Irish Guinness Beef Stew

Irish Guinness Beef Stew ~ tender seared beef, chunks of potatoes, onions and carrots in a thick rich beef-Guinness gravy.

St. Patrick’s Day isn’t complete for my sister-in-law Gloria without hats and strands of beads for the group, including my reluctant brother-in-law. Irish green shirts, a round or three of drinks, plenty of laughs and some good Irish food like this Irish Guinness Beef Stew round out the day.

Her enthusiasm is contagious; it’s a party you don’t want to miss. This stew has everything you need for St. Patrick’s Day: chunks of tender seared beef, potatoes, onions and carrots in a thick stew enhanced with the flavor of Guinness beer. Just don’t forget the hats and beads.

My favorite St. Patrick’s Day was the year we brought home an adorable Golden Retriever puppy we called Paddy. She was such a great dog, admittedly a tad spoiled and it’s no exaggeration to say everyone that met her loved her.

We trained her for therapy work and she spent many afternoons listening to kids read to her at the local library. I’m not sure who enjoyed it more, Paddy or the kids but she has since joined other fur babies in heaven.

As far as beverages go, beer isn’t my #1 go-to. It’s not even #2 ~ but I love the rich flavor beer adds to a dish. Guinness is the perfect compliment to this Irish Guinness Beef Stew.

Here’s a list of ingredients to get you on your way:

• olive oil
• butter
• stewing beef
• salt and pepper to taste
• carrots
• onion
• tomato paste
• garlic
• Guinness beer
• chicken stock
• bay leaf
• Worcestershire sauce
• fresh thyme
• flour
• fresh flat leaf parsley

Irish Guinness Beef Stew Instructions:

I buy the beef already packaged and labeled as . . . you guessed it, stewing beef. It’s marbled and ideal for this Irish Guinness Beef Stew.

In a good sturdy pot you usually make soup in, add a drizzle of olive oil and the butter over medium heat. Generously season the beef with salt and pepper and once the butter melts, add it in a single layer, searing on both sides.

Work in batches if necessary so the beef sears instead of steaming. This adds a serious flavor boost plus don’t let the crispy brown bits at the bottom of the pot go to waste either.  

Remove the seared beef from the pot then drop in the carrots and onions. If the pot looks too dry drizzle in a bit more olive oil.

Season the veggies with salt and pepper and cook 3-4 minutes over medium/medium-high heat allowing them to get some color then remove them from the pot.

Next add the tomato paste and grated garlic over medium heat stirring so the garlic doesn’t burn and cook 1-2 minutes (you should smell the tomato paste). Pour in the entire bottle of beer and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot.

Return the beef, carrots and onions to the pot along with 2 1/2 cups of chicken stock, the Worcestershire sauce and a bay leaf.

Lay the thyme sprigs on top, cover and cook on the stove over low heat 1 1/2 hours, moving the beef and veggies around occasionally leaving the thyme sprigs on top.

Why use chicken stock instead of beef?

Simple. Chicken stock has more flavor.  

How long do I cook the stew?

After 1 1/2 hours, remove the lid and continue cooking another 30 minutes. The beef should be nicely tender at this point (if it’s not, cook a bit longer until it’s fork tender).

Remove the bay leaf and thyme, then whisk the flour and 1/4 cup of chicken stock together in a small bowl. Fold it into the stew and cook over low heat another 15 minutes letting the sauce thicken. Add the parsley, taste and adjust salt and pepper as you like.

Make sure have a good loaf of bakery-style bread on hand to so up what’s left in your bowl. You don’t want to leave a single drop. Unless you have a dog. In which case the dog should have dibs on it. 

If you’re into corned beef, be sure to try these  Reuben Wonton Cupcakes. They’re everything you love about a Reuben sandwich (corned beef, cheese, sauerkraut and 1,000 isle dressing)in an easy to make bite-size appetizer, ideal for St. Patrick’s Day. It also happens to be one of my most popular recipes!

Need a quick, easy and delicious dessert?

How about a taste of Harry Potter World? Authentic (non-alcoholic) Harry Potter’s Butterbeer comes together in 10 minutes or keeping in the Irish theme, Sweet Irish Soda Bread. 

Enjoy and happy St. Patrick’s Day!

If you tried this Irish Beef Stew recipe or any other on the blog, I’d love to hear from you with a comment or star rating!

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Irish Guinness Beef Stew

Irish Guinness Beef Stew: chunks of tender, seared beef, potatoes, onions and carrots in a thick, stew made more robust with the addition of Guinness beer.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Irish

Keyword: irish stew

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

Servings: 4

Author: A Gouda Life

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 1/2 pounds stewing beef
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3-4 medium carrots, peeled and cut in half
• 3-4 medium potatoes peeled and cut in half
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 3 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 12-14 ounce bottle Guinness beer (depending on the brand, size varies but use the whole bottle)
• 2 1/2 cups + 1/4 cup chicken stock ( divided)
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3 tablespoons fresh flatleaf parsley + more for garnish (optional)

Instructions

• Add the olive oil and butter to the pot over medium heat.
• Generously season the beef with salt and pepper and once the butter melts, add the beef in a single layer searing on both sides. You may have to work in batches to get a nice sear on the beef.
• Remove the beef from the pot and add the carrots and onions (if the pot looks too dry drizzle in a bit more olive oil). Season with salt and pepper and cook 3-4 minutes over medium/medium-high heat allowing them to get some color as well then remove them from the pot.
• Fold in the tomato paste and grated garlic and cook a couple of minutes then pour in the beer and combine, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
• Return the beef, carrots and onions to the pot and add 2 1/2 cups of chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce and the bay leaf. Lay the thyme sprigs on top, cover and cook over very low heat 1 1/2 hours, moving the beef and veggies around occasionally, leaving the thyme sprigs on top.
• After 1 1/2 hours, remove the lid and continue cooking about another 30 minutes. The beef should be nicely tender at this point.
• Remove the bay leaf and thyme, then in a small bowl whisk the flour and 1/4 cup of chicken stock together. Fold it into the stew, gently combining and cook over low heat another 15 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as you like.
• Serve with a good loaf of bakery style bread.