There is literally nothing cozier than a hearty bowl of beef stew filled with tender meat and root vegetables. It’s like a hug in a bowl on a chilly day.
In this Guinness stew recipe, a rich beefy gravy-like broth is flavored with Guinness and filled with chunks of tender beef or lamb and veggies.
It’s a hearty meal, pure comfort food, that is welcome all year long! Serve it with Irish Soda Bread for dunking!
Guinness Beef Stew is a Hearty Favorite
- This one-pot Irish beef stew recipe is easy to make.
- It’s perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or any time of year.
- The addition of Guinness beer to the broth adds a rich flavor.
- This recipe can be made with either beef or lamb and allows you to customize the veggies to your liking, such as parsnips, sweet potatoes, or mushrooms.
- Overall, this savory Irish stew is a delicious and satisfying comfort food that’s sure to impress.
Ingredients in Guinness Stew
Meat – For this Guinness stew recipe, we recommend using well-marbled pieces of boneless beef chuck (or cut cubes from a chuck roast). Beef stew meat is another good option but may need a bit of extra time.
For lamb, choose cuts that are intended for slow cooking, such as shoulder. Trim away any excess fat before browning.
Vegetables – Carrots and potatoes are classic ingredients found in many Irish recipes! Stretch the meal even further with additional vegetables or even frozen mixed vegetables.
Broth – While the broth is similar to a traditional beef stew recipe, the addition of Guinness beer adds a unique and delicious flavor. Be sure to scrape up any brown bits in the pan, as they add lots of flavor.
How to Make Beef Guinness Stew
Stew is a favorite, and a dark rich beer adds a unique and delicious flavor to this version!
- Brown chuck or lamb in seasoned flour per recipe directions below. Set aside.
- Add Guinness beer to the pan, scraping up the little bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the beef and broth ingredients. Simmer until tender.
- Add the vegetables once the meat is tender and simmer. Thicken the broth and enjoy!
Tips for Perfection
- Brown the meat in small batches so it browns. If you overcrowd the pan, the meat will simmer instead of brown.
- The beer adds flavor to the broth and you will be able to taste the beer in the final stew.
- Cook the meat on a low and gentle simmer to make it nice and tender.
- Use baby potatoes or thin-skinned Yukon gold potatoes, they require no peeling and hold their shape nicely.
- If desired, thawed frozen peas can be stirred in before serving, they do not need to be simmered.
- We like to thicken the stew with a cornstarch slurry before serving. Mix equal parts cornstarch and water or broth and whisk it a bit at a time into the boiling stew until it thickens to your liking.
What to Serve with Guinness Stew
Serve Guinness beef stew with an equally Irish side of Colcannon (Cabbage and Potatoes), some homemade Irish Soda Bread, and some homemade Honey Butter.
Any crusty bread or homemade bread would be great for dipping and sopping up any broth in the bottom of the bowl.
Leftovers
- Keep leftover stew in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Reheat on the stovetop.
- Freeze portions in freezer bags or in a sealed container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat on the stove.
- Frozen stew may need to be thickened slightly with cornstarch slurry.
So Many Savory Stews
Did you make this Guinness Beef Stew? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Guinness Beef Stew Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chuck beef stewing beef, or lamb shoulder, trimmed and cubed
- 3 tablespoons flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions chopped into ½" pieces
- 2 cups Guinness beer
- 5 cups beef broth
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 pound baby potatoes halved
- 3 carrots cut into ½" pieces
- 3 stalks celery cut into ½" pieces
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary or 1 sprig fresh
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme or 4 sprigs fresh
For Thickening
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- In a large bowl or freezer bag, combine flour, salt, & pepper. Add the beef and toss to coat.
- In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Shake off any excess flour from the beef and brown in small batches. Remove and set aside in a bowl.
- Add the onions to the pot, adding more oil as needed, and cook until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Remove and add to the beef cubes.
- Pour the Guinness into the pot while scraping up any brown bits in the pan with a spatula. Stir in broth, tomato paste, and the beef and onions.
- Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer covered for 45 minutes.
- Add in the potatoes, carrots, celery, bay leaf, rosemary, and thyme. Simmer for an additional 45 minutes or until the beef and vegetables are tender. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
- Mix the cornstarch and water to create a slurry. Slowly add the slurry to the boiling stew to reach desired consistency (you may not need all of the slurry).
Notes
- Brown the meat in small batches so it browns. If you overcrowd the pan, the meat will simmer instead of brown.
- The beer adds flavor to the broth, and you will be able to taste the beer in the final stew.
- Cook the meat on a low and gentle simmer to make it nice and tender.
- Use baby potatoes or thin-skinned Yukon gold potatoes; they require no peeling and hold their shape nicely. Vegetables can be changed based on what you have on hand. Mushrooms, parsnips, cloves of minced garlic, or sweet potatoes are great additions.
- If desired, thawed frozen peas can be stirred in before serving, they do not need to be simmered.
- We like to thicken the stew with a cornstarch slurry before serving. Mix equal parts cornstarch and water or broth and whisk it a bit at a time into the boiling stew until it thickens to your liking.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American, Irish© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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I believe that this is the best beef stew I have ever had! Certainly, this is the best beef stew I have ever made! Wonderful recipe! This is the third recipe from this site that I have tried and none have disappointed! For someone who hasn’t made this before, give yourself plenty of time. Between the prep time and the cook time it took me closer to 3 hours, but I wasn’t in a hurry. That said, it is well worth the effort and the wait!
I am so happy to hear you are enjoying the recipes Stan!
How would this work in an Instant Pot??
Hi Denise, We haven’t tried this recipe in the instant pot but we have this delicious Instant Pot Beef Stew that you could follow the cooking directions for.
Overall it’s a rather straightforward dish with the added benefit of leftover beer to have with your meal. The hardest part is probably trimming the meat, which is more time consuming than it is difficult. My only minor issue is that I have rarely had success in using corn starch as a thickening agent. This time was no different. For this reason I generally just use a bit of flour instead or in combination. However, the flavor is wonderful.
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe Paul!
Would you be able to make this in a slow cooker?
Yes, in step 4, I”d suggest you let the beer simmer for a few minutes and then add it all to the slow cooker following the cooking times in our Crock Pot Beef Stew recipe.
Can the beer be omitted?
The beer does add flavor to this recipe; if you’d prefer without I’d suggest our Beef Stew Recipe.
Can beer be replaced? If so, with what?
Thank you!
The beer does add flavor to this recipe; if you’d prefer without, I’d suggest our Beef Stew Recipe.
Hello, Can I make this in an instant pot?
Hi Ann, We haven’t tried this recipe in the instant pot but we have this delicious Instant Pot Beef Stew that you could follow the cooking directions for.
I can’t give this a rating as I’ve yet to make it. Have a question first. To use the crock pot, would the cooking time be the same as your recipe for Crock Pot Beef Stew? This sounds delicious!
Hi Claire, the cooking times would probably be very similar. You will have to let us know how it turned out for you!
CANT WAIT TO TRY THIS BEEF STEW IN MY CROCK POT ILL BE SURE TO BUY A CAN OF GUINNESS BEER. I LIKE PABTS BLUE RIBBON
It’s such a delicious recipe, Thomas! We hope you love it.