Guinness Beef Stew
This Guinness Beef Stew recipe is rich and hearty, with a robust gravy-like sauce that is flavored by Guinness. A must for St. Patrick’s Day!
We have a couple of weeks until St. Patrick’s Day and I kicked things off a little early last week with my grasshopper chocolate bark, and today I want to share with you this absolute favorite stew of mine.
This Guinness beef stew hails from Cook’s Country magazine; it’s incredibly easy to prepare, and nearly all of the cooking time is hands-off. The meat is exceptionally tender, there are tons of potatoes and carrots, and it’s all drowning in a perfectly smooth and rich Guinness-spiked gravy. Absolutely delicious!
One of the best parts of this stew is that, unlike most stew recipes, you don’t have to brown the meat first – WIN! Instead of browning the meat, it is stirred into the sauce and then the whole pot is transferred to the oven and cooked, uncovered. By using this method, the uncovered meat browns and caramelizes, and the sauce thickens up perfectly. I have to admit that when I stirred the stew part way through cooking, I thought the sauce seemed a little on the thin side. I was completely amazed at how perfectly rich and thick it was once it was ready to serve. Magic!
I use my favorite Dutch oven to make this stew, and I’ve had some people ask if it’s possible to make it a slow cooker. While I’ve never done so, I’ve received feedback from some who have, and their assessment is that the stew is fine in a slow cooker, but nowhere close to as good as it is in a Dutch oven made as directed.
My husband isn’t the biggest fan of stew so I sort of gave him a heads up when I made this, but he couldn’t stop eating it… he said it was the best stew he’d ever had. I, on the other hand, have always loved stew (with a nice piece of crusty bread to soak up that fabulous sauce!), and I can confidently say that this Guinness beef stew is absolutely the best, ever.
One year ago: Cheesy Potato Casserole with Corn Flake Topping
Five years ago: Capirotada (Mexican Bread Pudding)
Six years ago: Fig, Date & Almond Granola Bars
Guinness Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 3.5 to 4 pound (1.6 to 1.8 kg) boneless beef chuck-eye roast, pulled apart at seams, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, Â finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) salt
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup (31.25 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 cups (720 ml) chicken stock
- 1¼ cups (287.5 ml) Guinness Draught, divided
- 4½ teaspoons (4.5 teaspoons) dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
- 1½ pounds (680.39 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 pound (453.59 g) carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat to 325 degrees F.
- Season the beef with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the onions and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for an additional 1 minute.
- Whisk in the chicken stock, ¾ cup of the Guinness, brown sugar and thyme, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the beef and return to a simmer.
- Transfer the pot to the oven and cook, uncovered, for 90 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking.
- Stir in the potatoes and carrots and continue cooking until the beef and vegetables are tender, about 1 hour, stirring halfway through cooking. Remove the pot from the oven and stir in the remaining ½ cup of Guinness and the parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Hello I made this before a long time ago and it was delicious and I’m going to make it again thank you so much. I also want to know if you have a recipe for chicken stew thank you.
I have made this countless times.  It’s one of my family’s favorite winter dinners. I make homemade bread to go with it.  The house smells amazing.  The beer gibes such a delicious gravy! Don’t shy away from this recipe if you don’t like beer.  I hate it but love this!  Just made this today.  DELICIOUSÂ
This is my go to beef stew, I give this recipe to people all the time. It is so flavorful and it’s easy. I make it often during football season, pop it in the oven and dinner is ready at the end of the game
This recipe is great! I’ve made it twice now. I’ve found that an extra 30 minutes beyond what the recipe calls for is helpful for making the potatoes and carrots more tender. After adding the potatoes and carrots and cooking for 60 minutes (stirring halfway) I put the lid on and cook for another 30 minutes. After 1.5 hours of letting the potatoes and carrots cook, I then remove from the oven and add the remaining Guinness, parsley, and some frozen peas. You definitely don’t want the frozen peas to simmer in the oven. The stew is hot enough they quickly warm up and are ready to serve. This tastes like what you would be served in an Irish pub! Highly recommend!
