This Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew is full of fall apart tender beef, potatoes and carrots, with a rich broth flavored with Guinness. After cooking all day in the Crock pot, enjoy this Guinness beef stew on St. Patrick's day or any other day of the year!
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Cook Time6 hourshrs
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Irish
Keyword: beef recipes, Crockpot/Slow Cooker, St. Patrick's Day Recipes, stew
1 ½poundsYukon gold potatoes cut into 1 inch pieces
fresh parsley
salt
pepper
Instructions
Season beef with salt and pepper toss with flour to fully coat. Use all the flour.
Heat a dutch oven over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil. Brown beef on all sides, working in batches if necessary to avoid over crowding pan. Remove beef from pan and transfer to slow cooker.
Return pan to heat, add another tablespoon of oil. Add the onions, season with salt and sauté until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Reduce heat as needed to avoid burning the onions.
When onions are golden, add the tomato paste and garlic, stir until combined and a "fond" (the brown bits) is starting to develop on the bottom of the pot.
Slowly whisk in the beef broth, scrapping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add 1/2 a cup of the Guinness, the brown sugar, and the fresh thyme. Whisk to combine.
Add potatoes and carrots to slow cooker. Carefully pour broth over meat and vegetables.
Set slow cooker to low and cook for 6-8 hours. If broth is not desired consistency, see notes for how to thicken it.
When finished cooking, stir in the remaining 3/4 cup of Guinness and fresh chopped parsley. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
Notes
The flour used on the beef should thicken the stew, but if it is not as thick as you want, use a slurry. To make a slurry, add two tablespoons of flour to a small bowl. Pour in 1/4 cup of hot broth from the stew. Whisk until smooth and no lumps remain. Pour the slurry into the stew and stir to fully combine. Cook for 20-30 more minutes, stew will thicken as it continues to cook.