There’s no greater comfort food than a hearty stew. And Irish Beef and Guinness Stew might be the king of them all! Guinness gives the sauce an incredible rich, deep flavour, and the beef is fall-apart tender. Stove, oven, slow cooker or pressure cooker – directions provided for all.
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Irish Beef and Guinness Stew
Irish Stew may well be the mother of all stews. I mean, you know that anything simmered for hours is going to be a good thing. But this…. this is the stew of your dreams. Arguably the most deeply flavourful sauce of all stews, with a rich dark brown flavour, this is the best of the best.
THIS is the stew I make for company when I want to impress!
With it’s deeply flavoured rich sauce, Guinness Beef Stew is THE stew you make when you want to impress!
What kind of beer goes in Guinness Stew?
The not-so-secret ingredient that goes into Guinness Stew that gives the sauce the deep flavour and colour is Guinness Beer.
Guinness Beer is so dark it is almost black and it’s why the gravy of the stew is such a beautiful deep brown colour. Guinness is also much richer than most beers, which you can see just by looking at the thick creamy head (the foam) that Guinness is famed for.
It’s pretty widely available these days – here in Australia, you’ll find it at most liquor stores.
Meat in Guinness Stew – beef OR lamb
Traditionally, Guinness Stew is made with lamb. But in many parts of the world including here in Australia and North America, Guinness Stew is more commonly made with beef.
I hope the Irish aren’t offended! 🙂 I’ve made it with lamb and to be honest, I do prefer it with beef.
Tip: Use big chunky hunks of beef. Don’t even think about using tiny cubes of beef. It needs to be chunky pieces so it can be cooked for a looooong time to get all that flavour into the sauce! If the pieces of beef are too small, they will cook too quickly and fall apart in the stew before it’s had enough time to develop the deep flavours.
Ingredients in Guinness Beef Stew
In addition to chuck beef and Guinness Beer, here are the other ingredients in Irish Stew.
Garlic and onion – essentials
Bacon – adds extra flavour! Can be skipped, or sub with pancetta or speck
Carrot and celery – potatoes could also be added
Flour and tomato paste – to thicken sauce and the tomato paste also adds some flavour;
Guinness Beer and broth/liquid stock – the braising liquids. I prefer using chicken rather than beef broth because it allows the flavour from the Guinness beer to come through better. Don’t worry, it doesn’t taste like beer at all, it transforms into a deep savoury sauce! Also, all the alcohol is cooked out.
Thyme and bay leaves – to add a hint of flavour the sauce.
How to make Irish Beef and Guinness Stew
Though this Irish Beef and Guinness Stew takes time to cook, it is very straightforward. The steps are no different to usual stews like classic Beef Stew:
Brown the beef – brown them well, this is key to flavour. It’s not just the browned beef itself, also the brown bits left on the bottom of the pot (fond) adds extra flavour to the sauce;
Sauté flavour base – onion, garlic, bacon (speck or pancetta), carrot and celery;
Cook off flour and tomato paste;
Add liquids – beer, broth and herbs;
Simmer covered for 2 hours until the beef is pretty tender, then simmer for a further 30 minutes uncovered to let the sauce reduce a bit and for the beef to become “fall apart tender”.
Yes it takes hours but your patience is rewarded with beef so tender you can eat it with a spoon!
The one thing I do differently to most Guinness Beef Stew recipes, including very traditional Irish recipes, is to thicken the sauce slightly with flour. If you don’t do this step, the sauce is quite thin and watery, and while the flavour is still lovely, I really prefer the sauce to be more like a thin gravy.
What to serve with Irish Stew
Serve Beef and Guinness Stew over mashed potato or cauliflower mash for a low carb option. And what about some warm crusty Irish Soda Bread to mop your bowl clean??
I am so glad I have a tub of this in the freezer. I cooked most of the day but gave it all away. The minute I hit Publish on this post, I’m going to get cracking reheating some of this Irish Stew for dinner tonight! – Nagi x
Watch How To Make It
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Beef and Guinness Stew
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2.5 lb / 1.25 kg beef chuck , boneless short rib or any other slow cooking beef (no bone)
- 3/4 tsp each salt and black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 2 onions , chopped (brown, white or yellow)
- 6 oz / 180g bacon , speck or pancetta, diced
- 3 tbsp flour (all purpose/plain, Note 3 for GF)
- 440ml / 14.9 oz Guinness Beer (Note 1)
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 cups (750 ml) chicken stock/broth (or beef broth – Note 4)
- 3 carrots , peeled and cut into 1.25 cm / 1/2″ thick pieces
- 2 large celery stalks , cut into 2cm / 1″ pieces
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs thyme (or sub with 1 tsp dried thyme leaves)
Instructions
- Cut the beef into 5cm/2″ chunks. Pat dry then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in a heavy based pot over high heat. Add beef in batches and brown well all over. Remove onto plate. Repeat with remaining beef.
