Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew – Authentic Recipe with Guinness
Slow cooker Irish beef stew is what I make when the weather turns and I want one pot doing the work for the whole evening. Irish-American families have leaned on stew like this for generations, and it’s still as delicious today as it was decades ago.
This post may contain affiliate link(s). As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See Disclosures.
There’s something so comforting about a hearty pot of stew. And with this traditional Irish Stew Recipe, the flavor starts with bacon. I brown the beef in the drippings, build the base with leeks and tomato paste, and let dark stout and beef broth carry it through a long, slow simmer. The potatoes go in near the end so they stay in cubes instead of dissolving into the gravy.
You'll get ad-free recipes like:
Spaghetti Casserole,
Sloppy Joe Casserole,
Cowboy Casserole,
and more!
31 of Chef Jenn's FAVE Casseroles
I've gathered 31 of my favorite casseroles for you and your family to love, all in a convenient ebook with no ads and no AI! Each of these scratch-made dishes is created, tested, and loved by Chef Jenn. Get your instant download now!
This is a digital product. You'll receive an instant download link after purchase.
Make the full batch, or better yet, double it and freeze some for later. This stew is even better on day two.
Chef Jenn’s Take on Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew
Most people make beef stew and wonder why it tastes flat, or why the potatoes turned to mush. Both problems come from rushing the first half hour and putting everything in the pot at once. The browning step is where this stew gets its flavor. Bacon drippings give the beef a deeper crust than oil alone, and I take my time with it, working in batches so the meat sears instead of steaming.
I also keep the Guinness in proportion. One cup of stout plus four cups of broth gives you that dark, malty backbone without taking over, and cooking the tomato paste into the vegetables first rounds out the sharp edge of the beer.
The real key is timing. The beef needs its full 90 minutes before the potatoes ever go into the pot. Added at the end, they cook tender in about 15 minutes and keep their shape. Then the cornstarch slurry turns the broth into a proper gravy, and the peas go in last so they stay bright green.
What You’ll Love About Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew
- The bacon does double duty here, flavoring the fat you brown the beef in and then going back into the pot, so nothing gets wasted.
- It feeds a crowd from one pot, which is exactly why stews like this were a weeknight standard in Irish-American households and still are in mine.
- The potatoes come out in tender cubes instead of mush, because they go in at the end instead of simmering for two hours.
History of Irish Beef Stew
Irish stew in its original form was a plain dish of mutton, potatoes, and onions, slow-cooked in a single pot in rural Ireland. When Irish immigrants settled in American cities in the 19th and early 20th centuries, beef was easier to find than mutton, and the stew changed with it. By the mid-20th century, beef stew with carrots, potatoes, and peas was a fixture of American community cookbooks, and versions braised in dark stout became tied to Irish pubs and St. Patrick’s Day menus on both sides of the Atlantic. When electric slow cookers took off in American kitchens in the early 1970s, long-simmered beef stews were among the first recipes home cooks adapted for them.
Ingredients
- Bacon – Regular-cut, not thick-cut. Thick-cut takes longer to crisp and gives you less fat to brown the beef in.
- Salt and black pepper – Season each batch of beef as it browns, then taste again at the end. The bacon and broth both add salt.
- Beef stew meat – Prepackaged stew meat works, but I prefer buying a 3-pound chuck roast and cubing it myself. The pieces come out more even and stay more tender.
- Mushrooms – White or cremini, quartered. Cremini give a deeper, earthier flavor.
- Leeks – White and light green parts only. Rinse them well after slicing, because leeks trap grit between the layers.
- Carrots – Medium carrots, sliced about 1/4 inch thick. Skip the bagged baby carrots; they cook up watery.
- Onion – One medium yellow onion, about 1 cup diced.
- Celery – Two stalks gets you about 1/2 cup chopped.
- Canola oil – Any neutral oil works. You only need it if the bacon drippings run low while you’re browning the beef.
- Garlic – Smashed whole cloves, not minced. They soften into the stew without scorching.
- Tomato paste – The tube kind saves you from opening a whole can for 1 tablespoon.
- Reduced-sodium beef broth – Stick with reduced sodium. Full-sodium broth plus bacon makes the stew too salty once it reduces.
- Guinness stout beer – A dry Irish-style stout. Skip sweet, milk, or flavored stouts; they make the gravy taste off.
- Bay leaves – Two whole dried leaves. Fish them out before serving.
- Thyme – Three fresh sprigs or 1 teaspoon dried. If you use fresh, the leaves fall off during the simmer and you just pull the stems.
