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This Guinness Beef Stew recipe is full of tender beef, hearty veggies, and a rich tomato stout broth. Stovetop, Instant Pot and Crock-Pot options included!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! ♡
If you’re looking for a cozy Irish-inspired stew to celebrate today, this Guinness Beef Stew is always a winner. The classic trio of beef, potatoes and veggies is simmered low and slow with a richly-seasoned Guinness broth until every bite is melt-in-your-mouth tender (and your home smells amazing). And when served up with some good crusty bread or ladled over a bowl of noodles, this Guinness beef stew is the coziest comfort food through and through.
I thought I’d bump this recipe back to the top of the site today since I recently added in some updates (per your requests) with instructions for how to make this beef stew either on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot or Crock-Pot. And I’ve also added in a few fun new options for how to customize the stew to your liking.
So if you’re looking for a cozy beef stew recipe to make tonight — or any night of year year — grab a Guinness and let’s make some beef stew!
Guinness Beef Stew Ingredients
Before we get to the full recipe below, here are a few notes about the ingredients you will need to make this Guinness beef stew recipe:
- Beef: I typically use chuck roast when making beef stew, which is moderately-priced and becomes extra tender when slow cooked. Round roast, short ribs, sirloin or brisket would also be good options.
- Veggies: I kept things simple with a classic stew mix of onion, carrots, and potatoes. But feel free to also toss in any other stew-friendly veggies here that you love best.
- Seasonings: A simple mix of garlic, tomato paste, bay leaf, dried thyme and Worcestershire will serve as the classic seasonings for this stew. Feel free to also sprinkle some chopped fresh parsley on top for a hint of color and freshness.
- Beef stock:I recommend using a good-quality beef stock, since this will serve as the base for our broth.
- Guinness: Of course, you will also need a 12-ounce bottle of Guinness or your favorite stout to round out the broth.
- Flour:I typically use all-purpose flour to thicken the sauce. But you can alternately make a cornstarch slurry (with equal parts cold water and cornstarch whisked together) and add it to the simmering broth until it reaches your desired thickness.
Potential Recipe Variations
Here are a few additional ways that you can customize this Irish stew recipe if you’d like:
- Add bacon:I also highly recommend dicing and frying a few slices of bacon (then using the leftover grease to sauté the veggies) if you’d like to add some extra flavor to this stew.
- Add extra veggies:Feel free to add any other stew-friendly veggies that you love to this recipe as well, such as mushrooms, celery, cabbage, parsnips or peas.
- Add horseradish:I also enjoy stirring some horseradish into this stew just before serving to give it a bit of a kick. Or alternately, you can add it in at the beginning of the recipe and it will sweeten and mellow out a bit as it cooks.
- Use lamb:To make this more similar to traditional Irish stew, you’re welcome to use lamb in place of beef.
- Use a different beer:If Guinness or stout isn’t your thing, this stew can also be made with different kinds of beer (I’d recommend a pale ale) or a NA beer.
- Make it gluten-free:Skip the all-purpose flour and instead thicken the beef stew with a cornstarch slurry, made with equal parts cold water and cornstarch whisked together. Start by adding 1 tablespoon of the slurry to the simmering broth and stir for 1 minute, then add another tablespoon at a time until the broth reaches your desired thickness.
More Favorite Beef Soup Recipes
Looking for more cozy beef stew and soup recipes to try? Here are a few more of my faves…
- Beef Stew
- Ultimate Chili
- Vegetable Beef Soup
- Salsa Verde Steak Soup
Guinness Beef Stew
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.6 from 42 reviews
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 120 minutes
- Total Time: 140 minutes
- Yield: 6 -8 servings 1x
Description
This Guinness Beef Stew recipe is full of tender beef, hearty veggies, and a rich tomato stout broth. Instant Pot and Crock-Pot options included in the notes below.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat and cut intobite-sized pieces
- fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
- 1 large white or yellow onion, roughly diced
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 (12 ounce) bottle Guinness beer
- 4 cups good-quality beef stock
- 3 large carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tablespoonstomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Sear the beef. Generously season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large stockpot over high heat. Add half of the beef to pan and sear, flipping the beef once it has developed a good brown sear on the bottom then repeating on multiple sides. Transfer the beef to a clean plate. Add an additional 1 tablespoon oil to the pot, add the remaining beef, sear, and transfer to a clean plate.