- Lower heat to medium. If the pot is looking dry, add oil.
- Cook garlic and onion for 3 minutes until softening, then add bacon.
- Cook until bacon is browned, then stir through carrot and celery.
- Add flour, and stir for 1 minute to cook off the flour.
- Add Guinness, chicken broth/stock and tomato paste. Mix well (to ensure flour dissolves well), add bay leaves and thyme.
- Return beef into the pot (including any juices). Liquid level should just cover – see video or photos.
- Cover, lower heat so it is bubbling gently. Cook for 2 hours – the beef should be pretty tender by now. Remove lid then simmer for a further 30 – 45 minutes or until the beef falls apart at a touch, the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly.
- Skim off fat on surface, if desired. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaves and thyme.
- Serve with creamy mashed potatoes!!
Recipe Notes:
– SLOW COOKER: Reduce chicken broth by 1 cup. After you add the Guinness and broth/stock into the pot, bring to simmer and ensure you scrape the bottom of the pot well. Transfer everything into slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients per recipe. Cook on low for 8 hours. If sauce needs more thickening, simmer with slow cooker lid off (if you have that function), to ladle some of the sauce into a separate saucepan and reduce on stove.
– PRESSURE COOKER: Follow slow cooker instructions, cook on HIGH for 40 minutes (this might seem longer than most but we’re using chuck here which needs to be cooked for a long time until tender and also the pieces are large). 3. FLOUR: I prefer my stew sauce a bit thick, not watery, so I always add flour to slightly thicken the sauce. Some recipes say to dust beef with flour before browning – I prefer not to use this method because the flour burns then this permeates throughout the whole stew. 4. Beef vs Chicken Broth – I use chicken broth because the flavour is slightly more mild which lets the guinness flavour come through more. But beef broth works just as well and you can definitely still taste the Guinness!! 5. Nutrition per serving, excluding mashed potato. This nutrition is overstated because it does not take into account the fat that is skimmed off the surface.
Nutrition Information:
Originally published July 2016, updated with new video and step photos. No change to recipe.
More slow cooked fall-apart beef recipes
Slow Cooked Chicken Stew and Faster Chicken Stew – when you need a rich stew on the table in under an hour!
Browse Winter Warmer recipes and see more Stews!
Life of Dozer
Sulking because he didn’t score any Irish Stew.
Let’s not feel badly for him though. He lives a very cushy life!
Bregje says
This is my go to recipe for stew! Love it! Perfect every time! I make it one day in advance so there is plenty time for it to become tender. Thanks for sharing!
Nagi says
I’m so pleased you enjoyed this Bregje! Thanks for letting me know! N x
Angie says
Is there a substitute for flour? Have Celiac friend. Need to make gluten free. Thank you
Nagi says
Yep, added directions in Note 3, just add cornstarch and water at the end! N x
angie says
It was delicious. Definitely a keeper! Thank you
Jackie says
You can always use corn starch as a thickener or gluten free flour
Christine says
I made this last night and it turned out wonderful! It was perfect for the snowy day we had. My husband and I loved it and will definitely be making it again and again! Thank you so much for sharing!
Nagi says
That’s so great to hear Christine! Thanks! N x ❤️
Melanie says
Just made this as a test. We are throwing a St. Patrick’s day party for 40 people on Saturday. We live in Texas with a lot of Louisiana friends. We love spice. At the start, I added a Tablespoon of Worschester. At the end of cooking, I tossed in 3 teaspoons of salt, 3 teaspoons of black pepper and 2 teaspoons of red pepper. It’s Perfect! Served it over a bed of mashed potatoes. It’s delicious!
Faylinameir says
I rarely use other people’s recipes because they rarely turn out well. However this was absolutely delicious. Only difference was I used beef sirloin and I added 6 big garlic cloves. I cooked it in the oven for 2 hours at 320f. Then I upped it to 350f for another 30 mins while I made potatoes. It still wasn’t that thick for me so boiled it on the stove for an extra 5 minutes. Delicious! Will definitely make this again.
Helen says
If I wanted to add potatoes directly into the stew, at what point would I do that? Making this in a slow cooker.
Nagi says
Hi Helen! I would add it for the last 3 hours of slow cooking in a slow cooker 🙂 N x
Connie says
First time making this and it was so delicious 😋
I followed the instructions and just added sliced mushrooms to the stew about an hour and half before it was done. It had a lovely smoky flavor, maybe from the Guinness. Hubby said it was the best.
I appreciated the tip about adding the flour to the onion,garlic mixture then adding the Guinness and stirred with a wooden spoon to make sure it was nice and smooth.
