This hearty Irish beef stew will warm you up from the inside out. Tender chunks of beef slowly simmered with potatoes, carrots, and onions in a rich Guinness- and wine-infused broth make it the perfect stew for chilly nights.
Warm up with my hearty Irish Beef Stew! This traditional recipe features tender chunks of beef slowly simmered with potatoes, carrots, and onions in a rich Guinness and wine-infused broth. The meat becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender after hours of cooking, while fresh herbs like thyme and parsley add authentic Irish flavor. Perfect for serving with crusty soda bread, this comforting stew will transport you straight to the Emerald Isle. A true Irish classic that's sure to become a family favorite!
There's nothing quite like a steaming bowl of Irish beef stew to warm your soul on a cold winter night. As someone who's been perfecting this recipe for years, I can tell you that this hearty stew, with its tender chunks of beef and root vegetables swimming in a rich, malty Guinness-infused broth, is the epitome of comfort food. Whether you're celebrating St. Patrick's Day or just craving some Irish flavor, this recipe gives you the perfect stick-to-your-ribs satisfaction.
What to Serve With Irish Beef Stew
This hearty stew begs to be served with good crusty bread or Irish soda bread to soak up the delicious stew. I also love serving it with:
- Mashed potatoes
- Simple green salad
- Roasted root vegetables
- Irish brown bread
Why This Recipe Works
The combination of pressure cooking, slow cooking, or traditional stovetop methods means you can make this stew work for your schedule. The Guinness adds a malty flavor, and the red wine has a flavor depth that sets this apart from ordinary beef stew recipes.
This Irish beef stew is the perfect comfort food for cold nights, St. Patrick's Day, or anytime you want to bring a taste of Irish tradition to your table. The best part? It's even better the next day, making it perfect for meal prep or leftovers.
Remember, good things come to those who wait—while the Instant Pot version is ready in a fraction of the time, there's something special about the traditional slow-cooked method that melds all the flavors together perfectly. No matter which cooking method you choose, you're in for a real treat with this Irish beef stew.
How to Make Irish Beef Stew
This is an overview of how to make Irish beef stew. See the recipe card below for detailed ingredients and instructions.
The secret to this stew's incredible depth of flavor lies in its perfect marriage of tender beef chunks, perfectly cooked root vegetables, and a rich broth enhanced with Guinness stout beer and red wine, creating a delicious stew you'll want to soak up with crusty Irish soda bread.
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Boneless beef chuck roast or beef stew meat
- Yellow onion
- Carrots (or baby carrots)
- Celery
- Yukon gold potatoes
- Garlic
- Stout beer (like Guinness beer)
- Fruity, dry red wine (like Chianti or Merlot)
- Beef stock
- Tomato paste
- Italian plum tomatoes
- Worcestershire sauce
- Fresh rosemary
- Fresh thyme sprigs
- Bay leaves
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Optional: Cornstarch slurry for thickening
- Optional: Italian flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Stovetop Method
- Season beef chunks generously with salt and pepper, and dredge in flour.
- Brown the meat in batches in olive oil on the stove top until golden brown.
- Remove meat and sauté onions and garlic in the browned bits.
- Add stout beer and wine to deglaze, scraping the bottom of the pot.
- Return the meat to the pot, and add the remaining ingredients.
- Simmer 2-2.5 hours until the meat is tender.
Slow Cooker Method
- Season beef chunks generously with salt and pepper, and dredge in flour.
- Brown the meat in batches in olive oil until golden brown.
- Remove meat and sauté onions, garlic, carrots, and celery in the browned bits.
- Transfer everything to the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4-6 hours.
- Add cornstarch slurry in the final hour, if desired.
Instant Pot Method
- Season beef chunks generously with salt and pepper, and dredge in flour.
- Use the sauté function to brown the meat in batches in olive oil until golden brown.
- Remove meat and sauté onions, garlic, carrots, and celery in the browned bits.
- Add all the ingredients, except the cornstarch slurry.
- Cook on high pressure for 35 minutes.
- Natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure.
- Using sauté mode, add the cornstarch slurry, if desired.
Pro Tips for the Best Irish Stew
- Choose tougher cuts of stew beef like chuck roast for this stew—they become incredibly tender with slow cooking.
- Don't skip browning the meat—those browned bits are flavor bombs.
- Make it ahead—the flavor improves overnight.
Frequently asked questions
Serve this stew with crusty bread, Irish soda bread muffins, and a light salad for a complete meal.
Yes, you can substitute the stout beer with additional beef stock or red wine.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days.
