Enjoy the heart-warming flavors of traditional Irish cuisine with this delicious Sausage Stew with Potatoes, otherwise known as Dublin Coddle. This hearty meal is easy to prepare in your Instant Pot, giving you a taste of Ireland from the comfort of your home!
Easy preparation makes this Irish sausage stew the perfect winter warmer - hearty enough to feed even the biggest appetite! The basic pantry ingredients and simplicity of the dish make this St. Partick's Day recipe popular all year round.
What is Dublin Coddle?
Dublin coddle is a dish made with meat and vegetables and is considered food for the working class. The traditional recipe has bacon (rashers), pork sausage, potatoes, and onions. It's a sausage stew with tons of flavor, thick and hearty!
This flavorful stew is a perfect way to celebrate the Irish holidays. It's great with a side of Irish stout or a melon martini cocktail.
This Irish coddle [to cook gently] recipe is a breeze to make in your slow cooker or on the stovetop, but I opted for my Instant Pot to quicken the process. And because it's super easy to clean.
Why This Sausage Stew with Potatoes Works
- Quick and easy to make in the pressure cooker, slow cooker, or stovetop.
- A simple weeknight recipe.
- Use up your leftovers from the week.
- Hearty and filling.
- Lots of flavors.
- Warm comfort food at its best!
🛒 Ingredients and Notes
Bacon - Smoked bacon lends a great depth of flavor. It gives this stew a salty and smoky flavor that permeates throughout the dish. This dish starts with crisping the sliced bacon.
Smoked Sausage - Any pork sausage works well for this dish. I opted for smoked pork sausage, but bangers work well if you can find them. You can substitute it with Kielbasa or other smoked sausage.
Potatoes - You'll need 3 pounds of potatoes peeled and diced. Russet potatoes and yellow potatoes work well. I used Yukon gold with waxy, thin skin, so I didn't even peel them - I just scrubbed them well.
Onion and Garlic - Slice the onion and the garlic.
Carrot - Peel and slice or dice the carrot. If you don't have carrots, you could add celery instead.
Beef or Chicken Stock - Beef or chicken stock works for this stew. Use whichever you have on hand. Consider using low-sodium broth since the sausage and bacon already have plenty of salt.
Fresh Parsley- Adds a fresh herbal element and a pop of green to garnish.
🔪 How to Make Sausage Stew with Potatoes in the Instant Pot
Step 1: Select "Sauté" to pre-heat the Instant Pot. When the word "Hot" appears on display, add the bacon and sausage and cook without the lid, occasionally stirring, until the bacon is crisp and the sausage is browned. Press "Cancel" to turn the cooker off.
Step 2: Add the potatoes, onions, carrots, and garlic. Pour broth over all ingredients; season with freshly ground black pepper.
Step 3: Close and lock the lid of the Instant Pot. Select "Manual" and set the timer (+/- button) to 20 minutes.
Step 4: When time is up, open the lid using Quick Release (press "Cancel" and then turn the steam release handle on the lid to the "Venting" position).
Step 5: Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
📝 NOTE: Looking for the FULL recipe to print? Find the complete list of ingredients and detailed instructions in the recipe card below.
💡 Top tip
The dish will be salty enough between the bacon, sausage, and broth.
👉 Variations
- Some recipes include bell peppers.
- You can omit carrots.
- Add barley (about ¼ cup).
- Try adding some shredded cabbage and a cup of apple cider.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
- When releasing the pressure from your Instant Pot, be sure to use a spoon or other instrument to "vent." The steam is very hot, and you don't want to burn yourself.
- Be sure you don't skimp on the broth. This stew needs enough broth to create the steaming function that cooks everything quickly.
- Pressure cooking is an easy way to make dinner in a flash! To ensure even and speedy cooking, consider the size of your potatoes: baby ones can be kept whole or halved; small spuds that are 2-3 inches long should be halved or quartered; regular-sized potatoes (3-4 inches) also need quartering; for large tubers bigger than 4" cut them into cubes no larger than two inches.
