Instant Pot Guinness Beef Stew – The Foodie Dietitian

Super hearty and inherently Irish, this Instant Pot Guinness Beef Stew is the perfect recipe for an upcoming St. Patrick’s Day feast or for an easy family dinner!

Ya’ll know how much I love St. Patrick’s Day.

I have such fond memories growing up of spending St. Paddy’s Day at my grandparent’s house, eating corned beef and cabbage and listening to all the Irish jigs and ballads. It was a fun and lively celebration and I try to recreate that every year at home. It seems like the last couple years we’ve had travel over St. Paddy’s weekend though, leaving me to make our Irish feast either a little early or belated.

Last year we celebrated early, just Steve and I. I made corned beef and cabbage in the slow cooker (my first time eating corned beef in 18 years!), my Irish soda bread (and if you want the recipe for whole wheat Irish soda bread, I’ve got you), and we had aged cheddar cheese from Ireland with the colors of the Irish flag on the rind (I’m a sucker for cheesy – haha pun not intended – things like that). Oh, and of course, Guinness.

A couple days later, as Boston got hit with 15+ inches of snow, I broke out the Instant Pot to test another St. Patrick’s Day favorite, Guinness Beef Stew. Now, if you want a plant-based version, I’ve got an awesome recipe for vegetarian Irish Guinness Lentil Stew. Also, if you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ll probably realize that this is my first meat recipe here. And if you’re thinking where did this come from and you missed my post on why I started eating meat again, be sure to check that out for some background.

This recipe testing couldn’t have been more perfectly timed, IMO. Blizzard outside. Guinness Stew inside. YES. Hoping this is the last hearty winter meal I have to make in a while though! I mean, it is the beginning of spring next week, right? Although, I’m aware that in Boston that means nothing. We’ve been known to see snow in April.

This stew was so satisfying though. Steve actually ate it for lunch AND dinner, that’s how much he enjoyed it. I have a thing about eating the same thing twice in one day (I get bored and I like variety) otherwise I probably would have too. This stew is super easy to make in the Instant Pot, although you could easily convert it to a slow cooker recipe, just brown the meat and mushrooms separately before adding it to the slow cooker. 

I LOVE all of the flavor in this stew – not only from the Guinness, but the aromatic veggies, Dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce, bay leaves and thyme. It’s like all the savory flavors combined into one stew. MMMMMM. Serve this with some soda bread or I could also see this being really delicious served on top of mashed potatoes. Yessssss. Or, if you wanna be real Irish, serve it on top of my vegan cauliflower colcannon.

Whether you’re Irish or you just like an excuse to take a car bomb with your friends (no judgments) on St. Paddy’s Day, this recipe is for you.

Ingredients You’ll Need 

Notes on Ingredients:

• lean beef stew meat (round chuck): any of the tougher cuts of beef work perfectly in stew. Chuck, beef shin, brisket and short ribs are always good cuts to go for but most supermarkets and butchers will be able to guide you as to what cut of beef is best for your stew!
• sliced cremini or baby Bella mushrooms: earthy, slightly woodsy, meaty flavor and are one of the foods that contain umami – will add so much flavor to the stew!
• tomato paste: can substitute with tomato sauce or ketchup if needed. 
• Guinness or other stout beer: Will add immense flavor, but can swap in any stout, porter, brown, or amber ale. As long as it’s not too hoppy, it will work just fine!
• Dijon mustard: for flavor and spice.
• Worcestershire sauce: savory and sweet with a distinct tang provided by the vinegar.
• bay leaves: for added flavor
• fresh thyme: for flavor, can substitute for rosemary if needed
• beef stock: for flavor and broth, can substitute with chicken or vegetable broth but might lose the strong beef flavor.
• yukon gold potatoes: best for stews, but can use any potato!
• cornstarch: to thicken the stew. Can substitute with flour or tapioca starch if needed. 

Equipment You’ll Need (affiliate links – if you make a purchase I receive a small commission)

How to Make Instant Pot Guinness Beef Stew

1. Season beef with salt and pepper. Turn Instant Pot on to Sauté function and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add beef (working in two batches) and let cook about 2 minutes on each side, or until browned.
2. Set beef aside!
3. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and mushrooms and saute until browned, about 4 minutes on each side. Set cooked mushrooms aside. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, onions and celery, and let saute until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste and continue sautéing until garlic is fragrant and tomato paste has darkened in color, about 2 minutes.
4. Add Guinness to deglaze the pan. Add seared beef, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, bay leaves, thyme and beef stock.
5. Secure lid, make sure valve is set to sealing, and set Instant Pot to Meat/Stew function for 30 minutes. Use quick release valve to release steam.
6. Remove lid, add potatoes and carrots. Secure lid back on and set to pressure cook/manual for four minutes. Use quick release valve to release steam.
7. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water. Add cornstarch slurry and cooked mushrooms to the stew and stir to thicken (stew will continue to thicken as it sits).
8. Remove bay leaves and thyme. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Enjoy!

Expert Tips

1. (Not sure if there are any specific tips!)

Recipe FAQs

1.What if I don’t have any Guinness on hand? 

You can swap in any stout, porter, brown, or amber ale. As long as it’s not too hoppy, it will work just fine!

2. What if I don’t want to use beer at all?

You don’t have too! You can swap the Guinness for beef stock or vegetable broth (vegetarian). 

3. What kind of beef is used for stew?

Any of the tougher cuts of beef work perfectly in stew. Chuck, beef shin, brisket and short ribs are always good cuts to go for but most supermarkets and butchers will be able to guide you as to what cut of beef is best for your stew. Bone-in stewing beef bought from most supermarkets are perfect for this stew!

Storage and Preparation 

Instant Pot Guinness Beef Stew leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

This beef stew makes great leftovers and also freezes very well! Cool and store in the fridge for up to 5 days or in air-tight containers in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and gently reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Recipes that Pair Well

Air Fryer Garlic Bread

Blood Orange Gin Fizz

Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread

For more St. Patrick’s Day recipes, check out more of mine below!

If you like this recipe, please be sure to comment and give it a 5 star rating below. If you make it, share it on Instagram and tag me @karalydonrd and I’ll re-share it with my followers! If you want to save this recipe for later, be sure to pin it on Pinterest!

This recipe was retested, reshot and revamped to bring you the most delicious (and most beautiful) dish! The original post was published March 2018.

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