Guinness Beef Stew

This Guinness Beef Stew recipe is a very simple recipe and it is delicious and hearty, perfect for a chilly day. Guinness Draught is just about the best thing that ever happened to a beef stew since meat and potatoes were even a thing. Its character is both sweet and bitter with hints of coffee and roasted malt. The flavor of the Guinness makes the gravy in this Guinness beef stew something to die for. You’ll need plenty of bread to sop up the juices of this hearty stew. Combined with only a few simple ingredients, and a slow cooking process, the flavors of my beef stew recipe meld together, the sauce thickens, and the aroma fills the home with its beefy goodness.

Beef for Guinness Stew

Good quality beef is key to making a good beef stew. Beef that is sold as stew meat is usually the tougher cuts of beef like chuck roast which is a little fatty, or eye/bottom round which is leaner. Cuts of beef like these benefit from a long, slow braising in liquid and literally fall to pieces. You’re able to cut through the beef with your spoon when the Irish stew is finished. Not only is braising great for the beef, but the slow cooking process is great for the potatoes and carrots as well, they absorb all the goodness from the Guinness gravy and melt in your mouth.

If we learned anything from watching Julia Child, it’s this; dry the beef before browning. If you don’t dry the raw beef, it won’t brown properly, rather it will steam and have an unappetizing grayish color.

Ingredients for Guinness Stew

• Lamb or Beef: In Ireland, this sort of good, hearty Pub food is going to be made with lamb rather than beef. However, here in the U.S., the cost of lamb is ridiculously expensive, so I use beef for my Irish stew. A chuck roast is perfect, as the long slow braising leaves it fork tender and melts in your mouth.
• Potatoes: Over the years I’ve gone back and forth on what type of potato is best in this Guinness stew. I’ve made up my mind, low-starch or medium starch potatoes will yield the best results. Yukon Gold or Red Potatoes are my favorites.
• Carrots: The sweetness of the carrots is ideal with the Guinness and the beef. They soak up the flavor of the gravy and are incredible
• Guinness Draught: Well you bloody well can’t have Irish Beef Stew without it, can you? Haha.
• Onions, garlic, and tomato paste: This gravy, oh my. Be sure to have plenty of bread to sop it up, you won’t want to miss a drop of this Guinness beef stew.
• Green Peas: Green peas are a great addition to the Guinness Beef Stew. However, green peas only take 4 minutes to cook and are overcooked and lose their beautiful color after about 10 minutes. My solution, use the green peas as a garnish, they will be perfectly cooked and have that beautiful emerald green color perfect for an Irish stew.

This is my Guinness Beef Stew recipe:

Print

Guinness Beef Stew

Guinness Draught is just about the best thing that ever happened to a beef stew since meat and potatoes were even a thing. Its character is both sweet and bitter with hints of coffee and roasted malt, making the gravy in this stew to die for, you’ll need plenty of bread to sop up the juices of my Irish Stew. Combined with only a few simple ingredients, and a slow cooking process, the flavors of my Guinness Beef Stew recipe meld together, the sauce thickens, and the aroma fills the home with its beefy goodness.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Irish

Keyword Beef Stew, Irish Stew

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 373kcal

Equipment

• Dutch Oven

Ingredients

• 2 Pounds Beef Stew Meat 1-inch cubes
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Cup Onion Large Dice
• 6 Cloves Garlic Crushed and Chopped
• 1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
• 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 1 Quart Beef Stock
• 1 Pint Guinness Draught Stout
• 1 1/2 Pounds Potatoes 1-inch dice, skin on
• 1 1/2 Pounds Carrots 1-inch dice, peeled
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 2 Teaspoons Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme

Garnish

• Flat-Leaf Parsley
• Crusty Bread
• 1/2 Cup Green Peas

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 325°F
• On the stovetop, heat a large ovenproof pot with a lid over medium-high heat
• Dry the beef well with paper towels before browning. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil and ½ of the beef, careful not to crowd the beef, you want it to be very brown, if crowded it won’t brown nicely
  
• Brown the remaining beef. Pour out the used oil.
• Return the beef and add the onions to the pot, sauté for approximately 4-5 minutes, until softened
• Create an empty area in the pot and add the garlic and tomato paste, cook for 1-2 minutes
• Add flour, stir well and cook for 1 minute
• Add the beef stock, Guinness, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil
• Add all remaining ingredients and return to a boil
• Place the pot in the oven uncovered, stirring occasionally until beef, potatoes, and carrots are all tender and the sauce has reduced, approximately 1 1/2 - 2 hours
  
• Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with crusty bread

Nutrition

Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 991mg | Potassium: 1184mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 14924IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 5mg

Thanks for visiting my Food Blog. I hope you enjoy my Guinness Beef Stew recipe! Please come back again soon! Bon appetit, Steven