It doesn’t get more comforting than a bowl of Instant Pot Guinness Beef Stew! It’s packed with tender chunks of beef, veggies, a rich, flavorful gravy, and it cooks up in a fraction of the time in the pressure cooker! Includes stove top instructions.

Guinness beef stew in a bowl

March has arrived and the orchards in my area are full of gorgeous spring blooms. The trees may say spring, but the weather is screaming winter.

It’s been cold and rainy, so all I want to do is curl up with some major comfort food like this Guinness Beef Stew.

This stew is also known as Irish beef stew, which means it’s also perfect for your St. Patrick’s Day menu.

While I don’t drink Guinness because it’s quite heavy for me, I love utilizing it in recipes.

The rich malt and caramel tones add great depth of flavor in my corned beef and cabbage and beef chili, and it makes the gravy in this stew completely next level.

The Irish certainly know how it’s done. 🙂

Bowl of beef and guinness stew

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • Beef and Guinness Stew is packed with tender chunks of beef, veggies and a rich, flavorful gravy.
  • It cooks up in a fraction of the time in the Instant Pot.
  • It’s a versatile meal that’s great for every day, Sunday dinner or St. Patrick’s Day.
  • It may be made completely in advance, making it the perfect meal prep dinner.

Recipe ingredients

Guinness beef stew recipe ingredients

Ingredient notes

  • Beef. Traditional Irish stew typically includes lamb or mutton, but I’ve used grass-fed beef because I prefer its flavor. I purchased pre-cut stew meat, which was a great time saver, but you can certainly purchase a chuck roast and cut it yourself if you have the time. Be sure and trim off any excess fat and cut the meat into roughly 1 1/2 – 2″ chunks.
  • Guinness. One bottle of Guinness stout is included in the braising liquid for this Irish beef stew. It adds rich malt and caramel tones which lends a nice depth of flavor to the gravy.
  • Beef stock. Use your favorite homemade or store bought beef stock.
  • Aromatics. Sautéed onion and garlic are the building blocks of great flavor. Fresh thyme and bay leaf are also great flavor enhancers, but they may be subbed with your favorite fresh or dried herbs.
  • Vegetables. This Guinness beef stew includes carrots, celery and parsnips. All or some of them can be substituted with potatoes, celery root, turnips or rutabaga.
  • Tomato paste. The tomato paste adds savory, umami flavor.
  • Cornstarch. Combine cornstarch with water to create a cornstarch slurry, which is used to thicken the stew.
  • Worcestershire sauce (optional). I love adding a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce to the stew for additional umami flavor. If you don’t have any on hand, soy sauce, coconut aminos or tamari may be substituted.

How to make Irish beef stew

Traditionally, Irish beef stew is made on the stove top, but I’m a huge fan of cooking tough cuts of meat in my Instant Pot as it cuts down the cooking time significantly.

It takes roughly 3 hours to make this recipe on the stove top, but it cooks up in about 1 hour in the pressure cooker. See all of my Instant Pot recipes for inspiration!

This meal is extremely easy to make and involves minimal prep. Simply prep the beef by trimming off any excess fat and cutting it into 1 1/2 – 2″ chunks, and cut the vegetables into large chunks as well.

I’ve chosen not to add my vegetables to the pot until the last 5 minutes of cooking time to ensure that they’re not overcooked.

Pro tip: Trim and cut the beef and veggies in advance to make this meal go even more quickly.

See the recipe card below for full instructions.

How to make guinness beef stew
  1. Brown the beef in (2) batches and remove from the pan.
  2. Cook the onion until softened, then add the garlic and stir in the tomato paste.
  3. Add the Guinness and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, then add the stock and Worcestershire sauce and stir well. Add the beef back to the pot along with any accumulated juices and stir, then add the bay leaf and thyme.
  4. Secure the lid and cook for 30 minutes at High Pressure. Quick release the pressure and remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Add the carrots, celery and parsnips and secure the lid.
  5. Cook at High Pressure for 5 minutes longer, then quick release the pressure and remove the lid.
  6. Stir the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water till smooth. Select the Sauté button, then stir into the stew and cook for about 3 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Guinness Stew in Instant Pot

FAQs

What’s in Irish beef stew?

Traditional Irish beef stew typically contains lamb or mutton, potatoes and root vegetables.  Irish stout is also often used in the braising liquid along with stock, which adds great depth of flavor.

This version isn’t completely traditional as it includes grass-fed beef (I simply prefer its flavor), and I didn’t include potatoes because I’d rather serve the stew over mashed potatoes. It’s totally personal preference!