- Dried rosemary – Crush it between your fingers before adding so you don’t end up with whole needles in the stew.
- Red potatoes – Leave the skins on. Yukon Golds work too. Skip russets, because they break down and cloud the gravy.
- Cornstarch – Don’t swap in flour at the same amount. Flour needs more volume and more cooking time to thicken.
- Cold water – Cold, not warm. Warm water makes the cornstarch clump.
- Frozen peas – Frozen, not canned. Canned peas turn gray and mushy in hot stew.
How to Make Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew
Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.
Start by cooking the diced bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until it’s crisp. Lift it out with a slotted spoon and leave every bit of the drippings in the pot.
Turn the heat up to medium-high and brown the beef in batches, seasoning each batch with salt and pepper as it goes in. Add a little oil if the pot starts to look dry. Move each finished batch to a plate and keep any juices that collect.
Add the leeks, carrots, celery, onion, and mushrooms to the pot and cook until they start to soften, about 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic for 1 minute, then the tomato paste until it coats the vegetables evenly.
Pour in the broth and stout, then add the bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary. Return the beef, its juices, and the bacon to the pot and bring everything to a boil.
Drop the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 90 minutes, until the beef is tender. Then stir in the potatoes, cover again, and simmer about 15 minutes more, until a fork slides through them easily.
Whisk the cornstarch and cold water into a smooth slurry, stir it into the stew, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring, until the gravy thickens. Add the frozen peas for the last 2 to 3 minutes. Pull out the bay leaves and thyme stems, taste, and adjust the seasoning.
Make It A Meal
I serve this stew with a big spoonful of Colcannon with Kale on the side, which keeps the whole plate Irish. For a St. Patrick’s Day spread, put out Cabbage & Potatoes with Bacon next to the pot.
If you like your stew ladled over something, try it on top of Grandma’s Mashed Potatoes. Add a loaf of crusty bread for the gravy and dinner is done.
Storage
Irish beef stew keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat it on the stove over medium-low heat, adding a splash of broth if the gravy has gotten too thick. It freezes for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, and expect the potatoes to be a little softer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Replace the stout with an extra cup of beef broth plus 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, which brings back some of the depth the beer gives.
Yes. Boneless lamb shoulder cut into 1-inch cubes works, and it puts the stew closer to the original Irish version. Keep the same simmer time and check for tenderness at 90 minutes.
Not as written, because stout contains gluten. Use a gluten-free stout or dark beer and check that your broth and bacon are labeled gluten-free. The cornstarch thickener is already gluten-free.
Yes, but split it between two pots unless you have one that holds at least 12 quarts. An overfilled pot browns poorly and takes much longer to come to a simmer.
Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 bacon strips diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 pounds beef stew meat cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 pound white or crimini mushrooms quartered
- 2 cups sliced leeks white and light green parts, chopped
- 2 medium carrots sliced about ¼ inch thick
- 1 onion diced – about 1 cup diced onion
- 1/2 cup celery chopped
- canola oil as needed
- 4 garlic cloves smashed
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
- 1 cup Guinness stout beer
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary crushed
- 2 pounds red potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- 1 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Cook the bacon. In a large Dutch oven or heavy stockpot, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings in the pot.
- Brown the beef. Working in batches, brown the beef in the bacon drippings over medium-high heat, adding canola oil if needed to prevent sticking. Sprinkle each batch with salt and pepper. Transfer the browned beef to a plate and keep any juices that collect.
- Cook the vegetables. Add the leeks, carrots, celery, onion, and mushrooms to the pot and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the tomato paste. Stir the tomato paste into the vegetables and cook until evenly incorporated.
- Build the stew. Add the beef broth, stout, bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary. Return the beef, its juices, and the bacon to the pot and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Simmer the beef. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 90 minutes, or until the beef is tender.
- Add the potatoes. Stir in the potatoes, cover, and continue simmering for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
- Thicken the stew. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Stir the slurry into the stew, bring it to a simmer, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring, until thickened.
- Add the peas. Stir in the frozen peas and cook until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Finish the stew. Remove and discard the bay leaves and thyme stems. Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.
Video
Notes
Recipe Card Tips
- Pat the beef dry with paper towels before browning, and leave space between the pieces in the pot. Wet or crowded beef steams gray instead of browning.
- Cut the potatoes as close to 1 inch as you can. Bigger chunks won’t finish cooking in the 15-minute window.
- After the slurry goes in, bring the stew back to a full bubble. Cornstarch won’t thicken until it reaches a simmer.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
