Instant Pot Irish Beef Guinness Stew

Irish beef Guinness stew is a pressure-cooked, deeply flavorful Irish-inspired beef stew simmered in dark stout Guinness beer until the meat is fall-apart tender and the gravy turns rich, glossy, and incredibly savory. Get pub-style dump-and-go stew in their own kitchen today!

You might also like Beef Cabbage Soup and Irish Corned Beef and Cabbage.

Are we in the St. Patrick's season yet? Hearty beef stew anyone or Irish Soda Bread with Whiskey Raisins? When everyone's hungry and you need to get quick and easy beef stew on the table, this Irish Beef Stew recipe is what you need! Simply

Simply brown the meat and cook the potatoes all in one pot for the ultimate convenient meal.

New to pressure cooking? Start with my Ultimate Guide to Instant Pot to get comfortable with the basics, then come back to nail these ribs.

What is Irish Beef Guinness Stew?

Irish beef Guinness stew is a classic comfort dish where well-marbled beef is browned, then slowly braised with Guinness, stock, aromatics, and herbs until soft enough to eat with a spoon. The stout doesn't leave a "beer" taste; it cooks down into a dark, complex gravy that tastes savoury, slightly malty, and intensely beefy.

Traditional Irish stew was often made with lamb, but Beef Guinness stew has become the more common version in many parts of the world, especially Australia and North America.

Key Ingredients and Why They Matter

• Beef chuck or other slow-cooking beef: Well-marbled stewing cuts break down slowly, releasing collagen that turns the cooking liquid into a silky gravy. Large chunks hold their shape through long cooking instead of shredding too early and making the stew stringy.
• Guinness (or another Irish stout): Dark stout adds roasted, malty, and slightly bitter notes that balance the richness of the beef and bacon. During long simmering, the sharp alcohol cooks off and the flavour mellows into a deep sauce.
• Onions and garlic: They sweeten as they cook and rounding out any bitterness from the beer. Garlic adds warmth and depth that keeps the stew from tasting flat.
• Bacon, speck, or pancetta: Cured pork adds smoky, salty complexity and renders fat that you use to sauté the vegetables. Those browned bacon bits also contribute savoury, umami-rich fond on the bottom of the pot.
• Carrots and celery: Classic stew vegetables add sweetness, texture, and colour, while slowly releasing flavour into the broth. They also make the stew feel like a one-pot meal rather than just meat in gravy.

Why You'll Love Irish Beef Stew in the instant pot?

Beef stew isn't a difficult meal to simmer on the stove, so why should you make it in an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker? The real benefit is that this Instant Pot Beef Stew recipe is quick and easy.

And there's only one pot to wash at the end. Besides, Guinness beer gives a wonderful depth of flavor and wonderful aroma around your house. It makes the most delicious broth and also helps tenderize the beef. The mixture of beer and stew is so amazing! And he flavor is rich, deep and unforgettable!

Jump to:

• What is Irish Beef Guinness Stew?
• Key Ingredients and Why They Matter
• Why You'll Love Irish Beef Stew in the instant pot?
• Why make instant pot beef stew
• How to make instant pot beef stew
• Irish Guiness Beef Stew
• Storage, Freezing, and Leftovers
• Tips for the Best Irish Beef Guinness Stew
• FAQ
• Why is my beef tough in Instant Pot Irish stew?
• How do I fix watery or thin Guinness gravy?
• My stew is too thick or keeps giving me a BURN message
• How do I prevent mushy vegetables in Instant Pot beef stew?
• Why does my Guinness beef stew taste bitter?
• More St. Patrick's Day recipes
• Reviews

Why make instant pot beef stew

• Because you will make Irish Beef Stew with the most wholesome ingredients!
• You will get it ready in 30 minutes total! And most of that time is hands-off.
• Only ONE pot to wash at the end!
• You can use either beef or chicken.
• You will reward yourself with the most flavorful comfort food dinner that the whole family will love!

The beef comes out super tender and reminds me of a texture of slow cooked pulled meat. Only here the beef is pressure cooked only for 35 minutes! The warm comforting combination of meat, potatoes, carrots and mushrooms of this Instant Pot Irish Beef and Guinness Stew will make your family happy campers.

Have a nice loaf of fresh bread with it and you are set for a warm, hearty dinner for any night or the perfect easy St. Patrick's day meal!

How to make instant pot beef stew

1. Brown Beef Chunks

• First things first, turn on the sauté function on the Instant Pot and add butter. Once the butter is melted, add the stew meat.
• Next, brown the meat for about 5 minutes per side for a total of 10 minutes. You will flip only once to get a nice brown color.

