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British Irish

Traditional Irish Lamb Stew

A traditional Irish lamb stew with tender lamb shoulder, potatoes, onions, carrots, and a simple savoury broth.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 1 September 2026Updated

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Traditional Irish Lamb Stew

1 hr 50 mintotal

Prep 20 min · Cook 1 hr 30 min

Serves
2
Difficulty
Easy
Spice
None
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Ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

No inactive time; the 90 minutes is a slow simmer, and the potatoes and carrots join partway through so they are tender rather than collapsed.

Method

  1. Place the lamb, onion, celery, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and water in a heavy pot.

  2. Bring to a gentle boil, skim off any foam, then lower the heat.

  3. Cover and simmer slowly until the lamb begins to turn tender.

  4. Add the potatoes and carrots, then continue simmering until the vegetables are soft and the lamb is tender.

  5. Lightly crush a few potato pieces into the broth to thicken it naturally.

  6. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, then remove the bay leaf.

  7. Finish with chopped parsley and serve hot.

How to tell it's done

The stew should be brothy but lightly thickened, with tender lamb and soft potato chunks.

Getting it right

Tip

Keep the simmer gentle; hard boiling can make the lamb tough and the potatoes break down too quickly.

What to serve it with

Serve with soda bread or plain crusty bread to soak up the broth.

Common mistakes

The broth is greasy and cloudy.
Skim the foam and fat off in the first ten minutes and keep the pot at a bare simmer. Lamb shoulder gives up a lot of fat, and a rolling boil emulsifies it into the broth.
The potatoes disintegrate.
Add them only once the lamb is nearly tender, and crush just a few deliberately at the end. Potatoes in from the start collapse entirely and turn the stew to soup.

Substitutions

  • Use Lamb Shank instead of Lamb Shoulder if needed, but simmer longer until the meat softens.
  • Use Boneless Mutton as a local adaptation; flavour will be stronger than lamb.
  • Use stock instead of water for a richer stew, but the simple water-based version is more traditional.

Storing and reheating

Keeps four days in the fridge and is better the next day. Freezes for three months, though the potato goes floury. Reheat gently and add fresh parsley each time.