Top 12+ hearty stew recipes for St. Patrick's Day and beyond

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with one last round of hearty stews before spring arrives.

The transition from winter to spring rarely inspires anyone to shed a tear. Even cold-weather lovers like myself are ready for longer days, meals al fresco, and long walks outside without six layers of clothing on. But it is a little sad that we have to give up stew for a while.

For me, St. Patrick’s Day marks the unofficial last day of the year when stew still feels like the perfect thing to serve. So let’s pour one out for stew, shall we? Specifically, we can pour a can of Guinness into our beef stew.

Below, you’ll find a recipe for a classic Irish stew that’s perfect for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations—but that’s only the beginning. If you want a hearty bowl of tender, fall-apart meat, we’ve got beef stews from all over the world, along with lamb and chicken options that are just as satisfying.

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All-American Beef Stew

American beef stew isn’t bound by the strict traditions of some of its European counterparts, but many recipes prioritize convenience over depth of flavor. This version flips that script. The beef chuck is seared whole before being cut into chunks for the stew, building deep browned flavor while allowing the fat and connective tissue to break down during the long cook. Gelatin thickens the broth with minimal flour, keeping the flavors concentrated, while anchovies, soy sauce, and tomato paste add layers of savory depth. The vegetables are added in stages so they turn tender without becoming overly soft.

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Loubia (Moroccan Stewed White Beans With Lamb)

Loubia, a beloved Moroccan stew, is often made without meat. In this version, lamb is added and simmered until tender and fall-apart, though the white beans remain the main event, soaking up all the savory flavor. Onions and tomatoes form the base of the broth, along with cumin, paprika, ginger, and turmeric. The result is a sweet, earthy stew that’s deeply comforting and warming.

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Rich and Flavorful Guinness Beef Stew With Potatoes

Adding stout to a beef stew is less impactful than you might think. Guinness, despite its dark color, has a relatively light flavor, and hours of simmering can mute its signature coffee and chocolate notes. To bring those flavors back into focus, this version adds a touch of both coffee and bittersweet chocolate. The beef chuck is seared whole before being cut into large chunks for the stew, building deep browned flavor while keeping the meat tender. A trio of fish sauce, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce further deepens the savory backbone—without any single ingredient standing out.

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Mississippi Pot Roast

Mississippi pot roast is classically a dump-it-in-the-slow-cooker affair made with beef chuck, ranch seasoning, au jus mix, butter, and jarred pepperoncini. This version upgrades the classic while keeping things easy. Cooking the roast in a Dutch oven allows you to get a deep sear on the meat before it braises, and leaving the lid slightly cracked helps prevent the beef from overcooking and drying out. Instead of relying on seasoning packets, the ranch flavor is recreated with buttermilk and fresh dill, adding brighter tang and real freshness to the dish.

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Nigerian Peanut Stew

This West African stew features a thick, velvety peanut sauce with a kick of heat from Scotch bonnet. It can be made with a variety of meats or vegetarian proteins; here, chicken thighs and beef chuck are used together. Their flavors complement one another, the chicken adding lighter savoriness alongside the richer beef. The vegetables are added in stages so they stay distinct: carrots bring sweetness, onions add deep savoriness, and bok choy provides a fresh contrast to the rich peanut sauce.

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Pressure Cooker Beef and Vegetable Stew

Forgot to plan ahead for your St. Patrick’s Day stew? Enter the pressure cooker. This recipe follows the same flavor-building principles as the beef stew above, but uses high pressure to dramatically speed up the process without sacrificing depth, turning out a rich, tender stew in a fraction of the time.

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Goulash (Hungarian Beef and Paprika Stew)

The name goulash can mean very different things to an American audience. Depending on where you grew up, it might refer to a ground beef dish simmered in tomato sauce with peppers and served over pasta—or what some call chop suey. Others know goulash as the Hungarian stew flavored generously with paprika. This version leans toward the latter, featuring chunks of beef, potato, and carrot in a broth built with onions, garlic, peppers, and plenty of paprika.

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Pollo Guisado

St. Patrick’s Day cooking often leans heavily on beef, but sometimes you want something lighter. Enter this chicken stew made across Latin America, which transforms chicken, tomatoes, and spices into a deeply comforting dish. The recipe is adaptable and prepared in many different ways across the region; here, it’s kept simple with carrots and potatoes added to the pot. The aromatics and tomatoes cook in the rendered fat from the seared chicken, infusing the stew with rich, schmaltzy flavor.

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Spanish Beef Stew With Pimenton and Piquillo Peppers

Go for a Spanish-style beef stew if you’re craving bold, smoky flavors. Inspired by estofado de ternera, this version starts with a base of onions, garlic, and plenty of smoked paprika. Piquillo peppers, carrots, and mushrooms round out the vegetables, while red wine and tomato bring brightness and depth as the stew slowly braises in the oven.

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Moroccan-Inspired Beef Stew With Ras el Hanout

This stew combines Western technique with Moroccan flavors. Like a Western beef stew, the meat is seared and cut into smaller chunks. But like a Moroccan tagine, it’s seasoned with ras el hanout, a spice blend that varies by vendor but often includes cinnamon, coriander, cumin, and ginger. Collard greens and chickpeas are added toward the end of the cook, rounding the dish out into a nutty, earthy, and deeply nourishing meal.

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Lowcountry Stew Chicken

This Lowcountry stewed chicken from South Carolina features chicken simmered in a deeply savory brown gravy and served over rice or grits. Rich and comforting, it’s a staple of the region’s home cooking.

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Boeuf Bourguignon (Beef Stew With Red Wine, Mushrooms, and Bacon)

This classic French beef stew is a bit of a labor of love—but it rewards the effort. Beef chuck roll works especially well here, thanks to its higher collagen content, which melts into the broth and naturally thickens it into a silky stew. The meat is browned on both sides to build flavor. To keep the vegetables vibrant, some aromatics cook in a sachet early on to flavor the stew, while fresh chopped vegetables are added near the end so they stay tender with a bit of bite.