Slow Cooker Beef and Vegetable Stew with Guinness Stout

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Flat tires. Work problems. Bills. Stuffy colds. Relationship issues.

We all have our bad days. Bleh.

Vertical image of beef stew in a bowl, with bread, beer, and another bowl of stew in the background on a wooden surface with a white towel.

But even when your laundry machine unexpectedly breaks when you were in the middle of using it, or when you totally forgot that really important thing you promised yourself you wouldn’t forget, that frustration and defeat can easily disappear.

How?

It’s all thanks to the healing power of comfort food.

Vertical top-down image of bowls of beef stew on a white towel with beer and bread on a wooden surface.

You know you’ve found your ultimate happy place when you’re on a comfy couch in your pj’s, curled up with your favorite soft blankie (judge-free zone), and caressing a big, warm bowl of this hearty Guinness beef stew.

We make our recipe in the slow cooker, letting all the flavors blend together throughout the day – you’ll love the end result of coming home, completely exhausted, to an amazing meal.

Vertical closeup image of beef stew in a bowl, with bread, beer, and another bowl of stew in the background on a wooden surface with a white towel.

So fill up your belly, and fix your nearly broken spirit, with chunks of melt-in-your-mouth beef, tender pieces of potatoes, carrots, and onions, and a thick, flavorful broth.

The Recipe

Square image of beef stew in a bowl, with bread, beer, and another bowl of stew in the background on a wooden surface with a white towel.
The Best Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Stew
Votes: 11
Rating: 4.27
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Nothing fills up your belly better than a hearty beef stew. Our Guinness version, with its robust flavor, is a crowd pleaser.
Servings Prep Time
6 servings 20 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
15 minutes 7-8 hours
Servings Prep Time
6 servings 20 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
15 minutes 7-8 hours
Square image of beef stew in a bowl, with bread, beer, and another bowl of stew in the background on a wooden surface with a white towel.
The Best Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Stew
Votes: 11
Rating: 4.27
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Nothing fills up your belly better than a hearty beef stew. Our Guinness version, with its robust flavor, is a crowd pleaser.
Servings Prep Time
6 servings 20 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
15 minutes 7-8 hours
Servings Prep Time
6 servings 20 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
15 minutes 7-8 hours
Ingredients
  • 4 slices thick-cut bacon chopped
  • 2 pounds beef tips or stew meat cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 onion roughly chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 pound potatoes chopped (about 2 large potatoes)
  • 3 large carrots chopped
  • 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 small can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes
  • 1 bottle (11 ounces) Guinness stout
  • 4 cups (32 ounces) Beef stock or broth
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
Servings: servings
Units:
Instructions
  1. Place the chopped bacon in a large pan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until most of the fat renders and the pieces are slightly crispy. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels, leaving the bacon grease in the pan. Keep the pan heated.
  2. In a large sealed bag, or in a bowl, combine the flour with a little salt and pepper. Mix in the beef tips to evenly coat them in the seasoned flour. Remove the beef and add the pieces to the pan with the bacon grease. Sear the beef until all sides are browned and crispy.
  3. Once the beef tips are seared, remove from the pan and place in your slow cooker. In the same pan, saute the chopped onions until slightly softened. If the pan seems dry, add a splash of beef broth. Mix in the garlic, cooking for one more minute. Add the onion and garlic to the slow cooker with the beef tips.
  4. Add the chopped potatoes, carrots, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and reserved bacon in the slow cooker. Pour in the bottle of Guinness, can of diced tomatoes, and beef stock. Mix everything together.
  5. Secure the slow cooker lid and cook on low for 7-8 hours, until the broth has thickened slightly, and the beef and vegetables are tender.
  6. Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs before serving. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes

Original recipe by Ashley Martell. 

Nutritional Information*

Nutrition Facts
The Best Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Stew
Amount Per Serving
Calories 421 Calories from Fat 162
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 28%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 7g
Cholesterol 82mg 27%
Sodium 779mg 32%
Potassium 789mg 23%
Total Carbohydrates 30g 10%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Sugars 6g
Protein 29g 58%
Vitamin A 121%
Vitamin C 38%
Calcium 3%
Iron 21%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Prep the Ingredients

Horizontal top-down image of chopped vegetables and herbs on a wooden cutting board with a knife on the side.

Set out the stew meat, all-purpose flour, beef stock, Guinness, tomato sauce, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper.

Using a vegetable peeler, remove and discard the skin from the carrots.

With a sharp knife and sturdy cutting board, chop the onions, potatoes, and carrots. Mince the garlic, either by chopping it finely, grating it, or using a garlic press.

On a separate cutting board and knife, dice the bacon into small, evenly sized pieces.

Step 2 – Cook the Bacon

Horizontal image of a skillet on a wooden surface with cooked bacon pieces.

In a large pan over medium heat, cook the bacon until most of the fat is rendered, and the pieces are cooked and just a little crispy.

If you have an Instant Pot, Breville Fast/Slow Cooker, or another type of slow cooker with a Sear setting, this can be done directly in the appliance on your countertop instead.

With a slotted spoon, place the bacon pieces on a plate lined with paper towels, keeping the bacon fat in the pan. Leave the pan on the heat to cook the meat in the following steps.

Step 3 – Dredge the Steak

Horizontal image of a bag filled with dredged steak pieces on a wooden surface.

In a large sealed bag, or in a bowl, combine the flour with a pinch of salt and pepper. Use freshly ground salt and pepper for the freshest flavor!

Add the steak, and toss until all of the pieces are evenly coated with the seasoned flour.

Step 4 – Sear the Steak

Horizontal image of browned steak pieces in a skillet on a wooden surface.

Add the dredged steak to the preheated pan with the reserved bacon grease. Briefly sear until all sides are browned and crispy. Remove from the pan and place the steak in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Step 5 – Brown the Onions and Garlic

Horizontal image of cooked onions in a skillet on a wooden surface.

In the same pan, add the onions. Saute briefly until browned and slightly softened. If the pan appears dry, add a splash of beef stock.

Add the garlic and saute for just another minute, stirring constantly so the garlic does not burn.

Step 6 – Combine and Cook

Horizontal image of a vegetables in a slow cooker pot, with beer being poured into it.

Add the cooked onions and garlic to the beef. Add the potatoes, carrots, reserved bacon, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Pour in the can of diced tomatoes and the bottle of stout.

Pour in enough of the beef stock, or beef bone broth, to coat most of the ingredients in the bowl. You may not need to use all of the stock. Mix everything together.

Secure the lid, and cook on low for 7-8 hours. About halfway through, you may want to taste the cooking liquid for seasoning and add salt if needed.

7-8 hours… yikes! If you want to save time, learn how to make beef stew in the electric pressure cooker with our tutorial!

Step 7 – Serve

Horizontal closeup image of beef stew in a bowl, with bread, beer, and another bowl of stew in the background on a wooden surface with a white towel.

Once the stew has cooked for 7-8 hours, the liquid will be thick and slightly reduced, and the meat and vegetables will be tender.

Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs, adjust your seasoning, and serve while warm with crusty bread, like our Irish Soda Bread.

Nothing is Better than Beer and Beef

You may be having a really bad day today. Maybe it’s because of a horrific first date, or you banged your knee on the side of your bed frame (not again!).

Horizontal image of bowls of beef stew on a white towel with beer and bread on a wooden surface.

You don’t need any of that nonsense.

But what you do need is a big bowl of this comforting beef and veggie stew, to help you remember that this crazy thing we call life isn’t always going to be filled with bad days.

Because there’s no way that you would feel worse after eating soup with a whole bottle of Guinness stout mixed into the broth…

And if you’re having an extra horrible day, you might need some backup. Take a look at all of our comfort food dishes to keep you full and happy for many more meals.

Horizontal image of a bowl of beef stew on a white towel with beer and bread on a wooden surface.

Want to know more about using beer in the kitchen? Learn how to brew your own, and get all the info you need on the perfect beer and food pairings.

And for the perfect summer dinner, have fun grilling this Lager and Lemon Chicken, with a beer-based marinade.

Craving dessert? Try our Guinness chocolate cupcakes with Baileys buttercream frosting, and turn that frown upside down with booze and sugar! You can find all of our St. Paddy’s Day recipes here.

What comfort food do you like to eat on bad days? If you love a big bowl of stew, keep these meaty recipes in mind when you’re feeling a little blue:

What do you think of this recipe, flavored with stout beer? Give us your own tips in the comment section below for how to stay sane and happy in this crazy world!


Don’t forget to Pin It!

A collage of photos showing different views of an Guinness flavored beef stew in white serving bowls along with bottles of stout as accompaniment.

Photos by Nikki Cervone, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details.

*Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.

About Nikki Cervone

Nikki Cervone is an ACS Certified Cheese Professional and cheesemonger living in Pittsburgh. Nikki holds an AAS in baking/pastry from Westmoreland County Community College, a BA in Communications from Duquesne University, and an MLA in Gastronomy from Boston University. When she's not nibbling on her favorite cheeses or testing a batch of cupcakes, Nikki enjoys a healthy dose of yoga, wine, hiking, singing in the shower, and chocolate. Lots of chocolate.

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