Irish American Guinness Stew
This Irish American Guinness Stew consist of tender bites of beef nestled in a savory Guinness Stout broth with onions, potatoes and carrots.
Not only is this easy beef stew hearty, filling and delicious, but it can be made on the stove in one big stock pot or Dutch oven or, in the slow cooker and the seasonings are incredible!
No reason to buy an expensive cut of meat because the beef braises in the rich broth and comes out tender every time!
Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, but did you know, back in the day, traditional Irish stew, or “Stobhach,” was made with mutton, onions, potatoes and water and served weekly?
Beef was not an ingredient in this working man’s dish because it was expensive and consumed exclusively by the upper classes.
This recipe is a spin-off of traditional American beef stew and Irish beef stew…two great dishes perfect for any cold night and especially for St. Patrick’s Day!
Here’s what you’ll need
The ingredients for Irish American Guinness stew are pretty simple: beef, bacon, onions, potatoes, celery, carrots, tomato paste, beef stock, ground thyme, Guinness Stout lager and a few bay leaves.
Beef-use cubed beef, cubed sirloin or round steak. Note that it’s not necessary to buy an expensive cut of meat for American Irish Stew because the slow braising method tenderizes the beef, as does the Guinness Stout!
Seasonings – I try to keep it simple here so the flavor of the Guinness broth can really shine! Ground thyme, bay leaves, a hint of natural sugar released from the carrots, a little salt and pepper and the Guinness stout is really all you need.
Carrots – Authentic Irish stew does not contain carrots.The inclusion of carrots in a so-called Irish beef stew is quite controversial, but they are included in this recipe to provide additional nutrients and color.
Potatoes – for best results, use a waxy potato like a Yukon gold or a Red Creamer potato. These hold up better in the slow-cooking process. Idaho or russet potatoes tend to disinterate and make the Irish stew a bit mushy.
How to make it
Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day and this easy Irish American beef stew recipe is The Lucky Charm! Make a big bowl and serve it with authentic Irish soda bread!
Cube meat into 1″inch cubes; in a large stockpot or Dutch oven, cook chopped bacon till crisp
Remove bacon bits and add beef to stockpot; brown the beef then remove from pan and place on paper towel; add Guinness Stout lager to deglaze the stockpot
Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any beef remnants, return beef to pan; add carrots, celery, onions, potatoes, bay leavs tomato paste, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and beef broth; reduce heaat, cover and simmer; salt and pepper to taste
Recipe FAQ
It is not necessary to use more expensive, tender cuts such as sirloin.
This Irish American Guinness stew recipe calls for cubed chuck roast; however, you can substitute round or top steak because the meat becomes very tender during the slow cooking process.
The Guinness Stout lager (which consists of barley, roasted malt extract and hops) is what truly makes the beef stew seasoning so spectacular.
If you cannot use Guinness, try a very strong beef stock or add a bit of espresso to the stew.
Keep in mind that boiling does not cook off all of the alcohol; about 2% remains, so if you’re cooking for someone who is intolerant of alcohol, use a cup of espresso, strong beef stock or mushroom broth.
If you want to make this in a slow-cooker, simply cook the bacon and sear the beef first, then put everything else into the crock pot, including the bacon grease.
You may need to add a little more water or beef stock. Cook on low 5-6 hours.
Reheating and storage
The best way to reheat this hearty Irish American beef stew is on the stove top. You may need to add a little water, as the beef broth thickens upon refrigeration.
Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow beef stew to come to room temperature before reheating.
This beef stew reheats best on the stovetop – you may have to add a little water as it thickens upon refrigeration.
Irish American Guinness Beef Stew is a meal in itself, however, if you want to offer side dishes, try a side of braised cabbage, a crisp green salad, Colcannon potatoes, cornbread, Irish Soda Bread or collard greens.
Related Recipes
- Irish Soda Bread
- Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
- Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry
- How to Fix Over Salted Soups and Stews
- Irish Cottage Pie
- Colcannon Mashed Potatoes
If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a comment and rating! I love to hear from you!
Irish American Guinness Stew
Ingredients
- 2 lb. chuck roast ,cubed
- 6 slices pepper bacon ,(or regular bacon), cubed
- 2 tablespoons oil , any kind
- 6 large yukon gold potatoes ,cubed
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 4 large carrots , sliced
- ½ cup chopped celery
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 3 cups beef stock
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon ground thyme
- 16 oz. Guinness Stout beer
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 bay leaves
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, add oil; bring to medium heat and add bacon; cook bacon until it is somewhat crisp; use a slotted spoon, remove bacon bits and place on paper towel2 tablespoons oil, 6 slices pepper bacon
- Working in batches, add cubed beef to the stockpot; brown meat on all sides; remove beef from stockpot and set aside2 lb. chuck roast
- Deglaze the stockpot: Pour Guinness Stout beef into the stockpot; bring heat to high and use a wooden spoon to scrape any remnants from the bottom of the pan16 oz. Guinness Stout beer
- Add onions, carrots and celery to stockpot; allow to cook for 3 minutes1 cup chopped onion, 4 large carrots, ½ cup chopped celery
- Add seared beef, cooked bacon, beef broth, tomato paste, potatoes, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves to the stockpot; cover and allow to simmer for 50 minutes; check the liquid level frequently; if the liquid begins to absorb, add more beef stock or water2 lb. chuck roast, 6 slices pepper bacon, 6 large yukon gold potatoes, ¼ cup tomato paste, 3 cups beef stock, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon ground thyme, 3 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper to tastesalt and pepper to taste
Notes
- If you want to make this delicious Irish American stew in a crockpot, just brown the beef on the stove top first, then add all the ingredients to the slow cooker. Make sure the liquid covers the meat and vegetables, and cook on low 5-7 hours.
- If you want a thicker stew, make a slurry of 2 tablespoons flour in one cup of warm water; mix together and add to stew at the end of the cooking process
This was beautiful!
As an Irishman living in America with a son in the way – This Irish-American dish hit home for me. Added a little parsnip out of habit, but I could imagine it being just as good without.
Thanks so much!
Wow! What a compliment from an Irishman!! Thank you so much! I love the parsnips! When writing and making this Irish-American stew, I knew the carrots would be called out by true Irish folks😂so thank you for not scolding me!! Parsnips are probably more authentic, but some folks don’t even know what they are… glad you sent this!! You just made my day! Thank you!!!
This was absolutely fabulous!
Thank you, Sandy! I’m glad you enjoyed it!