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Beef And Guinness Stew is the ultimate comfort food. Tender chunks of beef are slow cooked in a rich, malty Guinness gravy until they’re melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Every spoonful is packed with hearty vegetables, deep savoury notes, and the unmistakable flavour that makes Guinness stew a true Irish classic.
Perfect for a cosy dinner or to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, this Irish Beef And Guinness Stew brings pub-style comfort right to your own kitchen.
What Makes This Beef And Guinness Stew Work
Slow cooking beef in Guinness tenderises every bite and infuses it with deep, rich flavour. The stout’s malty notes blend with stock, herbs, and vegetables to create a silky, savoury gravy. Searing the beef and sautéing the vegetables first builds incredible depth, making this Beef and Guinness stew taste like it’s been simmering in an Irish pub all day.
What Goes Into Beef And Guinness Stew
This hearty Irish Beef and Guinness stew is built on simple, wholesome ingredients that work together to create incredible depth of flavour. Here are the stars of the dish:
- Boneless Beef Chuck Roast: Well-marbled and perfect for slow cooking, this cut turns tender and juicy as it simmers in the rich Guinness gravy.
- Guinness Beer: The malty, slightly bitter stout infuses the stew with a deep, robust flavour that balances beautifully with the sweetness of the vegetables.
- Carrots: Their natural sweetness adds a subtle contrast to the savoury, earthy flavours of the stew.
- Beef Broth: A rich base that enhances the meaty depth and ties all the flavours together.
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurements.
How To Make This Dish
- Preheat and Season: Adjust rack to lower-middle and preheat to 160°C | 325°F. Pat beef dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Sear the Beef: Heat oil in a oven-safe pot over medium-high. Sear beef in 3 to 4 batches until browned; add more oil if needed and transfer to a warm plate.
- Sauté Aromatics: Add onion and garlic to the pan drippings. Sauté until soft and translucent, scraping up any browned bits.
- Add Veg and Flour: Add carrots, celery, and potatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Sprinkle over the flour and cook another 2 minutes.
- Build Sauce: Pour in Guinness and stir to dissolve the flour. Add tomato paste, sugar, broth, and thyme, then simmer.
- Return the Beef: Tip in the beef along with any collected juices. Stir to combine and let it bubble for about 5 minutes.
- Oven Braise: Partially cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Bake for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, stirring twice during cooking.
- Finish and Serve: Remove from the oven and adjust salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley and serve hot with mashed potatoes.
A hearty Irish Beef And Guinness Stew pairs perfectly with sides that soak up the rich gravy or balance its deep, savoury flavours. Try it with Cheesy Bacon Smashed Potatoes for the ultimate comfort combo, or serve alongside Corn On The Cob With Garlic Butter for a sweet, buttery bite. For a touch of indulgence, finish the meal with a warm slice of Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread for dessert.
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes. While Guinness adds its signature depth, you can substitute with another stout or dark ale. For a non-alcoholic version, use extra beef broth plus a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce for richness.
Boneless beef chuck roast is ideal for Irish Beef And Guinness Stew because it becomes tender and juicy when slow cooked. Avoid lean cuts, as they can turn tough during long cooking times.
Absolutely. Sear the beef and sauté the vegetables first, then transfer everything to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours until the beef is fork-tender.
Beef And Guinness Stew
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 kg boneless beef chuck roast trimmed and cut into thick 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 pinch salt to season
- 1 pinch pepper to season
- 4 tablespoons olive oil plus more if needed
- 2 brown onions medium-sized, chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 3 carrots large, peeled and chopped into thick slices
- 2 celery stalks chopped into thick pieces
- 4 potatoes large, quartered
- 1/4 cup plain flour
- 1 1/2 cups Guinness Beer
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar optional
- 4 cups beef broth beef stock
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 pinch salt to season, to your tastes
- 1 pinch pepper to season
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 160°C | 325°F. Season beef generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in dutch oven or a heavy based, oven-proof pot over medium-high heat. Sear beef in batches of three or four until browned all over. (Use more oil where needed.) Transfer to a warm plate.
- Add onion and garlic to the pan juices; sauté until soft and transparent. Add the carrots, celery and potatoes, and cook for a further 2 minutes. Stir the flour into the vegetables in the pan, coating them evenly. Cook, stirring occasionally, for a further 2 minutes.
- Pour in the Guinness; mix well to dissolve flour, then add the tomato paste, brown sugar, broth and thyme, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, (about 5 minutes).
- Add the beef back into the pot along with any juices released.
- Partially cover the pot; transfer to the oven and bake for 2 1/2 – 3 hours (stir stew twice through cooking).
- Carefully remove from the oven, and season with salt and pepper, if desired, to your tastes. Garnish with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes.
Notes
FOR THE SLOW COOKER:
Add the browned beef into a 6 qt slow cooker bowl, along with the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT for the flour. Cook on low setting for 7-8 hours, or high setting for 4-5 hours. In the last half an hour of cooking, ladle out 1/2 cup liquid out of the slow cooker; mix the liquid with the 1/4 of flour until smooth and blended; then pour the flour mixture through the liquid (change to high setting if cooking on low).
FOR INSTANT POT OR PRESSURE COOKER: Following slow cooker instructions: cook under ‘meat’ or ‘stew’ setting for 55 minutes (or on a HIGH setting).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe is perfect. I’ve made beef stew a lot in the past but this just brings it all together so well.
I look forward to making this on St. Patricks Day every year, and a few times in between as well 🙂 I love the process and watching it transform in the Dutch Oven over several hours. I pair it with some crusty homemade bread as well. I make it exactly as is and wouldn’t change a thing. It makes a huge batch so it is perfect to freeze (reheats no problem at all) and save for cold or busy nights.
This has been a staple with us for years as I grew up in Ireland. Only difference, I add a couple of rashers (bacon strips).
This is a great recipe. Perfect for warming you on a cold day.
We’re big fans of lamb in my household. Could we swap out the beef for lamb, or would you not recommend that?
Absolutely delicious. I really enjoyed making this recipe. I was looking for something to expand my use of my Dutch Oven and this was it! Only changes were- I did not have any celery on hand and probably added a little more flour and garlic. It tasted great and was the perfect consistency. Served with no knead bread also made in the Dutch Oven beforehand. Will make again!
Great beef stew recipe, easy to prepare and cook. The Guinness and stock give this dish a nice punchy, umami flavour which you can easily tweak with beef bullion, acidity or sweetness to taste. Chuck or gravy beef are perfect for this dish, be sure to serve with crusty fresh bread to soak up the sauce!
I’m making this in the instapot, how do I go about adding the flour at the end, since it’s a pressure cooker? I’m worried it won’t thicken up without the flour and I’m not sure how to add it in following the instapot instructions
After releasing the pressure, turn your Instant Pot to the Sauté function, then add the cornstarch/liquid mixture. Let the stew come to a boil and stir for a minute or two to allow the liquids to thicken.
Made this recipe and we enjoyed it tremendously!
Since it was just for my husband and I with some leftovers, I only made 1/4 of the recipe.
I did it in the oven, but had to make up more ‘gravy’ and add it to the pot in the last 45 minutes as I found it was getting too dry.
Next time I would use another 2 cups of liquid with some thickener, so you have lots of gravy!
More beer, or more bullion.? Yourchoice! ?
I made this last night. The flavor was rich, savory with a touch of sweetness. The meat was perfectly tender and veggies were succulent!! This is now a “keeper” for my Cold Weather Day go to’s!! Thank you for the recipe!
This was DELICIOUS! My very picky tween and teen even loved it. I followed the recipe exactly and it was YUMMY. Thank you! It’s in the rotation!