Guinness Beef Stew is full of tender beef, veggies, and a rich stout broth. It’s comfort food of the highest quality and perfect for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day!
This classic Irish stew comes together in one pot with minimal work. All you need to do is serve it alongside fluffy mashed potatoes or buttered noodles for a dinner that’s sure to impress!
“I told my mom, who is an amazing cook, about this recipe that looked absolutely divine. She warned me that it might turn out bitter with the coffee and Guinness. It was so delicious and not bitter at all! This is is one of my new favorite recipes. I served it with the recommended mashed potatoes. Words really don’t do justice.” – Kristy, So Much Food reader
Table of Contents
This Irish Beef Stew Is Perfect on Chilly Nights!
If you know me, you know that a beef braise is one of my ultimate comfort foods. Like, truly in my top 5 favorite things to eat. This Guinness stew is no different!
The fall-apart tender beef is coated in a rich beef and Irish stout broth and packed with veggies. What’s not to love about that?
This stew is one of my favorite recipes to serve for a dinner party because the minimal amount of prep is up front and the oven does all the work. It’s perfect for feeding a crowd and the bold flavors of beef and stout never fail to impress.
Even better, all of the searing, sautéing, and braising is done in one Dutch oven that goes straight from stovetop to oven. This really is the perfect no fuss dinner!
Irish stews are typically made with lamb or mutton, but also commonly with beef. While I don’t claim for this to be an authentic recipe, the flavors captured in the dish embody the Irish spirit!
Tools Needed
Ingredients and Substitutions
You can find the full list of ingredients, quantities & method in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- Beef. Beef chuck is best here, but brisket also works!
- Bacon. Bacon adds a delicious smoky and rich flavor.
- Veggies. Onion, celery, and carrot is classic here. I also add chopped cabbage and potatoes for extra heartiness.
- Garlic. Garlic makes everything better!
- Flour. Flour helps thicken the sauce.
- Tomato paste. Tomato paste adds a rich, deep flavor.
- Guinness stout. Guinness is the obvious play here, but go for the classic, not the ‘extra’ as it’s much more bitter. If you want to opt for another stout or craft beer, make sure the IBU (International Bitterness Unit) is low, preferably under 50. Don’t choose one with a strong hoppy flavor or you’ll end up with a bitter stew.
- Beef broth. Homemade is always best, but the second best is the true beef stock you buy in the freezer section.
- Strong brewed coffee. A bit of departure from tradition, but adds a rich and savory flavor.
- Herbs. Fresh thyme and fresh bay leaves are the best here. You could use dried bay leaves if necessary.
- Peas. Optional, but I love the texture and pop of green!
Jenny’s Tip: You want to use the classic Guinness and NOT THE GUINNESS ‘EXTRA.’ The ‘extra’ is more bitter and will result in a bitter stew.
How to Make Beef Stew with Guinness Stout
Jenny’s Tip: As with all my soups and braises, I HIGHLY recommend investing in a Dutch oven. Mine is a huge work horse in my kitchen and I use it almost every day.
- Render the bacon. Add the chopped bacon to your dutch oven. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until it’s browned and has released some of its fat. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon from the pan and transfer to a small bowl.
- Sear the beef. Season the cubes of beef all over with salt and pepper. Increase the heat on the dutch oven to medium-high and sear the beef on all sides until browned. You may need to do this in batches. Remove the beef from the pan.
- Saute the veggies. Decrease the heat to medium and add the butter. Add the chopped onions, celery, cabbage, and carrots to the pot and saute for 3-4 minutes, while stirring often. Add the chopped garlic and cook for another minute. Then, add the tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often until the paste has darkened in color. Once the tomato paste is ready, sprinkle the flour over the top and stir well to incorporate.
- Add the liquid and herbs. Add the beer to the pot and use a silicone spoon to work up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add in the beef broth and coffee and bring to a simmer. Add the beef and bacon back to the pot, along with the chopped potatoes, thyme, and bay leaves.
- Braise time! Cover the pot and transfer to a 350 F oven. Cook for 3- 3 1/2 hours or until the beef is very tender. Remove from the oven and rest 30 minutes covered before serving.
