Name: Slow Cooker Lamb Stew Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 8 h
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 2 pounds lamb, chopped into bite size pieces; 1 onion, finely diced; 3 carrots (cut into large pieces); 2 celery pieces, chopped; 2 cups golden potatoes, chopped; 4 ounces mushrooms, sliced or quartered; 1 cup green beans, cut in half; 3 cloves garlic, crushed; 1 teaspoon thyme; salt and black pepper to season; 1 small can tomato paste; 14.5 ounce can pure pumpkin; 1 can Guinness ber (optional); 4 cups beef broth or water; 1 tablespoon Beef Better than Bouillon

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If you are looking for something Irish to cook for St. Patrick’s day try this slow cooker lamb stew. Full of hearty vegetables, tender lamb pieces and a flavorful broth with a hint of Guinness beer. Just put everything in the slow cooker and serve some delicious comfort food on a busy weeknight.

You might also like this healthy Instant Pot beef stew recipe.

closeup of a crock with a serving of Irish lamb stew — *This post contains affiliate links. For more information visit our* *policies* *page.*

I was trying to come up with a St. Patrick’s Day post on a cold day in February and was really in the mood for some comforting stew. So decided to make this slow cooker lamb stew and added some Guinness beer to give it a bit of Irish flavor.

This new lamb recipe will really round out all of my lamb recipes on this blog. The meat is so tender and I added as many veggies as I could. The broth is thick and tasty but I didn’t use any flour or cornstarch.

We ate this for a few days because it makes a lot and it’s just me and my hubby since my son is in college. But we didn’t care. It was really good. And it tasted even better the next day! I think this would freeze really well too so I’ll try that next time!

aerial view of a large and small bowl with Irish lamb stew made in the slow cooker

Recipe ingredients I used and substitutions.

The simple ingredients I used are lamb meat, veggies, garlic cloves, broth or water, Better than Bouillon, thyme, beer, canned pumpkin, tomato paste, salt and black pepper.

Lamb
I bought a lamb roast from Costco and used half of it for the recipe and smoke the other half. If you can find lamb stew meat use that but otherwise find the smallest lamb shoulder or lamb leg roast you can find or use half of it for another recipe. I used 2 pounds of meat for this stew.

Veggies
I used a lot of veggies because I love vegetables in my stew. This is entirely up to you. I would definitely recommend carrots, golden potatoes and yellow onion. Aside from that I also used celery, mushrooms slices and green beans. If I had green peas I would have added them also. I like golden baby potatoes but you can use russet potatoes, red potatoes or even sweet potato if you want.

Guinness Beer
I wanted that flavor for the Irish stew flavor but you can eliminate the beer entirely if you want or use another type of dark beer or stout. I would try to stick to Guinness if you can but that is up to you.

Tomato Paste and Canned Pumpkin
I used these too products to balance out the beer. The Guinness has a bitter flavor and the sweetness of the tomato paste and canned pumpkin really mellowed it out a bit. Plus it made the broth thicker. So they add flavor and thickness and nutrition! Note the canned pumpkin should be pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling.

Better than Bouillon and Beef Broth
You can use just beef broth or beef stock if you don’t have any Better than Bouillon but I LOVE this stuff and feel it adds lots of flavor to soups and stews so try to use it if you can. You can substitute with regular bouillon if you want or add a bit more seasoning if you do not have any bouillon.

recipe ingredients - lamb pieces, chopped veggies, Guiness beer, thyme, garlic, better than bouillon

How to make this easy slow cooker lamb stew.

Some recipes want you to brown the lamb pieces and cook the onions in a skillet on the stove before slow cooking but I was trying to make this recipe as easy as possible.

If you wish to do that get out a large skillet and heat to medium high heat along with a tablespoon oil. Add the onions and lamb with a little salt and black pepper then turn down the heat to medium heat. Sear them for a few minutes on each side.

Step 1: Add the chunks of lamb and finely chopped onion into the crockpot. Season lamb with salt and black pepper and mix around.

crock pot with raw lamb pieces and onion

Step 2: Chop all of your veggies and add them over the meat. I would cut the vegetables into bigger chunks so they don’t get too overcooked if you can.

