Beef and Guinness Stew

Posted by

March 7, 2025

On March 7, 2025

SOURCED FROM ALLRECIPES: This Guinness beef stew is a very simple dish, but at the same time, it has a deep, complex, rich flavor. The maltiness of dark beer really does amazing things for the gravy. I served this in a nice ring of green onion-mashed potatoes. I hope you give this a try, whether for Saint Patrick’s Day or any time of the year.

Prep Time:

30 mins

Cook Time:

2 hrs 30 mins

Total Time:

Guinness Beef Stew Ingredients

These are the ingredients you’ll need to make this filling Guinness beef stew recipe:

· Bacon: This Guinness stew starts with bacon. You’ll use the bacon and the bacon fat to cook the beef.
· Beef: Cut your boneless beef chuck into 2-inch pieces.
· Seasonings and herbs: This flavorful beef stew is seasoned with salt, black pepper, fresh garlic, white sugar, and fresh thyme.
· Beer: Of course, you’ll need a can of dark beer (such as Guinness).
· Vegetables: This chunky Guinness stew features onions, carrots, and celery.
· Tomato paste: Tomato paste adds richness and flavor depth.
· Stock: Use store-bought You can use chicken or beef stock.
· Mashed potatoes: Mashed potatoes are optional, but they make a great bed for the Guinness stew.

How to Make Guinness Beef Stew

You’ll find the full, step-by-step recipe below — but here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make Guinness stew at home:

1. Cook the bacon. Transfer the bacon to a stew pot, but leave the fat in the skillet.
2. Cook the beef cubes in the fat. Place the browned beef in the stew pot.
3. Cook the onions and garlic in the fat. Pour the beer in and stir.
4. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the pot. Add the remaining ingredients.
5. Simmer until the meat is tender, then bring to a boil.
6. Serve in bowls or over mashed potatoes.

What to Serve With Guinness Beef Stew

If you don’t serve the Guinness stew over potatoes, you might want to consider pairing it with bread to soak up all those delicious juices. Here are a few mouthwatering ideas:

Ingredients

4 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
2 ½ pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided, or more to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 onions, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.9 ounce) can dark beer (such as Guinness®)
¼ cup tomato paste
3 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon white sugar
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
2 ½ cups chicken stock, or as needed to cover
4 cups mashed potatoes (Optional)

Cook and stir bacon in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until bacon is browned and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and transfer bacon into a large stew pot, reserving bacon fat in the skillet.
Season beef chuck cubes generously with 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste. Turn heat to high under the skillet and sear beef pieces in the hot fat on both sides until browned, about 5 minutes. Place beef in the stew pot with bacon, leaving fat in the skillet. Turn heat down to medium; cook and stir onions in the retained fat in the skillet until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes; season with a large pinch of salt.
Cook garlic with onions until soft, about 1 minute. Pour beer into the skillet and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up and dissolving any browned bits of food into the liquid. Pour cooking liquid from the skillet into the stew pot. Stir in tomato paste, carrots, celery, thyme sprigs, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and enough chicken broth to cover.
Bring stew to a gentle simmer, stirring to combine; reduce heat to low and cover pot. Simmer stew until beef is fork-tender, about 2 hours. Stir stew occasionally and skim fat or foam if desired.
Remove cover and raise heat to medium-high. Bring stew to a low boil and cook until stew has slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and discard thyme sprigs and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Arrange mashed potatoes in a ring in a serving bowl; ladle stew into the center of the potatoes.