Guinness Beef Stew

5 from 2 votes

Guinness beef stew combines tender beef, vegetables, and Guinness stout to create a beef stew that's hearty, delicious, and always welcome.

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Simmer Time2

Total Time2 40

Servings:

Calories: 652kcal

Author: Karin and Ken

Ingredients

6-8 slices bacon, chopped cut into small pieces
2 - 2 ½ pounds stewing beef or any boneless cut of beef, cut into 2 inch chunks
1 teaspoon salt more or less to taste
1 teaspoon pepper more or less to taste
2 onions, chopped
½ pound mushrooms, sliced
2 stalks celery, cut into bite sized chunks
2-4 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 can (15 oz) dark beer we used Guinness
1 can (5 ½-6 oz) tomato paste
2-4 tablespoons thyme, dried
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon pepper more or less to taste
3 carrots, cut into bite sized chunks
2 pounds potatoes, mini, whole or halved
2 cups chicken broth or as needed to cover
2 cans (28 oz) canned tomatoes, diced, undrained (28 oz)
¼ cup all-purpose flour or starch (corn or potato)

Instructions

In a large skillet cook your chopped bacon until crisp. Remove cooked bacon from your skillet and place in a large pot. Leave bacon fat in your skillet.
In a large resealable bag place your beef chunks. In a small cup combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and your flour, if using. Sprinkle on top of beef chunks and shake to coat beef as evenly as possible.
Turn your skillet to medium-high and sear beef pieces in the bacon fat until browned, about 5 minutes. Place beef in your large pot with the bacon, again leave the bacon fat in your skillet. If you need more oil, add some, and wait until it shimmers or a drop of water flicked in it dances before using it or continuing. Turn your heat down to medium. Add mushrooms, celery, and onions and cook until tender, between 8 and 10 minutes.
Sprinkle some salt over top of vegetables and add your minced garlic. Stir for about 1 minute and add your can of beer. Stir with a wooden spoon and scrape up and any browned bits on the bottom of your skillet. Allow beer to simmer for a few minutes and add tomato paste to your skillet. Stir until combined.
Pour liquid from skillet into your large pot. Add thyme, canned tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, sugar, 1 teaspoon pepper, and enough chicken broth to cover all of the contents of your pot. Stir to combine.
Turn the heat under your large pot on. Allow soup to gently simmer, on low, covered, until your beef is tender, about 2 hours. Stir occasionally.
Now to thicken your stew if needed. In a small cup add about ¼ cup of starch. Stir in water, just enough to dissolve the starch. Raise your heat to medium-high. Bring stew to a gentle boil and add starch liquid, a little at a time, every 5 minutes or so. Cook until stew has thickened, about 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Optional Variations

Gluten-Free - Swap in your favorite gluten-free porter or stout and use a measure-for-measure GF all-purpose flour blend or cornstarch to coat your meat.

Different Meats - Pork shoulder roast, sirloin roast or blade pork roast, boneless, skinless, chicken breast or chicken thighs, lamb, bison, or venison all require the same cooking procedure (dusting in flour, searing until golden, and simmering until tender) and offer several refreshing alternatives for this Guinness stew.

Vegetarian - The beef can be replaced with plant-based meat to make this wonderful Guinness stew recipe vegetarian.
Spicy - Add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish. You can also finish it with your favorite hot sauce or our homemade hot pepper sauce to add a little kick.
Different Vegetables - Feel free add a few handfuls of dark, leafy greens (e.g. de-stemmed kale or chard, or spinach) or some frozen green peas right before serving. You’re also welcome to add or swap in eggplant, winter squash, or other root vegetables like yams, beets, parsnips, turnips, or rutabagas for the other veggies.

Expert Tips

- Do NOT drain the bacon fat from the pan. That's part of what gives this stew its great flavor!

- If you run out of bacon fat while cooking the beef and vegetables, you can add a bit of olive oil.

- If you thicken your stew with starch at the end, be sure to add a little bit at a time and give it enough time to thicken. If you're too aggressive, you could end up with beef goo instead of Guinness Irish stew.
- The easiest way to coat your beef in the flour mixture is by using a resealable bag.

What to Serve With Beef Bourguignon will provide you with side dishes that will make your meal far more mouthwatering and delicious.

Nutrition