Description
This Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Stew is a rich and hearty Irish-inspired dish featuring tender chunks of beef chuck slow-cooked with bacon, vegetables, dark beer, and a hint of bittersweet chocolate. The long, slow cooking process develops deep flavors and a luscious, thickened sauce perfect for cozy dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Bacon
- 2 pounds (907 g) boneless beef chuck, cut into 1 ½ inch chunks
- ½ pound bacon (about 8 slices)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Vegetables
- 3 onions, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 large celery ribs, sliced
- 1 ½ cups (355 g) Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
Liquids and Broth
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) beef broth
- 18 ounces (510 ml) dark beer (like Guinness)
Flavorings and Thickener
- ¼ cup (66 g) tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme (or to taste)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ounce (28 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- â…“ cup (42 g) flour
Instructions
- Season the beef: Cut the beef chuck into 1 ½ inch chunks and generously season with salt and pepper. Set aside to allow the seasoning to absorb while preparing other ingredients.
- Cook the bacon: In a Dutch oven over medium heat, fry the bacon until crisp. Remove and crumble it, reserving the bacon fat in the Dutch oven for browning the beef.
- Brown the beef: In batches, brown the seasoned beef pieces in the bacon fat to get a good sear, avoiding overcrowding. Transfer browned beef to the slow cooker insert. Add crumbled bacon once all beef is browned.
- Mix broth and tomato paste: Whisk together beef broth and tomato paste until smooth, then pour over beef and bacon in the slow cooker to coat evenly.
- Add vegetables and seasonings: Add chopped onions, minced garlic, sliced carrots and celery, cubed potatoes, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, ground pepper, dried thyme, and bay leaf. Stir to combine.
- Add beer and chocolate: Pour in the dark beer (like Guinness) and sprinkle in chopped bittersweet chocolate. Stir well to distribute all ingredients.
- Slow cook: Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours to develop flavors and tenderize beef.
- Thicken the stew: After cooking, ladle 1 cup of liquid from the stew into a bowl. Whisk in the flour to make a slurry. Pour the slurry back into the slow cooker and stir thoroughly. Cook an additional 5 minutes to thicken sauce.
- Finish and serve: Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir the stew well and serve hot, garnished with chopped parsley if desired.
Notes
- For best flavor, use a good quality dark beer like Guinness.
- Chopping the chocolate very finely helps it melt evenly into the stew.
- You can brown the beef in a skillet if you don’t have a Dutch oven; just reserve the drippings for extra flavor.
- Adjust seasonings to taste before serving.
- If you prefer a thicker stew, you can add a bit more flour slurry.
- Leftovers keep well and often taste even better the next day.
