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Classic Irish Stew recipe (see recipe card for quantities): Yellow Onion, Unsalted Butter, Dried Thyme, Beef Stew Meat, Carrots, Low Sodium Chicken Broth, Salt, Pepper, Russet Potatoes, Fresh Thyme, Bay Leaves, Fresh Rosemary, Fresh Parsley and optionally Chives for Garnish.
How to Make Classic Irish Stew
- In a large pot, cook the onions in oil and butter over medium-high heat.
- Add the dried thyme and stir. Add the meat and brown. Add the carrots. Pour in the Chicken Broth so that the meat and vegetables are almost covered.
- Add salt and pepper and add the Bouquet Garni. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 hours.
- Place the potatoes on top of the stew, cover and cook for 30 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Optionally garnish with parsley and chives.
More Recipe Ideas
Classic Irish Stew
Equipment
- Large Pot
Ingredients
- 2 medium Yellow Onion, chopped
- 1 oz Unsalted Butter
- 1 Tsp Ground Thyme
- 2 ½ lbs Beef Stew Meat, cubed
- 7 Carrots, 2 inch pieces
- 32 oz Low Sodium Chicken Broth
- Salt and Pepper
- 12 medium Russet Potatoes, cubed
Bouquet Garni
- Fresh Thyme
- Bay Leaves
- Fresh Rosemary
- Fresh Parsley
Garnish (Optional)
- Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
- Chives
Instructions
- In a large pot, cook the onions in oil and butter over medium-high heat.
- Add the dried thyme and stir. Add the meat and brown. Add the carrots. Pour in the Chicken Broth so that the meat and vegetables are almost covered.
- Add salt and pepper and add the Bouquet Garni. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 hours.
- Place the potatoes on top of the stew, cover and cook for 30 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Optionally garnish with parsley and chives.
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided for this recipe is based on 1 serving. This information is an estimate and may vary based on several factors. If nutritional information is important to you and your diet, please verify this recipe with a Registered Dietitian.
When I was growing up my mom made this Classic Irish Stew at least a couple of times a month. It is exactly as I remember it. It is very delicious and tasty.