Instant Pot Guinness Beef Stew is an Irish recipe made simpler! You will love the same rich, savory flavor and incredibly tender beef in less time and with less effort then if you’d braised it for hours.
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There are probably 1,000 ways to make Guinness Beef Stew, but I’m fairly certain that cooking it in the Instant Pot is definitely the quickest.
This stew tastes as if its been cooking for hours and the beef will be so tender, it will literally melt in your mouth
The majority of Guinness Beef Stew is made with chunks of tender beef, carrots, and potatoes in a rich Guinness-based broth. The seasonings and vegetables may vary slightly recipe-to-recipe, but the overall flavor is always rich and savory.
If you’d rather not use alcohol, though it does cook off in this recipe, you can make this Instant Pot Beef Stew recipe instead.
Why This Recipe Works
Guinness beef stew can be made in much less time by cooking it in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker. The beef will be incredibly tender and the flavor will be just as rich and savory as if it had been cooking for hours.
This recipe is easily modified. You can add more vegetables, such as peas or mushrooms, or add bacon. To add even more depth of flavor, you can add a splash of Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce.
This comforting Irish stew is perfect for fall and winter, as well as St. Patrick’s Day
Step-By-Step Instructions
Ingredients
- 2 pounds stew meat: you can buy this already pre-cut at the grocery store or cut your own from a roast like chuck roast.
- salt
- pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 onions (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 cups carrots (cut into 1-inch pieces, from about 4 medium size carrots)
- 1 pound potatoes (cut into 1-inch pieces, from about 2 large potatoes, we use russet or Yukon gold)
- 1 1/2 cups Guinness (or other stout beer)
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 cup beef stock: you may need slightly less or more to just cover everything in the pot
- fresh parsley (optional, garnish)
The entire recipe and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. You can print the recipe from the card, if needed.
Prep!
If you are cutting your own beef, keep the pieces about 1-inch in size.
Dice the onions and mince the garlic. Peel and cut the carrots and potatoes into 1-inch chunks.
Create!
Season the beef with salt and pepper.
Turn your Instant Pot on to sauté. Once hot, add the olive oil and the beef. Cook until just browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Turn off the Instant Pot and drain out any excess grease.
Add the onions, garlic, carrots, potatoes, Guinness, flour, tomato paste, bay leaves and thyme. Mix well. Add just enough beef stock to barely cover everything.
Put the lid on the pot, ensure the seal is closed and set to pressure cook on high for 35 minutes using the meat and stew function.
Once the stew is done cooking, let the Instant Pot do a natural release for 10 minutes (this means you’re just letting it sit for 10 minutes). Then, carefully turn the valve to vent and do a quick release to release the rest of the pressure in the pot.
Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, as desired.
Present!
Garnish with minced parsley, if desired.
Serve with crusty bread and butter, or Irish soda bread.
Tips and Techniques
- Buy already cut stew meat from the grocery store to save time.
- Cut the potatoes and carrots into chunks about the same size as the stew meat for even cooking and consistency.
- Wait to season the stew with salt and pepper until after it’s done cooking.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Consume within 3-4 days.
FAQ’s
Can Guinness Beef Stew Be Made in a Slow Cooker?
Guinness beef stew can be made in a slow cooker. You’ll want to brown the meat on the stove top first to seal in all the juices. Then, add all of the remaining ingredients, except for the parsley, to your slow cooker. Set to cook on low for 8 hours. After the stew is done cooking, season with salt and pepper and garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
Can You Freeze Guinness Beef Stew?
Guinness beef stew can be frozen in freezer bags or airtight containers for up to 3-6 months. Please note that the texture of the stew, primarily the potatoes, may change once thawed and reheated. The flavor will remain the same, but the potatoes may become grainy or fall apart.
Be sure the stew is cool before transferring it to bags or containers to freeze. When reheating, you may need to re-thicken the stew with a cornstarch slurry of 1 tablespoon flour whisked with 1 tablespoon stock or water.
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Instant Pot Guinness Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 pounds stew meat (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- salt
- pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 onions (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 cups carrots (cut into 1-inch pieces, from about 4 medium size carrots)
- 1 pound potatoes (cut into 1-inch pieces, from about 2 large potatoes, we use russet or Yukon gold)
- 1 1/2 cups Guinness (or other stout beer)
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 cup beef stock (may need slightly more or less)
- fresh parsley (optional, garnish)
Instructions
- Season the beef with salt and pepper.2 pounds stew meat, salt, pepper
- Turn your Instant Pot on to sauté. Once hot, add the olive oil and the beef. Cook until just browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Turn off the Instant Pot and drain out any excess grease.1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Add the onions, garlic, carrots, potatoes, Guinness, flour, tomato paste, bay leaves and thyme. Mix well. Add just enough beef stock to barely cover everything.2 onions, 2 cloves garlic, 2 cups carrots, 1 pound potatoes, 1 1/2 cups Guinness, 1/4 cup all purpose flour, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1-2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 cup beef stock
- Put the lid on the pot, ensure the seal is closed and set to pressure cook on high for 35 minutes using the meat and stew function.
- Once the stew is done cooking, let the Instant Pot do a natural release for 10 minutes (this means you’re just letting it sit for 10 minutes). Then, carefully turn the valve to vent and do a quick release to release the rest of the pressure in the pot.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, as desired.salt, pepper
- Garnish with minced parsley, if desired.fresh parsley
- Serve with crusty bread and butter, or Irish soda bread.
Notes
Tips and Techniques
- Buy already cut stew meat from the grocery store to save time. You can also cut your own from a cut of beef such as chuck roast.
- Cut the potatoes and carrots into chunks about the same size as the stew meat for even cooking and consistency.
- Wait to season the stew with salt and pepper until after it’s done cooking.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Consume within 3-4 days.
