Instant Pot Lamb Stew with Red Wine

Instant Pot Lamb Stew with Red Wine

This is honestly the only lamb stew recipe you’ll ever need. Absolute perfection! You won’t need to customize a single spice or add any more salt or pepper after it’s done. It comes out perfect every single time! It can also be made up to 3 days ahead of serving and freezes perfectly!

I made this stew for my St. Patrick’s Day dinner party this year. I poured it over creamy colcannon (cheesy mashed potatoes with green onions and kale) and topped it will little shamrocks I punched out of basil. Although stew with Guinness is more traditional for St. Patrick’s Day, I’m not the biggest fan of it, so this was a magnificent substitute.

How to Get the Perfect Sear

When searing your lamb, mushrooms, and pearl onions, they should look like the images above.

• You want to leave the lamb in the pan, without moving it, on high heat for at least 5 minutes until you see a nice sear along the edge, then flip. The lamb doesn’t have to be (in fact, shouldn’t be) cooked all the way through. You’re keeping that heat high so you can sear the edges as fast as possible, then pull them out of the pan.
• When it comes to the mushrooms, you’ll leave them flat until they look nice and brown. You also don’t want them cooked all the way through, so no need to flip them once they have that nice sear.
• When it comes to the onions, don’t be afraid if they get this dark. You don’t want them burned outright, but a dark sear, just on their edges will add more flavor to the stew. Like the mushrooms and lamb, no need to flip them once they’re seared.

How to Quickly Peel Pearl Onions

1. Bring a small pot of water to a rolling boil and blanch 1 cup of small pearl onions for 30 seconds. Quickly pour out the hot water, and replace it with cold water. Allow the onions to sit in cold water for about a minute.
2. With a very sharp, thin knife, slice the ends off of the pearl onions and they will easily peel.

Ingredient Notes

cabernet – I used Cabernet Sauvignon for this recipe, but you can use any dry red wine like Pino Noir, Malbec, or Syrah.

beef broth – If you want to make your own beef broth, here’s a fabulous crockpot bone broth recipe! You can also substitute with mushroom broth.

mushrooms – I used brown cremini mushrooms (also called “baby bellas”), but you can use white mushrooms too.

lamb – My lamb came already cubed from Fresh Direct, but if you can’t find it already prepared, you’ll use 2 pounds of lamb shoulder and cut it into cubes yourself, removing as much fat as you can.

smoked paprika – You can substitute with chili pepper or even berbere spice for a similar flavor.

How to Make This Stew Step-by-Step

1. Slice cremini mushrooms in half. Keep all sliced vegetables separate.

2. Slice 1 large carrot into pieces that are 1-2 inches thick, then slice each piece in half. Set aside.

3. Slice 8 oz. peeled pearl onions carefully in half. You don’t want them to fall apart. Set aside.

4. Chop 1 medium red onion. You don’t have to be too fancy. The Instant Pot is going to pulverize the onion into the sauce.

5. Mince 6 garlic cloves and de-leaf 1 tbsp. of thyme. Set aside.

6. Cube 2 pounds lamb shoulder (if it isn’t already) into large, 1-2 inch cubes (if your meat is that thick). You want the cubes to be nice and chunky.

7. In a large skillet, add 2 tbsp. of butter, melt, and coat the pan. Place the sliced mushrooms cut side down. Allow them to sear on HIGH heat for 6-8 minutes, without flipping them. Once done, remove into the Instant Pot. They don’t have to be cooked through.

8. Add 2 more tbsp. butter to the pan. Place sliced pearl onions cut side down, and allow them to sear for 5-7 minutes on HIGH heat. Remove and keep them separate. You won’t be adding them to the pot until the stew is done.

9. Add the minced garlic and thyme to the pan with 1 tsp. of butter and sauté until lightly brown – about 2-3 minutes. Remove into the Instant Pot when finished.

10. In a mixing bowl, toss lamb meat chunks with 2 tbsp. of flour, 1 tsp. of salt and 1 tsp. of pepper until each chunk is thoroughly coated.

11. Add 1 tbsp. of butter to the pan, allow it to coat the bottom, then add the cubed lamb. Brown on HIGH for 5 minutes, then flip and sear on the other side for 5 more minutes. Remove into the Instant Pot when finished.

12. In a measuring cup (or bowl) mix together 1 cup beef broth with 2 tbsp. tomato paste, 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper, ⅛ tsp. smoked paprika, ½ tsp. garlic powder and ⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper.

13. Add seared mushrooms (and any liquid that may have escaped from them while they sat), sliced carrots, and chopped red onion (not the pearl onions) to the pot and give everything a gentle stir. 

14. Add beef broth mixture with 1 cup of dry red wine to the Instant Pot. Place the lid on top and lock it in place. 

15. Ensure that the Instant Pot valve is engaged. Set it to “Pressure Cook” for 20 minutes on “High.” Once done, carefully release the pressure by disengaging the pressure valve. While it depressurizes, mix 3 tbsp. flour into ¼ cup of beef broth, ensuring all lumps are mixed and smoothed out. 

16. Lift the lid once depressurized and mix in the flour slurry. Then, gently stir in the seared pearl onions and serve.

Keep in Mind…

Your kitchen tools will vastly affect your speed in making the recipe. If you use only an 8-inch sauté pan, you’ll have to sear the lamb and vegetables in batches, taking twice the amount of time. If you have a large 14-15-inch skillet, your process will be much faster. 

And if you’re good at multi-tasking, and can sear some veggies in the pan while you sear another in the Instant Pot, you can go even faster. It also helps to have a garlic press to make mincing a breeze and blanching the pearl onions will make them peel in a snap! (see how to blanch pearl onions above)

So take a look at the “Equipment” list in the recipe card to see how to make this recipe nice and quick.

Recipe Notes

• This stew will stay fresh in a refrigerated, sealed container for 3-4 days. Freeze after 4 days.
• This recipe is actually even more delicious once it’s had time to sit. I try to make it a whole 2-3 days before serving!
• To reheat, place in a pot on the stovetop. Stir occasionally for 10-12 minutes over low-medium heat and serve.