Why chicken broth belongs in Irish beef stew
I’d made plenty of stovetop beef stews before this one, and an Instant Pot Beef Stew for the nights I wanted dinner fast. But none of them tasted like the stew I kept ordering at our local Irish pubs.
Almost every beef stew recipe out there calls for beef broth, and that’s exactly what flattens it into a heavy, one-note soup.
Swap in chicken broth and the whole thing opens up. The Guinness finally tastes like Guinness, and the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves stop competing with the stock.
That’s the only real trick in this Irish Beef Stew, and everything after it’s patience. Much like a roux for gumbo, the longer it goes, the deeper it gets and the more the meat falls apart.
And my Irish roots insist on the entire bottle, so don’t pour half in and save the rest. (Or do, and just open a second one for yourself.)
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- Beef stew meat: If possible, opt for organic or grass-fed. Any tougher cut works here, like chuck roast, round, sirloin, or brisket, since low and slow cooking is what makes it tender.
- Butter: Salted is best for that extra bit of flavor. If you only have unsalted, add salt as needed, and oil works in its place if you’re dairy-free.
- Garlic: Fresh, minced garlic is essential here. Powdered will work if that’s what you have.
- Flour: All-purpose or a gluten-free 1-to-1 blend, depending on what you need.
- Tomato paste: Look for a high-quality paste, not sauce.
- Guinness extra stout: Not your usual stew ingredient, but it adds SO much here. You need one 11-ounce bottle, or more if you want to enjoy some while you cook.
- Chicken broth: Regular sodium is what I use, and vegetable broth subs in fine. Skip the beef broth, since it tips the whole pot into tasting like an overly beefy soup.
- Herbs: Dried thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves build the base. Use whatever combination you have, and increase the amount if you’re going with fresh.
- Vegetables: Sweet or white onions, carrots, russet potatoes, and celery. They taste great and bring a lot of nutrients along with them.
How to Make Irish Beef Stew
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
Coat the beef in seasoned flour
If your meat came cubed you’re ready to go, and if not, slice it into 1-inch pieces. Pat the beef dry, then whisk the flour, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl.
Sprinkle it over the meat in a large bowl and toss until every piece is coated.
Cut your own chuck roast when you can. Pre-cut stew meat is usually a mix of trim from different muscles, so some pieces go tender while others stay chewy.
One roast cut into even cubes cooks at the same rate the whole way through.
Sear it in the Dutch oven
Heat the oil in a 5 to 6 quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Once it starts to sizzle, add the beef and sear for 4 to 5 minutes on all sides, scraping the bottom as you go.
Move the meat to a plate.
Sauté the onion and garlic
Melt the butter in the pot, then add the onion and cook 2 to 3 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and give it 30 seconds, just until you can smell it.
Sprinkle in the rest of the flour and the tomato paste, then stir until it forms a thick paste.
It saves SO much time!
Since it’s super important to get the garlic pretty small for this recipe, a garlic press like this one is a lifesaver!
It’s easy to use, finely minces the garlic, and does it in a fraction of the time as chopping it up by hand.
Pour in the Guinness and simmer
Add the beer, broth, brown sugar, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and the remaining salt and pepper, then stir. Return the beef to the pot and bring it to a boil.
Reduce to medium-low, cover, and let it simmer for an hour and a half.
Keep it at a bare simmer, not a boil. Bring it up to a boil first, then drop the heat so you only see a few lazy bubbles.
A hard boil tightens the meat instead of breaking it down.
Add the potatoes, carrots, and celery
While the stew simmers, dice the potatoes, carrots, and celery. Take the lid off, stir them in, turn the heat up to medium, and cook another 30 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Pull out the bay leaves before serving.
Leave the lid off for that last 30 minutes. That’s what takes the stew from brothy to thick enough to coat a spoon.
Put the lid back on and it stays thin.
Oops! What went wrong?
My stew tastes bitter.
That’s the stout, and it almost always means the heat was too high. Guinness mellows out over a long, low simmer, so drop the burner and give it the full hour and a half.
My stew came out thin.
The last 30 minutes are meant to happen uncovered, which is when it reduces and thickens. If the lid stayed on, keep it simmering without it for another 10 to 15 minutes.
My beef is still tough.
Tough beef needs more time, not more heat. Put the lid back on, keep it barely bubbling, and check again in 30 minutes.
My potatoes turned to mush.
They likely went in too early or got cut too big and then overcooked. Russets go in for the last 30 minutes only, in half-inch cubes.
