This hearty Guinness Beef Stew is perfect for serving at a St. Patrick’s Day get-together or when you’re craving some real comfort food for the soul. It’s made with tender beef, chunks of potatoes, onions, carrots, and spices, all simmered in a rich broth flavored with Guinness beer. It’s absolutely delicious!
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When it comes to beef stew recipes, this one takes the cake! And to be honest, I’m not a big stew person.
It’s not that I don’t like a good stew, but it’s just not a meal I grew up eating. I’m more of a pasta e Fagioli girl, but I decided to put together this Guinness Beef Stew for my husband to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
He grew up in an Irish household, so as much as he loves my Italian cooking, I know he appreciates something from his childhood every once in a while.
My husband and I love this Guinness beef stew recipe. One of the best stews I’ve ever had. It’s everything you want in a hearty beef stew recipe elevated with the help of Guinness!
Reasons you’ll love this recipe
- It’s so delicious! The beef is fall-apart tender, and the carrots and potatoes soaked up all of the flavors of the rich sauce.
- Crowd-pleaser. Make this stew for your next St. Patrick’s Day party! Everybody loves it!
- Super easy to make. Everything is chopped up rustic-style and cooked in one pot for easy preparation and clean-up.
- Make-ahead. As you might have guessed, this Guinness beef stew gets better by the day, so make a pot on Sunday to enjoy all week or freeze to enjoy later on.
5-Star Recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Honestly the best Guinness stew around! I made it for St.Patty’s day and because it’s so good my family requested it again. Thank you for sharing your delicious secrets! – Susan
Ingredients
- Beef Chuck Roast. I use 2 1/2 pounds of boneless beef chuck or roast for this beef stew. I prefer to purchase a whole chuck roast and cut it into 1 ½ – 2-inch chunks myself as opposed to purchasing already pre-cut stew meat. In my experience, this results in the beef being much more tender. Also, I purchase organic grass-fed beef for all my recipes, including this stew recipe. I feel it provides the best flavor and it creates a healthier stew.
- All Purpose Flour is used to coat and brown the meat; it also helps to thicken the soup as it cooks. You can also use a cornstarch.
- Onions and garlic start the flavor foundation for this stew recipe.
- Guinness stout beer puts the Guinness in Guinness Stew! It creates a dark rich flavor that you’ll only get with Guinness.
- Tomato paste adds to the depth of flavors with this stew.
- Yukon gold potatoes. I use about 4-5 medium-sized Yukon gold potatoes (also called butter potatoes). These are the best potatoes to use in any stew recipe because they result in a soft creamy potato that will still hold its shape even after cooking for hours. Other potatoes like russet or red potatoes will get grainy and fall apart.
- Carrots give the stew a sweet balance and hearty texture. I use large carrots and chop them into bite-sized pieces.
- Beef stock. I prefer beef stock over chicken because it helps to deepen the flavors. Not to mention it’s a beef stew, and I’m looking for the beef flavor to come through.
- Fresh thyme is one of my favorite fresh herbs in soup and stew recipes, and it’s delicious in this Guinness beef stew recipe.
- Bay leaf adds another level of flavor to the stew.
Supplies
- 5 1/2 – 6 quart large pot or dutch oven – I have this Le Creuset, and it’s my favorite pot for soup and stew recipes.
- 5 – 6 quart crockpot – If you decide to make this in the crockpot, this programmable crock pot works great.
- Mixing Bowls – this Pyrex glass set has never failed me.
- Souper Cubes – these silicone freezer trays are a must for freezing all soups and stews.
- Ello Glass Containers – these are great for storing soups and stews in the refrigerator.
How to Make Guinness Beef Stew
- Place the cut-up chuck roast into a medium bowl and sprinkle it with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Add the flour and mix until the flour coats all the beef pieces.
- Over medium-high heat, heat two tablespoons of olive oil into a large soup pot or dutch oven. Add the beef to the pot in batches and brown the meat on both sides. Place the cooked beef on a plate and set it aside.
