Irish Beef Stew
There’s nothing quite like a steaming bowl of Irish Stew. This hearty and flavorful dish is a true comfort food classic, packed with tender meat, root vegetables, and a rich, savory broth. It’s a perfect example of how simple ingredients can come together to create something truly special.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 2.5 lb beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
- 3/4 tsp each: salt & pepper
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 6 oz bacon, diced
- 3 Tbsp flour
- 1 cup Guinness Beer
- 1 cup red wine
- 4 Tbsp tomato paste
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
- 3 carrots, peeled & cut into 1/2 inch thick pieces
- 3 large celery stalks, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- fresh chopped diced dill – garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil in a heavy pot over high heat. Add beef in batches and sear browning on all sides then remove the beef from the pot repeating with remaining beef. Remove any excess liquid from the beef.
- Add bacon to the pot and cook until browned and crisp. Add onions and garlic to the pot and saute the onion until softened, browned and the garlic is fragrant.
- Stir in carrots and celery, allowing them to cook until softened, then add the cooked meat back into the pot with the vegetables.
- Add tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce to the pot followed by flour then stir the flour in until it is mixed well
- Add Guinness and red wine to the pot then turn up the heat to medium high letting the liquid to reduce in half. Then add the beef stock and chicken stock to the pot along with bay leaves and fresh thyme.
- Cover the stew and lower the heat so the stew is bubbling gently and allow the stew to cook for a minimum of 2 hours up to 4. The beef should be tender and falling apart to the touch and the sauce thickened slightly.
- Adjust the taste with salt and pepper as preferred then remove bay leaves and thyme. Serve over mashed potatoes and garnish with fresh diced parsley and dill.
Notes
The secret to this stew’s amazing sauce? Guinness! It adds a depth of flavor you won’t believe, but don’t worry, you won’t taste the beer itself in the final dish. If you’re in Australia, you can easily find Guinness at most liquor stores. Sadly, there’s no perfect non-alcoholic swap. However, you can use 2 cups water, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, and 2 crumbled beef bouillon cubes for a tasty alternative. It’ll be a fantastic beef stew, just not the traditional Guinness version.
This can also be modified to cook in a slow cooker, pressure cooker or oven as well!
Keywords: Main Dish, Dinner, Soup, Stew, Irish, Beef, Beer
Find it online: https://eyes-on-the-fries.com/2025/03/28/irish-beef-stew/