St. Patty’s Day is coming up this weekend! Seeing how my mom’s maiden name is O’Toole, I couldn’t let this week go by without posting a great Irish-inspired dish. Beef and Guinness Stew is an Irish pub classic. This hearty stew gets its rich and robust flavor from Guinness Stout, a traditional Irish beer. It’s amazing how simple ingredients can amount to such complex flavors. The prep work is simple, followed by a long, slow cook, resulting in the most fork tender meat imaginable. Beef and Guinness Stew will warm you up on even the coldest days of winter. This comfort food is great served by itself or over mashed potatoes. Either way, you’ll be begging for seconds!
Here’s all you’ll need: bacon, boneless beef chuck, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, Guinness beer, chicken broth, tomato paste, fresh thyme, sugar, salt and pepper.
Start by roughly cutting the bacon into small pieces. Cook bacon pieces in a skillet over medium heat until browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon. Place it in a large soup pot, reserving the bacon grease in the skillet. If a recipe starts with bacon, it’s bound to be a winner!! Speaking from experience!
Cut the beef into 2 inch chunks. Generously season with salt and pepper. Place the meat in the skillet (with remaining grease) and cook over high heat. Sear the beef on both sides and cook until browned (about 5 minutes). Don’t worry about cooking it all the way through. It’ll finish cooking when we simmer the stew. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon, reserving the grease in the pan. Place the beef in the large soup pot with the bacon.
Next add the diced onions to the skillet. Cook in the reserved grease over medium heat until lightly browned, about 5-8 minutes. Season with a teaspoon of salt. Add in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Your kitchen should smell amazing by this point and it will only keep getting better with every step!
Now stir in the Guinness, scraping the pan to loosen any browned bits! The flavor from the beef and the Guinness is such a winning combination. If you ever find yourself in Ireland or England, you’ve gotta have a glass of this stout beer. It tastes so much different than it does in the US.
After that pour all the liquid, onions, garlic and all, into the soup pot. Stir in the tomato paste, carrots, celery, thyme springs, sugar, and 1/2 a teaspoon of pepper. Those fresh and hearty vegetables really bring it home!
Then add in the 2 and a half cups of chicken broth or more as needed. We want to add enough chicken broth so that all the beef and vegetables are covered. Stir it all up to combine. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer stew for 2 hours. stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and bring the stew to a boil. Cook on a low boil for 15-20 minutes or until the stew has thickened. Beef and Guinness Stew is a long cook, but trust it’s worth it! The meat will totally melt in your mouth when it’s done.
Serve piping hot! And don’t forget to make a batch of our Cheesy Beer Bread! We absolutely loved pairing it with this stew. To die for!!
Beef and Guinness Stew
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
- 2 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 onions, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (14.9 ounce) can Guinness Stout (or dark beer)
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
Directions
- Step 1 Roughly cut the bacon into small pieces. Cook bacon pieces in a skillet over medium heat until browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon. Place it in a large soup pot, reserving the bacon grease in the skillet.
- Step 2 Cut the beef into 2 inch chunks. Generously season with salt and pepper. Place the meat in the skillet (with remaining grease) and cook over high heat. Sear the beef on both sides and cook until browned (about 5 minutes). Remove the beef with a slotted spoon, reserving the grease in the pan. Place the beef in the large soup pot with the bacon.
- Step 3 Cook the diced onions in the reserved grease over medium heat until lightly browned, about 5-8 minutes. Season with a teaspoon of salt. Add in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.
- Step 4 Stir in the Guinness, scraping the pan to loosen any browned bits. Pour all the liquid into the soup pot. Stir in the tomato paste, carrots, celery, thyme springs, sugar, and 1/2 a teaspoon of pepper.
- Step 5 Add in 2 and a half cups of chicken broth or enough to cover the beef and vegetables. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer stew for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Step 6 Remove the lid and bring the stew to a boil. Cook on a low boil for 15-20 minutes or until the stew has thickened. Serve piping hot! Enjoy!!
We’d love to hear from you! Leave us your comments and love down below!
This looks so delicious and adding Guinness is genius! Especially around St. Patrick’s Day!
Thanks Kate! It really is such a treat!
I love beef stew. But you know it’s actually much better if you have a meat with the bones. Bones (the marrow and fat) give much better taste.
Veronika
https://brunettefromwallstreet.com
Yum!! Thanks for the tip Veronika! I’ll have to try that next time!
Yum, I just had beefstew for lunch and it was delicious.
So good this time of the year!
This looks amazing. I’m pinning it for later!
Thanks Stephanie! You’ll love it!
Yum! Looks perfect for St. Patricks Day.
Thanks Christine! For sure!
This makes me hungry! It looks delicious and fairly simple! i will have to give it a try!
Just a little bit of prep work then a nice, long slow cook. Makes the house smell fabulous!!