Have you ever had Guinness Beef Stew? If not, you don’t know what you’re missing!
A few years ago I got to visit Killarney, Ireland and was amazed at how good the food was. I wasn’t expecting the cuisine to be very exciting or that delicious.
What I found was a country that enjoyed good food and young creative chefs that had embraced the local movement and raised the culinary level to new heights!
While their creativity created amazing new dishes, they hadn’t forgotten their roots and continued to serve hearty old-world Irish dishes like this Guinness Beef Stew.
I was fortunate enough to learn how to make this Irish beef stew while I was in Killarney and this is the recipe I was taught (with a few minor variations). I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
What do I need to make Guinness Beef Stew?
The ingredients are pretty basic for my beef stew recipe with the only real change being whether you add potatoes to the stew or serve the stew over mashed potatoes. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t change up the recipe to suit your tastes. Remember recipes are guidelines.
If you’d like to add your favorite root vegetables to the stew, by all means, make it your own.
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Guinness Beef Stew. In chef speak this is called the Mise en Place which loosely translates into everything in its place. Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
*(beef stock and beer are missing from the picture)
What type of vegetables do I need for Beef Stew?
Most chefs or home cooks would tell you that the three basic ingredients (aka holy trinity) are the basis for any stew. Those would be carrots, onions and celery. The size shape and variety really doesn’t matter. Feel free to use large carrots and rough-cut celery stalks if you like.
- Cut the vegetables into bite-size pieces or larger if you don’t mind cutting them as you eat.
- Peel the potatoes or don’t. It’s up to you. You can also use any variety of potato you like.
- Use any variety of onion you prefer. I used pearl onions but they broke up as they cooked so you really couldn’t tell they were cute little onions.
- Generally, carrots are orange these days, but if you find heirloom carrots in hues of purple, yellow and white, by all means, use those.
- I used mushrooms in my stew because that’s how I was taught and I love mushrooms. You don’t need to use mushrooms if you don’t like mushrooms.
- You could use whole tomatoes instead of tomato paste. But I prefer the rich flavor the tomato paste helps build.
- Garlic is an important ingredient, and trust me you won’t taste it in the stew. But it does play an important role in developing flavors. I wouldn’t leave it out, but it’s up to you.
**Other vegetables you can add are parsnips, turnips, peas, green beans and corn. That might be straying from tradition but if you like it, it’s okay!
What Type of meat should I use for Beef Stew?
The best (and least expensive) cut of beef for stews is chuck. That comes from the front shoulder of the steer. The beef round which comes from the rear muscle is also a good choice. The chuck has more connective tissue and that’s why it’s my first choice.
The cheaper cuts of meat come from muscles that work more and would generally be tougher. But that also means more collagen-rich connective tissue. This connective tissue dissolves into the meat, adding to the body and richness to the stew that more expensive cuts of meat won’t give you. It also keeps the meat tender and moist which is exactly what you want with stew meat.
Other good choices would be bone-in short ribs and oxtail.
Lets’s get started making our Beef Guinness Stew.
Can I make this stew with lamb?
You sure can! Some of the Irish stews I had in Ireland were made with lamb and the lamb in Ireland is the best I’ve ever had.
Just follow the instructions as written substituting the beef. You may have more fat to skim off, but other than that, it should be delicious!
The first step is pan-searing the beef cubes in a very hot pan with olive oil. Turn the cubes so that all the sides are seared. Remove all the beef from the pan.
Add the garlic, onions, and mushrooms to a large pot and let them cook for 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the bacon. Let the ingredients cook for another 5 minutes to let the bacon cook down.
I use my favorite 6 qt. Copper Core 5-ply All-Clad pot for this stew. It’s classified as a roaster and is a great pan for use in your kitchen, making soups, stews and sauces.
Next, add the carrots and celery to the pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes then add the flour and let the mixture cook for an additional 2-3 minutes to let the flour cook, getting rid of the raw flavor.
The next step is deglazing the pan with a bottle of Guinness. I used the Foreign Extra Stout because that’s what I had on hand. Feel free to use any variety of Guinness Stout that you like to drink. You can (gasp) substitute other stouts or porters that you might have on hand.
Deglazing the pan helps unstick all of the delicious little bits that have attached themselves to the bottom of the pan during the cooking process. By adding a cooler liquid to the hot pan it helps release those tasty bits. What’s left on the pan can be dislodged with a spoon.
The last step is adding the beef cubes back into the pot with the potatoes, beef broth and thyme (bay leaves are optional if you’d like to add one). Bring the stew to a light boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot allowing the stew to simmer for 2 hours.
Check on the stew occasionally, stirring the pot when you do. After two hours, remove the lid from the pot and turn down the heat to simmer and allow it to continue to cook for 1 -2 hours. This is when the magic happens.
Allowing the stew to cook a little longer will make the beef tender and the broth rich and ah-mazingly flavorful. At this point, all you need to do is check the seasonings adding more sea salt and black pepper if needed.
Can I make this stew in a slow cooker?
Yes you can. I would suggest searing the bacon, meat and vegetables first. That will give you the best flavor. Allowing the caramelization adds a lot of flavor to the stew.
Can I make this stew in an Instant Pot?
Yes you can. You know your instant pot and how to work it to get the best results. Here are my suggestions to help give you the best results. Adjust them as needed.
- Turn on the sauté function on the Instant Pot. Add the olive oil then the stew meat. Sear the beef for about 2-3 minutes on each side, allowing the meat to caramelize. Remove the beef and set aside until needed.
