Guinness Beef Stew

This Guinness Beef Stew Recipe makes some of the best Irish Stew you’ll ever taste. This is a perfect dinner for those times when you’re craving something warm, hearty and filling. Made with beef chuck marinating in delightful aromatics and Guinness Beer, this incredible soup recipe is life-changing. 

Seriously though, the flavors in this stew are unmatched. This tasty recipe never gets old, and makes a decent portion size! Perfect for feeding a crowd and pleasing them too.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Guinness Beer – This recipe calls for Guinness Beer. However you can use any dark ale, a stout, or even a porter. If you’re not a fan of using beer, you can instead use more beef broth (about 3 and ½ cups) and more worcestershire sauce (up to 1 tablespoon).

Beef Broth –  If you don’t have any beef broth, try instead using beef stock, beef consume, or chicken broth. If you still don’t have any of those, 1 ½ cups of hot water with 1-2 beef bouillon cubes works as well. 

Beef Chuck – You’ll want about 2 pounds of beef chuck, and make sure they’re boneless! 

Yukon Gold Potatoes – Yukon gold potatoes are superior in this recipe. If you don’t have them, use any kind of waxy potato, or ones with a thin skin because they won’t fall apart after being boiled. 

Bacon – You’ll need about ½ a pound of bacon for this recipe, which is approximately 8 slices. 

Carrots – Make sure to both peel and slice the carrots before use!

How To Make Guinness Beef Stew

Let’s discuss the steps you’ll take to make the best Guinness Beef Stew. If you want to skip my discussion, tips, information and answers to frequently asked questions, just scroll to the bottom of this post for the printable recipe.

1. Begin by cutting the beef chuck into 1 ½ inch pieces, then sprinkle it with salt and pepper and set it aside.
2. Next in a dutch oven on medium high heat, add the bacon to the pan and fry. Once fully cooked remove the bacon from the pan, crumble it and set it aside. Leave the bacon fat in the pan.
3. To the bacon fat, add the beef chuck to the dutch oven little by little and let it brown. As the pieces cook, remove them and set them on a plate off to the side. Keep the fat in the pan, don’t drain it.
4. Next, Sauté your onions in the fat for about 5 minutes then add the garlic and allow it to cook for one more minute.
5. To the onion, garlic, and fat, add the flour and allow it to cook until golden brown. 
6. To the flour mixture, add the Guinness beer and stir well. Gently scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan and combine. 
7. Add in the tomato paste and beef broth and whisk together. 
8. Put the beef and bacon back into the stew and stir. 
9. Next add in the chopped carrots, celery, potatoes, worcestershire sauce, sugar, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf. 

Allow the stew to boil then reduce the heat. Cover the dutch oven and let it cook for about 2 hours. Once the two hours is up remove the lid and allow it to simmer for another 30 minutes so it can thicken up.

Once you’re ready to serve, remove the bay leaf and enjoy! 

Tips and Advice

Storage – Make sure before you store the stew that it is cooled down. It will last for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge or in the freezer for 3 months. 

Materials – You’ll need a dutch oven for this recipe as well as the typical utensils like a wooden spoon, measuring cups, and a knife.

Recipe FAQs

What To Serve With Guinness Beef Stew

While we love this Irish Stew served simply in a bowl, it is delicious when served on top of mashed potatoes. It’s also great served with Homemade Dinner Rolls, Cheddar Bay Biscuits or even some Jiffy Cornbread.