Irish Beef Stew
Made with ultra tender beef, potatoes, and carrots in a rich beef broth that includes Irish Guinness beer and red wine, this Irish Beef Stew Recipe is hearty and flavorful. Perfect for those cold winter nights!
Easy Irish Beef Stew Recipe
I’m just a teensy bit Irish, from my Grandma Renelt’s heritage. And while my family has never celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in a big way, we do like to have fun with its food. Especially green food and this hot, cheesy baked corned beef dip that features a mash-up of Irish-American culture and my much more German genes.
This Irish Beef Stew recipe is hearty and comforting, simmered on the stovetop until the beef and root vegetables are incredibly tender. Beautifully rich and flavorful, a true testament to this stew’s goodness is that our oldest daughter (not a big fan of soups and stews) even asks for seconds. It’s just a wee bit irresistible, indeed.
Looking for more hearty soup and stew recipes? Try my slow cooker beef and barley stew, booyah soup, and lasagna soup recipes too!
Why You’ll Love This Easy Irish Stew
- Cozy and comforting. This Irish stew is definitely a “meat on your bones” dish! It’s filled with rich, savory flavors and hearty ingredients that make it perfect for those winter and fall evenings.
- Ultra tender beef. Because this Irish beef stew simmers for a while, the beef breaks down slowly. The end result is a mouthwateringly tender beef.
- Incredible flavor. This is in part due to the beer. Guinness is dark in color, a little bit bitter, a little bit sweet. By the time it reaches your bowl, the bitterness is simmered away and you’re left with a softly roasted, caramel-y flavor. The stew’s broth is so good, you’ll be wanting to lift your bowl and just plain drink it. Really!
What is Irish Stew?
Recipes vary, as always, but traditional Irish stew is made with lamb (young sheep) or mutton (mature sheep), along with potatoes, onions, and water – and sometimes carrots and parsley. Its origins are humble.
Here in America, we eat much more beef than lamb, so Irish stew recipes tend to call for beef instead. To ensure the best flavor and tenderness for this stew, I seek out a piece of well-marbled chuck. I also add a few other flavor enhancements, like beef broth, tomato paste, Guinness and red wine.
What You’ll Need
- Beef chuck roast – Look for a well-marbled piece of meat for the optimum flavor and texture.
- Salt & pepper
- Olive oil
- Beef broth – Use low-sodium to control the saltiness.
- Guinness Extra Stout – Don’t worry – it won’t make your broth taste like bitter beer! By the time it’s done simmering, you’ll just be left with the sweet flavor.
- Red wine – Look for a robust dry red wine for added flavor in the broth.
- Tomato paste – Adds a bit of acidity and rich undertones.
- Sugar – Helps to balance out the other savory flavors.
- Dried thyme & bay leaves
- Worcestershire sauce & soy sauce – Add umami flavor that pair well with the beef and beer.
- Unsalted butter
- Potatoes – Russet potatoes work best for this recipe. Peel and cut into 1/2″ pieces.
- Onion & carrots – Add extra substance to the recipe.
- Garlic
- Fresh parsley
Tips & Variations
- Use packaged stew meat. I typically buy chuck roast and cut it myself but if you’re short on time, packaged beef stew meat works too!
- Cut the veggies on the large side. If you dice the veggies too small, they’ll end up mushy by the time this soup is ready.
- Use your favorite beer. Any dark beer will work in this recipe. I just love the flavor of Guinness and, well, it is IRISH stew after all!
- Don’t rush the cook time. This stew does need to simmer for the full time. If you rush it, the beef will be chewy and tough instead of tender.
Proper Storage
- Fridge. Store leftover Irish beef stew in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer. This stew also freezes well. Once cooled, transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat. Reheat your Irish stew in the microwave or by bringing it to a gentle simmer on the stovetop.
Like this easy stew recipe? Save this recipe to Pinterest!
More Beef Recipes
- Slow Cooker Hungarian Goulash
- Slow Cooker Beef and Sweet Potato Soup
- Booyah (a stew tradition of the Upper Midwest)
Irish Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2-1/2 lbs. well-marbled beef chuck roast cut into 1″ to 1-1/4″ pieces, any large pieces of solid fat discarded
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 3 T. olive oil divided
- 8 c. low sodium beef broth
- 1 c. Guinness Extra Stout
- 1 c. robust dry red wine
- 2 T. tomato paste
- 1 T. sugar
- 1 T. dried thyme
- ½ T. Worcestershire sauce
- ½ T. soy sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 T. unsalted butter
- 2 lbs. russet potatoes peeled, cut into 1/2″ pieces
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 4 c. 1/2″-thick slices peeled carrots
- 6 large cloves garlic minced
- fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Sprinkle beef pieces fairly generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Heat large heavy pot over medium-high heat. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of the oil, swirling it around bottom of pot. When oil is shimmering, carefully add beef pieces, leaving at least 1/2″ space between pieces. Crowding the beef will cause it to steam rather than brown, so this step will need to be done in batches. Sauté beef until deeply browned on two sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Remove beef to a plate after each batch is browned, adding another tablespoon of oil to the pot prior to adding more beef. When the final batch is browned, add all browned beef back to the pot, along with any accumulated juices from the plate. Add beef broth, Guinness, red wine, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover and just barely simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- While stew is simmering, prepare potatoes, onion, carrots, and garlic. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add butter; melt. Add potatoes, onion, and carrots. Sauté until onions are softened, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in garlic and sauté for two minutes more. Remove from heat.
- Add sautéed vegetables to stew and simmer uncovered for another 45 minutes. Potatoes and beef should be very tender. If the beef isn’t fork-tender, continue to simmer until it is. Taste test and add a bit more salt and pepper, if needed. Discard bay leaves. Spoon off any obvious fat from top of stew. Serve hot in individual bowls, with fresh parsley sprinkled over the top.
- This stew can be prepared a day or two prior to serving – just refrigerate in the meantime, and bring to a simmer prior to serving.
- This stew also freezes well.
Just made it today for whole family..just delicious xx
So wonderful to hear! Thank you! :)
Hate to tell you but I’m from Ireland and the majority of the country makes stew with beef rather than lamb…. Its is only really in the South East and Co. Sligo where they make it with lamb…. The rest of the country will use braising steak or shin of beef… And poorer places especially in the North i.e Derry city and west Belfast using ground beef is common as its cheaper
Hi David – If you read my post, I do talk about this.
As you know, I love stews and soups; and this looks so delicious!
Look forward to trying this recipe.
You’ll love the flavor of this stew!
I’ve made this several times! My family loves it and my kids beg for it…thanks for the recipe.