Hello, can you please tell me if the flavor you speak about that the beer gives to this dish tastes like beer?
You see, I really don’t like the taste of beer. I do use it when cooking my brats though, but you can’t really taste the beer itself. Especially by my adding an entire cut-up onion to the pot.
Hi Joy, No you can’t taste the actual flavor of the beer. I hope you enjoy the stew!
I have made this recipe many times.  It’s one of my family’s favorites. I HATE beer but love thus stew.  It makes for THE BEST gravy.  Hope this helps. Â
In the Guinness beef stew recipe you don’t mention adding the beef. Do I add it with the onions and salt?
See step 5
Very good
Looks so delicious and mouthwatering. I really love this kind of food and with combination of rice. Its perfect.
Made this MANY times before. Always a winner! Love this because you do not have to brown the beef and the stout is fantastic!
This stew is amazing. It’s so nice and thick and rich and just perfect for these cold winter days. I love the caramelization of the meat, too; so different than other recipes where you brown the meat first. Thank you for this recipe :-D
I use this recipe with venison, it comes out awesome. I coat the meat with brown sugar, salt,pepper, and garlick. Put in a bowl and let it soak in Guinness for a couple hours ( helps get rid of the gamie taste).Than I do everything else. This stew is always a hit. The meat comes out super tender with plenty of flavor.
Hi, when you made stew with venison meat, what cut of meat did you use.  Did you try doing this recipe in crockpot with venison?  I was thinking of using butterfly cuts of venison to make this, when husband gets meat butchered we don’t get roasts.  Had some excellent pepperoni, hot dogs made with it.  Like that butcher has good ideas for processing.  Have good day.
Hi,Â
I’ve just one question. Once the stew’s finished and there’s some left…..can i freeze that as it is? I mean with the Guinness in it and all. We’re a household of only 2 people and i love to have some diners like this in my freezer for busy weeknights. I hope you’ll answer me.
Have a great Tuesday and till next time.
Lovely greetings from the Netherlands ( YES, i’m a proud Dutch girl),
Marja
Yes, this will freeze wonderfully! Enjoy!
I have tried other Irish Stews from Pinterest  but this is by far the best!  This is the only way I make stew anymore. Thanks for the recipe.
This is by far the best Guinness Stew on Pinterest! Â I have made just about all of them and now I will only use this one! Â
I have started doubling the liquids because I love the sauce. I sometimes omit potatoes and serve it over mashed potatoes Yummy
So delicious! Thank you for consistent recipes that are always great.
Made this last night and it turned out wonderful. The carrots and potatoes could have been done a bit more. We’ll definitely be making this again!
My Dad loves beef stew and I haven’t found a really good recipe til now – can’t wait to make this for him. I like what others have suggested to add pearl onions and peas – I keep trying to up the veg amount in his food. I am wondering why your, and others, recipe uses chicken stock in a beef recipe instead of beef stock? Thanks Michelle.
Hi Ellen, I’ve read in a few different places that the quality of store-bought beef broth is really, really inferior to chicken broth or stock, so you get a much richer flavor if you use chicken.
Looks so yum!! A great dish for cold weather days. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
I made this tonight. Great flavor and worth the time and effort. Â Didn’t add potatoes but put a small bag of frozen peas is at the end as suggested by another reviewer. My can of Guinness was 1/2 cup more than the recipe called for, and the extra was added at the end as the stew was very thick. Â Might use 2 cans of chicken broth next time instead of measuring 3 cups.Â
Made this on Saturday the 18th so I could babysit the pot and stir during the afternoon. Â I cooked it much longer (extra 90 minutes) than the stated recipe, mostly because I wanted the complex flavors of long, slow cooking and making sure the vegetables softened. Â It came out great. Â I used beef stock instead of chicken – because beef! Â Peeled the potatoes. Â Used someone’s suggestion of adding pearl onions near the end. Â Everything else the same. Â I liked that the beef browned as it cooked and made sure plenty of pieces were always poking out – BUT – I still love the crock-pot beef stews that you don’t have to stir in between. Â So this was a great stew for company and will make again and the crock-pot is still my go-to for easy weekday stews that don’t need watching. Â We had with Irish coffee cupcakes from Donal Skehan’s recipe and it was a great dinner.