- Make this recipe on your stovetop. Sauté the bacon and sausage in a Dutch oven, then add the rest of the ingredients. Bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
There's nothing better than serving this Instant Pot Sausage and Potatoes Stew (Dublin Coddle) with a pint of Guinness and fresh slices of Irish Soda bread.
Add more vegetables to your meal by serving it alongside braised cabbage or a simple green salad.
🗄️Storage Instructions
Refrigerate: Allow the sausage stew with potatoes to cool to room temperature. Transfer it to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freeze: This stew also freezes well. Transfer the stew to a freezer-safe container, and keep it in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
In Ireland, the cooking method "coddle" means to boil gently, parboil, or stew.
Irish stew is different from other types of stew in that it is typically made with mutton or lamb in a thick broth with a beer-based broth. This sausage stew is a take on a coddle that is traditionally made with bacon and sausage.
If you'd like to use the slow cooker instead, brown the bacon and sausage in a skillet over medium heat. Then add the rest of the ingredients, plus the browned bacon and sausage, into the slow cooker, and cook for 2-3 hours on high or 4-6 hours on low.
More Instant Pot and Stew Recipes!
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Sausage Stew with Potatoes (Dublin Coddle)
Ingredients
- 1 pound smoked sausage, sliced in chunks
- ½ pound bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed or halved
- 1 large onion, cut into rings or large chunks
- 1 large carrot, sliced into rounds
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced or minced
- 2 cups beef or chicken broth, low sodium
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Instant Pot
- Select "Sauté" to pre-heat the Instant Pot. When the word "Hot" appears on display, add the bacon and sausage and cook without the lid, occasionally stirring, until the bacon is crisp and the sausage is browned. Press "Cancel" to turn the cooker off.
- Add the potatoes, onions, carrots, and garlic. Pour broth over all ingredients. Season with black pepper. Note: Between the bacon, sausage, and broth, the dish will be salty enough.
- Close and lock the lid of the Instant Pot. Select "Manual" and set the timer (+/- button) to 20 minutes.
- When time is up, open the lid using Quick Release (press "Cancel" and then turn the steam release handle on the lid to the "Venting" position.
- Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Notes
- When releasing the pressure from your Instant Pot, be sure to use a spoon or other instrument to "vent." The steam is very hot, and you don't want to burn yourself.
- Be sure you don't skimp on the broth. This stew needs enough broth to create the steaming function that cooks everything quickly.
- Pressure cooking is an easy way to make dinner in a flash! To ensure even and speedy cooking, consider the size of your potatoes: baby ones can be kept whole or halved; small spuds that are 2-3 inches long should be halved or quartered; regular-sized potatoes (3-4 inches) also need quartering; for large tubers bigger than 4" cut them into cubes no larger than two inches.
- You can cut the onions into rings or large chunks. Don't worry; they will soften and break down.
- Sausages can be halved (depending on their size), cut into large chunks, or sliced into rounds - it's your preference. If cutting everything into smaller pieces, remember to cut the cooking time by 5 minutes.
- SLOW COOKER METHOD: You can also make this Irish Sausage Stew using a slow cooker. If you'd like to use the slow cooker instead, brown the bacon and sausage in a skillet over medium heat. Then add the rest of the ingredients, plus the browned bacon and sausage, into the slow cooker, and cook for 2-3 hours on high or 4-6 hours on low.
- STOVETOP METHOD: Make this recipe on your stovetop. Simply sauté the bacon and sausage in a skillet, then add the rest of the ingredients. Bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- For the best results, read additional tips in the post above.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in March 2018 and updated in February 2023 with new photos and recipe tips.
Tasho says
Made this with vegetarian swaps and it was delicious, so perfect for cold fall evenings. I put it in the slow cooker and came back from a dog walk to the most delicious smell. Will for sure be making this one again.
Jas says
So happy you enjoyed it!
CD says
I was very surprised at the number of people that commented BEFORE making it.
Bridie says
My husband’s from Dublin and coddle was his first request when I got an instant pot (I explained it was really good for soups). He says that this version is nearly as good as his Nana’s and I think nearly is as good as I can hope for
Jas says
I'm so happy your husband approves of this recipe! You made my day. 😀