- Heat another tablespoon of olive oil in the same pot and cook the onions until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add in the garlic and thyme into the onions, and cook for another 2 minutes or until the garlic is fragrant.
- Into the pot, with the garlic, onions, and spices, add the Guinness (pour in the entire can), bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer.
- While the Guinness is simmering, scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in the beef stock and tomato paste. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer and add potatoes, carrots, beef, and bay leaf.
- Cook uncovered for 2 hours, stirring every half hour or so.
- Cover the stew and cook for another hour.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper.
- Serve hot with crusty bread.
How to Cook Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Stew
- To make the stew in the crockpot, first, you will brown the meat in a large soup pot then place the meat in the crockpot.
- Then cook the onions and garlic in the same pot, deglaze with Guinness, and add the tomato paste. Cook the alcohol down and then add it to the crockpot with the meat and the rest of the ingredients. You’ll want to reduce the beef broth by 1 cup when making it in the slow cooker. I know it’s annoying to take extra cooking steps before cooking it in the slow cooker, but I think it’s 100% worth it to make the extra effort for recipes like this.
- Cook on high for 6 hours or 8-10 hours on the low setting.
- If the stew isn’t thick enough, stir in a quick slurry (a tablespoon of cornstarch and 1/4 cup water) and let it cook uncovered for another 1/2 hour.
An expert tip. The night before you plan on making the Guinness beef stew assemble all of the ingredients into the slow cooker insert. Cover the insert and refrigerate. Then in the morning all, you need to do is place the insert back into the slow cooker and continue with the cooking instructions.
Serving suggestions
I love to serve this stew with crusty bread (or even better with Irish Soda Bread!) or a side salad as a healthy option. My husband loves sprinkling cheddar cheese over his.
Honestly, you can easily enjoy it on its own because it’s just that good!
Cooking Tips
- There’s no need to skin the potatoes. Just wash, chop them up, and throw them into the beef stew!
- I recommend skinning the carrots because it is difficult to get all the dirt and debris out of the crevices.
- Don’t worry about chopping the vegetables into perfectly even sizes; this is supposed to be a rustic dish, so having big chunks of different veggies is okay.
- You can add other root vegetables, like turnips or parsnips. Or add in some chopped celery.
- One cooking tip I’ve learned over the years is to salt and pepper at the end, especially when cooking a dish for 3-4 hours. After the stew cooks, stir in 1 teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of black pepper, making all of the flavors explode!
Storage tips
Make the Guinness Beef stew on Sunday, store in an airtight container, and warm up on the stove or in the microwave throughout the week. The stew can be stored in the refrigerator using glass containers.
Freeze the stew ahead of time in 1-cup portions using a silicone freeze tray like Souper Cubes or freeze in freezer bags or containers.
FAQS
I went back and forth between calling this Irish Beef Stew or Guinness Beef Stew. I decided on Guinness Beef stew because this isn’t a traditional Irish stew recipe.
Irish stew typically uses lamb or mutton…and to be completely honest, cooking with those meats takes me way out of my comfort zone. So, I decided to keep it easy and stick with beef, hence Guinness Beef Stew. It’s a classic beef stew with an Irish twist.
Guinness is a dark stout beer that gives this stew a deep rich color and flavor profile. Don’t worry, though- your stew won’t taste like beer; it will have a uniquely delicious flavor that you can only get with Guinness.
You might be wondering if you can use other stout beers, and my answer to that is probably. But, I’ve only used Guinness stout in this recipe, so I can only speak to the fantastic flavors developed by using this beer.
Other Healthy One-Pot Meals
See all of my healthy one-pot recipes.
Guinness Beef Stew
Equipment
- 5 1/2 quart soup pot or dutch oven
- Mixing Bowls
- Sharp chef's knife
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds chuck roast cut into 1 1/2 – 2 inch chunks
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper divided
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 medium onions chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 14.9 -ounce can of Guinness stout beer
- 1 6-ounce can of tomato paste
- 4-5 Yukon gold potatoes cut into chunks
- 3-4 large carrots peeled and cut into chunks
- 3 cups beef broth or stock
- 1 bay leave
Instructions
- Place the cut-up chuck roast into a medium bowl and sprinkle it with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Add the flour and mix until the flour coats all the beef pieces.