Step 3: Mix broth, crushed garlic, thyme, canned pumpkin, Guinness beer if using and tomato paste together in a mixing bowl. Pour in the crock and mix well.

slow cooker with veggies and broth and seasonings ready to cook

Step 4: Cover and cook only low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. Note cooking time may vary. You want the meat to be tender so you know it’s done then the meat melts in your mouth. Ladle into bowls or dishes and serve. You can also garnish with fresh herbs like parsley or thyme leaves if you want.

Store leftovers in an airtight container or freeze some for another meal some day. Please scroll down to view the printable recipe card.

You can serve this on a dish over rice, noodles or just eat it as is with crusty bread. (Try my friend Gloria’s Irish soda bread recipe!)

We ate it over rice the first night and then just in a bowl for lunch the next day. Add a green salad and you have a complete meal.

closeup of a large bowl of Irish lamb stew

More hearty slow cooker recipes to try.

To me, other than my Ninja Creami machine that makes the best keto ice cream, the slow cooker is one of the best inventions for cooking. I love putting everything in the crock pot in the morning and dinner is done for the day. Here are few of my favorite recipes that you might like to try.

chili for a crowd or chipotle shredded chicken
chicken bacon ranch casserole
hearty meat sauce for spaghetti or thick homemade salsa
easy whole roasted chicken
zesty garlic pulled pork
Italian beef braciole
apple and pear sauce

Well this will now become or St. Patty Day meal of choice. We don’t eat lamb very often so when we do it’s always something special like this slow cooker Irish lamb stew with Guinness beer. I hope you like it as much as we do. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Lamb Stew Recipe

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 10 minutes

For a good Irish dish to try this St. Patty's Day try this slow cooker lamb stew. Loaded with veggies and tender lamb pieces all wrapped up in a thick and flavorful broth.

Ingredients

2 pounds lamb, chopped into bite size pieces
1 onion, finely diced
3 carrots (cut into large pieces)
2 celery pieces, chopped
2 cups golden potatoes, chopped
4 ounces mushrooms, sliced or quartered
1 cup green beans, cut in half
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon thyme
salt and black pepper to season
1 small can tomato paste
14.5 ounce can pure pumpkin
1 can Guinness ber (optional)
4 cups beef broth or water
1 tablespoon Beef Better than Bouillon

Instructions

Please see notes about susbstitutes and cooking options.
Chop up the vegetables and lamb into bite size pieces. Make sure to finely dice the onion though.
Add the onion and lamb pieces to the crockpot. Liberally season lamb with salt and black pepper. Mix well.
Add the chopped vegetables on top.
Mix together the beer, broth or water, tomato paste, pumpkin, garlic, thyme and Better than Bouillon base. Pour over the vegetables and mix around.
Place the lid on top and cook on low carb 6-8 hours or on high 4-6 hours. You will know it's done when the meat is fall apart tender.
Ladle into large bowls with a piece of crusty bread or serve over rice or egg noodles.

Notes

Use lamb stew meat if you can find it. Or buy the smalled lamb shoulder or leg roast you can. I bought a small one and use half for this recipe and smoked the rest. You can also cut the second half into pieces and freeze for making this recipe another day.
You could brown the lamb pieces and cook the onions in a skillet on the stove before adding to the stew but I was trying to make this recipe as easy as possible.
To do that get out a large skillet and heat to medium high heat along with a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions and lamb with a little salt and black pepper then turn down the heat to medium heat Sear them for a few minutes on each side.
Veggies - I used a lot of veggies because that is the way I like my stew. You don't have to use all of thes or you can use other that you like. I would suggest that you use the carrots, potatoes and onions at the very least. I would have used frozen peas if I had them. If you use add them at the end.
I love Better than Bouillon but if you don't have any you can use regular bouillon or just beef stock. If you just use stock add more salt and pepper.
The Guinness beer adds a lot of flavor but you don't have to use it or you can use another dark beer or stout. The tomato paste and pumpkin add sweetness to balance the beer and also add thickness. If you don't use the beer you can cut the portions of the tomato paste and pumpkin in half.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 89Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 606mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 4g