Servings
Font
Back
0 from 0 votes

BEST Traditional Irish Beef Stew Recipe - Guinness

Easy and delicious Traditional Irish Beef Stew Recipe using Guinness Beer. Thick and hearty, it's our favorite!

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
3 hrs
Total Time
3 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 386 kcal
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 pounds beef stew meat
  • 1 whole onion coarsely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic 
  • ¼ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup Irish stout beer - ok to substitute black coffee
  • 4 cups water
  • 4 Tablespoons of beef concentrate
  • ¼ cup tomato paste half a 4 oz container
  • 2 pounds small yellow potatoes halved or red potatoes
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 2 cups carrots washed and chopped in large pieces
  • 1 Tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon of Accent or Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. In a dutch oven on high on the stovetop, heat the vegetable oil to hot and then sear the stew beef in sections.
  3. Remove the stew beef from the pot and add the onions and sear them as well.
  4. Once the onions have cooked for about a minute, add the garlic and the flour and cook for 1 minute.
  5. Add the beer, water and beef concentrate and scrape the bottom of the pot to release the stuck on bits.
  6. Add the tomato paste, the potatoes and carrots and thyme. Add the fish sauce and the Accent. Start with 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper then you can taste after its done to adjust.
  7. Stir well and place the entire dutch oven with the lid on in the oven for 3 hours. After three hours, test the meat to see if it is as tender as you like, if it is not, put back in the oven for 20 minute intervals until the meat is tender.

Notes

  • The secret to this stew is to get the most umami (deep flavour) out of the ingredients. You do that by searing the meat first causing little browned bits of delicious beef to remain stuck to the bottom of the pan. When you deglaze with the Guinness and broth, those bits add so much incredible flavor to the dish! 
  • This is the perfect stew for a cold night with those starchy potatoes, beef stew meat and creamy soft carrots. This makes a real authentic Irish Stew! 
  • To thicken this stew, if it isn't as thick as you prefer you can do one of the following: Allow it to simmer longer on the stove top and this will cook off some of the liquid. Make a cornstarch slurry with a heaping table spoon of cornstarch and several teaspoon of cold water. mix well with a fork to a milk like consistency and add to the stew. Stir until thickened. You can repeat this until it is as thick as you prefer. 
  • To thin the stew if it is thicker than you like, add beef broth or a little water, stir and repeat if neccessary. 
  • The stew is done when the meat is tender, the red potatoes are tender.
  • For an extra comforting meal, serve this traditional irish stew recipes over creamy mashed potatoes and with an Irish Brown Bread. 
  • In this recipe, we add a ton of flavor by using the beef concentrate (I prefer 'Better than Bullion" brand. If you can't find that, use beef broth in equal amounts to the water. 

Nutrition Information

Calories 386kcal (19%) Carbohydrates 31g (10%) Protein 42g (84%) Fat 9g (14%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g Monounsaturated Fat 4g Cholesterol 105mg (35%) Sodium 541mg (23%) Potassium 1290mg (37%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 4g (8%) Vitamin A 5480IU (110%) Vitamin C 28mg (31%) Calcium 72mg (7%) Iron 5mg (28%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 386

% Daily Value*

Calories 386kcal 19%
Carbohydrates 31g 10%
Protein 42g 84%
Fat 9g 14%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g 3%
Monounsaturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 105mg 35%
Sodium 541mg 23%
Potassium 1290mg 27%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 4g 8%
Vitamin A 5480IU 110%
Vitamin C 28mg 31%
Calcium 72mg 7%
Iron 5mg 28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.