Irish Lamb Stew with California Figs

Classic Irish Lamb Stew Recipe! Packed with deep rich flavor and hearty ingredients! This satisfying one-pot meal starts on the stove-top and finishes in the oven. Slow cooking the lamb makes for tender morsels, vegetables that melt in your mouth and delicious authentic flavor!

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Irish Stew Recipe Lamb

This post contains sponsored content from Valley Fig Growers® but the delicious opinions are all my own! #ad #sponsored

You guys know I shop at the farmers market often! It’s something I talk about all the time. On Wednesday when I don’t make it to the farmers market, I swing by a corner stand near our home to get fresh produce.

This time of year what I’m looking for are the figs.

It’s no secret, I love figs! They pair so well in many recipes, sweet as well as savory!

Jerk Chicken Bowl with California Fig Salsa

Jerk Chicken Bowl with California Fig Salsa – I’m transporting you to the Caribbean with this easy meal. Sweet & spicy flavors combine in this easy marinade. Big flavor and an easy meal!

Check out this recipe

Grandma Cochrane’s Homemade Pecan Sandies Recipe

Old fashioned Pecan Sandies Recipe – these cookies are slightly sweet and rich from the figs. The pecans add the perfect amount of crunch in these delicious cookies.

Check out this recipe

Homemade Ice Cream: Black Mission Fig

This ice cream recipe using Black Mission Fig is rich, sweet and creamy and decadent. Churning the custard the ole fashioned way takes this ice cream smooth and luscious!

Check out this recipe

Anyway, last week I stopped by the corner stand (again!) and I was speaking with the owner. She’s seen me every week grabbing bags of figs and I was telling her how much I loved figs and what I was making this week.

She laughed and said “Debra, you should be in a fig commercial!” I replied “funny you say that, I’m a food blogger and work with Valley Fig!”

She said “no kidding? My husband Paul is on the Board!”

Seriously…. I had no idea! We laughed and giggled and talked more fig and thought “isn’t this a small world?!!”

So it’s only fitting that today I get to share with you a delicious new recipe that coincidentally…. uses figs!

Traditional Irish Stew Recipe Lamb

This lamb stew recipe is one of those meals that if your husband, wife, kids, boyfriend, girlfriend – whoever walks through the door doesn’t exclaim “oh my gosh, what’s for dinner” seriously rethink that relationship!

This stew is that good!

What cut of lamb is best for stew?

Lamb shoulder, chops, shank or leg of lamb are all great cuts for this soup. For this lamb stew recipe, I used a shoulder cut. This is an affordable cut of meat.

Pro tip! If you ask nicely your butcher will happily trim and cube the meat for you!

Deb Clark

I do not recommend using stew meat. You really don’t know what cut is in the package and it’s often tough and full of fat. You’re betting off purchasing one of the cuts mentioned above!

Is lamb supposed to be chewy?

• Nooooo! If you pull this stew out of the oven and the lamb isn’t spoon tender, it hasn’t cooked long enough! After slowly braising in the oven, the meat in this stew is fall-apart tender and delicious!

Can I make Lamb Stew in the Slow Cooker?

• You bet! But you’ll want to start it on the stove-top, follow steps 1-9 THEN scrape everything into your slow cooker, being sure to get all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.
• Add the remaining ingredients. Cook on low 8-10 hours until the meat is fall-apart tender.

Why do figs and lamb go well together?

Lamb and figs are both super rich and have big flavor. Together the combination is outstanding! Earthy and hearty flavors combine for a rich meal that’s easy enough for a beginner to make and shine like a star at mealtime! 

Braising the figs and sautéing them in red wine incorporates the flavors for this hearty stew. Find information on Fig Nutrition here.

How to make Irish Lamb Stew

Ingredients for Lamb Stew Recipe

• lamb meat – sweet and rich!
• baby potatoes – hold their shape and stand up well to slow roasting the soup.
• mushrooms – earthy, meaty flavor
• carrots – sweet and tender
• celery – adds a bright crunch!
• California Figs – the sweet figs almost dissolve, incorporating into the stew and adding richness.
• yellow onion – adds a caramel flavor.
• garlic – earthy and aromatic.
• bacon – salty deliciousness!
• red wine – adding richness to the broth.
• canned fire-roasted tomatoes – brings all the flavors together
• beef broth – the base of the broth for the stew
• Italian seasoning, salt, pepper – seasoning and aromatics!
• tomato paste – adds depth.
• flour – to thicken the stew.

