This easy beef stew is one recipe I recommend everyone to try at least once.
It is a classic comfort food meal that is also the perfect St. Patrick’s Day dinner and goes perfectly with this Irish Soda Bread recipe.
Tender and juicy seasoned beef loaded with a rich and decadent sauce that surrounds the tender beef and all the vegetables.
Guinness beer transforms this hearty beef stew into a whole new rich dimension of flavor.
However feel free to skip it if you want to or if you don’t have any on hand.
Give this recipe a try for any night of the week.
Also, check out my slow cooker vegetable beef soup and my Instant Pot cheeseburger soup.
Irish Beef Stew
So what is the difference between an Irish beef stew and a classic beef stew?
Some Irish stews use mutton instead of beef, and you will find Irish stew offers a richer and more bold flavor.
The beer helps to really amplify the soup. Some recipes even use coffee along with a beer for flavor.
Beef stew is a classic mix of stew meat, seasonings, and veggies in a beefy broth, sometimes tomato-filled sauce.
Gather these ingredients needed to make this Homemade Stew
- Stew Meat
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Onion
- Bacon
- Flour
- Butter
- Guinness
- Tomato paste
- Beef stock
- Carrots or parsnips
- Celery
- Bay leaves
- Thyme
- Potatoes
- Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
Then scroll down for full Beef Stew Measurements and instructions on creating this recipe – including a full recipe card that you can print for free that helps you shop and create easily in your kitchen!
How to Make a Beef Stew
This is a quick overview of how to make this hearty and comforting stew.
Full directions and measurements are in the recipe card featured below.
Start by cooking your bacon in a dutch oven or skillet on the stove.
Remove and place your bacon on a paper towel-lined plate.
Season the beef with salt and pepper.
Then add oil to the dutch oven and brown your beef on all sides.
Remove as well.
Pour in the diced onions, butter, and cook till translucent.
Then whisk in the flour to make the roux. Stir for 1 minute.
Pour in the beer and whisk till all the lumps are removed.
Now add in all the other ingredients and beef, bacon, and bring to a boil.
Cook the stew till it boils, then reduce and cook on low simmering for 2 hours or until the sauce thickens, to a light gravy.
You also want to ensure your potatoes and veggies are done as well.
Remove the bay leaves, dish up, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve beef stew with…
- Crusty bread, dinner rolls, etc.
- Sauteed broccoli, spinach, etc.
- Salad
- Etc
I recommend that you cover your pot as it simmers. I find this helps ensure the liquid doesn’t cook out the way it would if you were to leave the lid off. It steams the stew more, ensuring a flavorful stew.
Allowing the soup to cook and simmer, it will naturally thicken as it cooks down. If you still find it is not as thick as you would like, do a cornstarch slurry: mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot with 2 tablespoons water. Stir in and let it thicken, stirring constantly. Repeat as needed to reach the desired thickness you want.
You can store your stew in the fridge for 3-4 days. Then reheat in the microwave or on the stove when you are ready to serve it up. If you don’t plan to eat it all right away, this Irish stew does freeze well.
Place in a freezer container and freeze for 3-4 months. Leave room for it to expand in the container. Then thaw the stew in the fridge the night before you plan to heat it.
If you like this Irish Recipe, you’ll love these ones too:
Irish Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 1 ½-2 ½ pounds stew meat
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup yellow onion
- 6 slices bacon chopped
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 11.2 oz bottle Guinness
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 cups beef stock
- 3 carrots or parsnips chopped
- 2 stalks celery. chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 3 cups potatoes peeled and chopped
- ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a dutch oven cook bacon over a medium high heat until desired crispness, remove and set aside
- Season beef with salt and pepper
- Add olive oil to dutch oven and brown the beef, remove and set aside
- Add butter and onions, cook until onions are soft and translucent, 2-3 minutes
- Add in flour and whisk to make a roux, cook for 1 minute
- Pour in Guinness and whisk until there are no more lumps
- Add tomato paste, chicken stock, carrots or parsnips, worcestershire sauce, celery, bay leaves and thyme, stir to combine
- Return beef, potatoes and bacon to the pot
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to low, cover and simmer for up to 2 hours, or until sauce has thickened to a loose gravy and vegetables are fork tender
- Taste and add salt and pepper as needed, remove bay leaves and enjoy
Leave a Reply