Would celebrating St Patrick’s Day be complete without Irish Stew and Guinness Beer? I don’t think so. This is by far the best stew I have ever made! The combination of Guinness beer and red wine just raised the bar on a flavourful stew. The house smelled wonderful cooking this traditional Irish dish; well almost traditional, I used beef instead of lamb or mutton.
Irish Stew
A sensational stew recipe enhanced with Guinness Beer and Red Wine.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs stewing beef cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup flour
- salt and pepper
- 1 large russet potato (about 2 cups) cut into 1/2 pieces
- 3 large red potatoes (about 3 cups) cut into 1/2 pieces
- 3 stalks celery, sliced
- 3 large carrots, (about 2 cups) cut into 1/2 pieces
- 1 large onion, diced (about 11/2 cups)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 6 large garlic cloves, minced (about 1/4 cup)
- 3/4 cup red wine
- 3/4 cup Guinness beer
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 tablespoon cold water
Instructions
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Heat the olive oil in large skillet or dutch oven, medium-high heat.
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Salt and pepper beef, dust with flour and fry until browned on all sides, about 5 to 7 minutes. (work in batches to avoid overcrowding pan)
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Remove from pan and set aside.
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Add more oil to skillet if necessary, then add potatoes, celery, carrots and onion to skillet and cook until potatoes slightly browned (about 10 mins)
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Remove from skillet, set aside.
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Add butter to skillet.
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Add garlic and sauté about 1 minute, until fragrant.
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Deglaze pan with red wine, add Guinness beer, beef stock, tomato paste, sugar, worcestershire sauce, thyme and bay leaves.
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Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a simmer, then add beef and vegetables back into skillet or dutch oven.
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Cover and transfer to oven to bake at 350 degrees for 1-2 hour until vegetables and beef are tender.
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If using slow cooker, cook 3-4 hours on low setting.
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If stew needs to be thickened add slurry (1 tablespoon flour whisked together with 1 tablespoon cold water). Return pot to stovetop and over medium heat slowly stir slurry into the stew stirring constantly. Cook 5-10 minutes until thickened
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Season with salt and pepper to taste
I cooked my Irish Stew in the oven but this recipe also works great in the slow cooker. If using garden fresh potatoes you don’t have to peel them. I serve this stew with fresh baked buns which are great for soaking up that extra broth left on the plate.
Be sure to try another of my family favourite stew recipes Chicken and Dumplings
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That looks very good! I am also new to blogging and it is nice to see another Albertan on here. Cheers, Tara
Looks yummy! I’ll have to try it very soon.
Made this yesterday. It is a great and easy recipe. Served over creamy mash potato with butter and chives. Just in time for hurricane sandy. Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it
So impressed with this recipe loved it. I am Irish and I love Guinness stew. Thank you…..
Thanks, this is a family favourite !
Can it be made without red wine or Guinness? I don’t ever cook with wine or beer (or drink it) and I wouldn’t know what to do with the leftover bottles.
Hi Tracy, the red wine and Guinness really add some great flavour, but why not give the recipe a try without it. Let me know if you do.
Absolutely best stew ever. Thank you.
Thank you Karen, I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Made this last night following instructions. Turned it on for the “recommended” slow cooker time, and the potatoes are still raw. Maybe it should be just cooked on low for 8 hours, not 3-4.
Hi Jill, I’d love to help you trouble shoot this. Did you sauté the potatoes with onions etc, before transferring to crockpot? Another factor could be the size the the potatoes were cut into.
Is it ok to substitute lamb for the beef?
Hi Mary Lou, Although I have never tried lamb in this recipe, I think it would taste terrific!
Made this today in my Dutch Oven. It was perfect! I doubled the recipe so we will have some yummy leftovers. Thank you – great recipe!
Thank you Debbie, my family always says this stew tastes even better the next day, so doubling up is a good idea!