Official Guinness Beef Stew Recipe • Steamy Kitchen Recipes Giveaways

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This Guinness Beef Stew is from the Official Guinness Cookbook – it’s the real deal! I used to work for Guinness over 20 years ago, as a consultant based in San Francisco. I’m thrilled to share with you one of the most popular recipes, a traditional Guinness Beef Stew.

-Jaden

Many cultures have a variation on beef stew, always made with ingredients on hand. The French use Burgundy wine to make beef bourguignon. In Hungary, paprika is introduced to the pot for goulash. Belgium has carbonnade la flamande made with Belgian ale. And Ireland has beef and Guinness stew, a hearty and wholesome dish that will keep you warm and comfortable no matter what the weather throws at you. This stew is a popular pub lunch, and you can travel the country trying different variations at every bar you visit. With meat, veg, potatoes, and Guinness, this is the very definition of a meal in a bowl.

Tips for the Very Best Beef Stew

• Taking the time to sear the beef will ensure maximum flavor – the browned bits from cooking the meat in the pan will infuse the vegetables with savory complexity. 
• For a non-alcoholic, version, skip the Guinness and instead, use beef stock, chicken stock, vegetable stock, demi glacé, coffee, root beer (my favorite!), apple cider or cola. In fact, you can use a combination of any of these ingredients – like coffee and cola. 
• What if you can’t find Guinness? I highly recommend using Guinness, but you can also substitute with any dark ale, stout or porter.
• Can I add other vegetables? Of course! Choose veggies that work well in a stew, like mushrooms, hearty leafy greens like collard or kale, other root vegetables like parsnip, sweet potatoes, delicious squash like butternut.
  • For mushrooms, trim the stem and leave whole or halved
  • For long cooking, hearty leafy greens like collard, just add them into the pot to cook
  • For kale, I prefer to separate the stem from the leaves. Chop the stems and add them into the pot to cook. Tear the leaves, and stir them into the pot at the END of cooking, to preserve their bright green color and fresh taste. 
  • Parsnip and sweet potato can be added direct to the pot to cook. 
• Can I add grains? Yes! Try barley, it’s the perfect addition to a beef stew. Just add 1 cup of pearl barley to the pot at the same time as the potatoes. 

Ingredients for this Traditional Beef and Guinness Stew Recipe

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ((the original recipe calls for beef drippings)
• 2 pounds (900g) chuck roast, fat trimmed and cut into 1.5-inch (3.8 cm) pieces
• 2 onions, sliced
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch (5cm) chunks
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 can Guinness Draught Stout (14.9 oz) 
• 1 cup (240ml) beef stock
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar (the original recipe calls for apple jelly or red currant jelly instead of brown sugar)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
• 2 bay leaves
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces (225g) baby or red potatoes, scrubbed. If the potatoes are large, cut them into large 1.5-inch (3.8 cm) chunks

How to Make this Traditional Beef and Guinness Stew Recipe

1. In a heavy-bottom lidded ovenproof casserole dish or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the meat in batches and sear each side until lightly browned, scooping each batch onto a plate as it is done. 
2. If the pan is dry, add a little more oil as needed, then add the onions, celery, and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes, until the vegetables are starting to soften.
3. Sprinkle with the flour and cook, stirring often, for 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add the beer, stock, sugar, tomato paste, and mustard, and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping to dissolve all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
5. Return the meat to the pan, along with the thyme and bay leaves. Season with salt and black pepper, and cover with the lid. Turn the heat to low and simmer very gently for 2 hours. 
6. Add the potatoes and continue to simmer for 1 hour more, until the potatoes and meat are tender.
7. Season with salt and black pepper, remove and discard the bay leaves and thyme stems, and serve.

TIP: This stew can also be cooked in the oven at 325°F for 2 hours before adding the potatoes. After you add the potatoes, continue to cook for 1 hour more, until everything is tender.

Official Guinness Beef Stew Recipe Recipe

Caroline Hennessey

Adapted from The Official Guinness Cookbook. A hearty and wholesome dish that will keep you warm and comfortable no matter what the weather throws at you. With meat, veggies, potatoes and Guinness, this is the very definition of a meal in a bowl.

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 3 hrs 30 mins

Total Time 3 hrs 40 mins

Course dinner, lunch

Cuisine Irish

Servings 4 people

Calories 406 kcal

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil or beef drippings
• 2 pounds roast chuck cut into 1.5-inch pieces
• 2 onions sliced
• 3 celery stalks chopped
• 3 carrots peeled and cut into2-inch chunks
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 can Guinness Draught Stout 14.9-fluid-ounce
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 tbsp brown sugar or apple jelly/red currant jelly
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 8 oz baby potatoes scrubbed

• In a heavy-bottom lidded ovenproof casserole dish or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the meat in batches and sear each side until lightly browned, scooping each batch onto a plate as it is done.

• If the pan is too dry, add a little more oil as needed, then add the onions, celery, and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes, until the vegetables are starting to soften.

• Sprinkle with the flour and cook, stirring often, for 2 to 3 minutes.

• Add the beer, stock, brown sugar, tomato paste, and mustard, and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping to dissolve all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.

• Return the meat to the pan, along with the thyme and bay leaves. Season with salt and black pepper, and cover with the lid. Turn the heat to low and simmer very gently for 2 hours.

• Add the potatoes and continue to simmer for 1 hour more, until the potatoes and meat are tender.

• Season with salt and black pepper, remove and discard the bay leaves and thyme stems, and serve.

Serving: 4gCalories: 406kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 44gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 291mgPotassium: 1159mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 6243IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 5mg

Keyword beef stew, guinness, stew