Hi BEB, I made the stew last night for St. Patty’s Day dinner. It was delicious! I only wish we had more leftovers which we would have if we hadn’t had seconds! Thank you!!!
This looks delicious! What size dutch oven would you suggest for this? There are sales on le creuset now and if I need a larger pot I’d better get it soon.
Hi Caron, I used a 7.25-quart Dutch oven, but I think it would work with one size smaller (5.5-quart).
Thanks Michelle. Now I don’t need to go shopping!
St. Patrick’s Day is on a Friday this year…during Lent!! I was going to make this, but maybe I’ll do it on Thursday?
I’ve been a follower for quite a while but lately the postings I get are hit and miss. Â Some weeks I get every posting and some weeks I may not get any. Â Are there any problems with the website? Â I love your blog and don’t really want to miss any. Â Thank you!Â
I’ve been experiencing the same issues, too, Shannon!
Hi Shannon, I’m so sorry, I’ve been having an awful time with my email delivery service. It seems every couple of months it has issues; I’m working on switching to a better service. My apologies for the inconvenience :(
This looks so good! x
Izzy |http://www.pinchofdelight.com
I have made this stew several times and it is a WINNER! It has a rich taste and is simply delicious. It is one of my husbands favorite “comfort” meals. I will be making it again this year for St. Patrick’s Day.
Instead of the Dutch oven, can I use a crock pot? What are the times for the crock pot?
Hi Allyson, There are some comments above from folks who have used a crock pot (I have not personally) and it definitely creates a different texture/flavor. If you wish to do it, I would recommend low for 8 to 10 hours.
Many people have asked about doing this in a crockpot. I’ve made this stew as written many times (love it!) and tried recently to adapt it to the crockpot. Knowing it wouldn’t cook down the same, I tossed the beef cubes in flour and browned them first.  I sautéed the onions, added the tomato paste and flour, and then slowly added the the broth to get the thickened stock. In the crockpot I layered the vegetables on top of the beef, added remaining ingredients and broth, and cooked for about 8-9 hours on low (as I would beef stew). It was okay, my family liked it. I won’t do it this way again. It lacked the depth of flavor the original recipe has from oven cooking. I wasn’t surprised. I’ve found certain things do just fine in the crockpot while others really do much better in the Dutch oven in the oven. They have a depth of flavor you don’t get from the crockpot. This is certainly just one persons opinion, and as I said the stew wasn’t bad from the crockpot, however I won’t make it that way again. Cheers!
I also put a kabob skewer under the crockpot lid the last hour to let the stew cook down some, trying to mimick the oven cooking.Â
Find it a bit sweet for my taste. I’m sure kids love it.Â
Do you put the beef in the stew when it is raw? Or do you brown it with the onions? Thanks!!
Hi Tracy, Yes, you put the beef in raw, you do not brown it with the onions.
I am trying to decide between this recipe and your hearty beef stew….do you have a preference? Has anyone out there made both….if so which one would you recommend I try first?
Hi Rita, They are both so good and I love them both, but I think the Guinness stew probably has a little bit more flavor. Enjoy!
This was on your most recent 115 must have recipes and deservedly so. I tried this last year for St Pat’s and it was so delicious we wanted to lick the bowls. Oh, it will come out again. Thank you for your wonderful blog.
can i make this stew in a slow cooker? i don’t have a dutch oven and I also prefer to use less energy and watch time to cook this. looks amazing.
Hi Carol, Sure, I think this would work well in a slow cooker!
Fantastic! I doubled the recipe and added a lb of finely sliced sautéed mushrooms toward the end. I transferred from my Dutch to an oversized casserole before transferring to oven. I also used some sort of tiny potatoes I found at Whole Foods and the whole meal was a great success. Definitely did not miss browning batches of meat. Really exceptional flavor.
