Instant Pot Lamb Stew

Fresh parsley in a crock of stew with lamb and veggies - square

Instant pot lamb stew features tender fall-apart lamb braised to perfection in a hearty Guinness-spiked beef broth with veggies. This cozy, flavorful dish is perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or any weeknight dinner with the family.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Irish

Keyword instant pot lamb stew, irish lamb stew, lamb stew

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 17

Total Time 1 27

Servings servings

Calories 226kcal

Author Elaine Benoit

Equipment

Instant pot

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
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 in this recipe, but dried herbs are also fine.
Some people buy a lamb shoulder and cut it in chunks, but I prefer to buy lamb stew meat, and I recommend organic and grass-fed.
When you brown the lamb, do not crowd the meat chunks. I find I can get all the lamb browned in two batches.
The reason I flour the meat is it will help thicken the broth. Want an even thicker stew? Make a flour slurry by adding 3-4 tablespoons of flour to 1/2 cup of water in a jar and shaking well to get out any lumps; then add to the stew after it's finished cooking and stir until combined.
I use a bottle of Guinness stout in this recipe, but you can substitute a cup of red wine for a different taste.
I like to do quick releases when I use the instant pot. With that said, sometimes I will let the instant pot do a natural pressure release, it really depends on the dish. It's not going to hurt this recipe if you chose to let the pressure release naturally. Your choice.
Here is how to do a quick release: To protect your hand, don an oven mitt and nudge the venting knob to the vent position. It usually takes up to 5 minutes to release the pressure.
Have leftovers? No problem. You can place them in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to a week or store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition