Easy Irish Beef Stew

While lamb meat is traditional in Irish Stew, this recipe swaps out the lamb for beef to make an incredibly flavorful Irish Beef Stew, filled with tender beef, hearty root vegetables, and a rich Guinness-infused broth. Whether prepared in the crockpot or Instant Pot, this Irish Stew comes together easily to deliver a cozy, comforting meal.

Just like Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage, Reuben Dip, and Colcannon, Irish Beef Stew is an obvious choice when it comes to recipes celebrating St. Patrick's Day. However, this Irish girl is here to tell you this delicious stew deserves to be served year-round.

Rather than being cooked in a broth made with tomatoes and beef broth, like my recipe for Instant Pot Beef Stew, this Irish Stew features a Guinness-infused broth that is complex, tangy, and robust.

Notes on Ingredients

• Beef: You can opt to purchase stew meat, which is already cubed for you, or purchase a beef chuck roast and cube it into bite-sized pieces.
• Stout Beer: Stout beer, such as Guinness, gives this stew its rich, caramel, coffee undertones. I recommend using the stout variety, not a draught, for the biggest punch of flavor. There is no substitute for stout beer in this Irish Stew recipe, as it is key to the unique, robust flavor.
• Beef Stock: Use low-sodium beef stock to control the level of sodium in the stew.
• Aromatics: Onions, garlic, and celery build intense flavor in this beef stew.
• Tomato Paste: A bit of tomato paste adds a rich tomato flavor to the stew, along with a bit of sweetness.
• Seasonings: Kosher salt, pepper, dried thyme leaves, bay, and Worcestershire sauce will help to create a rich and robustly flavored Irish Stew.
• Maple Syrup: Maple syrup is added to counteract some of the bitterness in the beer. Feel free to omit it or replace it with honey or brown sugar, but the maple notes pair beautifully with the caramel undertones in the beer.
• Potatoes: Yukon Gold, red, or russet potatoes are all suitable choices to use when making Irish Stew.
• Carrots: Use baby carrots or whole peeled carrots.
• Parsnips: If you can find parsnips, I highly recommend using them in addition to carrots. They have a nice sharp, slightly sweet, fresh taste, almost like a mellow carrot. If you don't have them on hand, replace them with regular carrots.

Tips for Making the Best Irish Beef Stew

Whether you opt to prepare Irish Stew using the slow cooker or Instant Pot, the following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step One: Sear the beef. In a deep, heavy-bottomed pan, or the inner pot of an electric pressure cooker, sear the seasoned beef until browned on each side. Once browned, remove the beef to a plate.

Step Two: Saute the Aromatics. Saute the onion and celery until the onion has softened, and then add in garlic, thyme leaves, and tomato paste and saute until just fragrant. This will help to enhance the flavors of the herbs and tomato paste.

Step Three: Deglaze the Pot with Beer. Regardless of the method used for cooking the Irish Beef Stew, you want to add the beer, let it reduce, and scrape up all the browned bits off the bottom of the inner pot, as this flavors the stew (and prevents a burn notice from occurring on the Instant Pot).

Step Four: Layer and Cook. If pressure cooking the stew, add the beef stock, seasonings, and seared beef to the inner pot and pressure cook for 30 minutes on high pressure. This will allow the meat to become tender and ensure our veggies don't become mushy. If slow cooking, layer everything together in a large crockpot and slow cook on low for 7-9 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

Step Five: Add Veggies. If pressure cooking this Irish beef stew, you want to add in the potatoes, carrots, and parsnips after the beef has been pressure cooked with a natural pressure release. Then proceed to cook for 3 minutes on high-pressure. After the cooking time has elapsed, allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 15 minutes, to ensure the beef stays tender and the vegetables are fully cooked.

Serving Suggestions

Nothing goes better with stew than crusty bread. Serve this Irish Stew with Irish Soda Bread, Italian Bread, or Whole Wheat Dutch Oven Bread. And of course, it doesn't hurt to pair it with a Guinness to drink as well.

Which Method is Best for Preparing Irish Stew?

The flavor of this Irish Beef Stew is fairly identical whether prepared in the slow cooker or Instant Pot. However, each option has its advantages. Choose the method that best suits your needs.

• Slow Cooker: The advantage of cooking Irish Stew using the slow cooker is that you don't have to add the root vegetables later in the cooking process. The slow cooker uses a more gentle heat, which will not overcook the vegetables while the meat gets tender.
• Instant Pot: Not only is the Instant Pot the fastest method for preparing an Irish Stew, but it is also the only method that allows you to cook with frozen beef. The disadvantage is that you will have to first pressure cook the beef, allow for the pressure to release naturally, then add the vegetables and pressure cook again. It is simple to do, but something to keep in mind.

More Hearty Beef Recipes

• Vegetable Beef Soup
• Slow Cooker Pot Roast
• Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup
• Instant Pot Italian Beef
• Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa
• Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon
• Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches

If you tried this recipe for Irish Beef Stew, please be sure to leave a comment and review below.