Guinness Beef Stew

ByCynthia March 1, 2020August 15, 2024

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This Guinness Beef Stew with vegetables is a slow cooked, one-pot wonder. Brimming with tender beef, potatoes, carrots, and turnips, it’s hearty comfort food for a cold evening and a perfect dinner for St. Patrick’s Day!

Closeup of Guinness Beef Stew in a bowl.

The Secret Ingredient: Cooking with Beer

Though I’m not one to enjoy a pint of beer, using Guinness beer in this recipe – a twist on a Cooking Light classic – adds an unbeatable depth of flavor that makes this Guinness stew a favorite in our home, especially for my husband!

What’s in Guinness Stew?

Traditionally made with lamb, I’ve adapted this Guinness Irish stew recipe to use beef as a more budget-friendly option without compromising on taste.

For vegetables, I’ve included frozen peas, carrots, Yukon potatoes, and turnips. Turnips are not as commonly used in the US, but they are a traditional ingredient that adds to the unique flavor and texture of the beef and vegetable stew.

Root vegetables used for making Guinness beef stew.

Next time you’re in your local grocery store, look for turnips with the root vegetables. Or feel free to omit them and increase the other vegetables.

Leftover Guinness? How about these Guinness Dark Chocolate Pudding Cakes with Salted Caramel Sauce?

Tips for Cooking Guinness Beef Stew

Make sure your Guinness stew meat is cut into bite-sized cubes, about 1 to 1 1/2″ in size. You want pieces that will withstand slow cooking, whether in a crockpot or on the stovetop.
Don’t skimp on space in your frying pan! Make sure you give your meat plenty of room to brown. If the pieces are too close, they will give off moisture, which inhibits browning.
Make sure your beef stew vegetables are uniform in size. I like to aim for a 1″ thickness, allowing them to cook to tender, without making them mushy.

Guinness beef stew raw ingredients in white bowls.

How to Make Guinness Stew in the Slow-Cooker

I love to use my slow cooker, it’s a great time saver. But if I’m going to be home, or it’s the weekend, I love to use my dutch oven. Guinness Irish stew cooks in about 2 1/2 hours on the stovetop or 6-8 hours in the slow cooker on low.

If you decide to use the slow cooker, follow the recipe card through step 4, then transfer the ingredients to a slow cooker.

Cook for 6 hours, then remove the lid and add the carrots, potatoes, and turnips. Replace the lid and continue to cook for an additional 2 hours. Since the slow-cooker retains liquid, cooking in this method will produce a thinner stew.

And if you’re looking for more ways to use your slow cooker, try out these mouth-watering slow-cooked pulled pork sliders!

What to Do With Leftover Tomato Paste

When a recipe calls for ONE tablespoon of tomato paste, what do you do with the rest of the can? Can you freeze tomato paste? Yes!

Measure out 1 tablespoon tomato paste portions on a sheet of parchment or waxed paper. Freeze until firm. Put the frozen portions into a Ziplock bag, then pop it into the freezer for future use.

Frozen spoonfuls of tomato paste on parchment paper.

What to Do if Your Stew is Too Thin

Is your stew too thin? In a traditional beef stew recipe, the beef is dredged in flour before browning. This aids in thickening the stew. I prefer to omit flour in recipes where I can. This tends to result in a thinner stew. To compensate, I’ve reduced the amount of beef broth.

If you feel the stew is too thin you can thicken the beef and vegetable stew without using flour. An easy way to thicken stew is to stir 3 tablespoons of cornstarch into 1/4 cup cold water or beef broth and stir into stew. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.