Hi. I just put the dutch oven in the oven and I have two questions. 1) the recipe cooking time doesn’t add up to 2.5 hours. It says 90 minutes, then it says 1 hour. I’m missing an hour somewhere – where? 2) the recipe Guinness amounts don’t add up to 12 ounces. It says 3/4 cup, then 1/2 cup. I’m missing two ounces somewhere. I worry because the stew already seemed really thick before I put it in the oven.
Hi Corinne, 1) The cook time includes the time cooking on the stove as well as in the oven. 2) It should be 1.25 cups total. This is a thick stew.
Hey there! Love your site and absolutely this recipe is easily my favorite on here. Have made it before and it is delicious. I was going to make it for my dad and sister for their birthday dinner and we’re going to have quite a few people. If I’m doubling the recipe, would you recommend two dutch ovens? Or pile it all into one? And how would you adjust the cooking time? Thanks so much!
Hi Cristine, You could do two Dutch ovens and keep the cook time the same; if you double in one Dutch oven you would need to increase the cooking time quite substantially.
Thank you so much for the recipe! I had never made a stew before and decided to make this for one of my husband’s hunting weekends…and he loves Guinness. It turned out great! I asked for honest reviews from his buddies, and they really enjoyed it. I did add about 1/2 tbs Better than Bouillon beef stock to give it a meatier, heartier flavor. I think I’ll have to brown the beef beforehand next time because mine didn’t brown in the oven. I might add a little bit mor flour since it didn’t really thicken up as much as I would’ve liked. Overall, however, it was a very easy recipe with great flavor!!! Thank you again! I love your recipes! Your site is my go-to for recipes. I especially love your Guinness recipes since I always have some on hand.
Can this be done in the slow cooker…
what are the timings…do you think the same rules as above but for a 8 hour cook period would do the trick?
I have just seen previous comment..thank you…
I’ve made this several times and it’s a cold season treat at our house. This weekend I made it again, with a few changes. I couldn’t find a decent cheapish cut of beef but beef cheeks were on special so I got around 2kg worth and I only had beef broth in the cupboard. I cooked the whole thing longer, about 3 hours before adding the veggies and about 90 minutes after. The result was silly and luscious, with melt-in-your-mouth meat and a thick, richly flavored sauce to die for. Will definitely repeat this many times!
We made this for a St. Patrick’s Day Party and it was a HUGE hit. We made the stew as instructed from start to finish the day before. On the day of the party we put it in a crock pot on warm (or lowest setting) in the morning, and it was ready to eat by 2:00. We doubled the recipe for about 20 people to enjoy.
Quick question; is there any way to make this is a slow cooker?
Thanks :)
Hi Kaitlyn, I would say no in this case, because cooking it uncovered in the oven helps to concentrate and thicken the sauce. You wouldn’t be able to replicate that in a slow cooker.
Can i make this without the beer. I tried this recipe with beer a few times and it was delicious. What do you think?
Hi Menchie, I think it would be okay, just substitute beef or chicken stock in its place.
Looks incredible! have you ever tried this type of recipe with coffee?
I just made this on Sunday. I didn’t realize until I was ready to cook, that I had no onions, and I accidentally bought Guinness Extra Stout, so I just added a little brown sugar to compensate. Even with my little blunders, this stew was absolutely fantastic. I served hard rolls with it, for sopping up the leftover juice. It was SO easy, as well as being tasty, that it will definitely go into the rotation for winter.
Thanks for the inspiration:
http://laravalera.wordpress.com/2014/11/15/guinness-draught-irish-stew-made-in-bcn/
I made this for St Patrick’s Day since I had leftover guiness from making the cupcakes.
Just a thank you for this excellent recipe. Made it as directed and it came out perfectly. I did keep it in the oven an extra 20 minutes for the veggies to get softer. Everyone said it was the best stew they had ever had.
A nice, hardy, flavorful comfort food. Perhaps we are big eaters, but this barely fed the six of us with bread. Good thing I had dessert and coffee for dessert or my guest would of left hungry.
