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Guinness Beef Stew Recipe

Nothing says "Irish comfort food" like a rich, velvety beef stew made with Guinness! The dark beer adds an amazing earthy flavor and helps tenderize the beef to fall-apart perfection. This is the kind of stew that makes your house smell incredible and has the whole family asking when dinner will be ready.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 3 pounds beef chuck roast cut into 1½-inch cubes
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 2 large onions chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 bottle 14.9 oz Guinness stout
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1½ teaspoons dried
  • 4 large carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1½ pounds baby potatoes halved
  • Fresh parsley for garnish

Method
 

  1. Pat the beef cubes dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt and pepper, then toss with flour until evenly coated, shaking off any excess.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the beef on all sides, about 8-10 minutes total. Don't crowd the pan! Transfer browned beef to a plate.
  3. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pot. Add onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and tomato paste, cooking for 2 minutes.
  4. Pour in the Guinness, scraping up all those delicious browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let it simmer for 3-4 minutes.
  5. Return the beef to the pot along with any accumulated juices. Add beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1½ hours.
  6. Add the carrots and potatoes, cover, and continue simmering for another 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the beef is fork-tender and vegetables are cooked through.
  7. Remove bay leaves and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If the stew is too thin, simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes to thicken. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with crusty bread!