A rich, hearty stew is definitely considered comfort food in our house, and Irish Beef Stew with Guinness is the perfect warming meal during cold weather months.
It’s also a delicious way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Chunks of tender beef, potatoes, carrots, and parsnips take a dunk in a flavorful broth of beef stock and Guinness Stout. The Guinness adds a slightly sweet, malty flavor.
Of course, you don’t have to wait for St. Patrick’s Day to create this pot of comfort food. It’s delicious any day of the year. Set to simmer on the stove top in a Dutch oven, your house will smell amazing. When you can’t wait any longer to taste it, simply ladle the fork tender beef and soft root vegetables into a bowl, and dunk in some warm, crusty bread to soak up all that hearty broth.
While there is a bit of prep involved in this recipe (mostly just chopping veggies), 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.
FAQs:
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. A traditional Irish Beef Stew is also a thinner broth, often calling for water rather than stock. I prefer a thicker stew, so I do thicken the stock slightly with the addition of potato flour.
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, and salt and pepper to taste. Set the meat aside.
- Finely 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. Once the onions are soft, 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. Pour in 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. Cover with a lid, and cook until the stew begins to simmer. Turn the heat to low, and continue to simmer for about an hour and a half until the veggies are tender.
- Check for seasoning taste before serving. You may need more salt depending on the salt content of your beef broth.
- The 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.)
- Ladle into individual bowls to serve.
Sear beef. 
Saute the onion, celery, and garlic. 
Add tomato paste, herbs and seasoning, and potato flour. 
Pour in the Guinness. 
Add the remaining veggies and beef. 
Simmer until thickened and veggies are soft and meat is tender.
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Recipe Notes:
- This recipe was first published on March 12, 2019, but was republished with updated photos, ingredients, and notes to make the recipe more user friendly.
- 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. With that said, you can definitely substitute all-purpose flour if you prefer.
- Yes, you can substitute dried herbs for the fresh. Simply use two teaspoons of dried herbs, NOT two tablespoons 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 Cantankerous Stout from Ground Breaker Brewing. Check out Best Gluten Free Beers guide to stouts.
- 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.
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Irish Beef Stew
Irish Beef Stew with Guinness is the perfect comfort food to serve during cold weather months. It’s rich, hearty and packed with beef and root vegetables in a super flavorful beef and Guinness broth.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 cups yellow onion, diced
- 2 cups celery, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 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
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided)
- 3 ounces tomato paste
- 1/4 cup potato flour
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 can Guinness, 14.9 ounces
- 1 quart beef stock (32 ounces)
Instructions
- Begin by prepping the veggies and the beef.
- Cut the stew meat into approximately 1-inch chunks, and salt and pepper to taste. Set the meat aside.
- Finely 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. 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. Pour in 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. Cover with a lid, and cook until the stew begins to simmer. Turn the heat to low, and continue to simmer for about an hour and a half until the veggies are tender.
- The 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.)
- Ladle into individual bowls to serve.
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 (link) over all-purpose flour for thickening soups and stews. With that said, you can definitely substitute all-purpose flour.
- Yes, you can substitute dried herbs for the fresh. Simply use two teaspoons of dried herbs, NOT two tablespoons 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.
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information
Yield 10 Serving Size 2 cupsAmount Per Serving Calories 482Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 135mgSodium 771mgCarbohydrates 39gFiber 6gSugar 8gProtein 51g
Note: Nutritional information is an approximation. Different brands and/or quantities will change the nutrition profile.
cathjy says
I have the stew meat out of the freezer. Just have to run to the store for the Guinness.
caherine says
This stew took quite awhile to make but was absolutely yummy
Inspired Fresh Life says
Yes, it does need to simmer for quite some time, but that is what develops the flavor. I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
Laura says
I love your red Dutch oven pot. Thanks for sharing the link to it. It’s perfect for this stew.