Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew is the perfect way to bring a taste of the Irish countryside into your kitchen. A great St. Patrick's Day recipe, or for any time you want a thick beef stew recipe. This classic Irish stew recipe is total comfort food that features hearty chunks of tender beef, potatoes, carrots and flavorful herbs slow cooked in a savory broth.
Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Stew
We've put an American twist on a classic Irish recipe of Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew by using beef instead of lamb that traditional Irish stew uses.
We've also added more flavor to this Crockpot Guinness Beef Stew recipe, compared to the traditional Irish recipes, by adding beef stock, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce.
With just minutes of preparation time and minimal ingredients, this delicious and comforting dish can be made with just a little effort as the Slow Cooker does all the hard work, leaving you free to enjoy the afternoon while tantalizing aromas fill your home.
While these aren't typical ingredients in the traditional poor man's stew, they really bring some fantastic flavor to this stew all while sticking to your grocery budget.
This American version of Irish Beef Stew is the perfect thing to make to celebrate St. Patrick's Day or one of those easy recipes to make when it's chilly out and you want something to warm you up and fill your belly.
While you could make this stew in a Dutch Oven, in the Instant Pot, or in a large stock pot, slow cooking is the way to go to really bring out all the fantastic flavors, especially in the rich broth.
How To Make Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew
1) In a large mixing bowl, add flour, salt and pepper and toss the roast chunks of beef in it until coated.
2) Heat half of the oil In a sauté pan, then add about half of the beef chunks (don't overcrowd the pan so they brown nicely).
3) Brown the beef chunks in batches. Cook until all of the beef cubes are browned.
4) Remove the cooked beef and add it to the Slow Cooker. Heat the rest of the olive oil and add the tomato paste and garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
5) Deglaze the bottom of the pan with a little of the Guinness beer to get the browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
6) Then add the rest of the Guinness beer and stir to combine.
7) Add the carrots, celery, leeks, potatoes, beef stock, and Worcestershire sauce to the Slow Cooker with the beef.
8) Pour the beer & tomato paste mixture into the Crock Pot. Place the thyme sprigs over top of the contents of the Slow Cook. Place the lid on tightly.
9) Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours. When the meat is easy to pull apart and nice and tender, the stew is ready. Add a sprinkle of fresh parsley, if desired, when serving. Enjoy!
This is one of those recipes that tastes even better on the second day. The flavors have even more time to meld and create a delicious masterpiece.
What to Serve with Crockpot Irish Beef Stew
This stew is a full, hearty meal all in itself. However, if you want to, you can make some things to serve with it.
Make a loaf of your favorite bread or a loaf of Irish Soda Bread.
Serve with a nice green salad or a serving of other vegetables like asparagus or green beans.
Should I Remove the Fat From the Beef Before Cooking?
I recommend waiting to remove the fat from the beef until after you've cooked the stew. Leaving the fat on the beef as it cooks helps introduce so much flavor to this Slow Cooker beef stew. It's definitely an essential thing in my eyes. However, if you are trying to be more health conscious, you can remove it before cooking. Just remember that your stew may not be as flavorful as planned.
How Can I Thicken This Irish Beef Stew Recipe?
We help to make this a thick stew by coating our beef in flour before cooking it. As the stew cooks and the flour releases off the meat, it thickens up nicely. If you need to thicken yours up for some reason, you can add a cornstarch slurry made of cornstarch and water or a small amount of flour to the stew. Stir and check consistency. But, usually, once you cook it after a few hours, you'll have a nice, thick and flavorful stew if you coated the beef in flour properly in the beginning.
Beef Stew Tips and Variations
● If you don't have Guinness, you can use any other stout beer that you have on hand or prefer.
● It's important to know that most of the alcohol will cook off as it cooks. However, there will still be some alcohol to this dish, although very minimal. If this is of concern to you, or you are serving this stew to kids, you may want to opt for the non-alcoholic beer that Guinness makes. If you want to omit the beer altogether, just use more beef broth in its place.
● We used some hearty vegetables in this stew like carrots, potatoes, leeks, and celery. But you can swap them out for other root vegetables or stew vegetables if needed.
● Instead of beef chuck roast, you could use stew meat.
● You can swap leeks out for onion. Or carrots out for parsnips. Or even add these other veggies in the hearty beef stew.
How to Store Leftover Beef Stew
The leftover stew should be transferred to an airtight container and can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
Reheat on the stovetop or in single servings in the microwave. Add a splash of beef stock or broth if needed as you reheat it. It may continue to thicken as it is stored.
You can freeze this stew in a freezer safe container for 2-3 months.
Other Stew Recipes You May Enjoy
Now that you see just how simple it is to make a rich, flavorful Irish Beef Stew in the Slow Cooker, what are you waiting for?! Grab the simple ingredients for this hearty stew and whip up a batch of easy Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Stew!
Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew
Equipment
- 6-quart Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Chuck Roast cut into 2-inch chunks (leave some fat on)
- 3 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
- 1 Tablespoon Salt (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
- 1 12-ounce bottle Dark Beer (such as Guinness)
- 4 large Carrots peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 2 Celery Stalks cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 Leek halved, washed and cut into thick slices
- 3 pounds Potatoes cut into ½-inch pieces
- 6 cups Beef Stock
- 1 Tablespoon Beef Flavor Better Than Bouillon® (or other Beef Bouillon)
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 4 sprigs Fresh Thyme (or 1 Tablespoon dried thyme leaves)
Garnish
- Fresh Parsley if desired
Instructions
- Toss the roast chunks in the flour, salt and pepper until coated. Heat half the oil in a sauté pan and cook the beef in batches until browned, making sure not to overcrowd.
- Remove the meat and place in the slow cooker. Heat the remaining oil and add the tomato paste and garlic and cook for 1 minute, then deglaze the pan with the beer.
- Add the carrots, celery, leeks, potatoes, beef bouillon, beef stock and Worcestershire sauce to the slow cooker. Stir well.
- Pour the beer and tomato paste into the slow cooker. Add the thyme sprigs and cover tightly with the lid.
- Turn on high for 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours. When the meat is pull apart tender, the stew is ready. Serve with a sprinkle of parsley, if desired.
Leave a Comment