Need a hearty meal that will stretch for the whole family? This Irish Meatball Stew recipe is packed full of enough veggies and meatballs to feed up to 8 hungry people!
Hello! I hope you’re doing awesome today! Spring is slowly getting here to our little valley. But, since we’re still having some chilly nights, I’m sharing a new stew recipe that I made recently.
I’m calling it Irish Meatball Stew because it has Guinness in it.
But honestly…
It’s just a good, old-fashioned, hearty American stew.
And it’s the perfect thing to try when you can’t get to the grocery store because you can totally make it your own.
Using WHATEVER you have in your pantry or freezer…
No ground beef? Swap this out for ground chicken, turkey, pork or lamb.
No ground meat? Use chunks of meat just like a regular stew instead.
Out of fresh vegetables? Use frozen or canned or a mix of both – it really doesn’t make a difference in stew!
No Guinness beer? Use beef broth or bouillon and water instead!
Missing one or more ingredients? Don’t worry about it – leave it out or switch it out for something you DO have.
That’s the thing that makes stew (and it’s slightly skinnier cousin – soup) so awesome!
Mixing and matching and using up scraps is the way to a perfect soup every time.
So, use whatever you have…you might surprise yourself with the very best soup/stew you’ve ever had!
Here’s the recipe:
Irish Meatball Stew

Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Large egg
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large potatoes, diced
- 1 cup green beans
- 1/2 cup corn
- 1 cup carrots, sliced
- 28 ounce can tomatoes, diced
- 12 ounce Guinness beer
- Salt and pepper, as desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Combine ground beef, garlic powder, egg and breadcrumbs in a large mixing bowl. Add salt and pepper, as desired.
- Use a medium scoop (or tablespoon) to scoop the meat into balls. Makes approximately 12 medium or 24 miniature meatballs.
- Arrange meatballs on a large baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the meatballs to rest while preparing the vegetables.
- Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large stew pot or dutch oven. Heat on medium temperature.
- Place diced potatoes into the hot oil and saute for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add green beans, corn and carrots to the potatoes. Sprinkle in additional salt and pepper, as desired.
- Continue cooking for 3 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are just soft.
- Pour diced tomatoes and Guinness beer into the vegetables.
- Add meatballs to the pot and stir to combine.
- Turn stove temperature down to low and continue cooking for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Serve warm with fresh homemade bread.
Notes
Have a wood stove at home? Prepare this soup in a cast iron dutch oven, then place it on top of the wood stove and let it cook all afternoon!
No wood stove, but still want it to cook all day? Pour it into your slow cooker after step 11. Turn it on low and let it cook for up to 10 hours.

I hope you love this Irish Meatball Stew recipe!
And if you don’t have all the ingredients, I really hope you’ll try it anyway…mixing and matching your way to the perfect soup for you!
You might also like these meatball recipes:
- Oooey, Gooey, Cheesy Meatball Subs
- Spicy Hawaiian Meatball Recipe
- Chicken Bacon Meatball Subs Recipe
Have a Spectacular Day!
~Vanessa

Vanessa Hamlin is the owner and founder of Food Life Design and VLHamlinDesign. With her passion for frugal living and homesteading, Vanessa loves to write about easy recipes, making money, gardening, home remedies and everything else that a good life entails! When she’s not writing for Food Life Design or creating products for VLHamlinDesign, you’ll find Vanessa reading, drawing, gardening, cooking or spending time with her family.