Irish Beef Stew

A bowl of beef stew with chunks of beef, carrots, and rich brown gravy is served alongside creamy mashed potatoes, garnished with fresh herbs, and accompanied by slices of bread.

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Irish stew: the ultimate comfort food meal that tastes like you've been tending a pot over the fire all day. Brown some beef (or lamb!) toss it with some carrots and onion, then let the oven or slow cooker do the work. One bite and you will be magically transported to a stone cottage amid rolling green hills. Serve with mashed potatoes or Colcannon for St. Patrick's Day or any hearty winter dinner!

Prep Time30

Cook Time2 30

Total Time3

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 480kcal

Author: The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

2 and 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast*
1 tablespoon kosher salt divided (use less, if you are using table salt)
2 tablespoons light olive oil or any vegetable oil
1 large onion chopped
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup tomato paste
8 carrots medium or large
3 tablespoons flour
14 ounces Guinness stout beer** see notes to replace with broth
3 cups water
1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon beef base
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Instructions

Choose a well marbled 2-3 lb chuck roast that has plenty of fat. Use paper towels to dry it off when you open the package.
Use a sharp chef's knife to cut the roast into 2 inch pieces.
Sprinkle the beef chunks with 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
Heat a heavy Dutch oven pot (or any pot that is oven-going) over medium high heat for at least 2 minutes.
When the pot is very hot, add 1 tablespoon light olive oil (or vegetable oil.) It should shimmer right away.
Add the beef pieces one at a time, salt side down, with at least 1 inch of space in between each one. Sprinkle the top with more salt. Let sear over medium high heat for about 2 minutes, until well browned. Use tongs to flip each piece of beef and sear the other side. If your beef is not browning, add fewer pieces next time.
Remove the seared beef to a plate (or to the lid of your Dutch oven, if you are dish-lazy like me). Repeat the browning process with all the remaining beef. Turn off the heat if your veggies are not prepped.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Take a moment to prepare the onions, garlic, and carrots. Chop the onion. Smash and mince 4 cloves of garlic. Peel and chop 8 carrots into big chunks.
Turn the heat (on the empty pot that you seared the beef in) to medium. If the pot is looking dry, add another 1 tablespoon oil.
Add 1 chopped onion and saute. Add 1/2 teaspoon pepper to the onions and another dash of kosher salt. Saute for 3 minutes, until they are softening and browned a bit.
Add in 4 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced. Saute 1 minute.
Add 1/4 cup tomato paste. Stir it together and cook for about 1 minute.
Add the chopped carrots and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of flour. Stir for about 1 minute.
Add 14 to 16 ounces of Guinness.
Add 3 cups of water and 1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon Beef Base.** Stir it all together.
Return beef into the pot (including any juices).
Add 2 bay leaves and 4 sprigs of fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme).
Cover and bring to a simmer over high heat.
Once it has started bubbling, remove from heat and cover tightly.
Place in the center of the 325°F oven. Cook for 2 and 1/2 hours.
Remove the lid and check the beef with a fork. It should be fall-apart tender, like so tender you don't need to cut at all, just fork. If it's not tender, replace the lid and continue cooking for another 30 minutes, until beef is fall apart tender.
Taste your beautiful stew. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaves and thyme.
Serve with Creamy Mashed Potatoes! Not optional. I mean it is, but, you know.
Storage: Pop any leftover stew in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing: If you have too much to eat in a short time, freeze it in a ziplock. It reheats really well, just defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat the whole batch in a pot on the stove on medium low. Or nuke individual servings in the microwave.

Notes

*BEEF OR LAMB: You can substitute the beef in this recipe for boneless lamb shoulder. If you can't find a chuck roast, try a bottom round or short ribs.

**Guinness Substitute: If you don't want to use Guinness, use a total of 4 cups of water and 4 tablespoons of Better than Bouillon Beef Base instead. It's still so good made this way!

SLOW COOKER: You can make this recipe in the slow cooker! Follow the recipe as instructed until you add the Guinness. Bring the mixture to a boil, then add the contents of the pot and all the remaining ingredients to a 6-quart crock pot. Cover and cook on LOW for about 8 hours, until the beef is tender. The gravy will not be as thick in the slow cooker, it will be a little more soup like, but still have great flavor.

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