I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out awesome. The thickness of the stew and flavor was perfect. The only problem I had was that the meat did not turn soft even after being in the oven for 2.5 hrs. Had to cook on stove top for additional 45 minutes. How did you manage to get it done in the oven?
Hi Pooja, It may have just been the specific cut of meat; that should be more than enough time for the meat to soften.
If I peel the potatoes will that have an adverse affect on the outcome?
Hi Jessica, No, it will just be a bit less rustic.
Hi! This recipe looks so delicious! Is there any way to make this without alcohol? Thank you.
Hi Jai, Yes, you can omit the Guinness. I would substitute more stock in place of it.
I made this for St Patrick’s Day since I had leftover guiness from making the cupcakes. It was delicious. It was sweeter that I was expecting for a stew, but not in a bad way. I really enjoyed the flavors and probably even make it when it’s not St Patty’s Day.
I have tried this recipe twice now and going for it again tonight. Just want you to know that each time it was the best beef stew I have ever had! Thank you for a fantastic recipe!
I love stews where the meat has been browned in the pan first. Do you think browning the meat first and then cooking in the oven would make it too melanoiden rich?
Hi Adam, I have a great stew recipe that browns the meat first: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/2007/10/10/hearty-beef-stew/. I personally love that you don’t have to brown this meat first, so much easier! The flavor is tremendously hearty.
Last post about this, I promise….. But HOLY COW! I have tried so many beef stew recipes (stove top, oven, crock pot) and have been disappointed every time. This one blew us away! Amazing! Outstanding!!!!
Thank you so much for your speedy reply. I love all of your recipes that I have made ! You are a big star in my house!!!!
Hi
This looks and sounds amazing! I live in Montreal, Canada and cannot find Guinness beer. Can you recommend a replacement beer that would work? (It doesn’t have to be Irish- I promise not to tell:)
Thanks!!!!!!!
Hi Bunny, Any dark, thick beer will do. I’m not a big dark beer drinker, so I don’t have a specific name to recommend, but anything along those lines should work. Enjoy!
Very surprised to see that you use chicken stock instead of beef as most recipes I’ve seen for Guiness Beef stew call for beef stock! Looking forward to trying this recipe!!
This is the best stew I have ever made. Everyone went nuts over it. I made mashed potatoes instead of putting potato chunks in the stew and ladled the stew over the mashed potatoes. Just personal preference. A+++++++
I made this stew last weekend. It was delicious! The veggies took quite a bit longer to cook than I expected – which is probably due to the high altitude we live at. Also my husband was helping chop and we had some pretty large chunks! We took the left over stew and threw it in the crock pot the next day. It was even better as leftovers :-)
I made this yesterday and it was the best stew I ever made. My husband loved it and I’m making it again this weekend. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Can this be done on the stove top?
Hi Nessa, I don’t think you would get the same flavor or texture on the stovetop. I would recommend doing it in the oven.
So I made this stew last night but adapted it for the crock pot and tossed the beef with about 1/4 cup of flour and salt and pepper to taste and simply dropped it in the bottom, layering the everything else on top and cooking for 10 hours.
I replaced the chicken stock with veal stock.
It’s perfection.
Made this stew and it was awesome. Hubby ate 3 bowls. Barely any leftovers. Love, Love, Love-another recipe for the kids recipe boxes~!!
Amazing! -16 degrees last night so was a perfect meal. So good and my kids LOVED it
Excellent!!! A very hearty meal. My family thoroughly enjoyed this dish.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was, hands down, the best beef stew I’ve ever eaten! I did substitute a good local lager for the guiness but it worked really well. I will definitely be making this one again. Thanks for the recipe!
I would like to make this recipe but I have a 5 quart Dutch oven. Will this recipe fit in a 5 quart or will I need to halve the recipe? Thanks!
You should be fine with a 5-quart. Enjoy!
This is the best beef stew we have ever had…such a good flavor..added extra carrots..this and your pumpkin pie recipe are the yummiest ever..thank you, debby
Hey there,
Just wanted to comment on my completed stew. The beef never did brown like the photo. It is a little tougher than I was hoping for, and didn’t get the flavor I was hoping for. I will probably brown the beef in the future. I also ended up cooking it for an hour longer, because the veggies were still pretty crunchy.
