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This recipe for Instant Pot Irish Beef Stew features melt-in-your mouth beef, tender root veggies, and a rich, tangy, and robust Guinness-infused broth. No Instant Pot? I have instructions for making this stew in the slow cooker as well.
Looking for more delicious Irish-inspired recipes? Don't miss my recipes for Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage, Irish Nachos Reuben Dip, and Colcannon.
Kristen's Keys for Instant Pot Beef Stew
My Papa who was a first-generation Irish-American was famous for his (not-so-Irish) Crockpot beef stew. That recipe, paired with traditional Irish recipes inspired MY version of Irish Stew. Made with beef instead of lamb, packed tender root veggies and rich caramel notes, this Irish-American spin on classic Irish Stew is incredible!
But before we start cooking, keep the following tips in mind.
- No Substitute for Stout Beer. A stout beer, such as Guinness, gives this stew its rich, caramel, coffee undertones. Can you use beef stock? Technically yes, but the flavor will be lacking.
- You can use beef or lamb stew meat. Lamb is traditional, beef is easier (and often more economical) to find.
- Updated Recipe to Be EASIER for YOU! I used to make Irish Stew, following a two-step cooking process, just like my recipes for Instant Pot Pot Roast and Corned Beef and Cabbage. I made a few MINOR adjustments so that you can cook everything together (just like my classic Instant Pot Stew) with perfect results.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
- Beef: Use pre-cubed stew meat to keep it simple or cube a beef chuck roast up yourself for this Irish Beef Stew. Feel free cube up lamb shoulder or leg of lamb if desired.
- Stout Beer (like Guinness): I recommend using a stout variety, not a draught, for the biggest punch of flavor. I have tested using a non-alcoholic Guinness with success. For gluten-free, use Blackheart Stout or your favorite gluten-free stout beer.
- Tomato Paste: A small amount adds a rich tomato flavor to the stew.
- For Balance: To counteract some of the bitterness in the beer, you need to add a tiny bit of maple syrup, honey, or brown sugar. Maple syrup is my preference, as the maple notes pair beautifully with the caramel undertones in the beer.
- Vegetables: Potatoes and carrots are classic additions, but if you can find parsnips, I highly recommend adding to the mix. They have a nice sharp, slightly sweet, fresh taste, almost like a mellow carrot.
How to Make Instant Pot Irish Beef Stew
Whether you are just learning how to use the Instant Pot or a seasoned pro, the following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results.
- Sear the beef with aromatics. Using the sauté function on the Instant Pot, heat a bit of oil. Once heated, add in the stew meat, minced onions, diced celery, and cook until the beef has browned and the onions have softened slightly.
- Toast spices. Add in garlic, thyme leaves, and tomato paste and sauté until just fragrant. This will help to enhance the flavors of the herbs and deepen the tomato paste.
- Deglaze the Pot with Beer. Add the beer to the pan and let it simmer, while you scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. We don't want that tomato paste to cause a burn notice!
- Layer Stew. Add the beef stock, seasonings, and seared beef, and prepared veggies to the mixture.
- Pressure Cook. Pressure Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. After the cook time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for at least 15 minutes. This ensures the meat stays tender and hot liquid doesn't spew out of the vent knob.
- Thicken if desired. If you would like a thick, glossy broth, turn the Instant Pot back to sauté and let the mixture come to a bubble. Whisk together cornstarch and water until dissolved, then add to the inner pot. Let cook, stirring often, until thickened.
- Serve. Nothing goes better with stew than crusty bread. Serve this Irish Stew with Irish Soda Bread, Italian Bread, or Whole Wheat Dutch Oven Bread. And of course, it doesn't hurt to pair it with a Guinness to drink as well.
Slow Cooker Irish Stew
No Instant Pot? No problem! With a few modifications, you can make this recipe in a slow cooker.
- Sear the seasoned beef, onion, and celery in a large dutch oven in heated oil. Once the meat is browned, transfer that mixture to the base of a crockpot.
- Add in the beer, 3 cups of broth, tomato paste, seasonings, and vegetables.
- Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
- To thicken, remove the lid from the slow cooker, and turn the heat to high. Whisk together the cornstarch and water until the cornstarch is fully dissolved, then whisk that slurry into the stew. Let cook for 30 minutes on high, with the lid removed, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the bay leaves and serve.
More Hearty Beef Recipes
- Vegetable Beef Soup
- Slow Cooker Pot Roast
- Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup
- Instant Pot Italian Beef
- Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa
- Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon
- Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches
Instant Pot Irish Stew
This recipe for Instant Pot Irish Stew features melt-in-your mouth beef, tender root veggies, and a rich, tangy, and robust Guinness-infused broth. No Instant Pot? I have instructions for making this stew in the slow cooker as well.
