Guinness Beef Stew (made in a skillet!)

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This Guinness Beef Stew is rich and flavorful and perfect for dinner tonight! All the delicious flavor of a slow-cooked stew, made simpler by using just one skillet.

I’m a HUGE fan of skillet meals (and beef stew recipes), mainly because I hate doing dishes, but also because it really is easy. I like that. I really love the flavor of the Guinness, and have no problem disposing of the rest of the 4 pack of Guinness beer that I buy to make this!

This stew is great any time – but… it’s time to start planning for St. Patrick’s Day!!

I have so many memories of St Patrick’s day when I was younger. Drinking green beer, painting shamrocks on my cheeks, generally using the day as an excuse to drink Guinness (who needs just 1 day a year to do THAT?!). I actually spent a few Paddy’s days in Dublin (a story for another day) traipsing up and down the streets in Temple Bar, and being, er… merry.

Love meals made in one skillet? Me too! Try my Arroz con Pollo, Chicken Pot Pie or One Pan Ham & Cheese Pasta!

It’s always fun to look back on those days, and marvel at my stamina for drinking back then think fondly of some good times.

What I REALLY remember is the food. Big piles of comfort food – Irish stews, bread, and potatoes – perfect for taking the chill out of a cold day, and so so delicious.

I LOVE a good stew, and this one is SO good due to the Guinness beer in it. Guinness is a dry stout that is tangy, and creamy and adds an amazing depth of flavor to beef stew. That’s if there’s any left in the bottom of the pot after you try it!

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• It’s made in a skillet.
• No need for several hours of braising (made in well under 45 minutes).
• Super easy to make and tastes amazing.
• While sometimes I have all day to cook this stew- I cheat by using a better quality of beef (sirloin instead of chuck roast) so I can make this faster and all in my cast iron skillet.

SUBSTITUTIONS:

• Switch out the peas for green beans, or add frozen corn/peas instead.
• Add a little celery (instead of just carrots – cook carrots and celery at the same stage)

WHAT TO SERVE WITH BEEF STEW

• Serve with crusty bread, or make Irish Soda Bread for a true Irish Dinner!
• Although there are some fork tender potatoes in the stew, I still enjoy eating this over some mashed potatoes or some Irish Colcannon.

Simple ingredients go into my Beef & Guinness Stew:

• BEEF – for this I recommend using sirloin steak – it’s a short cook time, so tougher cuts will not have time to get tender.
• CARROTS – peeled and sliced
• POTATOES – peeled and cut into chunks
• GUINNESS – this is important for the flavor – the alcohol burns off, leaving the rich flavor of the Guinness.
• BEEF STOCK – you can switch this out for chicken stock if you prefer
• CHICKEN STOCK – grab a carton or make your own using my chicken stock recipe.
• FLOUR
• ONIONS – I use frozen pearl onions, but you can use fresh onions if you prefer.
• PEAS – adding these adds a touch of green, and a lot of deliciousness.
• CORNSTARCH – optional – to thicken the stew in a slurry

How to make this recipe:

Full, printable recipe below – just scroll down to the recipe card!

1. Season the beef with salt and pepper to taste
2. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef, turning often to brown all sides. Remove to a plate, and set aside.
3. Add the tomato paste to the skillet and whisk in the Guinness.
4. Crank the heat up to high, and continue whisking to scrape up all the brown bits from the pan.
5. Boil, and allow to reduce by about half.
6. Whisk together the beef broth, chicken stock and flour until the flour is dissolved, and add the mixture to the skillet, stirring constantly until it comes to a boil.
7. Add the onion, carrots, potatoes, return to a boil, and then lower the heat to medium. Cover, and simmer vigorously for about 10 minutes. Vegetables should be almost tender.
8. Return the browned beef and any juices to the pan.
9. Season with salt and pepper, then add the peas.
10. Simmer until the meat is cooked to medium, about 2-3 minutes.

OPTIONAL – IF NEEDED TO THICKEN

• Remove some of the liquid and make a slurry with the cornstarch, and whisk back into the stew until boiling and thickened.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly, and serve.
• Devour.

Kylee’s Notes

Because of the short cooking time, your usual stew meat that is tough – won’t be great in this. Use a good quality steak – sirloin is perfect.

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5 from 20 votes

Guinness Beef Stew (made in a skillet)

All the delicious flavor of a slow-cooked stew, made simpler by using just one skillet. This Guinness Beef Stew is rich and flavorful and perfect for dinner tonight!

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Suggested Equipment

• Cast iron skillet

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 25 minutes

Total : 35 minutes

Rate

yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• ▢ 1.5 lb sirloin steak cut into chunks
• ▢ ½ tsp salt
• ▢ ½ tsp cracked pepper
• ▢ 2 Tbs vegetable oil
• ▢ 3 carrots cut into ¼ inch coins
• ▢ 1 lb potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
• ▢ 12 oz Guinness or other stout beer
• ▢ 3 Tbs tomato paste
• ▢ 1 cup beef stock
• ▢ 2 cups chicken stock
• ▢ 2 Tbs all purpose flour
• ▢ 1 cup pearl onions
• ▢ 1 cup peas

OPTIONAL – IF NEEDED

• ▢ 1 Tbs cornstarch

Instructions

• Season the beef with salt and pepper.
• Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat.
• Brown the meat, turning often to brown all sides.
• Remove to a plate, and set aside.
• Add the tomato paste to the skillet and whisk in the Guinness.
• Crank the heat up to high, and continue whisking to scrape up all the brown bits from the pan.
• Boil, and allow to reduce by about half.
• Whisk together the broth and flour until the flour is dissolved.
• Add the mixture to the skillet, stirring constantly until it comes to a boil.
• Add the prepared carrots, potatoes, and onions, return to a boil, and then lower the heat to medium, cover, and simmer vigorously for about 10 minutes. Vegetables should be almost tender.
• Return the browned beef and any juices to the pan.
• Season with salt and pepper, then add the peas.
• Simmer until the meat is cooked to medium, about 2-3 minutes.

OPTIONAL – IF NEEDED TO THICKEN

• Remove some of the liquid and make a slurry with the cornstarch, and whisk back into the stew until boiling and thickened.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly, and serve.
• Devour.

Tips & Notes:

• Because of the short cooking time, your usual stew meat that is tough – won’t be great in this
• Switch out the peas for green beans, or add frozen corn/peas instead
• Serve with a crusty bread, or make Irish Soda Bread for a true Irish Dinner!

 

nutrition facts

Calories: 317kcal (16%) Carbohydrates: 22g (7%) Protein: 30g (60%) Fat: 10g (15%) Saturated Fat: 5g (31%) Cholesterol: 69mg (23%) Sodium: 787mg (34%) Potassium: 1029mg (29%) Fiber: 4g (17%) Sugar: 4g (4%) Vitamin A: 5400IU (108%) Vitamin C: 27.7mg (34%) Calcium: 81mg (8%) Iron: 5.3mg (29%)

Nutritional Disclaimer

Recipes written and produced on Kylee Cooks are for informational purposes only. Kylee is not a certified nutritionist. Nutritional data provided on Kylee Cooks has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration.

Author: Kylee Cooks

Course:Main Course

Cuisine:Irish

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Update: This was originally posted in 2018, and has been updated to improve reader experience.