On the plus side, the flavor of the sauce is better than anything we have made in the past, so I will keep the recipe and make some modifications! Thank you.
Last year I had delicious Guinness Beef Stew at a local Irish pub and have been looking for a recipe that closely matched it. This one comes so close it is imperceptible — fantastic! The first time I made it the potatoes and carrots were still somewhat crunchy, so last night I added them 30 minutes earlier and they were still a bit crisp. I just took the pot from the oven and cooked it on high on the stove burner for 5-8 additional minutes and the veggies were perfect. For additional flavor and eye candy, I included 20-25 pearl onions when adding the potatoes and carrots. The raving reviews of our guests were quite numerous … thanks again for the recipe!
Hi there, currently in the process of baking this in the oven. I am a little worried. The meat does not look as brown as yours dies in the photo. I would like to know how covered the meat is when first stirring it in.
Thanks!
Hi Cyndy, If you just stirred it for the first time, it still has a LONG way to go. The meat won’t be totally submerged, but will continue to get darker as it cooks. Stirring in the Guinness towards the end also makes it look darker.
Can this be made with regular beer? Would like to make today but have no guiness beer.
Hi Roxanne, I have not tried it with any other beer, but I would imagine that another dark, lager-style beer would work.
Just finished eating a big bowl and I’m thinking about having some more. This is very good and I’m sure it will be even better in a day or two once the flavors have melded in beefy love…….
I’ve made this twice now. One of my favorite recipes. I love it!
I make a mean stew but am always looking for something new to try. This stew was fantastic, rich and hearty. Might never make mine again! Only thing I did different was use venison instead of beef. You would never know. Family requested I put peas in next time since I always make mine with peas. Also next time I think I’ll buy two Guinness instead of one. One to cook with and one to drink!
I made this earlier this week for my husband and me, and it lasted for several days! It came out good, but I had to cook it a lot longer. I don’t know if it’s because my apartment has an old gas oven that looks like it’s from the 70s, but it took a good two extra hours to get the meat and vegetables tender. The end result was pretty tasty, and paired very nicely with the cheddar bay biscuits recipe from this site too. My flu shot had me feeling under the weather for a couple days and this was the perfect hearty comfort food.
Fantastic recipe! I tossed the beef in the flour before hand and browned it very well. I think it was worth it. Also added a bay leaf and used beef broth instead of chicken. SO good. Thank you!
I made this recipe a few weeks ago while my husband and Iwere laid up with some child/flu action. It tasted heavenly. I find myself adding a little more chicken broth halfway through and I added the rest of the recipe’s guinness half an hour before it was really done.It needs a lot more turning than halfway through the cooking process. It created a strange film that I had to break up more than a few times, and if I didn’t turn it regularly, the meat would burn. But even still, it was moist, tender, and absolutely delicious. It lasted us the entire day before my husband finally finished it of. Can’twaitto make again!
Don’t use Guinness Original which comes in 440 millilitre aluminium can. “all the taste of Guinnesss with a refershingly crisp bite” leaves a bitter aftertaste in the stew.
I’m making this right now! It’s already smelling so good in the oven. I’ll give an update when it’s done cooking! Thanks, Michelle!
Can I substitue mushrooms for the potatoes or would that affect the sauce? I don’t like potatoes in my stew. Thank you!
Hi Dana, That substitution shouldn’t have any effect on the sauce.
Yum! This was delicious beef stew and so easy! Unfortunately, I ate too much, which is keeping me from eating the Limoncello cupcakes I made for dessert!
I tried this recipe on St Patrick’s Day this week. It was really delicious. I LOVED that i didn’t have to brown the meat before putting into the oven (brilliant idea to leave the lid off for browning in the oven!) Also I added all the beer earlier in the cooking process to maximize the evaporation, due to my audience.
this stew looks and sounds absolutely amazing!!!!
