Guinness beef stew is an Irish dish that features cuts of marbled beef with root vegetables and Guinness beer. The bitterness of the stout brings a rich, dark flavor to the beef stew meat and is absolutely delicious slow cooking in the crockpot all day. This recipe is a favorite of ours for the colder months, and is best enjoyed with mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables, or a slice of soda bread.
Like many great beef stew recipes, this requires a bit of legwork beforehand by flouring and browning the beef stew meat before slow cooking. I don’t recommend skipping this step as searing the meat brings out the beef flavor that complements the stout so well. You can use a marbled cut of chuck or rump roast for the beef stew meat, or purchase the stew meat pre-trimmed at your local grocery store. Oftentimes it’s cheaper to buy the roast whole and cut it at home, but make sure to leave a little bit of the marbled fat on the stew pieces for slow cooking.
Once the beef has been cut into two-inch cubes and trimmed, season the stew meat with salt and pepper to taste. Toss with about a fourth cup of flour, then set aside while heating a cooking skillet with oil.
Cook the stew meat over medium heat, turning every few minutes until all sides have been browned. Add more oil if needed, and make sure to continuously turn the pieces to keep the flour coating from burning. Lightly spray the bottom of the slow cooker liner with cooking spray to prevent sticking, and add in the browned beef stew meat.
Chop one onion into diced pieces, and cut the other into quarters. In the same skillet used to cook the beef, melt the butter over medium heat, then add in the onion and minced garlic. Cook these until translucent, stirring and scraping the beef bits off the sides of the pan. Move these to the crockpot with the beef, then slowly add the beef broth into the emptied skillet over low heat to continue deglazing the pan.
Scrape the sides while heating the beef broth to incorporate all of the remaining beef, onion, and garlic bits before pouring into the slow cooker. I like to use beef bouillon for recipes that use beef stock or beef broth as it adds a lot of flavor for a great value, but you can use pre-made beef broth if you prefer. If you use bouillon, use 1 1/4 tsp. powdered or 1 cube bouillon for every 1 cup of water.
Wash the potatoes, carrots, and celery. Peel the carrots, and cut into 1/4 inch round pieces. Thinly slice the celery, and cut the potatoes into 1 inch pieces. You can enjoy these with the skins on or off, but be sure to peel the spuds if you prefer skinless. I also cook with the skins on as potato skins are full of nutrients and antioxidants, but that’s just my preference.
Add the Worcestershire sauce, Guinness beer, black pepper, onion powder, bay leaves, rosemary, carrots, celery, and potatoes to the crockpot. Stir gently to incorporate the seasonings and herbs, and cover to cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours.
If you like your stew sauce to be a little thicker, mix the cornstarch and a few tablespoons of cold water in a small bowl during the last hour of cooking, then stir this into the slow cooker stew and cover to finish cooking. Serve hot with fresh parsley, and enjoy within three days if refrigerated, or up to three months if stored in the freezer.
Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Stew
Course: DinnerCuisine: IrishDifficulty: Moderate8
servings30
minutes8
hoursIngredients
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 2 inch cubes
1/4 cup flour
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. butter
2 cups beef broth
2 onions, 1 quartered and 1 diced
4 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 cups Guinness Beer
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
3 bay leaves
1 bunch fresh rosemary
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch round pieces
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 lb. red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 Tbsp. cornstarch (optional)
2 Tbsp. cold water (optional)
fresh parsley
Directions
- Trim the beef into 2 inch cubes, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss with flour.
- Heat skillet with cooking oil and brown beef cubes, turning every few minutes until brown on all sides. Spray the bottom of the slow cooker liner with cooking spray, and add in the beef stew meat,.
- Cut one onion into quarters, and the dice the other. Mince the garlic, then melt butter in the skillet. Saute onion and minced garlic, scraping the bits of pieces of remaining beef in the pan. Add the onions and garlic into the slow cooker.
- In the same skillet, slowly add in the beef broth over low heat, scraping the sides of the pan to deglaze it. Pour the broth into the slow cooker.
- Wash and cut the carrots, celery, and potatoes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, Guinness beer, black pepper, onion powder, bay leaves, rosemary, carrots, celery, and potatoes. Stir to incorporate the herbs and seasonings.
- Cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours. For a thicker stew, combine the cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl and mix well to make a slurry, then stir into the crockpot for the last hour of cooking.
- Serve with fresh parsley and a side of soda bread and enjoy within three days, or freeze up to three months.
Notes
- Browning the beef stew meat is an important step to provide the best flavor.
- You can use a chuck roast even a rump roast and trim into 2 inch cubed pieces for this recipe. Buying a marbled chuck roast is usually cheaper than purchasing pre-trimmed stew meat.
- This recipe can be frozen for up to three months. Make sure to thaw the night before in the fridge before reheating in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Slow Cooker Recipes:
- Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
- Simple Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken
- Quick Barbeque Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Leave a Reply