Guinness Beef Stew

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Most of the cooking time is hands-off in the oven!
• It’s a one-pot dish
• The flavor is amazing but it’s even better the next day or two as leftovers!
• The meat becomes very tender in the stew pot during the slow cooking process.
• This is the best beef stew for a hearty meal on a cold damp day!

What is Guinness Beef Stew?

This Guinness beef stew recipe is a variation of the national dish of Ireland - Irish Stew. Traditionally Irish stew is made from mutton or lamb but it can be made with beef occasionally. This version uses the iconic Guinness Stout as a flavoring agent in the stew. Potatoes and onions are common in a traditional Irish stew, as are carrots and parsley in a rich beef broth. We also added celery and turnips to create a delicious stew worthy of a pint of Guinness on a cold dreary day.

Ingredients

Here is what you need to make Guinness Beef Stew:

• Bacon: A little bacon adds some smoky flavor depth to the stew
• Beef: We like to use sirloin as it has the perfect tenderness when cooked like this.
• Flour: All purpose flour is used mainly to thicken the broth
• Onion: A classic addition, we use yellow onion but any will work in this stew
• Garlic: Just a touch is used to add depth of flavor to the stew
• Tomato Paste: A good amount of tomato paste is used, creating an amazing flavor without being tomatoey at all.
• Potatoes: With the beef, this is the other very important ingredient in this stew
• Turnips: We love the subtle flavor added by this underrated root vegetable
• Carrots: While turnips add some bitterness, carrots add sweetness and color
• Celery: While not a main player here, celery absolutely helps the overall flavor 
• Guinness Beer: Of course, the Guinness is critical to the deep flavor of the stew. We use Guinness Draught in a can.
• Beef Stock: A good quality beef stock, preferably without too much added salt is best in this recipe
• Worcestershire Sauce: An umami addition that is essential in our opinion
• Oregano: Fresh oregano is one of many herbs used in this stew that really amplifies the flavor profile
• Rosemary: We love fresh rosemary in this dish
• Thyme: A classic addition to this stew, fresh thyme is delicious
• Marjoram: We use dried marjoram as fresh is difficult to find where we live and the flavor of dried marjoram is nice here.
• Bay Leaf: Just a couple small bay leaves add yet another flavor component
• Kosher Salt: We recommend kosher salt in all of our recipes for the perfect amount of salt in the stew recipe
• Black Pepper: A staple in stews
• Molasses: With many bitter components, some molasses really rounds out the dish
• Parsley: A good amount as a garnish is a great way to top off a bowl of this stew and add a touch of color

See recipe card below for quantities.

Substitutions

Here are a couple of common substitutions for the ingredients in this recipe:

• Sirloin: You could use other cuts of beef or even lamb. Top round and chuck are good substitutes, but sirloin works the best for tender beef in this stew.
• Vegetables: Try not to substitute the potatoes, but other root vegetables can be substituted or added, such as rutabaga or parsnip for this hearty stew.

How to Make Guinness Beef Stew

This is a one-pot dish that is quite easy to make. Cutting the vegetables will be the most time consuming part. It cooks in the oven so once you have put it in the oven you are pretty much done!

Equipment

Here is what you need to make this dish

• Large oven safe stew pot - we use an 7.25 qt Dutch oven

Step-by-Step Instructions

Cook the Bacon and Sear the Beef

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat on your stovetop. Add the bacon to the pot to brown. While the bacon browns, sprinkle the flour on the beef cubes. Remove bacon with slotted spoon to a large bowl then add some beef to the pot to brown - do this in batches and don't overcrowd the pot. Remove browned beef to the bowl with the bacon pieces as you brown them.

Cook the Onion Base

• Once beef is browned, add onions to the pot with the beef drippings. At this point, you will have a brown coating (fond) on the bottom of your pot. This is good, don't discard. Cook onions for about 3 minutes and then add garlic and tomato paste and stir constantly for 1 minute.

Deglaze the Pot

• Turn heat up to high and immediately and add ⅓ of the Guinness - scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release the fond/browned bits. You can use a metal spatula if needed to release the fond (as long as you aren't using a nonstick pot), or add another splash of Guinness if needed. Once all the fond is released, add the remaining Guinness and stock.

Cook the Stew

• Reduce to medium-high heat. Add all remaining ingredients and stir to combine while bringing the pot to a boil. Cover pot with a lid, then place the pot in the oven for 1.5 hours. After 1.5 hours, remove from the oven stir and test the beef for tenderness. Cook for another 30 minutes as needed depending on the tenderness of the beef.

Serve

• Once done, remove from the oven and season with additional salt and cracked black pepper, garnish with chopped parsley and serve with crusty bread.

Variations

Here are a couple ways to change up this recipe:

• Make it vegetarian! While quite a departure from any beef stew, you could omit the bacon and beef, use vegetable stock and add some more vegetables (peas, green beans, etc.) for a completely different version. Note that there are anchovies in worcestershire sauce if you wish to make it truly vegetarian.
• You could use a different beer, although it just doesn’t seem right to us! Guinness works perfectly! But any full bodied beer that isn’t heavy on the hops will work. Boddingtons and Newcastle come to mind as variations (both English, not Irish!)

Storage

How to store leftover Guinness Beef Stew:

• Once cool, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It only gets better!

How to reheat leftover beef stew?

• Just put it in a covered pot on the stove on low to medium low until the stew is hot and the beef and vegetables are warmed throughout.

Can you freeze Guinness Beef Stew?

• You can freeze it without too much flavor being compromised. It will be good for several months.

Troubleshooting

The three most common issues are that the beef is too tough, the stew is too thick, or the stew is too thin.

• Beef not tender enough: If the beef isn’t as tender as you want, continue to cook it in the oven for another 30 minutes and try again. This won’t happen with sirloin or lamb, but it may with chuck or round.
• Stew too thick: If the stew is too thick, a little more beef stock can be added - just remember to check the seasoning when it is done and add salt to taste.
• Stew too thin: If it is too thin, make a cornstarch slurry. Start with a teaspoon of cornstarch and just enough water to dissolve it. Add it to the stew, stir it in, and make sure you bring the stew to a boil. You can always add more if needed.

What to Make with Guinness Beef Stew

Guinness beef stew is fantastic on its own, but some crusty bread is a perfect accompaniment. It’s also delicious served over mashed potatoes or rice if desired.

What to drink with Guinness Beef Stew

Guinness of course! But also if wine is desired, a bold red wine such as a Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Syrah, or any big red blend will work also.