Instant Pot & Slow Cooker Instructions
I love taking my time braising in the oven, but that’s not always feasible with time constraints. Here are some other methods for cooking up Guinness Beef Stew.
Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker. Follow the recipe as written, using the saute function on your instant pot. Let the pan get nice and hot before rendering the bacon and then searing beef using the ‘high’ setting for saute. Remove the beef and bacon and saute the veggies. Add the liquid ingredients and then return the beef and bacon to the pot with the potatoes and herbs. Set the Instant Pot to ‘pressure cook’ for 60 minutes, with natural release.
Slow Cooker. Use another pan or pot to render the bacon and sear the beef before adding it to the slow cooker. Seriously, don’t skip this step because it adds SO much flavor! Once the beef is seared, add it to the slow cooker and pour the braising liquid over the top. Add the veggies, potatoes, and herbs. In a small bowl, whisk the flour together with 1 cup of beef broth until smooth. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or low for 7-8 hours. Once tender, serve guinness beef stew over mashed potatoes.
The Best Cuts of Beef to Use
Using the perfect cut of beef in your stew is essential! You want a cut that has enough fat and marbling to make it flavorful and keep it from drying out. Below are my favorites:
Beef Chuck. A humble and flavorful cut, beef chuck is so perfect for braising. A chuck roast is usually known as the cut your parents used for pot roast, a large triangular cut from the chuck of the cow. It’s well marbled with fat, which prevents it from drying out during low-and-slow cooking. It’s economical and full of beefy flavor.
Brisket. Brisket is another one of my favorite cuts for braising! It’s also fairly cheap and economical and packed with flavor. The brisket is a long cut from the breast/chest of the cow and is sectioned into two parts: the flat and the point.
The flat has a layer of fat running across the top, but it is just that: a flat square piece of meat. It’s great for braising. The point is more pointed in shape and has a much higher fat content. Both work well, but if you’re using the point, plan to trim some of the excess fat away.
What to Serve with This Beef Stew
If you’re throwing a dinner party or just want a nice dinner to enjoy, here are some of my favorite dishes to serve on the side.
Leafy salad. I love starting a meal with a big leafy salad! My Kale Caesar Salad is one of my favorite salads ever and pairs so well with stew. This Italian Chopped Salad is also a great option.
Mashed potatoes. Who doesn’t love piling tender beef on a bed of mashed potatoes? If you want a classic version, try my Creme Fraiche Mashed Potatoes. If you want to try something new, my Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes are a show stopper, and these Horseradish Mashed Potatoes are a great option to balance the richness of the beef stew.
Dinner Rolls. I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for warm dinner rolls! I love sopping up any extra juices with a warm piece of bread. Try my foolproof Fluffy Dinner Rolls!
Dessert. No dinner party is complete without some dessert! Some of my favorites are this Almond Ricotta Cake, Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, and Guinness Chocolate Bundt Cake (if you want an Irish dessert, too!).
If you do give it a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!
More Cozy Beef Braises to Try Now
- Red Wine Braised Beef
- Red Wine Braised Beef Shanks
- French Onion Braised Beef
- Braised Beef Ragu
- Coconut Braised Beef
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Guinness Beef Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 strips bacon , diced
- 3.5 lbs beef chuck , cut into 2" cubes
- 1 large yellow onion , diced
- 3 carrots , chopped
- 2 celery ribs , chopped
- 1/4 head green cabbage , chopped
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups Guinness stout*
- 2 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup strong brewed coffee
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 thyme sprigs
- 1 lb baby gold potatoes , halved
- 2 cups frozen peas (optional)
- kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper , to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Render the bacon. Add the chopped bacon to your dutch oven. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until it’s browned and has released some of its fat. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon from the pan and transfer to a small bowl.
- Sear the beef. Season the cubes of beef all over with salt and pepper. Increase the heat on the dutch oven to medium-high and sear the beef on all sides until browned. You may need to do this in batches. Remove the beef from the pan.