FAQs
You have to cook it low and slow. The extra time at low heat is what breaks down the tough fibers, and there’s no shortcut around it.
Not really. Thanks to the low and slow cooking, almost all of the yeasty beer flavor cooks off and what’s left is the deep, malty richness from the stout.
A standard beef stew usually leans on more vegetables, peas included, and beef broth. Irish stew brings in the stout and the herbs, which is where that pub flavor comes from.
Sear the beef hard and scrape up every browned bit stuck to the bottom of the pot. That fond is where most of the flavor lives, and the Guinness pulls it right back into the stew.
Let the stew cool to room temperature, then seal it in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days. It’s honestly better on day two, once everything has had a night to settle.
For longer storage, fill the container close to the top, chill it overnight, and then move it to the freezer for up to 6 months. (Here’s more on how to freeze soup if you want the full rundown.)
Fair warning on freezing: the potatoes come out softer and a little grainy once they thaw. Everything else holds up beautifully, so freeze the stew before the potatoes go in if that bothers you.
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Irish Beef and Guinness Stew Recipe
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Equipment
- Wooden Spoon
- sharp knife
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 teaspoons salt divided
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper divided
- 2 tablespoons oil avocado or olive
- 2 tablespoons butter salted
- 1 large onion sweet or white, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic finely minced
- ¼ cup flour divided, gluten-free 1-to-1, if needed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 11 ounces Guinness beer extra stout
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth regular sodium
- 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon thyme dried
- ½ teaspoon rosemary dried
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 2 large carrots peeled and sliced
- ½ pound russet potatoes peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
- Parsley finely chopped, optional
Instructions
- Coat the Beef: Pat the cubed beef dry with a paper towel. Whisk together 2 tablespoons flour, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper in a small bowl. Add the cubed meat to a large bowl and then sprinkle the flour over it. Toss the meat until it’s evenly coated in the flour.2 pounds beef, 2 teaspoons salt, ¾ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ cup flour
- Sear the Beef: Add the oil to a large 5-6 quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Once it begins to sizzle, add the meat cubes and sear for 4-5 minutes on all sides, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to remove any bits or pieces that might be stuck. Remove the meat from the pot and plate.2 tablespoons oil
- Sauté the Onion: Add butter to the pot. Wait for it to melt and then add the onion. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until the onion becomes translucent. Add garlic and continue sauteing for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour and the tomato paste. Mix it together until a thick paste forms.2 tablespoons butter, 1 large onion, 4 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, ¼ cup flour
- Combine and Simmer: Pour in the beer, broth, brown sugar, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and remaining salt and black pepper. Stir to combine. Add back in the meat. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot with a lid and simmer for an hour and a half.¾ teaspoon black pepper, 11 ounces Guinness beer, 2 ½ cups chicken broth, 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar, 1 teaspoon thyme, ½ teaspoon rosemary, 2 bay leaves, 2 teaspoons salt
- Add the Rest: Remove the lid and add the diced celery, carrots, and potatoes. Turn up the heat to medium and continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.2 ribs celery, 2 large carrots, ½ pound russet potatoes
- Serve the Stew: Remove the bay leaves and serve immediately with chopped parsley, if desired, and enjoy!Parsley
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Notes
- Prep ahead: Chop the celery, carrots, and onion up to 2 to 3 days early and keep them in the fridge until you’re ready.
- Storage: Cool to room temperature, then seal in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezing: Freezes for up to 6 months, though the potatoes come out softer and a little grainy once they thaw. Freeze it before adding the potatoes if that bothers you.
- Reheating: Warm it in a pot on the stovetop over medium-low, or microwave smaller portions.
- Don’t skip the scrape: Use a wooden spoon to lift every browned bit off the bottom of the pot. That’s where most of the flavor is.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What to serve with Irish beef stew
This one can absolutely stand on its own, but it’s also the easiest thing to build a whole meal around.
If you’re going all in on the Irish theme, serve it with Colcannon, a few Mini Shepherd’s Pies, or some simple Sautéed Cabbage. Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage is the other one I always end up making the same week.
For something lighter on the side, go with a Fall Harvest Salad, a Chopped Kale Salad, or an Easy Broccoli Bacon Salad.
And if you want something to soak up the broth, these Mini Cornbread Muffins or a pan of Honey Jalapeño Cornbread are perfect with it.
More cozy soup recipes
Once stew season starts around here, it doesn’t really stop. These are the ones we keep coming back to all winter long.