How to Make Easy Lamb Stew

1. Preheat the oven
2. Mix the flour and seasonings together in a large plastic bag.
3. Add the cubed lamb, toss to coat.
4. Clean, slice and dice the vegetables.
5. Remove the stem from the dried California Figs and slice them in half.
6. Render the fat from the bacon. When crispy, remove from pan.
7. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and the lamb/flour mixture. Sauté until the lamb cubes are golden brown, remove them from the pan.
8. Next, add the tomato paste and figs and “toasting” the tomato paste and figs.
9. Add the wine and diced tomatoes.
10. Scrape the bottom of the pan to remove the brown bits.
11. Add all of the remaining vegetables. Return the lamb and bacon to the pan. 
12. Top with the beef broth and give it a stir to combine.
13. Cover tightly and bake for 3 hours

If you enjoy lamb be sure and click here for my best tips for cooking lamb chops – they are easier to make than you think!

Lamb Stew Stove Top

More Big Hearty Soup and Stew Recipes!

Sausage and Okra Stew

Rustic Harvest Stew – delicious, rich and hearty – all you really need is a great loaf of crusty bread to sop up all the broth!

Check out this recipe

Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup

Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup is a savory, hearty meal. As it slowly simmers on the stove top or in the oven the vegetables soften and meat tenderizes.

Check out this recipe

Moroccan Chicken Stew

Moroccan Chicken Stew is a sweet and savory stew full of complex flavors. It is hearty and delicious but simple to make. You’ll love the aromatic moroccan spices, beautiful apricots and tender chicken.  The aroma that fills your home while it is braising in the oven is heavenly!

Check out this recipe

BEST Crockpot Beef Stew Recipe

Best Crockpot Beef Stew starts with beef slowly simmered in the slow cooker until the beef is spoon tender. Stuffed with carrots and potatoes this is an easy meal that tastes AMAZING! Let your crockpot do the work for you!

Check out this recipe

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Don’t forget to check out my Amazon storefront for some of my favorite products! 🛍️

• extra large bamboo cutting board – perfect for cutting veggies!
• soup and side bowls – I have two sets of these bowls and we love them!
• Farberware Glide Cookware Set – easy to use, these are an affordable set and I’ve even given this set as a gift!

When you make this please be sure to tag me on Instagram @bowl_me_over or #bowlmeover – I’d love to see your pictures! And if you get a chance, please comment and leave me a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below!

Irish Lamb Stew

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Lamb Stew Recipe

Lamb Stew Recipe with deep rich flavor and hearty ingredients! A simple one-pot meal started on the stove-top and finished in the oven. Slow cooking makes for spoon tender meat and vegetables that will melt in your mouth!

Course Lunch or Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword lamb, lamb stew

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes

Total Time 3 hours 45 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 381kcal

Author Deb Clark

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. lamb meat cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 lb. baby potatoes recommend Yukon Gold
• 1 lb. mushrooms sliced in half
• 3 carrots cut into large chunks
• 3 stalks celery cut into large chunks
• 1 cup dried California Mission Figlets stems removed and sliced in half
• 1 yellow onion diced
• 3-4 strips thick cut bacon sliced in 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 cup red wine I used a Zinfandel a big meaty Cabernet would also be a great choice
• 14 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes
• 4 cups beef broth
• 2 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup flour

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Mix together the flour, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a large plastic bag.
• Add the cubed lamb to the seasoned flour massaging it into the meat. Set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
• Clean the mushrooms, slice them in half. Dice the onions and slice the celery and carrots. Clean the potatoes and slice them in half.
• Slice the stem off of the dried figs and slice them in half, set aside
• In a large heavy bottom pot on the stove, start by rendering the sliced bacon over medium heat. (Starting it in a cold pan on the stove will allow the fat to cook off.) This takes about 10 minutes. When the bacon bits are crispy, remove from the pan, set aside.
• After you’ve removed the bacon bits from the pan add a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the lamb/flour mixture. Pour it all into the pan. Spread it in an even layer and cooker until the lamb cubes are golden brown. Remove them from the pan.
• Next add the tomato paste and California Figs to the pan, scraping the bottom of the pan and “toasting” the tomato paste and figs.
• Now add the red wine and can of diced tomatoes. Scrape hard to get all of those brown bits off the bottom of the pan! That’s your flavor!
  
• Now the hard work is done! Add the remaining ingredients: Potatoes, carrots, celery, mushrooms, garlic and onions. Return the lamb and bacon bits to the pan. Top with the beef broth and give it a hefty stir. 
• Cover tightly and place it in the preheated oven for 3 hours. 

Notes

As you can see from the pictures, the meat and vegetables are big hearty chunks. Keep them in larger pieces. Do not mince or thinly slice. Because this meal simmers for several hours if you dice everything too finely it will dissolve into the stew.

Slow Cooker Directions for Lamb Stew Recipe

• Start by following the directions on the stove-top, following steps 1-9 THEN scrape everything into your slow cooker, being sure to get all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.
• Add the remaining ingredients. Cook on low 8-10 hours until the meat is fall-apart tender.

Nutrition

Calories: 381kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 954mg | Potassium: 1165mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 3940IU | Vitamin C: 15.8mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 4.3mg

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