I will be honest. I am partial to Irish Stew made with lamb. But Irish Stew made with beef is tasty in its own right! This Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew is a flavorful, comforting dish perfect for colder rainy days too!
This recipe is very similar to my OG Irish Stew I shared over a decade (!) ago, with a few adjustments. Recipes like this Irish Beef Stew are perfect to make in your slow cooker (paid link), which helps develop the flavors of the dish while perfectly cooking the meat and vegetables.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 3 onions, chopped
- 3 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced into half moons
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 5 lbs stew beef
- 5 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
- 5 cups beef stock, divided
- 1 (15 oz) can Guinness
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons pearl barley
- 2 lbs baby red potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 cup frozen peas
To make your Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew, begin by adding 1 tablespoon unsalted butter to a large sauté pan over medium heat.
Once the butter has melted, add in the onions and leeks and season with thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to your slow cooker.
Return the sauté pan to your stovetop over medium high heat and add in your remaining 1 tablespoon butter.
Season the beef with salt and pepper, then add to the pan in batches, browning on all sides.
Transfer the browned beef to your slow cooker.
Add in your carrots and parsnips to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
Add 1/4 cup beef stock to the pan with the carrots and parsnips, and scrape at the bottom of the pan to loosen the browned bits.
Transfer the mixture to your slow cooker, then pour in the remaining beef stock into the slow cooker. Follow with the Guinness, Worcestershire sauce, pearl barley, and potatoes, stirring to combine.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
After 8 hours, stir in the peas and serve.
After 8 hours, the potatoes are cooked, the carrots and parsnips are soft, and the beef is fall apart tender.
This makes A LOT of stew, so you’ll be happy to know it also freezes well!
This super comforting dish is one of my favorite hearty meals on cold weather days.
Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew
Equipment
- To make your Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew, begin by adding 1 tablespoon unsalted butter to a large sauté pan over medium heat.
- Once the butter has melted, add in the onions and leeks and season with thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to your slow cooker.
- Return the sauté pan to your stovetop over medium high heat and add in your remaining 1 tablespoon butter.
- Season the beef with salt and pepper, then add to the pan in batches, browning on all sides.
- Transfer the browned beef to your slow cooker.
- Add in your carrots and parsnips to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
- Add 1/4 cup beef stock to the pan with the carrots and parsnips, and scrape at the bottom of the pan to loosen the browned bits.
- Transfer the mixture to your slow cooker, then pour in the remaining beef stock into the slow cooker.
- Follow with the Guinness, Worcestershire sauce, pearl barley, and potatoes, stirring to combine.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
- After 8 hours, stir in the peas and serve.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 3 onions chopped
- 3 leeks white and light green parts only, sliced into half moons
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 5 lbs stew beef
- 5 carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 parsnip peeled and chopped
- 5 cups beef stock divided
- 1 15 oz can Guinness
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons pearl barley
- 2 lbs baby red potatoes cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 cup frozen peas
Nathaniel Carter says
Amazing recipe i just love this recipe i really like this thanks for sharing this recipe.