Irish Beef and Guinness Stew Recipe Easy and Delicious

IRISH BEEF AND GUINNESS STEW centered hero view, clean and uncluttered

Thomas Baker

Irish Beef and Guinness Stew Recipe Easy and Delicious

This Irish Beef and Guinness Stew is a hearty and flavorful classic that brings rich, slow-cooked beef together with the deep, complex notes of Guinness beer. Perfect for a cozy dinner, this stew delivers tender meat and a luscious sauce that’s genuinely satisfying and authentically Irish.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 3

Total Time 3 10

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 646

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
2.5 lb / 1.25 kg beef chuck boneless short rib or any other slow cooking beef (no bone)
3/4 tsp each salt and black pepper
3 garlic cloves minced
2 onions chopped (brown white or yellow)
6 oz / 180g bacon speck or pancetta diced
3 tbsp flour (all purpose/plain Note 3 for GF)
440ml / 14.9 oz Guinness Beer (Note 1)
4 tbsp tomato paste
3 cups (750 ml) chicken stock/broth (or beef broth – Note 4)
3 carrots peeled and cut into 1.25 cm / 1/2″ thick pieces
2 large celery stalks cut into 2cm / 1″ pieces
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs thyme (or sub with 1 tsp dried thyme leaves)

Method

Cut the beef into 5cm (2 inch) pieces and pat them dry before seasoning with salt and black pepper.
Warm the olive oil in a heavy pot over high heat, then brown the beef pieces well on all sides in batches. Set aside browned meat.
Lower the heat to medium and add more oil if the pot seems dry.
Sauté the minced garlic and chopped onions for about 3 minutes until they begin to soften, then add the diced bacon.
Cook until the bacon is nicely browned, then add the chopped carrots and celery, stirring to combine.
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir continuously for 1 minute to cook off the raw flour taste.
Pour in the Guinness beer, chicken stock, and tomato paste, stirring well to dissolve the flour and blend the sauce.
Add the bay leaves and thyme sprigs, return the browned beef and any juices back to the pot, ensuring the liquid just covers the ingredients.
Cover the pot, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, and cook for 2 hours until the beef is tender.
Remove the lid and simmer uncovered for an additional 30 to 45 minutes until the beef easily breaks apart and the sauce thickens.
Skim excess fat from the surface if you wish, then taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Take out the bay leaves and thyme sprigs before serving.
Enjoy the stew alongside creamy mashed potatoes for a delicious comforting meal.

Notes

Guinness beer is the key to the stew’s rich flavor and cannot be fully substituted. For a non-alcoholic alternative, replace Guinness with 2 cups water plus 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce and 2 crumbled beef bouillon cubes. You can also cook this stew in the oven, slow cooker, or pressure cooker following the adapted methods in the recipe source. Flour is used to thicken the sauce but is never dusted onto the beef before browning to avoid burning flavors. Chicken broth is preferred to let the Guinness flavor shine, though beef broth works well too. Nutrition info excludes mashed potatoes and may be slightly overstated because it does not account for fat skimmed off.