Easy Instant Pot Lamb Stew with Guinness

This Instant Pot Lamb Stew is an easy dinner that is full of flavor! Lamb cubes are simmered in Guinness and combined with carrots and potatoes for a hearty Irish stew recipe that will warm you up on a cold day. Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day!

Lamb isn’t the most commonly used meat in American cooking, but it is delicious. Lamb has a tasty and deep flavor which complements a wide variety of cooking, from Irish to Mediterranean. 

I have made Irish Lamb Stew for years, but once I got a pressure cooker I wanted to make a lamb stew recipe in my Instant Pot. The Instant Pot is perfect for making stews, because it allows you make it without hours of cooking.

Using a pressure cooker like the Instant Pot means you can have tender meat without simmering the meat for 2-3 hours. And to make it even better you can brown the meat right in the Instant Pot with the saute function, so there are fewer dishes to wash. 

Quicker cooking combined with fewer dishes make the Instant Pot ideal for making stews! If you aren’t in the mood for lamb check out my Instant Pot Pork Stew or Instant Pot Chicken Stew with Squash.

Why You Will Love this Instant Pot Lamb Stew

• It is a is a delicious St. Patrick’s Day main dish.
• Lamb can be expensive but by making a stew you can stretch the meat and make it go farther.
• It is easy to make and this rich Irish Stew will be ready in less than an hour.
• Nothing is better on a cold day than a steaming bowl of warm stew for dinner!
• If you leftovers this tastes even better the next day.

Key Ingredients

• Lamb meat, cubed – This can be made with any kind of cubed lamb. Shoulder meat is commonly used and if you can find pre-cubed lamb stew meat it will probably be from lamb shoulder. Leg meat also works well. Lamb shoulder is a little tougher than lamb leg, but cooking it in a stewing it makes it tender.
• Guinness stout and broth – I prefer to use Guinness for a rich and unmistakable flavor. It also complements the lamb and makes it distinctly Irish. But you can substitute another kind of beer, broth or wine.
• Flour and tomato paste – These help thicken the meal so it is more stew like and less soup like.
• Vegetables – I include onions, carrots and potatoes. Other root vegetables or celery would be a good addition if you want to add even more vegetables.
• Seasoning – Salt, black pepper, thyme, rosemary and mustard all combine to make this dish flavorful and delicious.

How to Make Irish Lamb Stew with Guinness

1. Brown the Lamb

Put the Instant Pot on Saute and let it heat up for a few minutes. Then add oil to the Instant Pot and add the lamb cubes.

Brown them, stirring, until they are mostly brown, about 5 minutes. Then add the onion and stir to let it soften and brown for 2 minutes.

2. Deglaze the Instant Pot

Turn the Instant Pot off and add the broth. Stir, scraping the bottom of the Instant Pot to get off all the bits of browned meat and onion on the bottom of the Instant Pot. This will help reduce the chances of getting a Burn error from the pressure cooker.

Now add the flour, thyme, rosemary, Guinness, tomato paste, mustard, salt and pepper to the Instant Pot. That is everything except the potatoes and carrots!

Stir to mix everything together in the pressure cooker. Then put the lid on the Instant Pot, locking the lid and making sure the valve is shut.

Pressure cook the stew for 20 minutes on Manual/Pressure setting. The Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes to reach pressure and start counting down the time.

4. Add the Vegetables

While the lamb cooks in the Instant Pot you can cube the carrots and potatoes. To ensure even cooking make the pieces about the same size, 1 inch or less in size. 

I usually peel the potatoes, but that is not necessary. Once the Instant Pot is done cooking do a quick pressure release and remove the lid. 

Now add the carrots and potatoes and put the lid back on the Instant Pot. If you have a hard time getting the lid to reseal run a little cold water on it to cool it off.

Set the Instant Pot on Manual/Pressure for 10 minutes to cook the vegetables. It should come to pressure more quickly this time since everything inside is so hot.

5. Finish

Once the Instant Pot finishes use either the quick pressure release or natural pressure release, depending on how soon you want to serve dinner.

If the stew is not thick enough for your tastes mix 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 Tablespoons of cold water and cook it on saute for 5 minutes until it bubbles and thickens.

How to Avoid Mushy Stew Vegetables

One thing my family and I don’t like is when the vegetables in our stew are mushy and fall apart! That is why I bring the Instant Pot up to pressure twice – first to cook the meat and then to cook the vegetables.

You could add the potatoes and carrots at the beginning and only bring the pressure cooker up to pressure once. It would still taste good but the texture would be a little different and the vegetables’ texture would not be as firm, so I prefer to take a little more time and not overcook the vegetables.

How to Serve Instant Pot Lamb Stew

This hearty stew is a complete meal in itself. But if you want to stretch the meal you could serve it with a green salad or over noodles. I like to garnish it with fresh parsley or thyme.

It also tastes delicious with a crusty bread – especially a beer bread! And if you are a fan of Guinness then make sure you have a few bottles to serve with dinner!

How to Store

Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The flavors will deepen and I think it actually tastes better on the second and third day. 

This lamb stew recipe freezes well and will keep for about 3 months in the freezer. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and heat it over low heat on the stove.

Frequently Asked Questions

Find More Recipes with Guinness

• Guinness Brownies
• Guinness Bread
• Guinness White Chocolate Chip Cookies