- Over medium-high heat, heat two tablespoons of olive oil into a large soup pot or dutch oven.
- Add the beef to the pot in batches and brown the meat on both sides. Place the cooked beef on a plate and set it aside.
- Heat another tablespoon of olive oil in the same pot and cook the onions until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add in the garlic and thyme into the onions, and cook for another 2 minutes or until the garlic is fragrant.
- Into the pot, with the garlic, onions, and spices, add the Guinness (pour in the entire can), bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer.
- While the Guinness is simmering, scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in the tomato paste and beef stock and then bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer and add the potatoes, carrots, beef, and bay leaf.
- Cook uncovered for 2 hours, stirring every half hour or so.
- Cover the stew and cook for another hour.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper.
- Serve hot with crusty bread.
Video
Notes
- To make the stew in the crockpot, first, you will brown the meat in a large soup pot then place the meat in the crockpot.
- Then cook the onions and garlic in the same pot, deglaze with Guinness, and add the tomato paste. Cook the alcohol down and then add it to the crockpot with the meat and the rest of the ingredients. You’ll want to reduce the beef broth by 1 cup when making it in the slow cooker. I know it’s annoying to take extra cooking steps before cooking it in the slow cooker, but I think it’s 100% worth it to make the extra effort for recipes like this.
- Cook on high for 6 hours or 8-10 hours on the low setting.
- If the stew isn’t thick enough, stir in a quick slurry (a tablespoon of cornstarch and 1/4 cup water) and let it cook uncovered for another 1/2 hour.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Have you tried this 5-star Guinness Beef Stew Recipe? I can’t wait to see it! If so, I’d love for you to rate this recipe and leave a comment below. We all learn from each other’s experiences. Also, it would be awesome if you could share a picture on Instagram and tag it #organizeyourselfskinny.
Kindra says
I’ve been to 4 stores and none had Guinness. Can I use another dark beer? I don’t drink so I’ve never tasted them to know what the flavors are.
Tammy Overhoff says
You can use any dark or stout beer.
Sue says
Hi,
I’m about to make this but have a question about when to add the beef broth. It appears to be added twice. (See below). I’m guessing it doesn’t matter much. Thanks for any guidance.
8. Stir in the tomato paste and beef stock and then bring to a boil.
9. Reduce to a simmer and add the potatoes, carrots, beef, beef broth, and bay leaf.
Tammy Overhoff says
Thanks for catching that! Yes just add it in with the tomato paste. I will change that now!
Sue says
Thank you!
Jill Samuels says
My husband is not a fan of beef stew and he loved this. Thanks for providing another chilly day recipe that my whole family enjoys!
Tammy Overhoff says
That’s great! My husband loves this too! It freezes great if there are any leftovers. Thanks so much for leaving a review and recipe rating.
Amy says
I make this stew pretty regularly! It’s delicious and using Guinness just feels right. I’ve made it on the stove top several times and right now it’s in the slow cooker. Great recipe!
Tammy Overhoff says
This is one of my favorite comfort stew recipes! I actually have some in the freezer right now that we are eating tonight. Thank you so much for leaving a comment about your experience.
Susan says
Honestly the best Guinness stew around! I made it for St.Patty’s day and because it’s so good my family requested it again. Thank you for sharing you delicious secrets!
Tammy Kresge says
Thank you so much for your comment. We eat this often too, it’s one of our favorites!
Kathy says
Best Guinness stew ever! So delicious I can’t believe it. I didn’t have tomato paste and forgot to add garlic but it was good anyway. I had planned to add mushrooms but forgot. Also used russet potatoes and those do need peeling.
Tammy Kresge says
I’m so happy you loved this recipe. This is one of my favorites! I have some in the freezer and can’t wait to heat it up for dinner!