Guinness Beef Stew is a hearty meal loaded with tender beef and veggies that have been braised in malty Guinness Stout beer. The flavors are robust and delicious and deliver a fabulous meal loaded with comfort. Make a load of Brown Bread to dip into the hearty broth, and enjoy.
Table of Contents
Guinness Beef Stew
An easy meal to feed a crowd for any day. When it comes to celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day, this is a traditional favorite in our home.
While many celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day with Corned Beef and Cabbage, which is delicious. A traditional meal my family enjoys year round is this Irish Beef Stew. Lamb is also a great option but I make that when the hubs isn’t home as he doesn’t care for the flavor of lamb.
This stew loads up on lots of veggies which makes it super hearty and loaded with flavor. Guinness beer brings a rich flavor to the beef which becomes fall apart tender after being cooked.
Ingredients
The ingredients for this amazing stew has its stability from chuck beef and Guinness beer. The vegetables are the area of huge flexibility. The favorites of my family are the root of this stew for us.
However, feel free to make adjustments to vegetables and use your favorites.
Instructions
Photos always help to understand the cooking progress. The instructions here are an overview. The full printable recipe is below in the recipe card section.
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Sauté bacon in Dutch Oven or soup pot. Set aside.
- Season flour with onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper and coat beef with the seasoned flour.
- Sauté the seasoned beef in the bacon drippings, until brown, set aside.
- Add in the onions, to soften, about 3 minutes. Then add remaining veggies, stir occasionally for another 3-4 minutes. This allows the bacon flavors to blend into the veggies for another level of flavor. Add back in the browned beef, dried herbs, and Guinness. Be sure to use a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits at the bottom of the pot.
5. Simmer the stew for about 2 ½ hours. The beef will be fork tender and the veggies soft. Serve and enjoy.
FAQs and Tips
- The clear winner ale for this soup is Guinness Ale, however, other dark ales can be used such as a stout or Belgian beer. A great choice for an Octoberfest style stew.
- Cut the veggies into chunks. Too small of pieces will result in mushy overcooked veggies.
- Gluten-free white flour can be used to season the beef and help thicken the soup.
- If you decide to use the slow cooker to make this stew, take the extra time to make the bacon and brown the beef before transferring everything to the slow cooker.
- If you prefer this very thick, more flour or cornstarch can be added to the broth.
Storage Tips
This is a great beef stew to make ahead one day. The flavors blend as it sits in the fridge for amazing flavor the second day.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in a covered container for up to 3 days.
This is a fabulous soup to freeze or add into a meal plan. The soup can be frozen in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months. To reheat, defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat in a soup pot or Dutch oven over low heat until warm, about 20 minutes.
A microwave can be used to defrost and reheat. Follow manufacturers instructions for defrosting and reheating the soup.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with a slice of crusty bread or Irish Soda Bread.
Air Fryer Biscuits would be perfect to dip into the delicious broth and soak up the flavors, yum.
Homemade mashed potatoes or Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes can be served with Guinness Beef Stew.
Similar Recipes
Some other hearty recipes you may enjoy are Guinness Beef Mushroom Pie, another Irish traditional recipe loaded with flavor from Guinness ale with a buttery pastry topping.
Instant Pot Braised Short Ribs, these are beyond fabulous and will quickly become a family favorite.
Lentil Stew is a vegetarian option for a hearty meal that we just love. It’s loaded with with flavor and another great meal plan recipe.
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Guinness Beef Stew
Equipment Needed:
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Ingredients
- 6 ounces bacon, about 6 slices
- 4 Tablespoon all-purpose flour Note 1
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 pounds bottom round roast beef, cubed Note 2
- 1 onion, peeled and diced
- 3 white potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
- 2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
- 3 carrots, peeeled and chopped
- 2 stalks chopped celery
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 14 oz Guinness Stout, can
- 32 oz beef broth
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, over medium heat, add the bacon slices. Saute until cooked through, remove from heat. Chop into small pieces and set aside. Leave the bacon drippings in the pot.
- While the bacon cooks, in a shallow bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.
- Dredge the cubed beef in the seasoned flour mixture.
- In the Dutch oven, over medium heat, in the bacon drippings, add the beef to brown. Don't overcrowd the pot with the beef. Brown the beef in batches.
- Remove the browned beef from heat, set aside.
- Place potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, carrots, celery, and garlic into the pot. Saute approximately 3 minutes, veggies will soften and absorb the bacon drippings.
- Add the Guinness Stout to the pot. Scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. (this adds flavor to the stew)
- Add in the beef broth.
- Add the dried marjoram, parsley, and thyme.
- Increase the heat on the stove to high, bring the stew to a quick boil. The beef will be fork tender and the veggies will be soft. Taste for seasoning, if needed, adjust seasoning. Serve and enjoy.
