Instant Pot Lamb Stew
Hearty, cozy, and oh so delicious, Instant Pot lamb stew is one of my favorite one pot dinner recipes! And because it’s so quick and easy to make, the Irish stew is equally great for a weeknight meal or a St. Patrick’s Day celebration!
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The whole house smells amazing while this dinner is pressure cooking. My kids were basically drooling, waiting for it to finish cooking. (Of course, I gave them something to do). It’s just an all around wonderful wintertime meal.
Why You’ll Love This Instant Pot Lamb Stew Recipe
- Ready to eat in an hour. Normally, stew recipes need to slowly simmer on the stovetop or in a crock pot for a few hours to create super tender lamb shoulder. No more! This whole meal comes together quickly, but it tastes just like it’s been simmering all day.
- Pressure cooking is the ultimate one-pot meal. Using an Instant Pot allows you to both brown and then cook the meat, making it so unbelievably tender that you can shred it into the pieces with a spoon.
- Perfectly cooked veggies. The vegetables are soft and tender, but not mush. I like my vegetables with some life in them! Honestly, nobody like mushy veggies.
You may also like: Instant Pot Pot Roast, Italian Lamb Meatballs.
Ingredients
Lamb Stew Meat or Lamb Shoulder cut into bite sized pieces. Lamb shoulder becomes wonderfully tender in stews and braises. I prefer to get it pre-cut from my favorite butcher, because I’m always excited to get to take a shortcut, but both ways work great.
*If you don’t like lamb, you can make this stew with beef chuck roast.
Produce: Baby potatoes, onion, carrots, green peas (I use frozen), and fresh thyme. The root vegetables add earthy flavor and make the stew more hearty. The peas add a touch of bright, fresh sweetness.
Beef Stock: There are many different bone broths to choose from.
Guinness. Stout beer is unmistakably Irish, rich and deep in flavor. This ingredient is optional, but it takes the Irish stew recipe to another level! Don’t worry, it’s safe to cook with beer in your Instant Pot!
*If you don’t have stout on hand, you can substitute red wine.
*If you’re following Whole30 or otherwise avoiding alcohol, you can simply skip the Guinness and substitute a little more broth.
Pantry: Oil, salt, garlic powder, pepper, and arrowroot powder. You can omit the arrowroot and substitute flour, if that works better for you.
Step by Step Instructions
This is a summary of the steps for my Instant Pot lamb stew recipe. See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for complete instructions.
If you don’t have a pressure cooker, don’t worry. Scroll down for the instructions to make it in a slow cooker.
- Prepare the meat. Use a few paper towels to pat the pieces of lamb dry. Then, toss them with arrowroot powder and a bit of salt and pepper.
- Sear the lamb stew meat. Set your Instant Pot to sauté mode and let it heat up, then add the oil. In batches, add the meat to the Instant Pot, and allow it to cook for about 2 minutes per side. When the pieces are brown and have a nice crust, set them aside on a plate.
- Sauté the onions. Add the onions to the hot oil, and sauté them for a few minutes.
- Deglaze the pot. Add the Guinness (if using). Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the inner pot.
- Add remaining ingredients, then pressure cook. Pour in the broth and add the carrots, potatoes, and seasonings. Place the lid on your Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes. Allow for a natural pressure release.
- Finish and Serve. When the pressure is released, the lid on your Instant Pot will unlock. Remove the lid and stir in the frozen peas. Allow them to warm up with the hot stew for a few minutes.
- Ladle the Irish stew into bowls, sprinkle with fresh thyme, and season with a little salt and pepper.
Want a Thicker Stew?
Optionally, you can thicken the broth by making a slurry. Whisk more arrowroot powder with about 1/4 cup of the broth in a small dish, then stir that into the stew. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode and allow the stew to simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Storing leftovers: Once the Lamb Stew has cooled to room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container or zip top bag and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Freezing leftovers: This stew freezes beautifully! Allow the stew to cool completely, then transfer it to a zip top freezer bag. Squeeze all the air out of the bag, then store in the freezer for 2-3 months. Defrost by setting the bag on a plate in the refrigerator overnight.
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Brown the pieces of meat in a large stock pot over medium heat. Remove the lamb pieces and set them aside.
- Sauté the onions in the same pot, stirring occasionally. Deglaze the pan with the beer, using a wooden spoon to scrape up the bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Transfer the meat to the slow cooker. Pour the onion and beer mixture over the meat. Add the potatoes, carrots, seasonings. Place cover on the crock pot.
- Cook on High for 4-5 hours, or Low for 6-7 hours. Stir in the peas. Make a cornstarch slurry, then stir that into the cooked stew and allow it to cook for another 10-15 minutes. Season and serve!
Irish Traditions
Kiss me, I’m Irish! Okay, no, don’t. But I am Irish. My grandma was born in County Mayo and my grandpa in County Cork. They moved to America in the early 1960’s, raised their family here, and some of my fondest memories are celebrating St. Patrick’s Day at their home.
So this and every St. Patrick’s Day, I love to celebrate my Irish heritage! One of the most popular St. Patrick’s Day recipes is corned beef & cabbage, and for obvious reasons. It’s absolutely delicious! But my grandmother always insisted that her family never actually had corned beef in Ireland… and definitely not for St. Patrick’s Day. Instead, they ate stew!
Making this recipe? I’d love to see! Tag me on Instagram @cookathomemom.
Instant Pot Irish Lamb Stew
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. lamb stew meat or lamb shoulder, cut into 1.5 inch cubes
- 6 ounces Guinness stout beer or omit and substitute more beef broth
- 32 ounces beef broth
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder or flour, plus optional 2 tablespoons for thickening the broth
- 1 lb. baby potatoes
- 1/2 medium onion
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3-4 medium carrots
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 12 ounces frozen peas optional
Instructions
- Brown the meat. Pat the pieces of lamb with a few paper towels to dry them. Sprinkle with arrowroot powder and a bit of salt and pepper.
- Turn the Instant Pot to sauté mode and heat the oil. In batches, add the meat to the Instant Pot, and let it cook for about 2 minutes per side. Set it aside on a plate.
- Cook in the Instant Pot. Add the onions to the Instant Pot, and saute for a few minutes until softened. Add the Guinness (if using) to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits off the bottom.
- Pour in the broth. Add the carrots, potatoes, lamb, and seasonings. Cover and turn to high pressure for 35 minutes. Allow for a natural pressure release.
- Finish and Serve. Once the pressure has completely released, open the lid. Stir in the green peas and allow them to cook with the stew for a few minutes.
- Optionally, you thicken the broth by making a slurry. Whisk more arrowroot powder with about 1/4 cup of the broth in a small dish, then stir that into the stew. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode and allow the stew to simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle with fresh thyme, and season with a little salt and pepper.
