Instant Pot Irish Stew (A Quicker and Easier Recipe) (2024)

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This Instant Pot Irish Stew is a cozy, hearty, and easy recipe packed with fork tender meat, root vegetables, fresh herbs, and traditional flavors. It’s ready in a fraction of the time, with the pressure cooker doing nearly all of the work.

It’s a delicious and simple recipe to make for St. Patrick’s Day, a chillly winter or early spring day… or anytime you’re craving traditional flavor of the Emerald Isle.

While I’ve written this recipe using lamb, it’s also interchageable and delicious with beef. With one tiny ingredient that makes all the difference!

What is the difference between Irish Stew and Beef Stew?

Some will say that the only difference is the meat that’s used in the stew. And that is essentially true. But here are a few other considerations.

While both Irish lamb stew and beef stew are hearty dishes and classic Irish cuisine, they do differ in several ways. As I said, the most apparent distinction is in the choice of meat. This variation not only brings slightly different flavors and textures but also influences the overall character of the dish.

With its rich, slightly gamey flavor, lamb adds depth and complexity to the dish. Beef adds a more robust and savory flavor to stew.

In addition to the differences in the meat, both stews often feature different ingredients and seasonings. For instance, this lamb stew uses rosemary and thyme, while beef stew often includes more earthy flavors.

In this Irish stew, I’ve included a bit of both so that the meat used is truly interchangeable and delivers the best of both! Ultimately, whether you opt for the tender lamb of Irish lamb stew or the hearty beef of beef stew, both dishes promise a warm and satisfying meal paying homage to the rich culinary traditions of Ireland.

Instant Pot Advantage: Speedy Cooking for Irish Stew

Traditional recipes for this beloved dish require hours of slow simmering on the stovetop or in the oven to achieve that melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and depth of flavor. However, with a multi-cooker, like the Instant Pot, cooking a delicious pot of Irish stew can achieve the same tenderness and favor in less time than you might imagine!

Why does the Instant Pot deliver a tender, flavorful batch of Irish stew in record time? Here are a few reasons.

1. Pressure Cooking: One of its best features is the ability to cook under pressure. By sealing in steam and increasing the internal pressure, the Instant Pot effectively raises the boiling point of water, allowing food to cook much faster than conventional methods. This means that tough cuts of meat, like lamb or beef stew meat, can be transformed into fork-tender morsels in a fraction of the time.

2. Efficient Heat Distribution: The Instant Pot’s design ensures an even distribution of heat, resulting in uniform cooking and consistent results. Which means, the ingredients cook at the same rate, eliminating the need for constant stirring or monitoring.

3. Set It and Forget It: Unlike stovetop cooking, a multi-cooker operates on its own. Once the ingredients are added and the desired cooking time is set, you get to walk away. This hands-off approach saves time and allows you to tend to other tasks while your stew simmers.

4. Flavor Infusion: Despite its rapid cooking time, the Instant Pot excels at infusing dishes with rich, deep flavors. The sealed environment of the pot traps aromas and concentrates flavors, resulting in a more intense and satisfying eating experience. This is particularly evident in dishes like Irish stew, where the Instant Pot’s pressure cooking capabilities work wonders in melding together the flavors of meat, vegetables, and seasonings.

Irish Recipes to Serve with Irish Stew

• Irish Soda Bread with Buttermilk and Raisins
• Traditional Brown Irish Soda Bread
• Irish Colcannon Recipe
• Cream of Potato Soup: Perfect Comfort Soup
• 28 Irish Pub Recipes
• Cast Iron Irish Apple Cake
• No Churn Irish Coffee Ice Cream
• Irish Apple Crumble Cake
• 2 Easy Non Alcoholic Irish Coffee Recipes

Ingredients Needed for Irish Stew

You will find all the ingredient measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Lamb, usually from the shoulder, cut into chunks. If your market doesn’t have lamb stew meat, you can substitute beef stew meat. Or, you can always ask the butcher if he could cut lamb stew for you. Very often, they will do this for me when I ask nicely 😍.
• Beef broth: While you can also use water, beef broth helps create a beautiful depth of flavor in the gravy.
• Worcestershire sauce:Don’t skip this; a little goes a long way and makes this stew!
• Vegetables: Leeks and parsnips (for traditional flavor), carrots, red potatoes, and thinly sliced cabbage
• Herbs: Fresh rosemary, thyme, and parsley for garnish (you can also use dried herbs if necessary).

How to Make Irish Stew the Quick Way

Step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but here is a quick overview.

How to Thicken the Stew

This is an optional step, but one I recommend. You can thicken the stew with a cornstarch slurry using equal amounts of water and cornstarch. The slurry is added to the Instant Pot after cooking and thickens the stew beautifully.

Reheating Leftovers

This recipe makes a hardy amount of stew, which thankfully means leftovers! It will keep in the refrigerator or even the freezer. To reheat if refrigerated, add leftovers to a saucepan or Dutch oven and reheat gently on medium-low heat until heated through. It can also be reheated in the microwave.

If frozen, thaw leftovers in the refrigerator overnight before reheating on the stovetop or in the microwave.

See Also

30 Healthy Salad Recipes Definitely Worth Trying - The Daily Spice

Instant Pot Irish Stew FAQs