If you want a thicker stew, you can make a cornstarch slurry by mixing 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of cold water until no lumps remain, and add the mixture at the end of the cooking time.
Absolutely! Traditional Irish stew is actually made with lamb. You can sub in lamb for the beef and use the same cooking times.
Substitutions
- Feel free to swap out the stout beer for additional beef stock or red wine.
- If you don’t have red wine, you can substitute the same amount of stout beer or additional beef stock.
- Can't find beef chuck? You can substitute the same amount of lamb.
- If you don’t have Italian plum tomatoes, you can use regular diced canned tomatoes, or dice fresh tomatoes.
Special diets
If you have a special diet you're adhering to, here are some ways you can adjust this recipe.
- Gluten free: Replace the stout beer with an equal amount of beef broth or red wine and make sure you're using a gluten-free Worchestershire sauce.
- Dairy free: This recipe is naturally dairy-free!
Related recipes
Looking for other hearty, warming soups and stews? Here are some of our family's favorites:
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Irish Beef Stew
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: soup
- Method: stovetop, slow cooker, pressure cooker
- Cuisine: Irish
Description
This Irish beef stew is one of those “stick to your ribs” dishes, perfect for cold weather.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 pounds boneless beef chuck, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces
- 2 large carrots, diced into ½-inch pieces
- 2 large celery ribs, trimmed and diced into ½-inch pieces
- 4 to 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 7 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, diced into ½-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup fruity, dry, red wine, such as Chianti or Merlot
- 12 ounces stout, such as Guinness
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced Italian plum tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch + 2 tablespoons water (optional, for the cornstarch slurry)
- 4 tablespoons minced fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
For the stovetop
- Toss cubed beef in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
- To a large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Working in two batches, add the beef when the oil is hot and shimmering. Cook, stirring occasionally until all sides are deeply browned, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a mixing bowl and set aside.
- Turn the heat down to medium and add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Then, add the diced onion, diced carrots, and diced celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are golden brown, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add minced garlic, 2 tablespoons fresh minced rosemary, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, potatoes, and 3 tablespoons of tomato paste and cook, stirring often, for 1 to 3 minutes until fragrant. Add 1 cup of red wine, a little bit at a time, to deglaze the pan, and use a wooden spoon to stir up all the brown bits on the bottom. Add the 12 ounces of stout beer and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes while scraping browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven, then add 2 cups of beef broth, 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, 1 (28-ounce can of diced Italian plum tomatoes, 2 bay leaves, and return the browned beef to the pot, and stir to combine.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, cover Dutch oven and simmer until meat is tender, about 1 to ½ hours, adding ¼ cup of additional beef broth if the stew becomes dry. If you want your stew thicker, add the cornstarch slurry at the end of the simmering time. To serve, remove bay leaves and divide stew between 8 shallow serving bowls. Top with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
For the slow cooker
- Toss cubed beef in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
- In a large Dutch oven or skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Brown the meat in batches until golden brown.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to the slow cooker. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, diced onion, diced carrots, and diced celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are golden brown, about 7 to 10 minutes.
- Transfer everything to the slow cooker and add minced garlic, 2 tablespoons fresh minced rosemary, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, potatoes, 3 tablespoons of tomato paste, 1 cup of red wine, 12 ounces of stout beer, 2 cups of beef broth, 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, 1 (28-ounce can) of diced Italian plum tomatoes, 2 bay leaves, and stir to combine.
- Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4-6 hours.
- Add cornstarch slurry in the final hour, if desired.
- To serve, remove bay leaves and divide stew between 8 shallow serving bowls. Top with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
For the Instant Pot
- Toss cubed beef in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
- Turn on the sauté function and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Brown the meat in batches until golden brown.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a mixing bowl and set aside. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, diced onion, diced carrots, and diced celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are golden brown, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add minced garlic, 2 tablespoons fresh minced rosemary, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, potatoes, 3 tablespoons of tomato paste, 1 cup of red wine, 12 ounces of stout beer, 2 cups of beef broth, 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, 1 (28-ounce can) of diced Italian plum tomatoes, 2 bay leaves, and return the browned beef to the pot, and stir to combine.
- Pressure cook on high for 35 minutes.
- Natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then quick release.
- Using sauté mode, add the cornstarch slurry, if desired. To serve, remove bay leaves and divide stew between 8 shallow serving bowls. Top with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Choose tougher cuts of beef like chuck roast for this stew—they become incredibly tender with slow cooking.
- Don't skip browning the meat—those browned bits are flavor bombs.
- Make it ahead—the flavor improves overnight.
One more thing!
This recipe is a part of my soups + stews collection — check it out!
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