Guinness Beef Stew Recipe
This GUINNESS BEEF STEW RECIPE is absolutely what you would want when walking into an Irish pub. This stew is rich and hearty, the beer gives that perfect bittersweet flavor.
This post may contain affiliate links. See my Disclosure Policy for more info. Follow WonkyWonderful on Pinterest to stay up to date on all of the new recipes!
Table of Contents
GUINNESS BEEF STEW
This Guinness Beef Stew Recipe has so much flavor! The mushrooms add extra umami, the onions and carrots bring a little sweetness along with the brown sugar. The stew is not sweet by any means but has enough sweetness to balance the bitterness of the beer, letting you just enjoy the comforting and complex flavors of Guinness! The fresh herbs give that little floral note that just makes it feel special.
Instead of cooking chunks of potatoes in the stew, we are serving fluffy mashed potatoes alongside or on top. Use this CREAMY MASHED POTATOES recipe.
By combining simple ingredients with the unmistakable character of Guinness, this stew delivers bold, comforting flavor in every spoonful. Whether you’re honoring St. Patrick’s Day or simply craving something hearty and satisfying, this dish is always a welcome addition to the table.
INGREDIENT OPTIONS:
You can make this as a traditional stew and instead of serving over mashed potatoes, you can add cubed potatoes into the stew about 30-45 minutes before serving.
Extra Stout Guinness can be used. Add an extra teaspoon of brown sugar to counter the bitterness of the extra stout. You can absolutely add as much or little brown sugar as you would like!
I used ¼ cup of flour which made a nice soup-stew thickness… if you prefer more of a gravy-stew thickness add more flour, try ⅓ cup.
You can sub dried herbs for the fresh if you wish, I would recommend starting with 1 teaspoon of each.
CAN THIS STEW BE MADE IN THE SLOW COOKER?
Yes! After step 8 just add everything to your slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
What To Serve With Stew:
Save this Recipe!
Enter your email & I’ll send it straight to your inbox.
GUINNESS BEEF STEW RECIPE
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef stew meat or cubed beef chuck roast
- 1 large red onion chopped
- 2 cups chopped carrot
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 pint sliced baby bella mushrooms
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 16 oz Guinness beer
- 1 large sprig rosemary
- 1 large sprig thyme
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2-3 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 cup water
- 4 Tablespoons Olive oil divided
- Salt/Pepper – to taste
Instructions
- Pat the pieces of beef dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper, set aside.
- Add the carrots, onion, celery, and mushrooms to a dutch oven or heavy bottomed soup pot with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute over medium high heat until softened and just beginning to brown. Remove the vegetables from the pot and set aside.
- Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pot, sear the pieces of beef in the pot in batches until all of the beef has been seared. Place all of the beef back into the pot.
- Add 2 Tablespoons of butter and ¼ cup of flour to the beef, stir to coat the beef. Let cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Deglaze the pot with 16 oz of Guinness beer, scraping up any bits off the bottom of the pot.
- Add the fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, bay leaves, tomato paste, chicken bouillon, garlic powder, 2 teaspoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon of salt.
- Add the beef broth and water and mix to combine.
- Add the cooked vegetables.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer, cover with lid and let simmer for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- About halfway through, give the stew a taste, add any additional salt, pepper or brown sugar as needed.
- Once the beef is tender you can serve the stew at any time. Serve over a large scoop of mashed potatoes.
Nutrition
While Guinness has a slight bitterness, long simmering mellows it into a rich, balanced flavor.
Yes, but for authentic flavor, a dry Irish stout like Guinness works best. Other stouts may be sweeter or more intense.
Most of it evaporates during slow cooking, especially after several hours of simmering.
Beef chuck is ideal because it becomes tender and flavorful after long cooking.
Welcome!
Nicole Harris is the recipe creator behind WonkyWonderful, sharing fast, budget-friendly meals for busy families. Since 2012 she’s been developing 30-minute dinners, kid-approved favorites, and holiday dishes with flair - all with real ingredients and no fuss. She grew up stretching simple pantry staples into something delicious, and that shows up in every recipe: easy, affordable, and full of flavor. Read more...
I’m thinking about getting a head start on this recipe, do you think it wise to sear my beef the night before and then add everything to a crockpot the next day?
You can pre-sear the beef if you want. Just be sure to refrigerate and store it until ready to cook. (sorry for the delayed response)