We made this today and loved the flavors! So tasty. perfect for this crazy snow day
That is awesome Tom! I am so happy you enjoy
I’ve seen recipes for Guinness beef stew that used espresso or strong coffee… have you tried it? Thanks!
I haven’t used coffee in stew – sounds interesting
I can’t wait to try your recipe it sounds delicious!
I hope you enjoy the recipe!
What a wonderful recipe! Just in time for the holiday. I definitely want to try it!
That sounds like a great stew! My boyfriend would love that for lunch sometime.
I hope you make it – super easy to prepare
Omg!!! This stew looks so yummy! Perfect for st.pattys day! Might just have to make some 🙂
This beef stew sounds delicious! I’ve never thought about adding Guinness to beef stew.beef stew.
Southern Soul
You should try it – yummy
This looks really satisfying. My husband loves stew and was actually just begging for it to be made for dinner tonight. I’ll have to try this recipe!
I am so glad – let me knolw when you make it and how your husband enjoyed it
I don’t cook with alcohol but can find lots of substitutes for the basic soup. thanks!
I would add extra stock to released the flavors in lieu of the Guinness
yuumm, being Irish and living away from home, I’ve missed dishes like this. Not anymore, thanks.
I am so glad, enjoy!
This looks wonderful! I am pinning and making this next week! And I might even give my hand at making the Irish bread. I traveled to Ireland two years ago and loved all of the food. Thanks!
Stacey, the bread is even easier than the stew – go for it! Please let me kn ow how it goes!
My husband would think he’s in heaven if I made this for him as this is the perfect meal for him. A hearty stew PLUS Guinness in it? Yeah it’d be a winner
I aim to please 🙂
I love stew, and this recipe reminds me of Belgium stew which also using beer but a lot thicker. Always enjoy your recipes, very hommy and delicious. I think I’ll try to make this.
Rose,you are so sweet. Thank you for the lovely compliment! You made my day!
I don’t think I’ve ever made stew. This looks like recipe my father in law would love.
I hope he makes it and enjoys
This looks like it would go so perfectly with the brown bread you have already posted! What a fun recipe!
Thank you so much!
This looks so delicious and the recipe is very easy to follow! Definitely a five star dish
You are so kind, thank you !
I wish it was still cool enough here to make this! It looks amazingly delicious! It’ll be 76 in Virginia this week. I need more time to try out soup recipes before summer begins!
That stew looks so amazing! I would love to try this one out on the family.
I love stews especially when I’m not feeling good. I don’t eat beef but I believe you can substitute beef and also add other ingredients to it! Makes me feel like eating it 🙂
I add extra veggies because I limit my beef intake. Feel free to add extra veggies and make it a guinness veggie stew 🙂
I usually use red wine in our beef stew, but love the guinness addition. I love the idea for St Patricks day next week…thanks for sharing
Thank you Michelle! It is a lovely stew for Saint Patrick’s Day
This looks so hearty and comforting on a cold rainy night. Will have to try this for St. Patrick’s Day!
That is great, enjoy! Let me know how the recipe works for you
I love stew and so does my son. He thinks of it as a soupy pot roast which he loves. Perfect for cooler weather.
That is so cute. I hope you make this for your son
Oh how lovely! I will have to share this with some of my Irish buddies as they are looking for new ways to use Guiness!
Super, I hope they enjoy!
Super yum! Guinness stew is a St. Patrick’s Day tradition in our household, but I haven’t tried this version with parsnips. I believe I will have to change that this year! Thanks for sharing this!
That is great news- I hope your family enjoys!
LOVE this post for a few reasons – I LOVE St. Pattys Day and this fits right in. I want to try this recipe this upcoming weekend. Excited for the stew and I want to also do an Irish bread and who knows what else! Going for it! Thanks so much!
Karen | GlamKaren.com
I am so glad, let me know how it all goes and Happy Saint Patricks Day
This would be the perfect dish for dinner tonight!
It’s cold and stormy out there and this looks like it would warm you to the bone.
Can’t wait to try it!
I am so glad you enjoy the recipe!
What a hearty winter meal idea. It is perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, too!
Yum! I’m not a fan of Guinness but I reckon it’ll be good in a dish – your food looks so amazing I would love to try it haha!
I don’t drink Guinness either. It just for some crazy reason makes a great stew!
I’ve never had Guinness myself, but I do love a warm bowl of slow-cooked beef stew. It’s perfect for chilly afternoons.
This has become a family favorite
Yum !! We live in GA and it’s definitely still cool.outside so this perfect ! I love that it’s easy and good. Making this soon !
I am so glad you like the recipe. Send me a pic when you make this