Irish Beef Stew

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Irish Beef Stew is an easy and delicious way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Chunks of tender beef, potatoes, carrots, and parsnips slowly simmer in a delectable beef and Guinness stock.

Of course, you don’t have to wait for St. Patrick’s Day to create this amazing Irish Beef Stew. It’s delicious any day of the year. And, while there is a bit of prep involved, the fresh flavor is totally worth it. Plus, you should have plenty of leftovers to nosh on throughout the week making this a perfect recipe for meal prep.

Irish Beef Stew FAQs:

What ingredients are in Irish Beef Stew?

First, traditional Irish Stew is made with lamb or mutton. However, I chose to use beef (stew meat or chuck roast) for this recipe. Don’t hate on me purists. You will also need the following fresh ingredients: onions, celery, garlic, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, fresh rosemary and thyme. From your pantry: tomato paste, beef stock, potato flour, salt and pepper, and beef stock. Finally, a can of Guinness adds that extra layer of flavor.

Can I freeze Irish Beef Stew?

Yes, you can. Simply divide into the desired portion sizes, and freeze. I like to freeze into single serving portions so it’s easy for me to thaw and take to lunch. To serve, simply thaw the stew, then reheat in a sauce pan over medium-low heat until hot, or place in a microwave safe bowl and reheat for a minute at a time until heated through. 

HOW TO PREPARE IRISH BEEF STEW:

Begin by prepping the veggies and the beef. Cut the stew meat into approximately 1-inch chunks; set aside. Chop 2 cups each of onion and celery. Cut 2 cups of carrots into 1-inch pieces and 1-cup of parsnips into 1/2-inch pieces. Finally, cut 2 pounds of potatoes into 1-inch pieces. (If you use Yukon Gold potatoes, no need to peel.) At this point, you can also prep your fresh herbs, or simply chop them while the beef is searing. Set veggies aside until ready to add to the stew.

Heat about 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. You’ll need to cook the beef in two batches to avoid over crowding the dish. Cook each batch of beef for about 7-10 minutes until browned on all sides. Reserve the cooked beef on a platter.

Drain any liquid (but do not clean) from the Dutch oven, return to medium heat, and add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Add the onions and celery, and cook about 10 minutes until the onions start to become translucent. Sprinkle in the minced garlic, and cook about one more minute.

Add the tomato paste, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper, and potato flour. Cook stirring constantly about 2 minutes.

Add the Guinness, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the dish to remove any brown bits. (Hello, extra flavor!)

Finally, add the beef broth, remaining veggies, and beef chunks to the Dutch oven. Turn the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for about an hour and a half until the veggies are tender.

Stew will thicken as it simmers. If you desire a slightly thicker stew, simply add a tablespoon of potato flour to a measuring cup, top with a quarter cup of cool water, and whisk to create a smooth slurry. Add this mixture to the soup, and stir to combine. Let simmer about 5-10 more minutes to thicken. (Do keep in mind that the stew will further thicken after it cools and is refrigerated.)

We served our Irish Beef Stew with a side salad, but you could also include some crusty artisan bread. Personally, I think this stew is even better the next day, so you should definitely be looking forward to those leftovers!

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Recipe Notes:

• Searing the beef is an extra step, but it’s so important for locking in that delicious flavor. My recommendation is to not skip this step.
• I prefer the flavor of potato flour over all-purpose flour for thickening soups and stews.
• Yes, you can substitute dried herbs for the fresh. Simply use a teaspoon of dried herbs, NOT a tablespoon as called for when using fresh.
• The addition of Guinness to this recipe means that it is not gluten-free. You could try substituting a gluten-free stout such as BSG Glutenburg Stout. Read Brady White’s review of it on the Beer Diaries.
• I love using my 6-quart Lodge Dutch oven for cooking soups and stews. It distributes the heat evenly, and allows the food to simmer at a low heat.

Thanks for stopping by, and as always, if you try a recipe and love it, please rate it or leave a review.

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Irish Beef Stew

Yield: 5 quarts

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Irish Beef Stew is an easy and delicious way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Chunks of tender beef, potatoes, carrots, and parsnips slowly simmer in a delectable beef and Guinness stock.

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Ingredients

• 3 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 cups yellow onion, diced
• 2 cups celery, chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 3 ounces tomato paste
• 1/4 cup potato flour
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 can Guinness, 14.9 ounces
• 1 quart beef stock (32 ounces)
• 2 cups carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup parsnips, chopped into half-inch pieces
• 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Begin by prepping the veggies and the beef. Cut the stew meat into approximately 1-inch chunks; set aside. Chop 2 cups of onion and celery. Cut 2 cups of carrots into 1-inch pieces and 1-cup of parsnips into 1/2-inch pieces. Finally, cut 2 pounds of potatoes into 1-inch pieces. (If you use Yukon Gold potatoes, no need to peel.) At this point, you can also prep your fresh herbs, or simply chop them while the beef is searing. Set veggies aside until ready to add to the stew.

Heat about 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. You’ll need to cook the beef in two batches to avoid over crowding the dish. Cook each batch of beef for about 7-10 minutes until browned on all sides. Reserve the cooked beef on a platter. 

Drain any liquid (but do not clean) from the Dutch oven, return to medium heat, and add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Add the onions and celery, and cook about 10 minutes until the onions start to become translucent. Add the minced garlic, and cook about one more minute.

Add the tomato paste, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper, and potato flour. Cook stirring constantly about 2 minutes. Add the Guinness, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the dish to remove any brown bits. (Hello, extra flavor!) 

Finally, add the beef broth, remaining veggies, and beef chunks to the Dutch oven. Turn the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for about an hour and a half until the veggies are tender. 

Stew will thicken as it simmers. If you desire a slightly thicker stew, simply add a tablespoon of potato flour to a measuring cup, top with a quarter cup of cool water, and whisk to create a smooth slurry. Add this mixture to the soup, and stir to combine. Let simmer about 5-10 more minutes to thicken. (Do keep in mind that the stew will further thicken after it cools and is refrigerated.)

We served our Irish Beef Stew with a side salad, but you could also include some crusty artisan bread.

Recommended Products

Inspired Fresh Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon.com. Thank you for supporting Inspired Fresh Life.

• 
  Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Sweet White Sorghum Grain, 24-ounce
• 
  Bobs Red Mill Flour Gluten Free Potato, 24 Oz, Pack of 1

Nutrition Information

Yield 10 Serving Size 2 cups
Amount Per Serving Calories 469 Total Fat 13g Saturated Fat 4g Trans Fat 1g Unsaturated Fat 8g Cholesterol 135mg Sodium 559mg Carbohydrates 39g Fiber 5g Sugar 8g Protein 51g

Note: Nutritional information is an approximation. Different brands and/or quantities will change the nutrition profile. The calculated nutrition does not include bread or salad.

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