- Sauté the onion and garlic. Reduce heat to medium-high and add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the stockpot. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Simmer. Pour in the Guinness and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan to lift up those yummy brown bits. Stir in the beef stock, carrots, potatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, Worcestershire, dried thyme, and the cooked beef (along with any of its accumulated juices). Cover the pot and simmer on low for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is completely tender and the potatoes are soft.
- Season. Discard the bay leaf. Taste season the stew with additional salt and pepper as needed, plus extra Worcestershire or dried thyme if desired.
- Serve.Serve warm, garnished with a sprinkle of fresh parsley if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
Instant Pot Instructions:Complete steps 1 and 2 in the Instant Pot using the “Sauté” feature (or skip this step, if you need to save time). Pour in the Guinness and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan to lift up those yummy brown bits. Stir in the beef stock, carrots, tomato paste, bay leaf, Worcestershire, dried thyme, and the cooked beef (along with any of its accumulated juices). Cover the pot and set the lid to sealing. Pressure cook on high for 30 minutes, followed by a 5 minute natural release, then quick release the remaining air. Add the potatoes, cover the pot and set the lid to sealing. Pressure cook on high for 5 minutes, followed by a quick release. Follow steps 4 and 5 to finish.
Crock-Pot Instructions:Combine all ingredientsminus the flour in a large slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the meat is completely tender. Make a cornstarch slurry and stir it into the simmering broth until it reaches your desired level of thickness. Follow steps 4 and 5 to finish.
posted on March 17, 2022 by Ali
Main Dishes, Soups / Stews
162 Comments »
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162 comments on “Guinness Beef Stew”
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Darlene — April 6, 2021 @ 4:11 am Reply
Can you use this is a slow cooker.
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Blake — March 12, 2022 @ 10:22 am
I make this in my instant. I serve it with white rice and a crusty bread for sopping. My family loves it.
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A. Cane — April 14, 2022 @ 2:23 am
I made this using guiness and it came out with a bitter flavor. I tried cooking it longer. Maybe I didn’t t cook off the alcohol. But it was still bitter tasting.
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Leslie McKewan — August 9, 2021 @ 11:43 am Reply
Any chance you can give me some advice about doing this in a crockpot? Would it be the same, until the simmer portion?
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Cf — September 14, 2021 @ 6:00 pm
Totally can be done in a slow cooker on high for 4 hours. I always make it in the slow cooker
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Mary Adams — October 2, 2021 @ 12:53 pm
Thank you for asking this question as I would also like to make this wonderful beef stew in my crockpot 🤞🤞
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Kim Rogers — October 20, 2021 @ 4:43 pm Reply
I make this a lot and my kids love it too. It’s really hard some days to make 7 people happy at dinner time but this one usually works 😜😂
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Nicole Fecco — January 10, 2022 @ 10:41 pm Reply
Made this tonight and it was so good! Between my husband and myself there weren’t any leftovers! We’re pigs in the winter.
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Karen S. — January 16, 2022 @ 4:02 pm Reply
I have made this stew with beef and I have substituted chicken for beef along with chicken broth rather than beef broth for non-red meat eaters! Both are excellent! Thank you for sharing!
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April — January 22, 2022 @ 9:10 pm Reply
I made this recipe tonight and the meat was tough and it never thickened up. Super disappointed after spending $20 on a chuck roast.
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Kim Berry — January 23, 2022 @ 11:07 am Reply
Made this and it was the best beef stew recipe I’ve ever made and I’ve made plenty! My honey ate 2 large bowls and said he’s eating the last of it for lunch today . And he’s someone who NEVER eats leftovers.
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Shannon Waters — February 5, 2022 @ 4:25 pm Reply
Hands down one of my favorite recipes! Super easy and so delicious! Been making this recipe for about 2 years now and it’s always a huge hit! I add a splash of balsamic vinegar right before serving to add a little acidity- not a lot, just a dash and it add a beautiful flavor to this amazing dish!
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Diane — February 6, 2022 @ 9:18 pm Reply
Had family over for dinner and was looking for something out of my ordinary. This stew was A HUGE HIT. I added a stray parsnip that needed to be used along with the carrots and used fresh Thyme because I was out of dried. Also used baby carrots, small whole yellow potatoes and pearl onions, so prep was super quick. I braised it in the oven at 350 because I needed the stove top. Thanks for this fabulous crowd pleaser.
