Irish Beef and Guinness Stew - Thick, hearty, and incredibly flavorful, this Guinness beef stew comes together easily in one pot. The low and slow simmering time provides incredibly tender beef infused with aromatic seasoning and the smooth robust flavor of Guinness beer.
There’s nothing more comforting than a hearty bowl of beef stew, am I right? Throughout the winter months, beef stew with sweet potatoes, or my ultimate Bulgarian beef stew recipe is on full rotation, but when it gets closer to St. Patrick’s Day, I tend to switch gears a little and bring on the Guinness.
Adding beer to the broth gives it a beautiful deep flavor, and the low and slow simmering ensures the beef is fall-apart tender and the veggies are too!
Irish beef and Guinness stew is one of the most popular menu items you’d find in any Irish pub and I’m going to show you how to make it right at home!
Why This Recipe Works
- Easy to make. It’s a simple recipe that requires just a bit of prep time. It’s the mouth watering aromas that come from your kitchen as it simmers that makes it hard to resist. Believe me, it’s worth the wait!
- Perfect anytime. Whether you’re thinking about skipping the corned beef recipe with cabbage this St. Paddy’s Day, or you just want a comforting hearty stew to enjoy throughout the week, this Guinness beef stew hits the spot.
- Comfort food. Serve it over Instant Pot mashed potatoes or enjoy a bowl all on its own. I’ve been making my sourdough bread recipe with starter so often lately, I can’t wait to rip off a chunk of it to scoop up every bit of the broth!
Ingredients for Guinness Beef Stew
- Bacon: This adds incredible salty, smoky flavors to the stew. Plus, we use some of the fat rendered instead of oil giving it even more flavor.
- Boneless Beef Chuck: Trim any excess fat and cut it into 2-inch pieces.
- Seasoning: Montreal steak spice, salt, and pepper to taste. If you’re interested in making a homemade Montreal steak seasoning blend to keep on hand, I have a great recipe for you.
- Aromatics and Herbs: Chopped onion, minced garlic, bay leaves, fresh thyme.
- Veggies: Carrots and celery. I like to keep the veggies nice and chunky so I cut them into cubes. It also ensures that they don’t overcook by being too small.
- Flour: A sprinkling of flour to thicken up the Guinness stew.
- Tomato paste: To give the broth a rich tomato-based flavor.
- Broth: Use either a store bought or homemade broth. Low sodium or regular is fine. I’ll be using my Instant Pot chicken bone broth recipe, so feel free to use it too.
- Beer: The fun part! You’ll need 1 can of Guinness. This is a very dark, thick, and robust-tasting beer that gives the beef stew not only flavor but a dark color too.
How to Make Beef and Guinness Stew
Step 1: Get out your Dutch oven or heavy-bottom soup pot and place it on the stove over medium heat. Cook the bacon until it’s crispy then transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate. Keep 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pot and get rid of the rest.
Step 2: Pat the beef cubes dry with a paper towel and then season on all sides with steak seasoning, salt, and pepper. Transfer them to the pot to lightly brown on all sides.
Step 3: After about 5 minutes of browning the beef, stir in the tomato paste, carrots, and celery. Continue cooking for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 4: Sprinkle in the flour, and use a wooden spoon to stir for 1 minute. Finally, stir in the beef, and chicken broth. Add the thyme and bay leaves. Use the same wooden spoon to scrape off the browned bits at the bottom of the pot, incorporating all that extra flavor.
Step 5: Let the soup simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Use a slotted spoon to remove any fat or foam that collects on the surface.
Step 6: Once the beef and carrots are tender, remove the sprigs of thyme and the bay leaves. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Serve over mashed potatoes and enjoy!
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Add extra veggies: Clean out your fridge and toss in mushrooms, cabbage, or peas. If you don’t plan on serving this Guinness beef stew over mashed feel free to add cubed potatoes to the stew instead.
- Use lamb: Did you know traditional Guinness stew is actually made with lamb? Go ahead and make the switch for an even more authentic experience.
