These flavourful Irish Stew Meatballs are always a hit, whether served for St Patrick’s Day or not! Make more than you think you'll need, they disappear fast.
Originally Posted March 28, 2012. Updated 2/22/2023
I love Irish Stew. When done properly, it's such a simple dish, but with a lot of good, "clean" flavor.
It's a hearty meal that really lets the individual flavors take the spotlight: Perfectly cooked carrots and parsnips, at just the right level of tenderness... fresh parsley, good meat. Yum!
As Irish stew may be, well, Irish, there's nothing "round" about it, aside from the bowl it's served in.
I decided I'd create a meatball, themed around the flavors of Irish stew.
Oh, these were fabulous... and pretty much flew out of the crock pot they were served from!
The carrots, parsnips, and parsley added a ton of flavor to the meatballs, the texture was great, and it all came together perfectly.
While these were specifically designed to be gluten free (though you'd NEVER know it, to taste them!), feel free to substitute "normal" crackers, if gluten isn't a concern.
This recipe makes about 60 normal sized meatballs, or 40 bigger ones.
Ingredients
These meatballs use really basic ingredients that should be easy to find in any grocery store. A few notes for you:
Meats
I use both ground pork and lean ground beef in this - 3 lbs total. If you prefer all beef, all pork, or more pork than beef, go for it - just be sure to use lean meats, and keep it around 3 lbs total.
For that matter, ground lamb also works well in this recipe!
Vegetables & Produce
I use carrot, parsnip, onion, and garlic in this recipe, along with fresh parsley - and I don’t really substitute any of these, between batches.
You can swap a carrot or parsnip out if you prefer all carrot or all parsnip, and a couple tablespoon of dried parsley can work if you don’t have fresh, though!
Crackers
As-is, this recipe was designed to be gluten-free. I use Schar Gluten Free Entertainment Crackers, or any Ritz-type gluten free cracker I can get my hands on, along with a bit of Potato Starch.
I’ve served this at many parties where I was the only one who needed gluten free, and I’d have to fight to get any of them - they’re WILDLY popular, even done gluten-free.
That said, you can make these non-gf - just use 1 cup of breadcrumbs or crushed Ritz or Sociables type crackers, and skip the potato starch altogether.
In this case, just use cornstarch for the gravy.
Everything Else
Rounding out this recipe, you will need:
Beef Broth
Large Eggs
Vegetable Oil
Ground Pepper
Salt
... I just don’t have anything else to add about these last few ingredients!
How to Make Irish Stew Meatballs
The full recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post, here is a pictorial walk through.
Meatballs
Grate carrot, parsnip, and onion, place in a nonstick pan. Heat over medium, stirring frequently, until vegetables start to “sweat” out their moisture.
Add garlic, continue to cook until liquid disappears.
Remove from heat, transfer to a mixing bowl to cool slightly.
Using your (clean!) hands, gently mix everything together until it’s all well incorporated into the mix. Be gentle- you want to just mix, not squeeze and compress it much!
Shape meat mixture into meatballs – about 1 ½″ in diameter. You’ll end up with about 60 meatballs - or 40 larger meatballs.
Transfer browned meatballs to a plate as you finish each batch.
Gravy Sauce
In a large pot, whisk together beef broth and potato starch until smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Add parsley, salt, and pepper, continue to cook – whisking frequently – until thickened.
Add meatballs, continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Crockpot Irish Stew Meatballs
If making these for a party, you can cook the gravy in a smaller pot.
Add the browned meatballs to a crock pot, pour the thickened gravy over top, and heat for at least 30 minutes on high before serving. Turn heat down to low or “Warm” while serving.
Leftovers
Once cooled to room temperature, leftover meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days or so.
More St Patrick's Day Recipes
Looking for more fun, tasty recipes to serve on St Paddy's Day? Here are a few fun Irish - and Irish-inspired - recipes to try:
Green Velvet Cake
Keto Irish Cream
Irish Pizza
Shepherd's Pie
Keto Shepherd's Pie
Homemade Corned Beef
Irish Nachos
Hearty Beef Stew
Keto Beef Stew
Rainbow Bagels
Rainbow Charcuterie Board
Rocky Road to Dublin Brownies
St Patrick's Day Charcuterie Board
Share the Love!
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Irish Stew Meatballs
Equipment
- Large Nonstick Fry Pan
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 Carrot
- 1 Parsnip
- 1 Small Onion
- 2 Cloves Garlic Pressed or minced
- 2 lb Lean Ground Beef
- 1 lb Ground Pork
- ¼ Cup Fresh Parsley chopped
- 2 Large Eggs
- ⅔ Cup Finely Crushed Crackers. For Gluten-Free Crackers I use Schar
- ¼ Cup Potato Starch
- 1 teaspoon Ground Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- Vegetable Oil
Gravy
- 2 Cups Beef Broth
- 2 tablespoon Potato Starch
- ¼ Cup Fresh Parsley
- Salt
- Ground Pepper
Instructions
Meatballs
- Grate carrot, parsnip, and onion, place in a nonstick pan. Heat over medium, stirring frequently, until vegetables start to “sweat” out their moisture.
- Add garlic, continue to cook until liquid disappears.
- Remove from heat, transfer to a mixing bowl to cool slightly.
- Once vegetables are cool enough to handle, add beef, pork, parsley, eggs, cracker crumbs, potato starch, pepper, and salt.
- Using your (clean!) hands, gently mix everything together until it’s all well incorporated into the mix. Be gentle- you want to just mix, not squeeze and compress it much!
- Shape meat mixture into meatballs – about 1 ½″ in diameter. You’ll end up with about 60 meatballs.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large pan. Once hot, brown meatballs in batches, turning every so often to ensure even browning. Transfer browned meatballs to a plate as you finish each batch.
Gravy
- In a large pot, whisk together beef broth and potato starch until smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Add parsley, salt, and pepper, continue to cook – whisking frequently – until thickened.
- Add meatballs, continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- If making these for a party, you can cook the gravy in a smaller pot.
- Add the browned meatballs to a crock pot, pour the thickened gravy over top, and heat for at least 30 minutes on high before serving. Turn heat down to low or “Warm” while serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Older Photos
This post was recently overhauled, including new photos. Here are the older photos for posterity:
Kristen
I made these tonight for Saint Patrick's day supper and they were a huge hit...even with a 7 and 4 year old.
Marie Porter
Awesome! Always a good thing to hear!
Susan Danuloff
Can you make these completely in a slow cooker?
Marie Porter
I wouldn't, the meatballs really should be browned first.
Kristan
what do you mean by 1/4 cup potato starch in the recipe? I'd really love to try this recipe! I just came across your blog and I can't wait to keep checking it out!
Marie Porter
I'm not sure I follow..?
Kristan
I've never used potato starch in a recipe before, so I didn't know what it was. Found it at Trader Joes.
Sheilah Angeloni
I made these last St Patrick’s Day and they were delicious! I’m currently making them for today as we are celebrating as a family today. Serving with Irish potatoe pancakes☘️😊