Instant Pot Lamb Stew
This Instant Pot lamb stew is rich, hearty, and full of comforting flavor. Tender lamb cooks in a savory Guinness-infused beef broth with vegetables until perfectly fall-apart delicious, making it a cozy meal that’s easy enough for any night of the week.
Servings 6 servings
Calories 226kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds lamb stew meat (trim excess fat and pat dry with a paper towel)
- 1/4 cup flour (all purpose flour)
- 11.2 ounces Guinness beer (one bottle)
- 1 large onion
- 3 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 1 teaspoon salt (sea salt)
- 2 cups beef broth
- 3 sprigs thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 sprig rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 stalk celery (sliced)
- 4 carrots (sliced or chopped)
- 2 medium potatoes (chopped)
Instructions
- Unpack the lamb and pat dry with papertowels.1.5 pounds lamb stew meat
- Add flour to a shallow bowl and place half of the lamb in the flour and cover all sides of the meat with the flour. Add the rest of the lamb to the flour and repeat.1/4 cup flour
- Plug in the pressure cooker, press the sauté button and after it heats up for a few minutes, add a tablespoon of olive oil and once that shimmers, add half the floured lamb. Do not overcrowd the lamb which means you will have to do it in batches. I was able to do it in 2 batches.
- Sauté for 2 minutes, flip and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove and place on a plate. Repeat until all the lamb has been browned.
- Add the contents of the bottle of Guinness and scrape the bottom of the insert with a spatula to loosen any brown bits.11.2 ounces Guinness beer
- Add chopped onion, salt, and crushed garlic. Sauté for 7 minutes. The onions should be softened but not fully cooked.1 large onion, 1 teaspoon salt, 3 cloves garlic
- Add lamb, broth, fresh thyme, and rosemary. Seal the instant pot, make sure the venting knob is set to sealed and press the pressure cook button. The pressure should be set to high and the mode set to normal. Set the time for 30 minutes. The instant pot will take 20 - 25 minutes to come to pressure.3 sprigs thyme, 1 sprig rosemary, 2 cups beef broth
- Once the instant pot beeps to let you know it has done cooking, let it sit for 15 minutes before doing a quick release. Here's how to do it safely: don an oven mitt and nudge the venting knob to the vent position. It should take under 5 minutes to release the steam.
- During the 15 minute wait time to do the quick release, chop the potatoes, slice the carrots and celery and set aside.
- When it's safe to open the lid, do so and add the potatoes, carrots, and celery. Give it a quick stir and seal the instant pot again. Press the pressure cook button and set the timer for 7 minutes. Just a note: it won't take as long for it to come to pressure.4 carrots, 2 medium potatoes, 1 stalk celery
- Once the instant pot beeps, wait 10 minutes before doing another quick release. (You could also do a natural release but know that that will take around 25 minutes.)
- Transfer to a large serving bowl or serve directly out of the instant pot container.
- Serve, smile, and enjoy.
Notes
In the timing of the recipe, I add the time you wait before doing both quick releases but I don't add the time it takes for the instant pot to come to pressure.
Helpful tips
- I use fresh herbs for the best flavor, but dried herbs work perfectly well if that’s what you have.
- You can buy a lamb shoulder and cut it into chunks yourself, though I usually choose pre-cut lamb stew meat for convenience. If possible, look for grass-fed or organic lamb.
- When browning the lamb, work in batches and avoid crowding the pot so the meat develops good color. Two batches usually does the trick.
- Coating the lamb lightly with flour helps thicken the broth as the stew cooks. If you prefer a thicker stew, stir in a quick flour slurry (flour and water whisked together) after cooking.
- I use Guinness stout for its deep, rich flavor, but a cup of red wine can be substituted for a slightly different twist.
- You can release the pressure either quickly or naturally when the cooking time is up. A quick release works well here, but a natural release won’t hurt the stew if you prefer it.
- Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, or you can freeze the stew for up to three months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 794mg | Potassium: 564mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 6849IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 3mg