Irish Beef and Guinness Stew
I’ve been craving beef stew lately but decided to switch it up a bit and make an Irish beef and Guinness stew from a recipe I found on Recipe Tin Eats. This recipe was easy to throw together and the stew smelled amazing while it simmered for a few hours in the oven. I served this Irish beef and Guinness stew on top of creamy mashed potatoes and it was divine! We all thought this stew was so delicious and flavorful, and the meat was fall-apart tender. I’ll most definitely be making this stew again.
How to Make Irish Beef and Guinness Stew
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Cook the bacon pieces in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until cooked through and the fat has rendered down. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel. Remove all but 1 1/2 tablespoons of bacon grease from the Dutch oven; set the remaining bacon grease aside until needed. Return the Dutch oven to the stove and turn it up to medium-high.
Pat the beef chunks dry then season well with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
Add half of the meat to the HOT Dutch oven and cook, until browned all over, about 3 minutes. Remove the beef from the Dutch oven to a plate. Add the remaining beef to the Dutch oven and cook the beef until browned all over, about 3 minutes. Remove to the plate; set aside.
Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of bacon grease to the Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add the flour and cook, stirring it into the onion mixture constantly, for 1 minute. Add the Guinness and whisk until the mixture is well combined and the flour is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and whisk until well combined then add the beef broth. Add the plate of cooked beef chunks and their juices along with the carrot, celery, bacon crumbles, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and place into the oven to cook for 2 hours and 25 minutes.
Remove the lid after 2 hours & 25 minutes and continue to cook for 20 minutes to allow the beef to finish cooking and the sauce to thicken slightly. Remove from the oven and skim off any fat from the surface. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Taste and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
Serve over creamy mashed potatoes. Enjoy.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 slices of bacon, cut into small bits
- 2 ½ lbs beef chuck, cut into 2-inch chunks & excess fat removed
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 (14.9 oz) can of Guinness Beer
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 cups beef broth
- 3 large carrots, peeled & cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 stalks of celery, diced
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Cook the bacon pieces in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until cooked through and the fat has rendered down.
- Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel. Remove all but 1 1/2 tablespoons of bacon grease from the Dutch oven; set the remaining bacon grease aside until needed.
- Return the Dutch oven to the stove and turn it up to medium-high. Pat the beef chunks dry then season well with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
- Add half of the meat to the HOT Dutch oven and cook, until browned all over, about 3 minutes. Remove the beef from the Dutch oven to a plate.
- Add the remaining beef to the Dutch oven and cook the beef until browned all over, about 3 minutes. Remove to the plate; set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of bacon grease to the Dutch oven and reduce to medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
- Add the flour and cook, stirring it into the onion mixture constantly, for 1 minute.
- Add the Guinness and whisk until the mixture is well combined and the flour is dissolved, about 2 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and whisk until well combined then add the beef broth.
- Add the plate of cooked beef chunks and their juices along with the carrot, celery, bacon crumbles, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Side Note: If the beef and vegetables aren't submerged in liquid, add more beef broth until they are.
- Cover with a tight-fitting lid and place into the oven to cook for 2 hours and 25 minutes.
- Remove the lid after 2 hours & 25 minutes and continue to cook for 20 minutes to allow the beef to finish cooking and the sauce to thicken slightly.
- Remove from the oven and skim off any fat from the surface. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Taste and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
- Serve over creamy mashed potatoes. Enjoy.
So very delicious and packed full of flavours! I want some too, Pam.
Wow this does sound good and I love Guinness anyway. Have a good day Diane
The 3 girls and Jeff went to Ireland together several years back. They had Irish stew in a pub one night. Jeff was delighted and the girls slightly horrified to find that their bowls of stew contained a whole potato. Evidently, the beef and veggies in Irish stew are much larger than we cut ours here. I like your idea of pouring it over mashed potatoes, Pam!
Can I make this in a crockpot if so how long do I have to cook it?
Lee,
Click on this link: https://www.recipetineats.com/irish-beef-and-guinness-stew/
The original recipe has crockpot instructions at the bottom of the page. Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Pam
This looks like a delicious stew. Have to try it with the beer addition also.
This looks and sounds delicipus Pam!! xo
You didn’t mention the temperature to set the oven.
So sorry! I have corrected the recipe. Thanks!