Skip to content
FriendsPantry

Irish

Irish stew

Non-vegetarian

Stobhach Gaelach

Lamb, potatoes, onions and carrots slowly simmered with thyme until the meat is tender and the potatoes thicken the broth — Ireland's best-known stew.

Irish stew is an Irish stew from Ireland, ready in about 2 hours 20 minutes and made with lamb shoulder and potato. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking

No licensed photograph of this dish yet.

Prep
20 min
Cook
2 h
Total
2 h 20 min
Serves
6
Level
Easy
Calories
645

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Season the lamb with some of the salt and pepper (opens in a new tab). Brown it in batches in the oil in a heavy pot, if you like, then set aside.

    Food safety: Wash hands and boards after handling raw meat.

  2. Step 2

    Return the lamb to the pot with the onions (opens in a new tab), carrots (opens in a new tab), the smaller potato (opens in a new tab) pieces, stock, thyme (opens in a new tab), bay and remaining salt. Bring to a simmer.

    • 8 min
    • medium heat

  3. Step 3

    Cover and simmer very gently for an hour — the small potatoes (opens in a new tab) will break down and thicken the broth.

    • 60 min
    • low heat

  4. Step 4

    Add the large potato chunks and simmer until both meat and potatoes (opens in a new tab) are tender.

    • 40 min
    • low heat

  5. Step 5

    Remove the thyme (opens in a new tab) stalks and bay leaves (opens in a new tab), check the seasoning and stir in the parsley (opens in a new tab) before serving.

    • 2 min

About this dish

Origin
Ireland · Well documentedAlso popular in United KingdomMore food from Ireland
Dish
Dinner · Lunch · Stews & braises · Main courses
Cooking method
Stewed, Simmered
Taste
savoury, herby, mild
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Freezer-friendly · Make-ahead · Batch cooking
Cook more with
Lamb shoulder · Potato · Onion · Carrot · Chicken stock · Thyme (fresh)
Techniques
Simmering · Stewing

Allergens

  • May contain: Celeryfrom chicken stock

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

645 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 556 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 20%
  • Carbohydrate 26%
  • Fat 54%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy645 kcal116 kcal
Protein32.6 g5.9 g
Carbohydrate42.1 g7.6 g
Net carbohydrate36.9 g6.6 g
Sugars7 g1.3 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre5.1 g0.9 g
Fat38.9 g7 g
Saturated fat15.6 g2.8 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol95 mg17 mg
Sodium950 mg171 mg
Salt equivalent2.4 g0.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1440 mg
Calcium
64 mg
Iron
3.6 mg
Magnesium
80 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
282 µg
Vitamin C
41 mg
Vitamin D
0.3 µg
Vitamin B12
2.8 µg
Folate (DFE)
—

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Like most stews, it tastes even better the next day.

Common mistakes

  • Boiling hard rather than simmering toughens the lamb.

Serve with

  • Serve with soda bread and butter.

Food safety

  • Cool leftovers quickly and refrigerate within 2 hours; reheat until piping hot (75 °C).

Storage

  • Refrigerate for 3 days or freeze for 3 months.

Reheating

  • Reheat gently until piping hot throughout.

Variations

  • Beef and Guinness stew: A popular modern alternative using beef braised in stout.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

  • Lamb shoulder, boneless, cut into large chunks900 g
  • Carrot, cut into chunks3 piece · 180 g
  • Potato, peeled; half cut small, half in large chunks1000 g
Used in steps 1, 2

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

You might also like