The glory of stew is that it is easily customized to use your favorite cut of meat (just use a tough cut that requires a long cooking time), and your favorite potatoes or root vegetables.

Can I make Guinness beef stew on the stove top?

You can certainly make Guinness beef stew on the stove top, it will just take 2 1/2 – 3 hours to cook instead of under 1 hour in the pressure cooker.

Follow the instructions as listed through Step 3 in the recipe card, but add the vegetables to the pot at that point. Cover the pot and simmer over medium low heat for 2 hours or until the meat is almost tender.

From there, remove the lid and continue cooking until the meat has reached the desired tenderness and some of the liquid has evaporated, about 30 minutes longer. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs.

To thicken, follow the instructions in Step 5 to add the cornstarch slurry. For best results, add half the amount of the cornstarch slurry and add more only as needed.

Serving suggestions

Irish beef stew is hearty and satisfying all on its own, or you can serve it with the following side dishes.

Recipe notes

  • Pro tip:  Trim and cut the beef and veggies in advance to make this meal go even more quickly.
  • No Instant Pot?  See the FAQ’s section in the post above for instructions to make this stew on the stove top.
  • The vegetables may be added to the pot with the beef, just keep in mind that they will lose their shape and may be on the mushy side.
  • Customize this stew with your favorite vegetables.  If using potatoes, cut into 1″ chunks or halve baby potatoes.  Celery root, turnip and rutabaga are also great options.
  • Store leftover Guinness beef stew in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Guinness beef stew recipe

More beef recipes you’ll love:

Did you try this recipe?  If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram

Guinness beef stew in a bowl

Instant Pot Irish Beef Stew

Instant Pot Guinness Beef Stew includes tender chunks of beef, chunky vegetables and a rich, flavorful sauce spiked with Guinness stout! It cooks up in about 1 hour and it makes a great meal prep dinner!
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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 3 lbs. beef chuck roast cut into 1 1/2 – 2" chunks and trimmed of any excess fat; or purchase pre-cut stew meat
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 11.2 ounces Guinness stout
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce optional; can be subbed with soy sauce, coconut aminos or tamari if desired
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 3 large carrots peeled and cut into 1 1/2″ chunks
  • 3 stalks celery cut into 1" chunks
  • 3 parsnips peeled and cut into 1" chunks; see notes for substitutions
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • Press the Sauté button on the Instant Pot and add the olive oil. Add half of the beef to the pot and cook just until browned. Remove from the pan and place on a plate, then repeat with the second batch, adding the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and more as needed.
    2 tablespoons olive oil, 3 lbs. beef chuck roast
  • Add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds more. Add the tomato paste and stir well.
    1 medium onion, 4 cloves garlic, 4 tablespoons tomato paste
  • Add the Guinness to the pan and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom. Add the stock and Worcestershire sauce and stir well to combine, then add the beef back to the pot along with any accumulated juices and stir. Add the bay leaf and thyme, then secure the lid and close the venting valve. Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes, then quick release the pressure and remove the lid when safe to do so.
    11.2 ounces Guinness stout, 2 cups beef stock, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • Remove the lid, then remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Add the carrots, celery and parsnips to the pot and secure the lid once more and close the venting valve. Cook an additional 5 minutes at High Pressure, then quick release the pressure and remove the lid when safe to do so.
    3 large carrots, 3 stalks celery, 3 parsnips
  • Combine the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water, stirring until smooth. Press the Sauté button and slowly stir the cornstarch slurry into the stew. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and enjoy!
    2 tablespoons cornstarch, Salt and pepper to taste

Notes

  • Pro tip:  Trim and cut the beef and veggies in advance to make this meal go even more quickly.
  • No Instant Pot?  See the FAQ’s section in the post above for instructions to make this stew on the stove top.
  • The vegetables may be added to the pot with the beef, just keep in mind that they will lose their shape and may be on the mushy side.
  • Customize this stew with your favorite vegetables.  If using potatoes, cut into 1″ chunks or halve baby potatoes.  Celery root, turnip and rutabaga are also great options.
  • Store leftover Guinness beef stew in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 439kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 36g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 13g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 117mg, Sodium: 385mg, Potassium: 1145mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 4737IU, Vitamin C: 16mg, Calcium: 82mg, Iron: 5mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!

**This post was originally published in March 2019. The photos have been updated, the recipe has been modified slightly, and the text has been modified to include more recipe information.

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