Are you ready to learn how to make beef stew in the crockpot? Crock Pot Irish Beef Stew isn't just for St. Patrick's Day. This slow cooker Guinness beef stew can be served for dinnertime any night of the week. In fact, dinner just got made easier with this simple Irish beef stew recipe.
If you love minimal prep for your slow cooker recipes, you will love how easy this recipe comes together. Yes, you're going to seer the beef, but other than that, this is pretty much a dump-it-and-forget-it recipe.
No need to worry about what's for dinner on cold nights anymore. Our classic beef stew recipe meets all the requirements for the perfect comfort food.
What's more, with crock pot beef stew the simmering stew meat cooks while you go about your business during the day. Whether it's a full day of work or school, a long day of sight-seeing, or in honor of St.Paddy, Irish food is full of delicious flavor you'll embrace.
Soups and stews are staple recipes in colder months. The only downside for this classic stew recipe is limiting oneself to just one hearty bowl for a meal
You'll Need:
- large skillet
- slow cooker or crockpot- if you're slow cooking beef stew, either of these will work to make this comforting meal.
- or large Dutch oven if you're going to cook our traditional Irish beef stew recipe on the stove top instead of crockpot.
- or Instant Pot. Try this pressure cooker beef stew recipe.
What's In This Beef Stew?

Simple Ingredients:
- beef stew meat- who can go wrong with tender chunks of beef?
- olive oil- used to seer the beef prior to adding it to the slow cooker. Don't forget to scrape those browned bits off the bottom of the pan and add them to the crockpot with the rest of the meat. This adds so much flavor to the stew.
- beef stock
- bay leaves- cook the soup to get all the flavor, and then remove bay leaves prior to serving.
- black pepper
- Guinness beer- you really can't make one of the best Guinness beef stew recipes without it. If you don't have Guinness, you could use another Irish stout beer.
- tomato paste- a little bit of tomato flavor and it also works as a thickener.
- 3-4 cloves garlic- or enough to amount to 2 tablespoons. Read here for garlic substitutions.
- Worcestershire sauce- optional. Some Irish stew recipes call for this, our Guinness stew does not.
- corn starch - to thicken the stew, make a slurry of corn starch and water and then stir it into the pot of stew.
- potatoes and carrots- root vegetables are a staple in this classic recipe, so you'll want to make sure to add those.
How to Make Beef Stew in the Slow Cooker or Crockpot
First, you'll want to cut and then brown the beef on all sides in a large skillet.

Next, simply add all the ingredients to the slow cooker.
What Sides Go with Irish Beef Stew?
Irish beef stew is best served with a green salad and some Irish soda bread. Some other ideas include:
- bread sticks
- corn bread
- French bread
What Kind of Wine Goes with Beef Stew?
A fruity red wine would be the best match for this beef stew recipe. Try serving it with this Shiraz or Pinot Noir.
Cabernet is also an excellent choice to pair with beef.
What Do You Drink with Beef Stew?
Other than wine, if you're looking for a beverage to drink with beef stew, try pairing it with a dark beer, such as an Irish stout or English brown ale. Guinness stout in honor of St. Paddy is always a welcome addition.

How to Store Leftovers?
If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Make sure the beef stew has cooled completely before refrigerating it, and always reheat it until it's piping hot.
Irish beef stew is also great to use as a freezer meal. If you want to freeze it, make sure the beef stew has completely cooled before placing it in a freezer bag and into the freezer.
FAQs
Irish stew is just like American beef stew. It's made with the same ingredients, such as potatoes and carrots. The only difference between Irish and American beef stew is that it most likely contains Guinness beer in its recipe.
If you want to make this slow cooker beef stew recipe but don't have Guinness in your area, don't worry. Simply replace the Guinness with beef broth and add a little bit of sugar to compensate for the change in taste.
Stewing is usually done over low heat for several hours so that the meat becomes tender and melts in your mouth. However, since this easy slow cooker beef stew recipe cooks in a crockpot, you can set it on low heat for about 6 to 8 hours or high heat for 4 hours.
If you are cooking this beef stew on the stovetop, simply bring it to a boil before lowering the heat and simmering it until the meat becomes very tender.
If you want your stew to be thicker, mix 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour with 1/4 cup of cold water and then pour it into the slow cooker. Stir until combined and allow the mixture to thicken for about 15 minutes.
If you want this Irish beef stew to be even better, add 6 to 8 ounces of mushrooms along with the potatoes and carrots.
Crock Pot Irish Stew

Celebrate Saint Patrick with this dish that you can prepare at home. Preparing this rich beef stew with Guinness stout beer is quite easy. A chuck roast meat stew to enjoy celebrating or at any other time of the year, because it is delicious!
Ingredients
Equipment
- Saute Pan
- Garlic Press
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Food Chopper or Kitchen Knife
- Cutting Board
- Electric Salt and Pepper Grinder
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds chuck roast cut into 1 1/2 – 2 inch chunks
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 yellow onions chopped
- 2 Tbsp. minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme
- 1 14.9-ounce can of Guinness stout beer
- 1 6-ounce can of tomato paste
- 4-5 Russet potatoes, cut into chunks
- 3-4 large carrots, peeled, and cut into chunks
- 3-4 Celery stalks, cut into chunks
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 bay leafs
Instructions
- Cut your chuck roast into chunks.
- Heat the olive oil in a saute pan.
- Place the chunks into a saute pan and brown on both sides.
- Place the cooked beef on a plate and set it aside.
- In the same pot, heat olive oil and cook the onions until translucent.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.
- Add the chuck roast and the potatoes, celery, carrots, beef, beef broth, Guinness, and all seasonings.
- Toss to combine.
- Cook on low for 6-7 hours.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 855Total Fat 41gSaturated Fat 17gTrans Fat 2gUnsaturated Fat 21gCholesterol 221mgSodium 317mgCarbohydrates 41gFiber 5gSugar 4gProtein 71g