Delicious Guinness Beef Stew Recipe for St. Patrick’s Day
Guinness Beef Stew is filled with tender, melt in your mouth beef and vegetables. This Irish stew smells heavenly as it simmers in a rich, savory sauce made with Guinness stout. It is the perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day or any day you want a comforting meal.
I grew up like many Americans eating corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day. However, it is an Irish-American tradition. It is not actually an Irish one. If you would like something that you can find at pubs throughout Ireland, I would suggest Guinness stew.
Guinness has been a staple in Ireland for centuries going back to the late 18th century. It is now recognized globally as a symbol of Irish culture and a cornerstone of Irish culinary identity. It is an ingredient that adds a rich, roasted, and malty depth to traditional hearty dishes.
Beef stew cooked with the famous Irish stout is an easy dish that requires little work. The meat is slow cooked in the oven or on the stove top. Alternatively, it can be cooked in a slow cooker until the meat is fork tender.
The resulting hearty beef stew can be served as is. But, I believe you should serve the rich beef stew over creamy mashed potatoes for a comforting, hearty meal..
For a delicious variation, the stew can be topped with pastry and turned into a meat pie. If you would like to serve the stew as a pie, here is the link for Beef and Guinness Pie.
What you might find interesting about this recipe is that I don’t particularly care for beer or stout. Yet I used an entire bottle of Guinness in this stew…it creates great flavor! You must give it a try.
Guinness Beef Stew
Serves 2 – 4, adjust the recipe accordingly
Total cooking time about 2 hours, depending on the thickness of the meat
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
- vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 lb. beef chuck, cut into 1 inch cubes
- flour for dredging the meat
- salt and pepper
- 1 – 2 large onions, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tsp. tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 12 oz. bottle of Guinness or other stout
- 2 c. beef broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp. fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried
- 1 carrot cut in half plus 2 additional carrots sliced into chunks
- 1 stalk celery
- 8 oz. mushrooms, quartered
- Season the beef with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour and dust off the excess.
- Put enough oil in a Dutch oven to coat the bottom and heat over medium high heat. Add the beef into the pot in batches. Sear on all sides until brown. Add oil if necessary. Remove to a bowl.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions to the pot and cook slowly until they are soft and caramelized.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, and the Worcestershire sauce. Stir well and cook for one minute.
- Add the Guinness and beef broth. Then add bay leaves, thyme, carrot halves and celery. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Cover the pot and place it in the oven. Let it braise for about one and a half hours. Cook until just tender.
- Take out of the oven and throw away the carrot halves, celery stalk and bay leaves..
- Add the mushrooms and carrots and return to the oven uncovered. Cook for approximately 15 or 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the carrots are done. Ladle into bowls and serve. .
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You don’t have to be a Guinness enthusiast to like this stew. The stout’s flavor is slightly bitter and chocolaty. When cooked with the other ingredients, it creates a rich flavor that is delicious. One taste and you will understand why this beef and Guinness stew is an Irish tradition.
Share this traditional Irish meal with your family any time you want a comforting meal.
Do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and cook a special meal? This stew would be perfect. Have you tried Guinness Beef Stew or Beef and Guinness Pie?
How lovely and perfect for St. Patrick’s Day! I used to cook hundreds of steak and kidney with Guinness pies at a Cornish restaurant in 1997.
Gorgeous! I have made a similar stew and also cooked beef in Leffe. In Belgium I’ve been into restaurants where you can choose meat cooked in different beers. I also make a Guinness cake! But like you, I wouldn’t drink Guinness on its own.
I love the idea of serving the beef stew over mashed potatoes–sounds wonderful! 🙂
This sounds fabulous — St. Patrick’s Day or any day! Thanks — I’ll be making this one at some point.
The stew looks delicious and I can imagine how wonderful it is over mashed potatoes. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
I have to make my husband something like this every St. Patty’s Day. He would love this one!
My great-grandmother was Irish, and there are many Irish Australians. As far as I know, corned beef and cabbage is not celebrated here like it is in the United States.
I’d much prefer a Guinness pie. Yours looks delicious, Karen.
The stew looks awesome Karen.
Sounds delicious, Karen xx
This wonderful recipe will bring a taste of the Emerald Isle to our kitchen – thanks!
Am not a beer drinker or even a stew eater but must admit to loving the occasional Guiness and having made more than one beef and Guiness stew . . . perchance I am just comfortable with matters Irish 🙂 ?
Any stew made with Guinness is total comfort food at this time of year. Happy St. Paddy’s Day! 😉
Any stew made with Guinness is total comfort food at this time of year. Happy St. Paddy’s Day! 😉
That looks hearty and so delicious! Can’t get enough of beef :-))
I have cooked stews and chili con carne with beer, but have yet to try it with Guinness, so thanks for this delicious looking recipe! 🙂
It looks so delicious and so perfect for St. Patrick’s Day. I have never made this stew, so I am gain to try it. I usually cook corned beef and cabbage. I don’t know why we don’t eat it more often. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Your stew looks delicious, it’s been years since I’ve had a beef stew. And mashed potatoes on the side is the perfect companion!
Slainte, Karen! A lovely recipe to celebrate the dear Saint Patrick!
I’m also not a huge fan of Guinness as a beverage, but I agree that it’s wonderful to cook with! Your recipe looks like great comfort food, Karen 🙂
I believe I’ll try the pie. I usually try to have corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick’s Day but I’m going to be bold this year and go for the Guinness pie, assuming I can squirrel one bottle away for myself. (My husband is a big fan.)
We are in the middle of a heat wave, so the only way Guiness will be enjoyed on St. Paddy’s day will be ice cold 🙂 This stew will be perfect for winter though 🙂
A favorite I can make any time but it has always been corned beef on St. Pat’s Day – Gene’s preference 🙂
I learned about Guiness stew when I visited Ireland many years ago and never looked back. It was probably the best thing I ate there. It’s been part of my regular rotation ever since!
This looks like the ultimate St. Paddy’s comfort dish,so rich, hearty, and full of that deep Guinness flavor.