Instant Pot Irish Stew is the real deal, a classic rich stew made with lamb, potatoes, root veggies, cabbage, and, of course, a good dose of Guinness. Only instead of simmering long hours on the stove, this stew cooks in just 30 minutes!
I love to use leeks in my stew, along with peppery turnips in addition to the carrots and potatoes. Lots of potatoes. Worcestershire sauce enriches the beef and Guinness broth that forms the backbone of this stew.
Traditionally the secret to a great stew is a long, slow simmering on the stove top or in a low oven. Over time the meat becomes fork tender and the flavors develop. The high pressure in the Instant Pot accomplishes this same effect in a fraction of the time.
The beauty of the Instant Pot is that you can brown the meat right in the pot, which makes it super convenient and cuts way down on mess and clean up.
Do as the Irish do and smash some of the potatoes as you eat to sop up the rich broth. And definitely pair this with some great soda bread, like my IRISH OATMEAL SODA BREAD.
Safety Note: This recipe is formulated for the Instant Pot. Please don’t try this with stove top pressure cookers as I haven’t tested it on other models. Always follow all safety instructions in your manual, and follow the recipe instructions carefully.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb lamb, cut in bite sized pieces (you can also use beef)
- 3 Tbsp flour
- salt and pepper
- 1 to 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup of beer or ale (Guinness is perfect)
- 1 1/2 cups beef stock
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 large onion, peeled, halved and thickly sliced
- 2 or 3 parsnips, peeled and sliced
- 3 or 4 small or 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
- 4 red skinned potatoes, peeled, halved and thickly sliced
- a bundle of fresh thyme or rosemary
- 1/4 head green cabbage, very thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp soft unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp flour
- Fresh parsley
Instructions
- Toss the meat with the flour, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper to coat.
- Set the Instant Pot to saute and add 1 Tablespoon of the oil. When the pot is hot, brown the meat on all sides, working in batches so you don't crowd the pot. Add the rest of the oil as necessary.
- Remove the lamb and set aside.
- Add the Guinness to the pot and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom.
- Press cancel. Add the meat back into the pan along with the stock, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, and veggies. Add the bundle of rosemary or thyme.
- Close the lid, lock, and set the vent to the seal position. Pressure cook on high for 30 minutes. When the machine beeps, let the pressure release naturally, this may take 15 - 20 minutes.
- Add the cabbage to the stew and stir well. It will wilt in the heat of the stew.
- Meanwhile make a paste of the butter and flour, and when the stew is done, blend it in, stirring well, to thicken the broth slightly. Taste to adjust seasonings and serve with lots of chopped parsley.
Notes
You may want to use a dash or two of gravy browning sauce like Kitchen Bouquet if your broth is not as deep as you'd like.
Don’t forget to pin this Instant Pot Irish Stew
19 Comments
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Barnett Frankel
December 24, 2018 at 5:26 pmMade using pork and Brussel sprouts. Followed rest of recipe (found baby golden potatoes on sale so had lots of them!). Great recipe for the instant pot. Thanks so much.
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grace
January 10, 2012 at 11:43 pmi can’t help myself–i love downton abbey! it’s just so majestic and romantic and i really think i was meant to be living during that era (hopefully upstairs rather than down…)! :)
Hungry Dog
January 10, 2012 at 11:35 pmI’ve had stew on my mind recently and now you’re just encouraging it! :) Actually the weather is too warm here for stew but I suspect it won’t last. And we happen to have the first disc of Downton Abbey cued up from Netflix…
Tessa
January 10, 2012 at 2:43 pmLovely stew and beautiful photos!
annie
January 9, 2012 at 5:01 pmThis looks so good…and your photographs are amazing!!
Sarah (Snippets of Thyme)
January 9, 2012 at 2:39 pmOh, this Irish Stew looks perfect for our stormy Houston weather right now. We are celebrating with the downpour of rain we are experiencing. I am hooked on Downtown Abbey as well but we don’t have cable so I need to figure out how watch this Season 2. Totally correct about the trite acting but somehow engaging nonetheless.
Mary
January 9, 2012 at 12:53 pmOnce again, we are thinking alike. We’re having stew for dinner tonight! Your photos are gorgeous, as always, Sue.
Stephanie
January 9, 2012 at 11:18 amThese photos remind me of my time spent in Ireland. Don’t love soda bread?! I’ll have to let that slide ;) What about brown bread?
Magnolia Verandah
January 9, 2012 at 2:17 amPS love Downtown Abbey can’t wait for the series to return downunder!
Magnolia Verandah
January 9, 2012 at 2:16 amJust too hot here for stew at the moment but I do love a good Irish Stew – I haven’t made one for ages and your photos are so inciting I will have to bookmark this one.
yummychunklet
January 9, 2012 at 3:31 amI was initially excited about Downton Abbey, but it got a bit stifling after about 20 minutes. Maybe I’ll give the second season a go. Great looking stew!
Louise @ cosmetic bee
January 9, 2012 at 2:19 amThis looks delicious and I will definitely try it out. That’s a very good idea to add the vegetables an hour after you start cooking, I will do that the next time I make beef stew. Just a few days ago, I made a beef stew based on Nigella’s recipe for steak & kidney pudding (in “How to be a Domestic Goddess”). I skip the kidney and add potatoes and carrots instead, and then use her pie crust recipe, to make beef pot pies.
Inside a British Mum's Kitchen
January 9, 2012 at 1:00 amLove Downtown Abbey but would love a bowl of this stew more – delicious!
Mary x
Ocean Breezes and Country Sneezes
January 8, 2012 at 6:49 pmI agree with you about the debates, and to think this is going to go on through November! But, I’m a HUGE Downton Abby fan LOL! Your stew looks delicious, but hubby wouldn’t eat it with lamb . . . so I have to use beef in my stew.
I made your gingerbread pancakes this a.m. – delicious! Hubby loved ’em!
Have a wonderful Sunday!
Mary
hostess of the humble bungalow
January 8, 2012 at 5:17 pmOh I am a huge fan of Julian Fellowes and his Downton Abbey is just my cup of tea!
The Irish Stew looks delicious…
I put turnips in my version of this satisfying dish.