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This Guinness beef stew is loaded with beef chuck, vegetables and you guessed it, Guinness beer, which gives it a great depth of flavor.
St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner. Luckily for you there are plenty of options - from corned beef hash to Irish coffee cake to Baileys ice cream.
But one of main ingredients for me this time of year is Guinness. The caramelized and toasted malt flavors work great with the beef.
Why This Recipe Works
- Twist on a classic - this recipe takes the comforting beef stew and replaces what is usually red wine with Guinness beer, giving it a different flavor.
- Flavorful - the stew is seasoned with a variety of herbs and spices, including thyme and bay leaves, which further enhance the flavor profile in addition to the beef, bacon and Guinness beer.
- Freezer friendly - it can be prepared in a large quantity and frozen for future use.
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Ingredient Notes
- Beef chuck - perfect meat for cooking low and slow as it becomes tender when it is cooked for a longer period of time.
- Veggies and herbs - adds a hint of flavor to the stew.
- Bacon - adds some extra flavor but can be omitted.
- All-purpose flour - helps thicken the stew.
- Guinness beer, chicken and beef stock - the combination gives a good mouth feel and depth of flavor.
- Tomato paste - adds some richness.
Ingredient Swaps
As with any recipe, you can mix up some of the ingredients. Some variations include:
- While I use beef chuck for this recipe, boneless short ribs are a good substitute.
- If you don't want bacon, pancetta can be used instead.
- Instead of flour, you can use cornstarch.
- I use a combination of chicken and beef stock as it allows for the flavor of the Guinness to come through better but you can use one of all or the other.
Step-by-Step Photos
Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.
Heat olive oil in a large pot over high heat. Brown the seasoned beef in batches for 1-2 minutes per side, then set aside on a plate.
Reduce heat to medium and add bacon. Cook until the fat is rendered and starting to brown, about 5 minutes.
Cook onion until translucent for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 3 minutes.
Stir in flour, then slowly add Guinness beer, scraping the bottom to get the brown bits, until the flour dissolves.
Add the remaining ingredients to the Dutch oven as well as the beef.
Bring to boil before reducing heat and simmering for 2 ½ hours. Remove bay leaves and thyme and serve.
FAQs
Yes. To use a slow cooker, follow the recipe as instructed in a large saucepan, adding Guinness and scraping the bottom well. Then transfer everything to the slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
For an Instant Pot, follow slow cooker instructions, but cook on HIGH for 40 minutes then do natural release.
Draught and Extra Stout are pretty similar but Draught has a little more coffee notes and creamy where as the Extra Stout has a slightly drier finish. You can use either in this recipe.
Yes, other beers can be used, but just keep in mind the flavors will be different. Try other stouts like Beamish, Murphy’s or O’Hara’s.
The easiest way to thicken any type of soup/stew is by using cornstarch. You whisk 2 tablespoon cornstarch in ¼ cup stock or water and then add to the stew as it is cooking.
It is super important to whisk the cornstarch with the stock in a separate bowl beforehand to make a slurry. If you just add the cornstarch to the stew, it will be clumpy and take quite a while to cook out.
Yes, you can make Guinness beef stew in advance and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Serving Options
While this Guinness beef stew is great on its own, you can also serve over some cream cheese mashed potatoes. And if you're looking for a low carb option, try garlic mashed cauliflower.
And even though it is more for breakfast, dipping some Irish potato bread in the stew is never a bad idea.
Equipment
The equipment you use is important to how the Guinness beef stew turns out. What is needed is the following:
- Stock pot/Dutch oven - you want something large enough to cook the stew.
- Chef's knife - you want a quality knife to dice everything.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Do not skip searing the beef chuck as it helps create flavor and seal in the juice.
- Use a combination of chicken and beef stock which allows you to highlight the Guinness flavor.
- If you like a thicker stew, mix 2 tablespoon cornstarch with ¼ cup beef stock before adding to the Guinness beef stew as it is simmering.
- Do not overcook the stew. It shouldn't cook longer than 3 hours, otherwise you'll have dry beef.
Other Soup Recipes
If you’ve tried these Guinness beef stew or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Guinness Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2.5 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1" chunks
- 2 medium white or yellow onion, diced
- 8 oz bacon, diced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 (14.9 oz) can Guinness beer
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 cup low-sodium beef stock
- 4 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 large celery stalks, cut into ½ inch pieces
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch plus ¼ cup beef stock
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in large pot over high heat. Season beef with salt and pepper and add in batches, until browned on each side. Should be 1-2 minutes per side. Set aside onto plate and repeat with remaining beef.
- Lower pot to medium heat and add the bacon and cook until bacon fat is starting to brown and fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes until onion is soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook for another 3 minutes. Stir flour into mixture.
- Add Guinness beer slowly until flour is dissolved, scraping bottom to get the brown bits. Add chicken stock, beef stock, tomato paste, carrots, celery, bay leaves and thyme. Return the beef to the pot as well as any juice from them. (I use both chicken stock and beef stock so Guinness beer is more pronounced but you can use beef stock only)
- Bring to boil and then cover and simmer for 2 hours. Remove lid and simmer for another 30-45 minutes or until beef is starting to fall apart. Remove the bay leaves and thyme.
- At this point I wanted it slightly thicker so I mixed some cornstarch with more beef stock and then added to stew and let cook for another 10 minutes. (You can skip this step if it's thick enough for you) Adjust for seasoning.
- Serve over mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower.
Notes
- Do not skip searing the beef chuck as it helps create flavor and seal in the juice.
- Use a combination of chicken and beef stock which allows you to highlight the Guinness flavor.
- If you like a thicker stew, mix 2 tablespoon cornstarch with ¼ cup beef stock before adding to the Guinness stew as it is simmering.
- Do not overcook the stew. It shouldn't cook longer than 3 hours, otherwise you'll have dry beef.
Chris says
Big fan of beef stew!
Karly says
Looks delicious! Pinning!
Ryan says
Thanks! It's one of my favorites this time of year.
Denise says
This was very good. The Irish type Beef Burgundy. It was a great meal for a cold winter night.
Ryan says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Julie Asbeck says
My family loves beef stew and this has to be the absolute best we have ever made! I added some peas and pearl onions for color. You have yourself one heck of a recipe! Thank you!!
Ryan says
Definitely a favorite this time of year!