This Irish Stew is rich, delicious, and full of flavor. Guinness beer adds to that richness, and chunky vegetables make this into a hearty meal.
Why this recipe works
Irish stew, also known as Guinness stew, is robust in flavor thanks to the addition of Guinness beer, seasonings, and Worcestershire sauce.
Today, we used beef stew meat, but Irish stew is commonly made with lamb or mutton, so feel free to substitute with the meat of your choice. Either way, you’ll have a hearty pot of beef stew waiting to be devoured on a chilly fall or winter day.
Ingredients you will need
How to Make Irish Stew
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Combine salt, pepper, and flour. Spread flour in a dish or on a piece of parchment paper and toss stew meat in the flour mixture to coat it on all sides.
- Heat oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or stockpot. Brown stew meat on all sides (about 5 minutes). Brown the meat in batches so that the pieces are not overcrowded in the pot.
- Remove meat from the pot and set aside.
- Add additional oil if needed. Add onion and garlic to the pot and saute for 3-5 minutes, or just until onions begin to soften and caramelize around the edges. Do not burn the garlic.
- Add the potatoes and carrots to the pot over the onion and garlic. Add the meat back into the pot over the other ingredients.
- Pour beer and beef broth over the meat. Add Worchestire sauce, tomato paste, bay leaves, and 2 sprigs of thyme. Stir.
- Bring stew to a boil. Reduce heat and cover with a lid. Cook for about 2 hours over low heat. Stir occasionally to keep the stew from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- After 2 hours, remove the lid and continue simmering until the liquid has reduced down to your desired consistency.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can freeze this Irish Stew by allowing it to cool completely, then portioning into freezer safe containers. This stew can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
This Irish stew is often referred to as Guinness Stew because of the addition of Guinness beer. If you really want to substitute the beer, you can use strong coffee, dry red wine, or “no salt added” beef broth.
Crusty bread is always a good choice as a side to this Irish beef stew. A side salad would be great as well. You may want to try our amazing Italian bread, these homemade biscuits, or our herb buttermilk biscuits.
This beef stew is cooked slow and low to achieve a tender, melt in your mouth meat. We hope you enjoy!
More Recipes Using Beef
- Crockpot Beef Stew
- Beef Stroganoff
- Hamburger Stew
- Crockpot Roast Beef
- Corned Beef and Cabbage
- Instant Pot Corned Beef
- Crockpot Corned Beef
- Beef Bourguignon
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Irish Stew
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1.5 lbs beef stew meat
- 2 Tbsp olive oil or canola oil
- 1 onion large, cut into large chunks
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 3 large carrots cut into large chunks
- 3 yellow potatoes cut into large chunks
- 11.2 oz Guinness beer 1 bottle
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3 oz tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme plus more for garnish
- fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- Keep the vegetables and potatoes in large chunks so that they hold up to the lengthy cook time.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in a sealed container or freeze for up to 3 months.
Instructions
- Combine salt, pepper, and flour. Spread flour in a dish or on a piece of parchment paper and toss stew meat in the flour mixture to coat it on all sides.
- Heat oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or stock pot. Brown stew meat on all sides (about 5 minutes). Brown the meat in batches so that the pieces are not overcrowded in the pot.
- Remove meat from the pot and set aside.
- Add additional oil if needed. Add onion and garlic to the pot and saute for 3-5 minutes, or just until onions begin to soften and caramelize around the edges. Do not burn the garlic.
- Add the potatoes and carrots to the pot over the onion and garlic. Add the meat back into the pot over the other ingredients.
- Pour beer and beef broth over the meat. Add Worchestire sauce, tomato paste, bay leaves and 2 sprigs of thyme. Stir.
- Bring stew to a boil. Reduce heat and cover with a lid. Cook for about 2 hours over low heat. Stir occasionally to keep the stew from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- After 2 hours, remove the lid and continue simmering until the liquid has reduced down to your desired consistency and meat is fork-tender.
Nutrition
Amanda Davis
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Leonard says
It appears in picture there are carrots in the stew but not in the recipe?
Amanda Formaro says
My apologies, I have corrected the recipe!
Liz says
Sounds really yummy. But do you have to use the Guinness beer.
Amanda Formaro says
It will still make a delicious stew without it, OR you can substitute a non-alcoholic beer as we mentioned in the Frequently Asked Questions!