Nagi says
Love hearing that! So glad you enjoyed this Connie! N xx
Kristi says
Best Irish Stew Ever!!!! I don’t even like beef stew, I made it for my husband and now I am totally addicted and can’t stop eating. This is the perfect comfort food.
**i did substitute the bed of mash potatoes for cauliflower mash and it was the bomb.
Nagi says
I’m so thrilled to hear that Kristi!! Glad you enjoyed it – N x
Anna says
I’m 4 hours into the stew cooking in the crockpot and it’s looking very watery! Will it thicken up over the next few hours or should I add something to thicken it?
Nagi says
Hi Anna! The flour and tomato paste are the thickeners in this. If you can, simmer it for a while with the lid off and that will reduce the sauce to thicken it 🙂
Waneeta gamache says
Delish,my son made it when we visited last weekend and it was so good I decided to make it myself.Havened tasted mine but went rite by the recipe and I am sure it is fabulous
Nagi says
So glad you enjoyed this Waneeta! Thanks for letting me know! N x
Aphrodite says
How many ounces of Guinness did you use? I must Have missed it. It comes in giant cans as well as bottles, and I didnt Want to drown the stew!
Nagi says
In the ingredients – 14 oz can 🙂 N x
Norma says
I am confused. You say that you CANNOT taste the Guiness and later on you write that you can definitely taste the Guiness. Kindly clarify.I want to make this stew in a couple of days. I am not fond of the taste of beer. Thanks in advance.
Nagi says
Hi Norma! You can taste the Guinness but unless you knew it was in there, you would not know it is Guinness. With hours of slow cooking the flavour changes so much that it is no longer recognisable as a beer flavour 🙂 Instead it becomes a beautiful savoury flavour – it’s the key umami in this dish. Hope that helps!
Norma says
Thanks! I will make it now for sure!
Pradasmommy says
Definitely make it. I swear I doubted it too but now I make it all winter long. Best stew ever!
Tom says
Nagi, love every recipe I have tried from this site. All fantastic! Just made the stew on a cold northern Alberta, Canada evening. No potatoes in the stew and simply over mashed makes the stew. I added portabello mushrooms cause I was a bit short on beef. Next up Brazilian Fish Stew.
Nagi says
That’s wonderful to hear Tom! Thanks for letting me know! N x ❤️
Margot says
I can’t say enough good things about your recipes,but this is a great comfort food I’ve done it many time and a alway à hit thanks for sharing your recipes.
Ps Dozer is quite a handsome boy🐶💕
Nagi says
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Margot! Thanks for letting me know – N x
Patrick says
Added potatoes and used corn starch slurry to make gravy. Excellent. Very tasty. Everyone has seconds. 5 stars.
Nagi says
That’s terrific to hear Patrick! Thanks for taking the time to let me know – N x
Leslie says
Hi Nagi! Thank you so much for sharing your talent 🙂
Question: In this Irish Stew recipe, could you swap Guinness for red wine? If so, how much red wine?
Thank you!
Leslie
Nagi says
Hi Leslie! I’d probably use 2 cups of red wine 🙂 Or 1.5 cups. A bold cab sav or merlot!
Lacey says
I’m excited to try this recipe!! But the only thing is I’m stocked with ground beef and wanted to use it in a big dish I wanted to know if it’ll be good to use in this stew??
Nagi says
Hi Lacey! You’ll kind of end up with bolognese with an Irish Stew flavour which actually sounds kind of delicious! 😂
Natalie White says
Hey, firstly tyvm for recipe… ive followed all instructions ans smells amazing, just a wee question, why is mine red in colour lol?
Nagi says
Hi Natalie!! How odd! You sure you used the right beer??? 🙂 N x
Natalie White says
Thanks for reply! Yes followed every ingredient exact lol! Trying it again this week! Will keep you posted! X
Dean says
Tomato paste likely.
Yuna Martin says
Hi Nagi,
I made this last night and my husband and I love it! I looked for a good recipe for a while. Last time I made a more classic Irish beef stew recipe it in a slow cooker and it came out soupy and not beefy enough, so completely agree with your notes on the texture and flour. I didn’t have any bacon so I used pork belly instead. I was a bit worries but it worked just fine. Also, added a tbs of worcestershire sauce and a beef bouillon cube. I put halved baby potatoes in the stew this time (husband’s request) but will totally try it over creamy mash next time. Perfect comfort food for our frigid NYC weather. Saving this.
Thank you for the delicious recipe!
Nagi says
I love hearing that Yuna!! Thanks for letting me know – N x ❤️
Dwayne says
Dumb question, kids can eat this right?
Nagi says
Not dumb at all and yes, ~99% of the alcohol in the beer evaporates in the long cook time so the tiny amount left is immaterial 🙂