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    Home » Comfort Foods

    Jan 26, 2021 · Modified: Feb 28, 2022 by Melinda O'Malley Keckler · This post may contain affiliate links · this blog generates income via ads.

    St. Patrick's Day Stew

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    St. Patrick's Day Stew is a hearty beef stew with an amazing rich and delicious broth made with Guinness Extra Stout beer and red wine. The tender stew meat along with Idaho potatoes, parsnips and carrots combine for a special and comforting meal. My family enjoys it all year but especially on or around March 17.

    Irish stew in a small bowl with a spoon.
    Dish up and grab a big spoon, this stew is pure comfort food.

    Ingredients to have on hand

    • stew meat (I use chuck roast)
    • carrots, parsnips and russet potatoes (Idaho!)
    • beef stock
    • Guinness Extra Stout beer, or any dark beer
    • red wine
    • Worcestershire sauce
    • dried thyme
    Potatoes, onion, parsnips and carrots on a cutting board.
    Four classic ingredients combine perfectly with beef in this stew.

    Crockpot or Stovetop?

    I've made this hearty stew on both the stovetop in a large pot, and in a 7 quart Crockpot, or slow cooker. Both ways work great and the result is a rich broth with tender stew meat.

    I love how easy is it to prepare this stew in a Crockpot since everything cooks together all day.

    But there's something special about the texture of the vegetables after cooking this on the stovetop.

    Here are two pictures so you can see the difference between the cooking methods, but the bottom line is, both ways of preparing this St. Patrick's Day, or Irish stew are equally delicious!

    A small bowl full of St. Patrick's Day Stew with a spoon and napkin on the side.
    Slow Cooker: The veggies are softer after cooking all day
    Irish stew in a small bowl with a spoon.
    Stovetop: The veggies are thoroughly cooked, but have slightly more definition.

    It all depends on how much time you have and whether you'd prefer to simply switch the slow cooker (Crockpot) to low and have the stew cook all day, or whether you'd like to be on hand in the kitchen.

    The stovetop version includes instructions to add the veggies and potatoes at intervals during the cooking process, after the broth and beef have simmered on their own for about 45 minutes.

    Stew ingredients in the Crockpot.
    In the Crockpot the stew cooks in 6-8 hours.

    Stew on the Stovetop

    If you opt to cook this beef stew on the stovetop, I recommend browning the stew meat first in about two tablespoons on olive oil in a large stockpot, then adding the garlic and all of the liquid ingredients, tomato sauce and spices.

    The stew will cook in about 90 minutes.

    About half way through that cooking time, partially cook the carrots, parsnips and onion in a little olive oil in a skillet. You'll want them to be about half-cooked or just barely fork-tender. This ensures the veggies don't get overcooked after you combine them with the rest of the simmering stew.

    Add the partially cooked veggies to the broth and meat mixture and continue to simmer.

    Add the diced potatoes for the final 30 minutes.

    Discard the bay leaf before serving.

    Parsnips, carrots and onion in a skillet.
    Partially cook the carrots, parsnips and onion before adding to the broth.
    St. Patrick's Day stew cooking on the stove.
    If cooking on the stove, add the veggies after the broth and meat has simmered for at least an hour.

    Substitutes for Wine or Beer

    If you prefer not to use beer or wine in your stew, just swap both ingredients with the same amount of beef broth and increase the amount of Worcestershire sauce to two tablespoons instead of one.

    Stew ingredients in the Crockpot
    Top the stew with bay leaves and parsley.

    Layer the Ingredients

    The key to everything cooking perfectly is to layer the ingredients in the following order in the Crockpot, starting with the stew meat as the bottom layer:

    • stew meat and garlic
    • carrots
    • parsnips
    • potatoes
    • tomato sauce
    • onion
    Beef and garlic in a crockpot.
    Add beef to crockpot and top with garlic.
    Carrots on top of beef in a crockpot.
    Carrots go to top of the beef and garlic.
    Carrots and parsnips on top beef in a crockpot.
    Place diced carrots and parsnips on top of the beef.
    Potatoes in a crockpot
    Next, add the diced potatoes.
    Tomato sauce on top of veggies and beef in a crockpot.
    Top with tomato sauce and water.

    Top Tips and FAQ

    What are parsnips?

    It's a root veggie. Although I don't cook with them as frequently as carrots, they are very similar and they're almost always available in the grocery store's produce section.

    What's the biggest difference between carrots and parsnips?

    Both carrots and parsnips are somewhat sweet but parsnips have a slightly spicy flavor. They're so good! I love to use them in this beef stew or any time I want a sturdy veggie added to a soup, and they're delicious in a pan of oven-roasted veggies.

    Stew in the Crockpot
    Everything is in the Crockpot. The stew is ready to cook!

    Thickened Broth Option

    If you and your family prefer a slightly thicker broth for your St. Patrick's Day Stew, that's easy! In a very small bowl, combine two tablespoons cornstarch with two tablespoons cold water and whisk together until it creates a thin slurry - a concentrated liquid that thickens broth, sauces or gravy. Pour the mixture into the stew and stir well to blend thoroughly. You'll watch the broth thicken right away.

    A crockpot full of cooked St. Patrick's Day stew.
    Cooked and ready. Next step, remove the bay leaves, stir then serve and enjoy.

