O’Brien Irish Stew

By Ann Fulton

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This classic Irish stew was passed down from the decades old recipe box of an Irish friend. The tried-and-true recipe offers oven and slow cooker options, and the flavor improves over time, making it a great make-ahead meal.

 

Most Americans think of stew as having a thick gravy base. But traditional Irish stew is more broth-like and began as a hearty peasant dish made with what were the most readily available ingredients. 

The primary sources of sustenance for the Irish were root vegetables and sheep. Prior to the potato famine, potatoes were the main food crop, and sheep provided wool for warm clothing, milk for drinking and cheese making, and eventually meat.

As the Irish immigrated to the United States and brought their hearty food traditions with them, these dishes evolved to include various regional ingredients.

The following stew recipe is a typical peasant version—simple to prepare with basic root vegetables that are stewed slowly with tougher cuts of meat in a simple stock. The recipe was a staple in the Irish kitchen of one of my childhood friends, which makes it feel a bit more special. 

The starch from the potatoes provides a bit of thickening power, but the absence of a thick gravy makes this filling meal surprisingly light and quite easy to prepare.

This classic Irish stew was passed down from the decades old recipe box of an Irish friend. The tried-and-true recipe offers oven and slow cooker options, and the flavor improves over time, making it a great make-ahead meal.

For a traditional pairing, you could serve this stew with an Irish beer like Guinness.

Southern with a Twist Cornbread

If you’re looking for a traditionally American stew, you may also enjoy this Slow Cooker Beef Stew.

O'Brien Irish Stew
Traditional Irish stew is typically cooked in the oven for two hours. To adapt the recipe to a slow cooker, simply cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. While this stew may certainly be eaten right away, it tastes even better as leftovers. As an added benefit, any fat that cooks out of the meat can be easily removed once the stew has cooled in the refrigerator overnight. If you are a fan of peas in your stew, you may add a cup or two in the final 15 minutes of cooking.

Yield: approximately 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds boneless lamb for stew (may substitute beef, i.e., boneless chuck roast)
  • 2 large onions, peeled, thickly chopped
  • 2 pounds potatoes, peeled if desired and cut into big chunks (small new potatoes are an excellent option)
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped, leaves included
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 1 turnip, diced
  • 1 teaspoon each kosher salt and pepper
  • 1½ cups chicken broth
  • I bay leaf
  • Chopped flat leaf parsley
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
  2. Cut lamb or beef into 1-inch cubes, removing large pieces of fat. Layer vegetables and meat in a 2 1/2 quart, lightly greased casserole or Dutch oven, beginning and ending with vegetables. (See comments above for slow cooker adaptation.) Add some of the salt and pepper to each layer. Add the chicken broth and bay leaf; cover tightly.
  3. Bake at 325 degrees for 2 hours. Stir and sprinkle with parsley. Remove bay leaf and check for seasoning before serving. Makes 4-6 servings.
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Other recipes you may enjoy:

Parmesan Crusted Potatoes

Brown Soda Bread with Steel Cut Oats 

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Comments

  1. Shawna

    Im going to try it soon. Is there a reason its called O’Brien Irish Stew? My grandmother was an O’Brien and I think it would be awesome if the name was related some how to the family.

    Reply
    1. Ann Post author

      Hi Shawna, I mention in the post that this stew is the family recipe of one of my very good childhood friends who is Irish. I love that your grandmother was also an O’Brien. Who knows…maybe there’s a distant relation. Either way, I think you can absolutely claim this as an authentic family recipe!

      Reply
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    1. Ann Post author

      Hi Magen,
      It’s in my comments just above the recipe along with a few other details. Here it is: To adapt the recipe to a slow cooker, simply cook on low heat for 6-8 hours.
      Hope you enjoy!

      Reply
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  5. Dana

    I saw this recipe and loved the ease of it. Made it tonight and was so pleased with the flavor and rustic feel of it. I also liked that it was hearty and filling yet felt healthy rather than heavy thanks to the light gravy. Wonderful, easy recipe that I will return to!!

    Reply
  6. Sarah

    I cooked this for dinner and found that 1 1/2cups of broth to be very skimpy. It barely covered 1/4 of the dish. Am I missing something?

    Reply
    1. Ann

      The meat typically produces more juice as it cooks, resulting in plenty of bothy liquid. What type of meat did you use? Also, was your pot tightly covered?

      Reply
  7. Kara

    I made this last night and it was delicious. So easy to pull together and just really satisfying although not heavy. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
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  10. henry

    We had this for dinner tonight and it was incredibly flavorful and extremely easy to prepare. Smelled so good while cooking, too. This is a recipe we will enjoy often. THank you!

    Reply
  11. Patricia

    It was superb. I planned for leftovers. In fact, I made in my crockpot a day ahead, skimmed the little bit of fat the next day and heated it up in the same pot for dinner. Had neighbors for dinner guests. I made the soda bread as well. Yum!
    Thanks again for everything!

    Reply
    1. Ann

      I am thrilled this was a success and I agree. This is the perfect meal to prepare the day before. It just gets better with time!

      Reply