What part of lamb is best for stew?

Your butcher might have some meat labelled as lamb stew meat. If not, boneless lamb shoulder or leg of lamb can be cut into stew sized pieces.

Can you put raw lamb in a slow cooker?

Technically it is OK to put raw lamb in a slow cooker from a safety perspective. But the flavor definitely benefits from browning first! I would encourage you to take the time to brown the lamb for this recipe. Sometimes I skip this step with leaner proteins like chicken breast or ground turkey, but not in a stew.

What to serve with Irish stew?

This Irish lamb stew is definitely a meal on its own! You could serve it with some good bread (we cover beverages later!). To keep it authentic, try some Irish soda bread or maybe some brown bread . I included some links to Irish bread recipes that look good, I haven't tried them.

How to keep and reheat leftover stew?

This stew keeps for several days in the refrigerator, stored in an airtight container. Like many stews, this gets even better when reheated for another meal! I like to slowly reheat the stew in a large pan for best results. If you have a bit of leftover veggies, pasta or grains from another meal, throw them into the stew, too!

Slow Cooker Irish Lamb Stew

Name: Slow Cooker Irish Lamb Stew
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 9 h 15 min
Total time: 9 h 30 min
Cuisine: Irish
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil, divided; 1 onion, chopped; 1 carrot, chopped; 1 leek, white and light green part, chopped; 3 1/2 cups cabbage, chopped; 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and chopped; 1 1/2 lbs lamb stew meat; 4 cups chicken stock; 2 cups water; 2 sprigs rosemary; bay leaf; 1 cup baby spinach leaves; 1 tbsp mint leaves, finely minced (or substitute parsley here)

Slow Cooker Irish Lamb Stew

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 8 reviews

Slow Cooker Irish Lamb Stew with tender meat and Irish vegetables for St. Patrick’s Day or any chilly night you want a hearty meal.

Author: Cooking Chat
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 9 hours 15 mins
Total Time: 9 hours 30 mins
Yield: 6 servings 1x
Category: Stew
Method: slow cooker
Cuisine: Irish

Ingredients

Scale

2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 leek, white and light green part, chopped
3 1/2 cups cabbage, chopped
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 lbs lamb stew meat
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
2 sprigs rosemary
bay leaf
1 cup baby spinach leaves
1 tbsp mint leaves, finely minced (or substitute parsley here)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Sauté veggies: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions, cook for a few minutes, then add the carrots and leek. Cook for about 5 more minutes until the veggies begin to soften. Transfer these veggies into the slow cooker, and add the potatoes and cabbage in a layer on top of the sautéed vegetables.
Brown the lamb: Return the skillet to the stove, heat the remaining olive on medium. Add the lamb. Salt and pepper the lamb to taste, then cook for 5 minutes on one side to brown. Turn the lamb over, brown the other side for another 5 minutes.
Add lamb to slow cooker: Transfer the lamb to the slow cooker. Pour in the chicken stock and the water, then add the sprigs of rosemary and bay leaf.
Slow cooking time: Cook in the slow cooker for 1 hour on high, 8 hours on low. When cooked, stir in the baby spinach leaves for some nice green color.
Serve hot, topped with a touch of fresh mint, along with a pint or glass of hearty red wine. Sláinte!

Notes

If you want to use a bit more lamb than called for, as I did recently, add an extra quarter cup or so of broth.
Substitute parsley for mint if you like. Mint is a classic herb for lamb, but during a recent remake of the stew I had parsley for something else, and used it instead of buying mint. Worked well.

Find it online: https://cookingchatfood.com/slow-cooker-irish-lamb-stew/