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Emily — March 13, 2022 @ 5:35 pm Reply
Hi- looking to make this recipe but I don’t see when to add the 1/4 cup of flour in the instructions. Anyone know?
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Noreen — March 18, 2022 @ 8:26 am
Add the flour one minute after you add the garlic and mix it with the garlic and onions. Then move on to the next step. Hope this helps. We made it last night and it was fabulous!
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Susan — March 14, 2022 @ 12:21 pm Reply
I made this last year and it was excellent! planning on making it this year as well.
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Rachel — March 16, 2022 @ 11:54 pm Reply
This is our go-to St. Patrick’s Day dinner, but it’s delicious all winter long too! Our whole family – kids and adults – love this. Thanks for the great recipe!
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Susan Wright — March 17, 2022 @ 11:23 am Reply
we are on a plant based diet we don’t eat meat are you?
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Gordon Settlow — March 17, 2022 @ 12:21 pm Reply
Allie, I am so glad that you are back on line. Though I can only make some of your recipes, I learn from all of them. Anything with Guiness and I am all in.
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Cat — March 17, 2022 @ 6:45 pm Reply
A hour and a half was not even remotely close to enough time to get everything tender. The veggies were still crunchy and the meat was still chewy. I had to turn the heat to medium and cook an additional 45 to get everything cooked properly and my meat and veggies were cut quite small.
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Crystal — October 26, 2022 @ 1:47 pm
You may live at a higher altitude than the recipe poster. The higher the altitude you live in, you need to add cooking time to your recipe (not temp!).
I live about 3400 ft above sea level, so a recipe that takes 1.5 hours of cooking around sea level takes me about 2-2.5 hours.
Many of my traditional family recipes are calculated at 4300 ft above sea level, so I always have to adjust, and I make sure that I note on my recipe cards where I was making the recipe if I have to adjust the times.
Happy cooking!
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JJ H — March 17, 2022 @ 9:23 pm Reply
This was a hit! After cooking it for the required 1.5 hours, I at first wasn’t sure. The flavor seemed a little bland and the meat was a little chewy. I then added about 1/3 cup red wine and another splash of Worcestershire, cooked it for an additional one hour+ on very low heat (stove-top), and then it was perfect. Everyone loved it. I just used 2 lbs. stew meat and added extra potatoes and carrots. When I seared the meat, it never got that dark seared look like in the picture, I’m not sure why. But it was great and I’ll make it next St. Patrick’s Day too! (This served 6 adults with 3 people having seconds and just a very small bowl leftover for lunch tomorrow.)
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Andrea A. — March 31, 2022 @ 5:18 pm Reply
Tasty but Guinness flavor gets diluted by all the broth. Also, I had to thicken with cornstarch because never thickened just using the flour. I would try again but reduce broth by a lot.
Is it possible to give nutritional info about this recipe? -
Carlos — June 3, 2022 @ 6:51 am Reply
En nuestro país es un plato que apetece mucho como guisado
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Dan — June 27, 2022 @ 4:46 am Reply
Made this tonight in my multi-cooker. Far too much liquid and not as flavourful as I’d like. Next time I double the herbs and halve the stock.
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John Hofmeister — October 28, 2022 @ 1:15 pm Reply
1 (12 ounce) bottle Guinness beer — is this the Stout?
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Mike — November 3, 2022 @ 7:41 am Reply
Silly question…If I want to double the amount should I just double all the ingredients?
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Rita — November 5, 2022 @ 12:21 pm Reply
Best beef stew ever! If I’d like to make this without Guinness or other beers, what can I use please?
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James — November 30, 2022 @ 8:13 pm Reply
Made this stew this morning in my dutch oven for dinner tonight and it turned out fantastic. I had to make a few substitutions as I didn’t have every thing on hand and it still turned out great. I subbed balsamic vinegar for the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock for the beef stock and dried basil for the thyme (with a pinch of Majoram) . A definite winner with the family, thanks for the inspiration!
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Marnie Belle-Isle — March 19, 2023 @ 6:56 am Reply
Excellent recipe! I used 3lbs of boneless short ribs and browned up 4 slices of thick cut bacon. I could have used more beef I was serving 8 people. There is plenty of liquids so no need to increase that.
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Michele — November 28, 2023 @ 5:48 pm Reply
This is the best stew recipe ever. I make two to three times a winter. Decadent but delicious.
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