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1¼ pounds beef or lamb stew meat, cubed into 1½-inch chunks
- kosher salt + black pepper, to taste
- 1 large yellow onion, minced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 12 ounces Stout Beer
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup, or brown sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pound Yukon Gold, Russet, or red potatoes, cut into 1½-inch pieces
- 2 large carrots, peeled, cut into 1½-inch pieces
- 2 small parsnips, peeled, cut into 2½-inch pieces
Optional
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to saute, add 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, and let heat. While the oil is heating, pat the stew meat dry with a paper towel and then season generously with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- Once the oil has heated, add in the seasoned beef, minced onion, and diced celery and saute until the beef is fully browned and the onions and celery have softened.
- With the Instant Pot still on saute, add in the minced garlic, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, and 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves and saute for 30 seconds, just to toast the spices and tomato paste.
- Add 12 ounces Stout Beer to the inner pot, and use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let the mixture cook for 3-4 minutes to reduce slightly. Hit cancel to turn the saute function.
- Add 2 cups low-sodium beef broth , 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 2 bay leaves, a good pinch of both kosher salt and pepper, potatoes, carrots, and parsnips to the inner pot and stir to combine.
- Secure the lid on the instant pot. Set to cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 30 minutes by using the manual or pressure cook button. When the cooking time has elapsed, allow the pressure to release naturally on its own for 15 minutes.
- At this point, the stew is ready to be served. However, if you would like a thicker stew, thicken it up by hitting cancel to turn off the keep warm feature and then hit saute. Whisk together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water until the cornstarch is fully dissolved. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the stew, and let simmer and bubble until thickened, stirring often.
Notes
UPDATE: This recipe was originally published as a 2-step cooking process. I have made some slight changes and now the stew comes together with much less effort and perfect results.
Potatoes: I recommend waxy potatoes, like Yukon Gold for this stew. If using russet potatoes, be sure to peel them prior to adding them to the stew.
Parsnips: If you don’t care for parsnips, use additional carrots, or vice versa.
Maple Syrup: Use pure maple syrup or brown sugar in its place. You can certainly omit or cut the maple syrup in half if you are watching adding sugars.
Slow Cooker Instructions: Sear the seasoned beef, onion, and celery in a large dutch oven in heated oil, then transfer to the base of a crockpot. Add in the beer, 3 cups of broth, tomato paste, seasonings, and vegetables. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. To thicken, remove the lid from the slow cooker, and turn the heat to high. Whisk together the cornstarch and water until the cornstarch is fully dissolved, then whisk into the crockpot. Let cook for 30 minutes on high, with the lid removed, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaves and serve.
Storage: Leftover Irish Stew can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month. Defrost in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Calories: 304kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 22gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 732mgPotassium: 970mgFiber: 6gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 3496IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @amindfullmom or tag #amindfullmom!
This recipe was originally published in 2022 and updated in 2025.
Made this for my family group wish I'd made it ahead.
It was terrific but Improves with age. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing that you felt improved as it sat! I am happy to hear you enjoyed the Irish Stew Overall.
Is the pressure cook time the same if I use lamb instead of beef?
Yes 🙂 Enjoy!
Looks delicious! I have a 10q instant pot and was wondering how much more beer/broth would I have to add? Also, I noticed you mentioned to peel the potatoes but in the pics they look like they were not. Can I keep the skin on the potatoes?
Hi Pamela! This is still plenty of liquid for a 10 quart instant pot (there is a total of 4 to 4 1/2 cups). For the potatoes, I used baby potatoes, cut in half. If you are using larger potatoes, you will want to cut them into smaller pieces (about 1 1/2 inch chunk) No need to peel the potatoes but for russet potatoes, you may want to for a better texture. Enjoy!
Made this yesterday, It came out great in the Instant Pot. Easy to make, delicious, and pure comfort food! Can't wait to make again.
Hi Gina! I love hearing you enjoyed the Irish Stew! I hope it makes its way to your dinner table often.
This is so hearty with a lot of flavor. It's perfect for a St Patrick's day meal too!
Hi, I was wondering which method you prefer, Instant pot or crock pot? I want to make this but cannot decide which method to use.
For the ease of not planning ahead, I prefer the instant pot. However, both have great results. I hope you enjoy.
I made this for dinner tonight. It was delicious! My whole family loved it. Served it with some Irish Soda bread. Thank you for sharing
I am so happy you and your family enjoyed Debbie!