Guinness Beef Stew is a hearty and filling stew, that is chock full of beef and vegetables. It is also quite easy to prepare! This comforting recipe is great for St. Patrick's Day, a cold night with friends and family and a terrific meal for Sunday supper!
Next time try the Corned Beef Stew - a traditional Irish stew!
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Why you'll love this recipe
✔️ This hearty meal cooks in one pot for easy cleanup.
✔️Rich and filling on a cold day.
✔️The ingredients are everyday items you can find at any grocery store!
Ingredients
For the exact measurements for this flavorful stew, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- beef stew meat (though you can use lamb as well), chuck roast, leftover roast beef would work as well.
- onion, celery, carrots, potatoes, garlic clove
- tomato paste
- all purpose flour
- beef broth or beef stock
- one bottle of Guinness stout (or other stout beer)
- salt and black pepper
- bay leaves
- dried thyme
- parsley
- corn oil or vegetable oil
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. For the complete directions just scroll down to the bottom!
Stovetop instructions
- Preheat the oven.
- In a large pot add heat oil over medium high heat for a few minutes.
- Add the beef cubes to the pot. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
- Stir continuously so that the meat doesn’t stick, brown on all sides.
- Remove the browned stew meat and set aside. Drain any excess grease.
- Add another tablespoon of oil to the pot, then the onion, celery and carrots. Cook over medium-high heat until the onions are translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook another minute.
- Now add the browned beef back to the pot along with any juices on the plate. Add the tomato paste and stir into the veggies until the tomato paste has been totally combined with the meat.
- Next, add the flour and cook for about two minutes, continuously stirring and scraping up all the browned bits off the bottom of the pot. That's great flavor!
- Slowly stir in the beef broth, stirring the entire time.
- Add the Guinness beer and continue to whisk.
- Then place potatoes, bay leaves and thyme in the large pot. Toss to combine well.
- Put the lid on Dutch oven and seal, remove from the burner.
- Place the Dutch oven into the heated oven and roast for 2-½ -3 hours.
- Remove from the oven. discard the bay leaves. Stir to combine the stew and sprinkle with parsley.
- Serve immediately with some dinner rolls
Crockpot instructions
- Brown meat and follow instructions 2-10 above.
- Pour the stew into the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours until the meat is spoon tender.
- Open the lid and discard the bay leaves. Stir the stew and sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Equipment
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- Stockpot - if you need a good dutch oven, but don't want to spend a whole pile of money, this is the best, most affordable option.
- Wooden Spoon - these are terrific and a great buy for the quantity and variety!
FAQ's
Porters, stouts and Belgian ales are great for beef, pork lamb or game. Do not use an IPA because it will become bitter when heated.
Yes, you can use any cut that you prefer, make sure that you slice your beef into even-sized chunks.
The Guinness Beef Stew Recipe cooks for three hours.
Tips
- Using the right type of beer makes all the difference! Dark stout beers add strong flavors and give great depth to the dish.
- Searing the meat really gives this Irish Beef Stew its rich flavor so don't skip this step.
- Use big chunks of meat uniformly cut - not small diced pieces. There's plenty of time for the meat to get tender and render all that flavor!
- You can use any root veggie you want.
Variations
- You can use lamb instead of beef for a more traditional recipe.
- If you like spicy stew then add crushed red pepper flakes or even sliced jalapenos to your stew.
- Add chopped kale or cabbage during the last hour of cooking to make a healthier, more fiber-rich recipe. You can use any root vegetables in this soup.
- Add a couple slices of bacon and sauté along with the beef, it will add a ton of flavor to your stew.
Storage
Refrigerate - Allow to cool completely. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freeze - This soup freezes well up to three months.
Reheat - Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat over medium heat on the stovetop or in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between.
Related recipes
If you're hungry for traditional beef stews, here are some delicious recipes!
If you love Beef Stew, then you should give this Italian Beef Stew or even a bowl of this hearty Beef and Noodle Soup.
Or try Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Dumplings or the Crock Pot Steak and Potatoes. Both are amazing and easy to make! The recipe for Crock Pot Corned Beef Brisket is a must-make!
However, if you are a fan of pressure cooking then you can't go wrong with this Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup recipe.
Serve with
- Serve with freshly baked bread like these fresh dinner rolls (this recipe uses frozen bread dough and it's super easy!)
- or this Iron Skillet Cornbread recipe.
- Take a shortcut and make Cheesy Pizza Hut Breadsticks - these are amazing!
- If you'd prefer classic flavors, make a loaf of Irish soda bread.
Soup and salad are always great combinations as well - here are some of my favorites to enjoy with this meal are:
- Outback Wedge Salad - this is super terrific and an easy make-ahead salad.
- This Citrus Salad is perfect as well. The light citrus flavor cuts through the richness of the stew.
- The Fall Harvest Salad is lovely too. It's simple and uses butter lettuce, roasted butternut squash, Fuyu persimmons and red onions - so yummy!
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If you love this recipe please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating!
Guinness Beef Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons corn oil or other high-heat tolerant oil
- 3 pounds stew meat beef or lamb
- 1 onion roughly sliced
- 1 celery stick sliced
- 4 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1-2” pieces
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1-½ cups Guinness beer or other stout beer
- 2 pounds small yellow potatoes cut in half
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 320°F.
- In a large Dutch Oven add 2 tablespoons of oil and heat over a medium-high heat for a few minutes.
- Add the stew meat and season liberally with salt and pepper.
- Stir continuously so that the meat doesn’t stick, brown on all sides.
- Remove the browned stew meat and set aside. Drain any excess grease.
- Add another tablespoon of oil to the pot, then the onion, celery and carrots. Cook over medium-high heat until the onions are translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook another minute.
- Now add the stew meat back to the pot along with any juices on the plate. Add the tomato paste and stir into the veggies until the tomato paste has been totally combined with the meat.
- Next add the flour and cook for about two minutes, continuously stirring and scraping up all the brown bits that are stuck to the bottom. That's great flavor!
- Slowly stir in the beef broth, stirring the entire time.
- Add the Guinness and continue to whisk.
- Then place potatoes, bay leaves and thyme in the large pot. Toss to combine well.
- Put the lid on Dutch oven and seal, remove from the burner.
- Place the Dutch oven into the heated oven and roast for 2-½ -3 hours.
- Remove from the oven. discard the bay leaves. Stir to combine the stew and sprinkle with parsley.
- Serve immediately with some crusty bread.
Brenda
Absolutely loved this recipe!
Bowl Me Over
That's awesome Brenda, we agree - this stew is outstanding!!! I'm so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
N
Can this be finished in a crock pot instead of a dutch oven?
Bowl Me Over
Hey Nicole - great question, it certainly can! Here's what you need to do. Brown meat and follow instructions 2-10 above.
Pour the stew into the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours until the meat is spoon tender.
Discard the bay leaves before serving. Stir the stew and sprinkle with parsley and serve.