Beef and Guinness Stew

Name: Beef and Guinness Stew
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Irish
Ingredients: 1 kg braising steak or beef chuck, cut into 4 cm chunks; 2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper; 3 tbsp oil or beef dripping; 2 onions, sliced; 3 carrots, cut into chunks; 2 celery sticks, sliced; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 tbsp tomato purée; 440 ml Guinness or other stout, one can; 300 ml beef stock; 1 tsp soft brown sugar; 2 bay leaves; 1 few sprigs of thyme

Chunks of braising beef slow-cooked with stout, onions and carrots until tender, in a deep, glossy gravy.

By Author name, role and credentials: owner to supply

Published 21 October 2026

AI assistance: the introduction, ingredient list, method, tips and FAQ on this page were drafted with an AI writing tool, working from long-established traditional methods. Named editor who reviewed it: owner to supply How we work

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 3 hr
Total: 3 hr 30 min
Makes: 6 servings
Difficulty: Easy
Course: Main
Cuisine: Irish

Jump to recipe

A bowl of Irish beef stew with potatoes, beside a pint of Guinness — Photo: User:Jpatokal via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped

Ireland's traditional stew is made with lamb, but beef and Guinness stew is the version served in pubs everywhere. The stout gives the gravy a dark colour and a gentle bitterness, balanced by slow-cooked onions and a little sugar.

Use a cheap, well-marbled cut such as chuck or braising steak: it needs the long, slow cooking to become tender.

Ingredients

6 servings

1 kg braising steak or beef chuck, cut into 4 cm chunks
2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
3 tbsp oil or beef dripping
2 onions, sliced
3 carrots, cut into chunks
2 celery sticks, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp tomato purée
440 ml Guinness or other stout, one can
300 ml beef stock
1 tsp soft brown sugar
2 bay leaves
1 few sprigs of thyme

Equipment

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Large heavy casseroleHow to chooseShop on Amazon(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
Heavy frying panHow to chooseShop on Amazon(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
Chef's knifeHow to chooseShop on Amazon(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)

Method

1
Heat the oven to 160°C / 140°C fan / gas 3. Toss the beef in the seasoned flour.
2
Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan and brown the beef well in batches, without crowding the pan. Move each batch to a casserole dish.
3
Add the rest of the oil to the pan and cook the onions, carrots and celery for 8–10 minutes until softened and lightly browned. Stir in the garlic and tomato purée for 1 minute.
4
Pour in a little of the stout and scrape up the browned bits from the pan, then tip everything into the casserole with the rest of the stout, the stock, sugar and herbs. Bring to a simmer.
5
Cover and cook in the oven for 2½–3 hours, until the beef is very tender. Check the seasoning before serving.

Tips

Serve with mash or colcannon, or with Irish soda bread for the gravy. It tastes even better the next day.

A heavy casserole dish with a tight lid is ideal; it also works in a slow cooker on low for 8 hours.

If it goes wrong

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Beef still tough	Not cooked long enough	Return to the oven and check every 30 minutes
Bitter gravy	Stout reduced too far	Add a little more stock and a pinch more sugar
Thin gravy	Too much liquid	Simmer uncovered on the hob for 10–15 minutes

Frequently asked questions

Which cut of beef is best for stew?

Chuck, braising steak or shin. They are cheaper cuts with connective tissue that melts during long cooking, which makes them tender and the gravy rich.

Can I make it without Guinness?

Yes: use another stout, or replace it with extra beef stock and a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce for depth.

Can I freeze beef stew?

Yes. Cool it quickly, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat until piping hot.

Guides for this recipe

Some of these guides contain shop links, which are affiliate links (disclosure).

A traditional black cast-iron kitchen range

Kitchen design

Range Cookers: Are They Right for Your Kitchen?

Buying guide

Casserole Dishes for Stews: Cast Iron and Beyond

Buying guide

Chef's Knives: How to Choose One

Kitchen knives held on a wall-mounted magnetic strip

Kitchen design

Knife Storage: Blocks, Magnetic Strips and Drawer Inserts

Buying guide

Frying Pans and Skillets: Cast Iron, Steel or Non-Stick?

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Card photos: A traditional black cast-iron kitchen range, Wehha via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped; An enamelled casserole dish on a hob, Kerri9494 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; A chef's knife with a wooden handle, Frank Schulenburg via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; Kitchen knives held on a wall-mounted magnetic strip, Phil! Gold from Pikesville, MD, USA via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped; A cast iron skillet, NMorales (WMF) via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; A barmbrack cut open to show the dried fruit inside, Solo Beckett via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; A triangle of griddled boxty potato pancake, さえぼー via Wikimedia Commons, CC0; A bowl of colcannon: mashed potato with kale, VegaTeam via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped. All credits: image credits.