Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew Recipe

This Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew is my attempt at a traditional Irish dish in preparation for St. Patrick’s Day. My husband (who happens to be part Irish) gave this dish two tasty thumbs up, so I’m going to take that as a win! It’s got an incredible mix of flavors from garlic to spices to beef broth to Worcestershire sauce. Combining to create the ultimate Irish comfort food.

While on my journey to make a slew of Irish recipes for St. Patrick’s Day, I learned that Irish meals consist of a lot of potatoes, cabbage, carrots and some kind of meat. The trick is to find unique ways to cook and assemble them. For this Irish Beef Stew, there are a few different ways you can make it. I chose to use the slow cooker because I felt like it yielded more tender beef and a deeper, savory flavor.

HOW TO MAKE SLOW COOKER IRISH BEEF STEW

I would first suggest marinating the beef in olive oil and beef bouillon for at least two hours but PREFERABLY overnight if you have the time. The longer the beef marinades, the more tender and flavorful it will be. But if you don’t have the time, it’s not a mandatory step. You can still cover the meat in the marinade and just cook it right away.

When you sear the beef in the skillet, it will leave behind a lot of valuable juices that will come in handy. You’re going to place the seared beef in the slow cooker to get it out of the way. Then you’ll add the flour, spices and SOME of the beef broth to the skillet. When it’s heated and mixed with the leftover juices, it creates a delicious creamy sauce that gives this Irish Beef Stew most of its flavor.

Now, all that’s left is to assemble the ingredients in the slow cooker and start cooking your stew! Even though this beef stew is made in the slow cooker, it doesn’t NEED to cook all day as long as you set it to high. This will cut the cook time in half but still give it enough time to brew up some amazing flavor.

SLOW COOKER IRISH BEEF STEW

The great thing about this Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew is that it’s a whole meal on its own! Not only is it comforting, but the combination of potatoes, meat and vegetables also makes it very filling and satisfying. This is a must try Irish recipe for St. Patrick’s Day! Read on to see the full ingredient list and directions.

LOVE SOUP? CHECK OUT THESE RECIPES NEXT!

1. Egyptian Beef & Okra Stew
2. Split Pea Soup
3. Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya

Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew

Course: MainDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

2

hours 

Cooking time

4

hours 

Calories

345

kcal

This Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew is a comforting Irish dish perfect for St. Patrick’s Day! Full of potatoes, meat and vegetables for a filling, satisfying meal.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks (or you can use ready-cut beef stew meat)

• 3 Tbs olive oil, divided

• 1 Tbs + 1 tsp beef bouillon, divided

• 3 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into large chunks

• 4 carrots, sliced

• 1 onion, chopped into medium chunks

• 2 Tbs flour

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp black pepper

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 ½ cups beef broth

• 1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce

• 3 cups cabbage, sliced into thin strips

Directions

• Marinade the beef in 2 Tbs olive oil and 1 Tbs beef bouillon. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight, preferably. If you don’t have time, you can cook immediately. But meat will be more tender/flavorful the longer it marinades
• When ready to cook, add 1 Tbs olive oil to a large skillet. Set to high until oil is hot. Add the beef to the skillet and sear for about 1 minute on each side. (Leave any remaining juices in the skillet when you remove the beef)
• Add the seared beef, potatoes, onions and carrots to the crockpot
• In the same skillet with the remaining beef juices, add the flour, 1 tsp bouillon, garlic powder, black pepper and minced garlic. Set heat to medium and mix until thick (about 1 minute)
• Add ½ cup of beef broth and mix until flour mixture dissolves. Add another ½ cup beef broth and mix until it turns into a thick sauce
• Pour the sauce into the crockpot on top of the beef and vegetables
• In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Pour it into the crockpot
• Mix the contents of the crockpot well. Then, cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours
• Add the sliced cabbage, mix well, then cover and cook an additional 1 hour
• Top each serving with minced parsley if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

• Calories & Nutritional Info may vary based on different brands and ingredients used. Nutritional Info below was calculated using Very Fit Well’s Nutrition Calculator.