- Saute the veggies. Decrease the heat to medium and add the chopped onions, celery, cabbage, and carrots to the pot and saute for 3-4 minutes, while stirring often. Add the chopped garlic and cook for another minute. Then, add the tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often until the paste has darkened in color. Once the tomato paste is ready, sprinkle the flour over the top and stir well to incorporate.
- Add the liquid and herbs. Add the beer to the pot and use a silicone spoon to work up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add in the beef broth and coffee, stir well, and bring to a simmer. Add the beef and bacon back to the pot, along with the chopped potatoes, thyme, and bay leaves.
- Braise time! Cover the pot and transfer to a 350ºF oven. Cook for 3- 3 1/2 hours or until the beef is very tender. Remove from the oven, stir in the peas, and rest 15 minutes covered before serving.
Storage Instructions
- To store:Â Let the stew cool to room temperature before storing airtight in the fridge for 4 – 6 days. To freeze, transfer to a freezer bag, press as much excess air out as possible, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Rate & Review This Recipe
I found the instructions for this recipe a little confusing. 3 things: 1) you have frozen peas in the ingredients list, but you dont say what step to add them in. They are never mentioned in the instructions. 2) you have baby gold potatoes in the ingredients list and say to add them before the 3.5 hours of cooking time, but the potatoes are so small that they will basically disintegrate if you cook them for that long and 3) the picture on this recipe shows mashed potatoes on the side, but the instructions say to add the potatoes in with everything else, not make them separately.
To address your comments: 1) the last sentence of the instructions tells you when to stir in the peas (Step 6). 2) I like soft potatoes, if you like them firmer simply add them later but as you can see from the photos the potatoes are alive and well when I make the dish. That’s a judgement call for each person preparing the recipe. 3) this is a recipe for the stew, not for mashed potatoes. I like enjoying my stew over mashed potatoes, but again, that’s up to the reader’s discretion on how they want to serve their stew. I have several mashed potato recipes on my website if that’s something you’re interested in. Hope that helps!
Guinness extra and Guinness foreign extra both work well in this recipe. The coffee will add more bitterness than the beer. I have been adapting chef John’s food wishes recipe for years. Bay leaves and peas are excellent additions. I like to add some dried rosemary and use half chicken/half beef stock. Great recipe regardless. I usually 4x it.
I’d love to share this recipe in an upcoming blog post that I’m working on for a Saint Patrick’s Day table setting. I hope it’s ok if I share one of your photos with it, of course, linking directly to your blog and recipe. Looks so delicious! Dabbling & Decorating
Absolutely, thanks for asking!
This dish was absolutely delicious! I was worried it was going to be bitter, but it wasn’t at all. I doubled the recipe, so I let it cook for 4 hours. I also added the carrots when an hour was left because I like my carrots more firm. I can’t wait to make this again.
I told my mom, who is an amazing cook, about this recipe that looked absolutely divine. She warned me that it might turn out bitter with the coffee and Guinness. It was so delicious and not bitter at all! This is is one of my new favorite recipes. I served it with the recommended mashed potatoes. Words really don’t do justice.
So happy you enjoyed it!
Hi there, forgive me if i have missed this but how many servings does your recipe make? Thanks!
That information is at the top of the recipe card. It serves between 6-8.
I will be making this recipe for the first time tonight. I have a couple questions question tho. I don’t have a working oven at the moment. Can I follow given instructions and just continue the cooking process on my stove in my Dutch oven? If so, should I simmer on low or medium heat covered…and for how long? I also have a CrocPot, but thought I’d just keep it all going on the stovetop. Thoughts?
I would opt for the stovetop over the slow cooker. I would simmer on medium-low, covered for 2 hours. Then crack the lid a tiny bit and continue to simmer until it’s tender. Be sure to stir occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the pot.
This was amazing! I’ve always struggled to get my beef stew thick enough for my liking. This was perfect. My husband requested something today that would cook for hours. He said this is one of the best things he’s ever eaten. I love using Guinness for beef stew but always feel like the flavor is missing a layer of depth. Never would have thought of coffee!! I forgot the peas at the end but it was perfect without them. I think I can delete all my other beef stew recipes now!
Going to try it
Do you think it would be ok to make this without the beer? My husband had celiac’s and can’t have beer however this looks delicious.