2. Add Your Liquids

• Now you will pour the beef broth into the pot. Stir into the bottom of the pot to get all brown bits off.
• Next add beer, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, minced garlic, rosemary, thyme and sea salt. By the way, I used Guinness Extra Stout beer here.

3. Add Veggies

Now add carrots, potatoes, mushrooms and frozen pearl onions.

4. Mix Everything

Lastly, mix all the veggies with the meat, broth and herbs. You can now pressure cook your Instant Pot Beef Stew!

5. Pressure Cook

1. First, close the lid on the Instant Pot. Make sure it's in the "Lock" position.
2. Secondly, turn the vent to "Sealing" position. Push "Meat/Stew" button which defaults to 35 minutes. Your pot will show On. Curious about what that cooking time means for your food? Read my Core Instant Pot Cook Times to find out.
3. Pressure will start building. This process can take up to 25 minutes due to the large amount of ingredients in the pot. Once the pressure is built up and valve pops up, the countdown will start from 35 minutes to 0.
4. Once done use Natural Release Method (check these Instant Pot Tips and Tricks). Basically, just wait 10-15 minutes before releasing pressure. And just like that Instant Pot Irish Beef Stew is done!

Tips for the Best Irish Beef Guinness Stew

• Use the right cut and size of beef: Choose a well-marbled, slow-cooking cut like chuck rather than lean steak, which can dry out.
• Keep pieces large so they survive a pressure cooker without breaking down too early.
• Brown in batches: Crowding the pot traps steam and prevents browning, so cook the meat in layers with space around each piece. Leave the fond on the bottom; it will dissolve into the sauce when you add Guinness and stock.
• Adjust thickness at the end: If the sauce is too thin, simmer uncovered longer or reduce a ladleful in a separate pan, then return it to the pot. If it's too thick, stir in a splash of stock or water until it reaches your ideal consistency.
• Make it ahead: The flavor of Irish beef Guinness stew improves after a night in the fridge as everything melds together. Reheat gently, adding a little water or stock if the sauce has thickened too much.

FAQ

• Can you taste the Guinness in the stew?
  The finished stew does not taste like beer; the Guinness cooks down into a rich, savory sauce with deep, complex flavor rather than a boozy or hoppy taste.
• Can I use a different beer?
  Guinness or a similar dark Irish stout works best because it offers the right balance of roasted malt, bitterness, and body, whereas lighter beers lack that signature depth.
• Can I make Irish beef Guinness stew without alcohol?
  Yes; replace the beer with water, Worcestershire sauce, and bouillon to create a robust, classic beef stew base that is alcohol-free, understanding it will no longer be a true Guinness stew.
• Is it better on the stovetop, in the oven, slow cooker, or pressure cooker?
  All methods work; stovetop and oven give you the most control over reduction, while slow cooker and pressure cooker are more hands-off and require minor adjustments to liquid and thickening.
• Does Irish beef Guinness stew freeze well? This stew freezes very well, and the texture of the meat and sauce holds up beautifully when thawed and reheated gently.

Why is my beef tough in Instant Pot Irish stew?

• Beef stew meat needs enough time at high pressure to break down; if it is chewy, return the lid and cook for another 10-15 minutes at high pressure, then natural release.
• Use well‑marbled chuck or stewing beef and cut it into even chunks so it cooks at the same rate and stays tender instead of stringy.

How do I fix watery or thin Guinness gravy?

• After pressure cooking, switch to Sauté and simmer the stew uncovered for 5-10 minutes until the liquid reduces and thickens naturally.
• For a faster fix, ladle out some hot cooking liquid, whisk in flour or a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch + 2 tablespoons cold water), then stir back in and simmer until the gravy coats the back of a spoon.

My stew is too thick or keeps giving me a BURN message

• "Burn" usually means the stew is too thick, there isn't enough thin liquid, or bits of meat and flour are stuck to the bottom; always fully deglaze the pot after browning by scraping up browned bits with broth or Guinness.
• Make sure there is at least enough broth/beer to just cover the meat and vegetables and avoid thick tomato paste or flour slurries on the bottom-add them after pressure cooking instead.

How do I prevent mushy vegetables in Instant Pot beef stew?

• Pressure cook the beef first, then quick release, add potatoes and carrots on top, and pressure cook again for only 1-5 minutes so the vegetables stay intact.
• Cut root veggies into larger chunks and avoid very soft vegetables (like peas) during pressure cooking-stir them in at the end on Sauté just until heated through.

Why does my Guinness beef stew taste bitter?

• Long cooking can intensify the bitterness of stout; balance it at the end with a little brown sugar, tomato paste, or a splash of extra beef broth to round out the flavors.
• Make sure to scrape up any burned bits from the bottom after searing and before pressure cooking, because scorched residue can carry a harsh, bitter taste into the gravy.

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