Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew Recipe
This Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew gets its depth from bacon drippings, dark stout, and a 90-minute simmer before the potatoes go in. It's one pot, feeds eight, and tastes even better the next day.
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.
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
Serving: 1cupCalories: 473kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 47gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 116mgSodium: 777mgPotassium: 1823mgFiber: 5gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 3151IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 89mgIron: 6mg
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.
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