Easy Savory Slow Cooker Irish Stew
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Irish eyes will surely be smiling when you serve this Slow Cooker Irish Stew. Tender cubes of beef, potatoes and carrots, slow cooked in a savory beef broth enhanced with Guinness Stout and red wine.
A warm savory stew sure hits the spot on a cold day. This traditional Irish stew recipe that includes stout beer and red wine is a St. Paddy’s Day favorite but is equally good anytime you want to enjoy a big hearty stew full of bold flavors. For more flavorful soups, try our Easy Instant Pot Ham and Potato Soup, Easy Instant Pot Cilantro Chicken Soup or Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup Easy Quick.
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Why You Will Love This Classic Irish Stew
- Guinness stew made in the crock pot is full of amazing flavors that meld together so well.
- Freezes well, so you can make a double batch and store in the freezer for when you want a quick and easy meal.
- Can change up buy adding your own combination of veggies.
- This hearty Irish stew is even better the second day.
Equipment Used for This Recipe
Ingredient Notes
(Full ingredients and measurements are in the recipe card below.)
- Olive oil – Olive oil is a hearty oil that matches up with the bold flavors in this slow cooker recipe.
- Meat -Lamb is commonly used but I used a round cut London Broil beef. Chuck roast is also a popular cut to use.
- Beer – Guinness Beer is used in this recipe. It’s the perfect beer for this Irish beef stew recipe but any dark beer can be used.
- Wine – Use a deep red wine.
- Potatoes – We used a golden potato but you could use russet or red potatoes also.
- Carrots – We used the large carrots cut into chunks. Might choose baby carrots as well.
- Worcestershire Sauce – This adds a nice tang and rich flavor to this hearty beef stew.
- Beef Stock or Broth – Steer clear of the low fat version to assure a rich sauce.
- Fresh parsley – This is used to sprinke on the top of the stew at serving.
Additions and Substitutions
- Add some different root vegetables if you like, such as turnips or sweet potatoes.
- Try adding some diced tomatoes in.
- You can use fresh thyme, fresh Rosemary or fresh garlic if you have them on hand. Use them to taste but they do require larger amounts than the dried spices.
How to Make Slow Cooker Irish Stew
(Complete instructions in the recipe card below.)
- Cut beef into cubes.
- Salt season and brown the meat over medium-high heat in a large skillet or saucepan. I love using my Lodge Cast Iron Skillet for this. Remove the seared beef to slow cooker.
- Add butter to skillet and cook onions.
- Deglaze skillet to loosen browned bits from the pan.
- Pour the sauce with onions over the beef cubes in crockpot.
- Add in vegetables and remaining ingredients.
- Make flour/water slurry to thicken. Pour over vegetables and stir.
- Cook on high heat for about 6 hours or until the beef and vegetables are tender.
- Sprinkle with the fresh parsley and top with a dollop of sour cream if you like.
What to Serve With Slow Cooker Irish Stew
- Best Authentic Starbucks Grilled Cheese (Copycat)
- Green Salad with Apples, Cranberries and Pepitas
- Magic Lemon Cobbler Recipe with Buttermilk
Storing and Freezing Slow Cooker Irish Stew
Slow Cooker Irish Stew can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 5 days. Reheat in microwave or on stovetop when ready to serve.
This beef stew recipe with keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Store in individual airtight containers for individual servings or in large airtight containers for a family meal. When ready to serve, thaw and reheat in microwave or on stovetop. You can also place the stew back into the crock pot to reheat.
Recipe for Slow Cooker Irish Stew
Slow Cooker Irish beef Stew
Equipment
- Slow cooker
- cutting mat
Ingredients
- 2¾ pounds beef cubes
- 3 teaspoons salt
- ¾ cup olive oil
- 2½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 8 cups beef stock
- 2 cups Guiness Stout beer
- 2 cups red wine
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon rosemary
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
- 4 ounces butter
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch (optional, stirred into ½ cup cold water to thicken the stew at the end of cooking if desired)
- 3 sticks celery (chopped)
- 3 pounds honey gold potatoes (cut into large cubes)
- 2 cups carrots (cut into 1-inch chunks)
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)
Instructions
- Heat your olive oil in a skillet or large heavy saucepan.
- Season the meat cubes with salt. Brown the meat in a single layer in the hot oil. Turn the meat to brown on all sides.
- Add the meat to the slow cooker.
- Add one stick of butter and the onions to the skillet and saute onion until soft.
- Add ½ cup of beef broth to the skillet to deglaze, scraping and browned bits off the bottom and sides of pan.
- Pour skillet mixture over the meat in the slow cooker. Add potatoes, celery and carrots to cooker.
- In a small deep bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together ½ cup water, 1 cup beef broth, Worchestershire sauce and flour. Try to whisk out any lumps as best as you can. Pour over ingredients in slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Add in tomato paste, herbs and sugar. Stir.
- Cook on high for about 6 hours until the meat and vegetables are fork tender.
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this recipe, please come back and let us know how you like it.
