Irish Beef Stew
If you don’t yet know what you’re making for St Patrick’s day, then allow me to help you out with this Irish Beef Stew!
Whether it’s actually the luck of the Irish or just good planning, you won’t go wrong by adding this Irish Beef Stew to your St Paddy’s day menu.
While this beef stew recipe is oh-so delicious, the total cooking time may seem less appetizing to those in a hurry. If that’s you, don’t worry – I got you covered with my Instant Pot Irish Stew or Crockpot Irish Stew, saving you time while not skimping on any flavor or golden reviews from the family!
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Regardless of which recipe you go with, they all have something in common – a hearty and rich tasting stew that will satisfy the whole family…your own personal pot of gold!
RECIPE TIPS
- You can use chicken broth instead of beef although it’s worth noting that the chicken broth has a tendency of masking the taste of the Guinness more.
- You can easily add in other vegetables that haven’t been listed in this recipe or remove those listed for preferred vegetables. Stews are so versatile like that which is why I love them so much.
- You can freeze this stew for up to 3 months which makes it great for storing leftovers or making it ahead of time. It will also last in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
How to Make Irish Beef Stew
- 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.
I DON’T DRINK ALCOHOL. CAN I MAKE THIS IRISH BEEF STEW WITHOUT BEER?
- Yes, of course you can omit the beer – no problem. This recipe has so much flavor as it is thanks to the herbs, stock and Worcestershire sauce that you won’t walk away with a lesser flavored meal if you decide to forgo the Guinness beer.
CAN I USE A DIFFERENT KIND OF BEER FOR THIS IRISH BEEF STEW?
- Technically yes although I use Guinness beer for this recipe as it’s an actual Irish beer. With that said, if you can’t find Guinness or you don’t normally drink it and don’t want to buy a 6-pack then by all means buy another brand of stout.
- A stout beer is typically dark, hearty and flavorful which compliments this dish beautifully.
WHAT CAN I SERVE WITH THIS IRISH BEEF STEW?
I love combing my stews with sides that will soak up all that yummy saucey stew residue. These types of sides are perfect for that purpose:
Enjoy the Luck of The Irish With These Other Tasty Recipes
– Bacon Cheddar Irish Soda Bread
– Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
– Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes with Baileys Cream Cheese Frosting
Irish Beef Stew
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Ingredients
- 2 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.
Nutritional Disclaimer: Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Great recipe. However, I made this in my crock pot and cooked on low for 7 hours. Made a slurry with 1/4 cup water and 2 tablespoons flour in a shaker jar, as I wanted the gravy a bit thicker. Also, did not add the potatoes, since I will be freezing the left overs and frozen potatoes tend to not taste that good so I served it over mashsed potatoes as you recommended. Also didn’t use parsnips but did use carrots. Will be making it for more than just St. Paddy’s Day. Thank you for posting.