This stew was amazing….Everyone loved it. We didn’t have Guinness so we substituted Penn Brewery’s red label. Thanks for all your great recipes.
I made this for St. Patrick’s Day, and it was excellent! It took awhile and was a little messy to prepare (I didn’t have one ovenproof dish that was big enough for all of it, so I had it in two casseroles in the oven), but it was SO worth it! My husband and I ate way more than usual. Just delicious. Thank you!
My husband made this for us last night, and it was amazing. Thank you for the recipe! :)
Made this to rave reviews last night. We loved the way the liquid cooked down to a nice rich sauce. Very tasty. Thanks!
Can you make this in the crockpot?
Hi Becky, I would not recommend making this in a crockpot if you have the ability to make it in the oven – you won’t get the same caramelized flavor, browning of the beef, or sauce reduction as you will in the oven.
Just made this today and will save to enjoy tomorrow so everything in here has some more time to get to know each other more. ;-) Looking forward to how the flavors will develop overnight!
I’ll be making this for my family tomorrow! My kids will not likely eat it, my sensory sensitive kids cannot tolerate all the food in one pot. More for the grownups!
What if I don’t have a dutch oven? What would be the best why to cook it? Crockpot, stew pot on stove?
Hi Heather, If you have another heavy-bottomed pot, use that. If you don’t cook it in the oven, you may need to actually sear the meat on the stove. It would alter the texture of the meat.
I made this stew today and it came out incredible! Definitely a recipe to bookmark!
This looks and sounds so good! I’ve never had Guinness Beef Stew, but I’d really like to give it a try sometime.
I cooked this recipe tonight for my family. It is a keeper!
This recipe is very easy to follow and the meat browns so beautifully. I was a bit afraid that there would be a strong beer taste but the Guinness helps makes a hearty gravy that we “sipped up” with homemade crusty bread. THANKS for this recipe. I’m so glad I found it!
This sounds/looks so good, we’ll definitely be making this for our St. Patty’s party Saturday night!
This looks good!! Great idea to use Guinness in it. Irish stew is always a good comfort food.
I made beef stew this week and now I wish I had made this recipe! Pinned it to try later on.
Wow, this looks amaaaazing! Would love a bowl of this stew right now to warm me up on this cold night :)
I love this so much! And bonus, I already have some leftover Guinness in my fridge just waiting to go into this stew! :)
What is leftover Guiness? No such thing my husband in the house. :-)
Nice looking beef stew!
I am forwarding this recipe to my mom! My stepdad is from England and loves Guinness. He would absolutely love this.
I want some of this stew in my belly right now! Last night I made so me delish soda bread that would go perfectly with guinness beef stew. I might have to hold off until the weekend though.
Love this for St. Patrick’s day!! I’m sure the Guinness gives it amazing flavor…
If you love Guinness then you would love the Guinness StoreHouse in Dublin. Its amazing, you get to see the history, how its made and also taste it. at the very top of the StoreHouse is the 360 Bar where you can look at the amzing sights around Dublin. The best part, All the Guinness merchandise which includes foodie gifts, Guinness Chocolates, Guinness sauces and other Guinness delights.
I loved this stew, i had to go straight out and buy the ingredients today and we are had it for dinner, absolutely delicious.
This looks delicious! Can’t wait to make it.
Would we be able to double the recipe? I have a large family. Has anyone tried it yet. Have they doubled it?
Hi Rebecca, I have not doubled it, but I’m sure you could. Just be sure that you use a large enough pot and that it can fit in your oven!
I am cooking for two, so I like to feeze leftovers. Since potatoes don’t usually freeze well, I thought of switching them out for parsnips or something else. Do you have a suggestion?
oh my gawd, this looks wonderful! LOVE!
It’s great to see the use of the under-rated chuck in this recipe. More economical and certainly more flavorful due to marbling.
I was surprised to see the use of chicken rather than beef stock. Have to try this recipe.
For another slight flavor variation consider the use of parsnips rather than yukon golds which I love.