    Other Ideas

    There are many celebrations of Irish culture related to St. Patrick's Day. Enjoying all things green - and wearing green - are certainly two of them. Many folks enjoy corned beef and cabbage on March 17, which is wonderful. But this St. Patrick's Day beef stew is a terrific option.

    Here are a few more recipes that I think you'll enjoy with your stew on St. Patrick's Day, but all of these are delicious any time of year!

    • Sweet Green Smoothies
    • Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
    • Classic Potato Rolls

    Be sure to give a star rating to the recipes you make from the Crinkled Cookbook. I always love hearing from you. Sharing is great too! Use the buttons after the recipe to text it with just one click or send it to family and friends on Pinterest and Facebook. Enjoy.

    Irish stew in a small bowl with a spoon.

    St. Patrick's Day Stew

    A rich and delicious broth, tender stew meat with Idaho potatoes, parsnips and carrots - there's something very special and comforting about St. Patrick's Day Stew.
    5 from 31 votes
    Print Rate Pin Recipe
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Stovetop Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 514kcal
    Author: Melinda O'Malley Keckler

    Equipment

    • 7 Quart Crockpot optional

    Ingredients 

    • 2.5 pounds stew meat cut into 1"chunks
    • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided divided, for browning the meat and veggies if cooking on the stovetop
    • 1 tablespoon garlic diced (about 4 large cloves)
    • 5 carrots large, peeled and sliced
    • 2 parsnips large, peeled and sliced
    • 3 russet potatoes peeled and cut into 2" wedges
    • 1 onion white, sliced and diced
    • 1, 8 oz can tomato sauce
    • 1 cup water
    • 4 cups beef stock I use Better than Bouillon
    • 1 cup Guinness extra stout beer
    • 1 cup red wine
    • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce Portland brand is my favorite
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
    • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon pepper
    • 1-2 teaspoons salt to taste
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1 tablespoon dried parsley

    Instructions

    STOVETOP INSTRUCTIONS

      Simmer Beef and Broth

      • Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large stockpot on the stove.
        Add the stew meat and cook in the hot oil until the meat is browned. Add the garlic and all of the liquid ingredients and spices: tomato sauce, water, beef stock, Guinness beer, wine, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, thyme, garlic powder, pepper, salt, bay leaves and parsley.
        Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium, low and cover with the lid ajar. The stew will simmer for about 90 minutes total time.

      Add Partially Cook Veggies

      • After about 45 minutes, heat an additional tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet on the stove over medium high heat. Once the oil starts to shimmer, add the peeled and chopped carrots, parsnips and onions, cook for about 10 -15 minutes.
        Add the partially cooked veggies to the broth and meat in the stockpot and continue simmering. This step ensures the veggies don't get overcooked.

      Add Diced Potatoes

      • During the final 30 minutes of cooking time for the stew, add the peeled and diced potatoes. Continue simmering the stew until the veggies and potatoes are tender.
        Remove bay leaves before serving and enjoy!

      SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS

      • Place stew meat in the bottom of a 7 quart Crockpot and top with diced garlic.
        Next, place diced carrots and parsnips, then diced potatoes on top of the meat. Pour tomato sauce and water over the top of the ingredients, add onions.

      Combine Liquid Ingredients

      • In a medium bowl, whisk together beef broth, Guinness beer, red wine and Worcestershire sauce. Add sugar, salt, pepper, thyme and garlic powder and mix well. 
        Pour liquid and spices over the layered ingredients in the crockpot. 

      Cook on Low or High

      • Top with bay leaves and parsley. 
        Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours.
        Once cooked, stir gently to combine before serving, remove bay leaves and enjoy.
      Did you make this recipe? Scroll up and leave a star rating.Tap @crinkledcookbook and follow me today.

      Nutrition

      Calories: 514kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 50gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 117mgSodium: 1114mgPotassium: 2022mgFiber: 7gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 8717IUVitamin C: 24mgCalcium: 137mgIron: 8mg

      Please note, the nutrition details are estimated using a food database and are offered here only as a guideline for informational purposes.

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      1. Jeannnie says

        February 15, 2022 at 9:33 pm

        Making your recipe, it's been pretty cold here and this stew would be a perfect meal for us.

        Reply
      2. Debra says

        February 15, 2022 at 8:00 pm

        5 stars
        Oh how I love a one pot meal...and this one didn't disappoint. Super tasty, everyone loved the big chunks...and I loved the easy clean up.

        Reply
      3. Jerika says

        February 15, 2022 at 7:33 pm

        This St. Patrick's Day Stew is one of our comfort foods!:) It really is a hearty, one-pot beef stew!:) Thanks!

        Reply
      4. Jere Cassidy says

        February 15, 2022 at 6:48 pm

        5 stars
        Thanks for posting this recipe. My Irish hubby always talks about his mother's stew and how much he misses it. I am saving your recipe so I can surprise him. Thanks for all the good step-by-steps.

        Reply
      5. Kayla DiMaggio says

        February 15, 2022 at 6:27 pm

        5 stars
        This St. Patricks Day stew was so perfect for this chilly winter! Can't wait to make it again for St. Patty's Day!

        Reply

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