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.
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
Here are some friendly suggestions to make your Guinness beef stew recipe even better:
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.