Guinness Beef Barley Stew (Printable)

A warm dish blending tender beef, nutty barley, and root vegetables in a rich Guinness broth.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 2 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
06 - 2 parsnips, peeled and sliced
07 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
08 - 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
09 - 1 small rutabaga, peeled and diced (approximately 1 cup)
10 - 1 tablespoon tomato paste

→ Grains

11 - 3/4 cup pearl barley, rinsed

→ Liquids

12 - 1 can (15 oz) Guinness stout
13 - 4 cups beef broth
14 - 1 cup water

→ Seasonings and Herbs

15 - 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
16 - 1 teaspoon black pepper
17 - 2 teaspoons dried thyme
18 - 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
19 - 2 bay leaves
20 - 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
21 - Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish (optional)

# How-To:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until shimmering.
02 - Season beef cubes with salt and pepper. In batches, brown the beef on all sides for approximately 5 minutes per batch, ensuring not to overcrowd the pot. Transfer browned beef to a clean plate.
03 - In the same pot, add diced onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic, carrots, parsnips, celery, potatoes, and rutabaga. Sauté the mixture for 5 minutes.
04 - Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute until fragrant and well combined.
05 - Return the browned beef to the pot. Add pearl barley, Guinness, beef broth, water, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir thoroughly to combine all components.
06 - Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is tender and barley is fully cooked.
07 - Remove and discard bay leaves. Taste the stew and adjust seasonings as needed with additional salt and pepper.
08 - Ladle the stew into bowls and garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired. Serve hot with crusty bread.

# Expert Hacks:

01 -
  • One pot means one cleanup, which honestly might be the best part of dinner on a busy weeknight.
  • The Guinness adds a subtle richness that tastes fancy but requires zero fancy techniques.
  • It genuinely tastes better the next day, so you're basically getting two great meals from one cooking session.
02 -
  • Don't skip browning the beef properly, because that's where the flavor comes from and it only takes an extra ten minutes but changes everything.
  • The stew thickens as it sits, so if it seems a little thin on the first night, don't panic and add flour, because it'll be perfect the next day.
03 -
  • Don't use the most expensive Guinness you can find, because it cooks down and blends into the broth anyway, so a standard bottle works perfectly fine and costs less.
  • Taste as you go, especially with the herbs and salt, because you want to build flavor gradually rather than trying to fix an over-seasoned pot.
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