Guinness beer gives this Irish beef stew a distinct depth and richness, loaded with hearty vegetables and seared stew beef simmered until fall-apart tender. It's a holiday favorite for the whole family, easy on the stove top or in a crock pot.
Guinness Beef Stew Recipe
Looking for the best Guinness Beef Stew you've ever had? This is it, my friends! This is a flavor-packed riff off of Classic Beef Stew, but with an Irish twist, perfect for celebrating St. Patrick's Day, or any time of year.
I've tested this recipe many different ways to find the perfect blend of seasonings, and which meats and veggies work best, so you can make it perfectly at home the first time you give it a go.
Traditional Irish stew recipes are made with mutton or lamb, though beef is more commonly used today.
Regardless of how it may have changed, it is still a delicious stew with tender beef and lots of hearty root vegetables in a rich and flavorful gravy. This is comfort food extraordinaire.
Let's talk about how to make Irish Beef Stew, shall we?
Key Ingredients
- Beef Chuck. You can use other stew beef, but my favorite alternates are short rib or brisket. Short rib will usually give you more fattiness.
- Bold Red Wine. I am using Cabernet Sauvignon that enhances the depth and complexity of the stew. You can use beef stock as an alternative, though the wine makes a big difference.
- Guinness Beer. Guinness adds a malty richness you want in your Irish stew.
- Root Vegetables. Potatoes, carrots, and parsnip. These make the stew nice and hearty, with a touch of sweetness from the carrots and nuttiness from the parsnip. This is my favorite combination.
The full ingredients list with measurements is listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
How to Make Irish Beef Stew with Guinness
- Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a large bowl then coat the beef chunks.
- Brown them in batches in a Dutch Oven or other large pot over medium high heat, then set them aside.
- In the same pot, cook the onion, celery, and garlic, then the tomato paste for a minute to let it bloom.
- Add the red wine, Guinness beer, beef stock, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add the browned beef back to the pot, along with the rosemary and bay leaves.
- Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 2 hours.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, and parsnip. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 more hour, or until the vegetables are cooked through and the meat is fork tender. Simmer as long as you need for fall-apart-tender beef.
You can serve the Irish beef stew immediately, but it is best to refrigerate the pot for 24 hours. The flavor gets even better the next day. Simply reheat and serve.
Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Stew
To make this recipe in your slow cooker, follow the recipe through Step #5, then add the ingredients (beef and everything from the pot) along with the rosemary and bay leaves to your slow cooker or crock pot.
Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or on HIGH for 3-4 hours, or until the beef is tender to your liking. Add the potatoes, carrots, and parsnip during the last 1.5-2 hours of cooking to soften.
Time can vary based on the size cuts of the vegetables and amount of heat.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Beef chuck is ideal for making stews, as it has a good amount of connective tissue and fat marbling, which breaks down during long cooking times to create a tender and flavorful stew. You can use other similar cuts like short rib, oxtail, short rib, or brisket.
- Consider other root vegetables, such as rutabaga, turnips, celery root, or golden beets. I tested all of these options and we greatly enjoyed each version.
Serving Irish Beef Stew
Pair your Irish beef stew with Irish soda bread or other crusty bread to sop up that delicious gravy from the bowl. Mashed potatoes are an excellent side dish, even though it is more potatoes.
Serve it alongside a lighter cabbage soup, or with a bit of spicy mustard for some extra zing.
Storage Information
Irish Guinness beef stew will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. Cool it a bit, then transfer promptly to containers and keep cool. Reheat it gently in a pot on the stove top to enjoy again with a splash of water or stock to loosen it up..
You can also freeze it for 2-3 months in freezer containers. Vacuum sealed is ideal for freezing. I have frozen leftovers for this stew many times and it works nicely, though you will notice some extra softening of the root vegetables.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my Irish beef stew recipe - with Guinness! Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you, and if you decided to spice it up!
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
- Crock Pot Corned Beef
- Pressure Cooker Corned Beef
- Corned Beef Hash
- Slow Cooker Corned Beef with Spicy Guinness Gravy
- Homemade Corned Beef Seasonings
- Shepherd's Pie Recipe
Try Some of My Other Beef Stew Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Irish Beef Stew Recipe with Guinness
Ingredients
- 3 pound beef chuck ~1.4kg, cut into 1.5 inch chunks (or use other stew beef, like short rib)
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
- 1 large white onion chopped
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 5 garlic cloves chopped
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup bold red wine I use Cabernet Sauvignon – use beef stock as an alternative
- 14.9 ounce can Guinness beer
- 1.5 cups beef stock
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary optional
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pound potatoes cut into bite-sized pieces (peeled if desired)
- 2 large carrots peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 large parsnip peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces (or use an extra carrot)
- For garnish. Fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Mix together the flour, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Dip the chunks of beef into the mixture to lightly coat each side.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or large pot. Sear the beef in 3 separate batches to brown each side of the meat, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer the browned beef to a plate. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pot before each batch.
- When all of the meat is seared and resting on the plate, add the last tablespoon of oil. Add the onion and celery. Stir and cook for 5 minutes to soften.
- Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook 1 more minute, stirring.
- Add the red wine, Guinness beer, beef stock, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add the meat and any accumulated juices to the pot, along with the rosemary and bay leaves.
- Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 2 hours.
- Remove the lid and add the potatoes, carrots, and parsnip. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 more hour, or until the vegetables are cooked through and the meat is fork tender. You may need more time for the meat to soften up to your liking.
- Remove from heat. You can serve the beef stew immediately, but it is best to refrigerate the pot for 24 hours. The flavor gets even better the next day. Simply reheat and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 3/7/26 to include new helpful information, including serving and storage updates.
Creagh Warren says
Another delicious recipe, Mike, lots of rich depth and very more-ish. I spiced it up with a scotch bonnet, that I added with the garlic, to give it a nice heat kick.
Mike Hultquist says
I love the extra heat, Creagh!! Very nice!! I'll take some of that. Thanks for sharing this!!
Penny J Basford says
I made this last year for St Patrick’s Day and it is absolutely delicious. Will be making it again this year. Thank you for this recipe.
Mike Hultquist says
Great to hear, Penny!! I'm happy you love it! Enjoy again this year!!
Silke says
Delishes and rich flavour. Surely, one of the best Irish Stew recipes out there. The Guinness gives it a depth along with the red wine, even deeper and richer. Next time I like to add some green beans to it, to even try to make it a vegetarian version as an experiment, to see on how it goes. Also (as a chili lover), will try to add some chili peppers/powder to it, although it doesnt call for it originally... 😉 Thanks Mike, for that great recipe!!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much, Silke! VERY happy you enjoyed it. I'd love to hear how your experiments go! Keep us posted!
Suzanne W says
The beef was dried out and overcooked. The flavor of everything else was great. Next time I’ll shorten the cooking time or use a tougher fattier meat.
This is the first of your many recipes that I have followed that disappointed me.
Mike Hultquist says
Sorry to hear, Suzanne. This is a strongly tested recipe, so all I can think of that went wrong is the quality of the meat. Take care.
Banks says
Had intended to get to this last week but we can celebrate the Irish anytime, right?? This was so delicious - we paired it with some Guinness and the wine we cooked with. Used some sourdough bread for dipping. Thanks, Mike!
Mike H. says
Absolutely! Thank you, Banks - glad you've enjoyed it!
Kay Hardwick says
Just love this Guinness stew. Making it again for the family this weekend. I will be adding extra carrots and Guinness this time. I omit the potatoes in the pot but l always have creamy mashed potatoes to soak up the yummy gravy. So delicious!!! Thanks Mike
Mike Hultquist says
Nice! Thanks, Kay! I love it with mashed potatoes, too!
Charles Pascual says
Nice recipe - terrific dish. Followed the recipe as written - easy to follow - apart from chopping and prep, it takes care of itself - three hours later you have a delicious stew. Thanks, Mike.
Mike Hultquist says
Yes! BOOM! Thanks, Charles. I do love this dish. Glad you enjoyed it!!
Courtney says
This recipe is fantastic! Even ate it night-of and the best recipe for Irish stew I have made yet. Only alteration was slightly more celery and carrots.
Mike H. says
Glad you've customized it to your liking, Courtney. Enjoy!
Robyn L Conger says
OMG! This is fabulous! Best stew recipe I've ever made. The meat was so juicy and tender. The FLAVORS were outstanding! As suggested in his notes, we decided to let it sit overnight and finish adding the starch veggies the next day before eating. It was worth the wait. So, so, so good. Thank you Mike! Great recipe. Our friend made soda bread and another friend made cabbage with bacon - great flavor bomb combinations!
Mike Hultquist says
BOOM! Glad you enjoyed it, Robyn! I love this so much, too! Thanks!!
Joanne Davis says
We are making this incredible recipe St. Patrick's Day, 2025! We can't wait!
Mike Hultquist says
I hope you love it, Joanne! Enjoy!!
Sean E. says
Same here! Looking forward to it, also going to make Irish Soda bread to go with it - I wonder if Mr. Hultquist has a recipe to publish for that (hint hint hint) ...
Mike H. says
Sounds like a plan! Haha 😉
Randy says
Hands down the best stew I’ve ever had. Didn’t have the Guinness but substituted with another beer. I can always count on Chili Pepper Madness with supplying me with great recipes.
Mike H. says
Haha, thanks, Randy - I appreciate it!
Martha says
Do you have a slow cooker version of this recipe?
Mike Hultquist says
Martha, yes, I have added those instructions to the Recipe Card. I hope you enjoy it!
Jackie C. says
I have not made this yet. I am curious - do you think I can exchange corned beef instead of chuck?
Mike Hultquist says
Jackie, yep, you sure can. You can also check out my selection of Corned Beef Recipes here: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/chipotle-mayo/#growMeSearch=corned%20beef
This is one my favorites - Guinness Corned Beef and Cabbage (https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-recipes/beef/slow-cooked-corned-beef-with-spicy-guinness-gravy-and-caramelized-cabbage/)