- Add more oil if needed, then continue to saute the bacon until it begins to crisp up a little. Then add the mushrooms, garlic, onions, celery and carrots. Continue to cook the vegetables for 5-7 minutes. Again we want to caramelize the vegetables to bring out the depth of flavors.
- Deglaze the pan with the Guinness using a spoon to get all the delicious bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Add the beef stock and tomato paste. Mix well.
- Add the browned beef into the pot (including any juices)and potatoes.
- Follow instructions for pressurizing your Instant Pot and push the “Meat/Stew” button which should default to 35 minutes.
- Your pot should show OnPressure will start building pressure. Because of the large amount of ingredients this can take up to 25 minutes. Once you build up adequate pressure the 35 minutes cooking process will begin.
- When the cooking process has finished, allow your Instant Pot to cool for 10 – 15 minutes before releasing the pressure.
If your stew looks a little thin, make a roux to add to the stew to thicken the gravy. In a small pan melt two tablespoons of butter and add two tablespoons of flour to the melted butter. Over low heat let the roux cook for 3-4 minutes.
Remove a cup or more of the liquid from the pot and whip in the roux to the liquid. When the roux has been mixed in well, add the mixture back into the instant pot and mix well. Bring the heat back up to finish thickening the sauce.
Recipe FAQ’s
Stoudt is a bitter beer and you might think it will make the stew bitter, but in truth the flavors enhance the stew. But if it does taste bitter to you, try adding a little brown sugar.
If your stew isn’t thick enough add one tablespoon of cornstarch to one cup of liquid from the stew. This will help thicken the stew. You can also make a slurry with equal parts corn starch and water mixed together and added directly to the stew.
Chuck, Short Ribs and Oxtail are my preferred choices for beef stew. The cheaper cuts of meat come from muscles that work more and would generally be tougher. But that also means more collagen-rich connective tissue. This connective tissue dissolves into the meat, adding to the body and richness to the stew that more expensive cuts of meat won’t give you. It also keeps the meat tender and moist which is exactly what you want with stew meat.
You don’t have to wait for St. Patrick’s Day to serve up this deliciousness. Why not treat your family to my Irish Beef Stew this week, just make sure to pick up a loaf of crusty bread and good Irish butter!
Mary
Just returned from my first trip to Ireland. Guinness Stew was on the menu from Dublin to Cork! I wanted to try to make it here in New Hampshire. This is a great recipe! I love the steps that help build the flavor. It also gives me an excuse to buy some Guinness! Thank you
Chef Dennis Littley
I absolutely loved Ireland, the food, the people and the beauty of the country! I’m hope you enjoy the stew
Lisa
Served this at my St. Patrick’s Day party yesterday. Best ever! I made it on Wednesday and reheated it in my slow cooker Thursday. It was delicious Wednesday and even better Thursday. Several of my friends asked for the recipe!
Chef Dennis Littley
thanks for the great review and comment, Lisa. I’m happy to hear my beef stew recipe was a hit!
Bill Martin
Love the recipe but I needed to reorder the ingredient list so it matches the sequence in the directions
Chef Dennis Littley
good point, and thank you
Dave G
How many people will this recipe serve?
Chef Dennis Littley
4-6 servings depending on who you are feeding
Mo
Ditto Mark’s comment! Made the stew for “Sunday Supper”. My husband said the gravy was the best he’s ever had… it was absolutely BEAUTIFUL! I made mashed potatoes instead of adding the potatoes to the stew… for dessert I had a bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy! I love all of the tips for changing things up a little. Definitely will be making this again. Thank you so much for the great recipe Chef Dennis!!
Chef Dennis Littley
thank you so much for the great review and comment! I’m very happy to hear you enjoyed the stew
Dorene
I’m a 67 year old Irish mom and as such I have eaten plenty of authentic Irish dinners and desserts.
I just had to comment and let you know that this recipe knocked my socks off! It truly is the best Irish stew I’ve ever made and eaten! I had to tell hubby to stop getting a fork and snacking on it right out of the fridge! I’m making it for the 3rd time tomorrow – St. Patrick’s Day. I’m also going to check if you have a recipe for Irish Soda Bread. I make my Irish grandmother’s recipe (with raisins)a few times a year.
Thank you for sharing this recipe Chef Dennis. You’re definitely my go-to guy when I want fabulous recipes!
Chef Dennis Littley
Thank you so much for your heartfelt comment and great rating! I’m am thrilled to hear you enjoyed my stew so much, my wife and I both love it!
I do have a soda bread recipe that I put up last week and it does have raisins, I’m not sure if it will live up to your Grandmothers recipe but I did enjoy it with my favorite Irish butter!
Mark Sohlstrom
I made this stew yesterday, and my husband said it was “restaurant quality”. Once all of the ingredients were in the pot (a dutch oven), I cooked it in the oven for a couple of hours. It was perfect, with a lot of flavor!
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks for the great review and comment Mark, I’m happy to hear that my stew was a success! I hope you find more recipes on my blog to try
Lucille
Wondering about starting the process a day earlier….Maybe searing the beef? or making it all today and warming it tomorrow. Want it to be great but like getting ahead of the cooking if possible before company comes…what do you recommend?
Chef Dennis Littley
I would make it today and reheat it tomorrow. It will taste better tomorrow after sitting for a day. You may need to add a little water to thin it out when reheating