- Best beef: We want to keep our recipes budget-friendly and super tasty, so for best results, I recommend using beef chuck. The low and slow cooking time will help to dissolve the connective tissues from the muscles into the stew giving it even more flavor.
- To make this gluten-free: Skip the flour and stir in a cornstarch slurry at the end.
FAQs
Using alcohol in a stew is nothing new. There are plenty of times when adding red wine adds to the flavor of the broth. This time, however, it’s beer! Normally, you’d find Guinness beer in Guinness beef stew, which is a stout beer with a smooth body and creamy head. However, if you don’t have any on hand, you can substitute with a pale ale.
This traditional pub fare can be enjoyed as a bowl on its own with a piece of crusty bread or a side salad. Or you can serve it over a bed of mashed potatoes which absorbs all the yummy flavors of that delicious broth!
Definitely! So make a big batch and freeze some for the next time you’re craving it. Allow it to cool completely, transfer it to a freezer-safe container or freezer bag, and freeze it for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat.
You can also reheat single portions in the microwave.
It does not! It provides a deep, rich flavor, but the alcohol evaporates and the flavors blend nicely into the stew. You won’t be tasting spoonfuls of Guinness beer, don’t worry.
More Easy Beef Recipe
- Mediterranean Beef Kebobs
- Easy Ground Beef Casserole
- Best Homemade Nachos With Ground Beef
- Korean Beef Bulgogi
Do YOU like this Guinness Beef Stew?
Let me know in the comments below, I would love to hear from you!
When YOU make this Guinness Beef Stew tag us on Instagram @MunchkinTimeBlog, we would love to see your bread creation!
📖 Recipe
Guinness Beef Stew
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon cut into small pieces
- 2 ½ lb beef chuck boneless cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon Montreal Steak Spice
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- 2 onions chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic finely chopped
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 3 medium carrots peeled and cubed
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- ¼ cup flour more if you want a thicker gravy
- 14.9 oz Guinness beer
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 3 sptings thyme fresh
- 2 bay leaves fresh or dried
Instructions
- Let's get started by cooking the bacon in a Dutch oven until it's nice and crispy. Once it's cooked to perfection, transfer it onto a plate and remove any excess bacon grease, leaving about two tablespoons of fat in the pot.
- Next up, let's season the beef cubes with some steak seasoning, salt, and pepper (to taste), and cook them up in the remaining bacon fat (about 2 tablespoons) until they're nicely browned. Once they're cooked, transfer the beef onto the plate with the bacon.
- Now, let's add some onions and garlic to the pot and cook them until they're lightly browned, which should take about 5 minutes or so. After that, let's stir in some tomato paste, celery, and carrots, and cook for another 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- It's time to sprinkle some flour over the mixture and stir it up for a minute. Then, let's add some beer and chicken broth, and mix in some thyme and bay leaves.
- Now, let's let the stew simmer for around two hours, stirring occasionally and removing any fat or foam that accumulates on the surface.
- Once the beef is nice and tender, let's remove the thyme and adjust the seasoning if needed. Finally, let's serve the stew over some mashed potatoes and enjoy a warm, delicious meal!
Notes
- Add more veggies: Don't let those veggies go to waste! Consider tossing in some mushrooms, cabbage, or peas to make your stew more nutritious and flavorful. And if you're not serving the stew over mashed potatoes, why not add some cubed potatoes to the mix?
- Try lamb: Did you know that traditional Guinness stew is made with lamb? For an even more authentic taste, why not switch to lamb for your recipe?
- Choose the best beef: We want your stew to be both budget-friendly and super tasty, so we recommend using beef chuck for the best results. The slow cooking process will help break down the connective tissues, making the meat more tender and flavorful.
- Make it gluten-free: If you or someone you know is gluten-free, no worries! Simply skip the flour and use a cornstarch slurry to thicken the stew at the end of the cooking process.
Leave a Reply