I used to make a similar recipe but for a thicker stew, I’d dredge the beef cubes in flour and then sear (part of the anticipated braising process) but often we’d sample (and sample) those chunks and never move on to make the stew.
I still like to throw in a bag of frozen peas near the end for more color.
This looks absolutely delicious! And so appropriate for St. Patrick’s day week!
This sounds delicious! I love a good beef stew and the guinness is so fun for St. Patrick’s day!
I’ve made this before and it is amazing, even my kids liked it and they are super picky. I will be making for St Patrick’s day since I am not a fan of lamb.
Never have I drooled for beef before 9:30am! This looks amazing!
I’m not a big fan of beef stew but this looks so delicious . . .
The stew looks so rich and warming — and just perfect to get through these continuing cold nights. Such gorgeous photos!
Wow! These photos are absolutely gorgeous! This stew sounds absolutely delicious!
Heck yes! I made a version (maybe it was the same one…) of this recipe and I loved skipping the browning step. I found it super hard to photograph but yours looks amazing :)
Wow – this sounds amazing! Great photos too!
This looks and sounds delicious! I’ve already made a corned beef, which means I need to make something like this for St. Patrick’s Day! I love all the meals I’ve seen popping up with Guinness as an ingredient!
Thank you for sharing this festive St.Patrick’s Day recipe. We can’t seem to shake the cold weather here in the ‘burgh, so this warm and hearty stew looks very tempting. I’ve seen so many recipes for St.Patty’s sweets, but I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. This is definitely one recipe I’ll give a try!
What a great idea for stew! Making my mouth water–no lie!
Oh my gosh, you have me craving beef stew! This recipe looks amazing the photos, oh my gosh! I need a fork so I can dig right in!
This stew looks so rich and comforting! I wish I had a steaming hot bowl of it right now with this crazy cold weather :).
When you do a stew like this (which looks really amazing!) can you serve it to kids?
The alcohol in the initial Guiness addition is cooked for 90 min and so is reduced considerably but does not completely evaporate (contrary to popular belief). The second addition stirred in at the end really doesn’t evaporate much at all. Having said all that, you also have to consider the proportion of Guiness to other liquid, how old your kids are, your personal feelings about the matter, etc. Plus, if you’re talking about beer vs a higher proof spirit (like brandy or cognac), that’s adds another factor. If you google alcohol evaporation rate cooking, there’s a good discussion on chowhound (Truth or Fiction thread) with info from the USDA that’s quite informative. Personally, if my kids were 8+ I would probably let them eat the stew out of the oven before the final 1/2 cup addition. If someone else’s kids are involved or if I knew someone was a recovering alcoholic or was on meds where alcohol is contraindicated, I would serve something else.
Very very informative response. Thanks for all the info re alcohol evaporation rates!
You’re welcome. I started giving thought to this a few years ago when I was making something for a work potluck (alcohol consumption on premises is a fireable offense – imagine that!) and was quite shocked to learn my assumptions about cook off were totally wrong. Truthfully though, the evap rate after cooking is the least of MY problem, which has more to do with the “evap rate” after the beer is opened and before it’s incorporated into the recipe! LOL! Guess I’ll need to stock a second bottle. :) Can’t wait to try this beef stew recipe out!
Correction: the initial cooking time with the first Guiness addition is 2.5 hours (not 90 minutes) so the alcohol evap rate is even higher.
Thank you Marla! Great info-my kiddos are 7, 4, 2, and newborn (who is nursing) so I if I try this one I may serve it for all of us before the last addition of the beer.
Just read the comments after I made this several times and noticed you said cook it 2.5 hours not 90 minutes. You should make that change in the recipe. Â
The recipe calls for the first portion of beer along with the beef etc and then says cook at 325 for 90 minutes (1.5 hours) then it says to add the potatoes and carrots and continue to cook fo another hour  – that is 2.5 hours total cooking time before removing it from the oven and adding the final amount of beer. There is no need to correct the recipe.Â
The perfect recipe for this never ending winter cold! It looks so good!!
Oh man I just want to dive head first into this!
Wow… This really looks great!