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Kelli Foster
Kelli FosterCulinary Producer at The Kitchn
I'm a recipe developer, food writer, stylist, and video producer, with more than 10 years of professional experience. As an expert meal planner and avid home cook who loves grocery shopping and helping people figure out what to cook for dinner, I'm a natural fit as The Kitchn’s Dinner Therapist. Since graduating from The University of Scranton and The French Culinary Institute, I've authored three cookbooks: Buddha Bowls, Plant-Based Buddha Bowls, and The Probiotic Kitchen. My kitchen superpower is turning a random assortment of ingredients into easy, delicious dinners that even my young son will eat.
updated Mar 13, 2024
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This stew is simmered low and slow in a Guinness-spiked sauce.
Serves6Prep12 minutes to 15 minutesCook2 hours 45 minutesJump to Recipe
Jump to Recipe
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There are a lot of ways to cook up a hearty, comforting pot of beef stew, but if you ask me, absolutely nothing compares to Guinness beef stew. It also happens to be my favorite dinner to cook for St. Patrick’s Day. In this version, thick chunks of chuck roast are seared and then simmered low and slow in a Guinness-spiked sauce on the stovetop. The result is a richly flavored stew that treats you to melt-in-your-mouth beef, just-tender carrots and potatoes, and a sauce with just the right balance of sweet, bitter, and savory aromas. It’s a good idea to serve it with a crusty loaf of bread, so you can mop up every last drop.
Why You’ll Love It
- Guinness pairs well with chuck roast, which gives the stew a deep, rich flavor that makes it feel especially hearty.
- It’s a great make-ahead dinner that happens to taste even better the next day.
What’s the Best Cut of Beef for Guinness Beef Stew?
Do yourself a favor and skip the stew meat for Guinness beef stew. The best cut of meat for this dish is a boneless beef chuck roast. Starting with a whole roast and cutting it into pieces yourself gives you a lot of flexibility in how large or small the chunks of meat are. In this recipe, you’ll cut the meat into two-inch chunks. The reason stew meat isn’t a good choice here is that the pieces tend to be much smaller (usually about one-inch, at best), and aren’t always uniform.
You can also use a combination of chuck roast, boneless leg of lamb, and bone-in lamb shoulder for a flavorful and hearty Irish Pub Lamb Stew, which also features Guinness beer.
Key Ingredients in Guinness Beef Stew
- Boneless beef chuck roast: Ideally one that’s about 3 pounds.
- Guinness Irish Stout: Guinness has a malty sweetness with notes of chocolate and coffee that works perfectly in the stew.
- Potatoes: We like to use baby Yukon gold potatoes for their waxy, yet creamy texture.
- Carrots: Look for larger carrots, which will hold their shape in the stew.
- Beef broth: Use your favorite store-bought brand or make your own.
- Tomato paste: A couple tablespoons of tomato paste gives the stew a boost of umami.
How to Make Guinness Beef Stew
- Prep the ingredients. Cut the onions, mince the garlic, and cut the beef chuck into rough 2-inch cubes.
- Brown the beef. Brown the beef in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until browned on all sides. Transfer to a bowl.
- Add the Guinness. Cook the onions and garlic, add the flour and tomato paste, then deglaze the pot with Guinness. Simmer until reduced by half.
- Add the beef broth and browned beef. Cover and simmer until the beef is very tender, about 2 hours.
- Add the carrots and potatoes. Cover and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes.
What to Serve with Guinness Beef Stew
This hearty stew is delicious on its own, but it’s especially good with freshly baked bread or rolls. Here are a few of our favorites.
- Irish Soda Bread
- Soft and Tender Dinner Rolls
- Irish Buttermilk Soda Bread
- Parker House Rolls
- Irish Cheddar Potato Rolls
Why Is My Guinness Beef Stew Bitter?
Stouts, like Guinness, are known for their bitterness. If the stew is cooked too quickly or if it doesn’t include ingredients to balance the bitterness, this flavor can be very pronounced. This recipe includes a couple of simple steps to tame that bitter flavor and ensure it doesn’t overwhelm the stew.
- Sweetness: I’m not talking about sugar. Naturally sweet ingredients, like onions, carrots, and tomato paste work to balance some of the bitterness.
- Ample cook time: Low, slow cooking for upwards of two-and-a-half hours also works to tame the bitterness.
Guinness Beef Stew Recipe
This stew is simmered low and slow in a Guinness-spiked sauce.
Prep time 12 minutes to 15 minutes
Cook time 2 hours 45 minutes
Serves 6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 2
medium yellow onions
- 3 cloves
garlic
- 1
(3-pound) boneless beef chuck roast
- 2 teaspoons
kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons
vegetable oil, divided, plus more as needed
- 1/3 cup
all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons
tomato paste
- 1 (11- to 12-ounce) bottle
Guinness Irish Stout
- 3 cups
beef broth
- 1 tablespoon
Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon
dried thyme
- 1
bay leaf
- 5
large carrots (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
- 1 pound
baby Yukon gold potatoes (10 to 14)
- 3 sprigs
fresh parsley
Instructions
Cut 2 medium yellow onions into large dice and mince 3 garlic cloves.
Trim any excess fat from 3 pounds boneless beef chuck, then cut into rough 2-inch cubes. Pat dry with paper towels and season all over with 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottom pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of the beef in a single layer and cook until browned on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. The beef will not be cooked through. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with browning the remaining beef, adding more vegetable oil to the pot if needed, then transfer to the bowl.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1/3 cup all-purpose flour and 2 tablespoons tomato paste and stir to coat the onions until no dry pockets of flour remain. Cook for 1 minute. Pour in 1 (11 to 12-ounce) bottle Guinness Irish stout and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and the beer is reduced by about half, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add 3 cups beef broth, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and 1 bay leaf, and stir to combine. Return the beef and any accumulated juices to the pot. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low to maintain a bare simmer. Cover and cook until the beef is very tender, about 2 hours. When the beef is almost ready, peel and cut 5 large carrots crosswise into 1-inch pieces and halve any thicker pieces lengthwise. Halve 1 pound baby Yukon gold potatoes. Pick and finely chop the leaves from 3 sprigs fresh parsley.
Add the carrots and potatoes to the stew and stir to combine. Cover and simmer until knife tender, about 30 minutes. Spoon off any excess fat from the surface of the stew. Ladle the stew into bowls and garnish with the parsley.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Filed in:
Ingredient
irish
Root Vegetables
pantry
Seasonings
Potatoes
