Irish Beef Stew Over Mashed Potatoes

Celebrate the Irish traditions with this comforting Irish Beef Stew Over Mashed Potatoes. Made with tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef tips, carrots, peas, beef broth, and Guinness beer for an incredible supper. Serve this over creamy mashed potatoes.

Post and recipe update on 3/15/2025

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What You’ll Love About Irish Beef Stew

Everything you love about a rich pot of beefy stew is right here on this page, and there is no need to wait until St. Patrick’s day to make it!

I served this recipe years ago at a dinner gathering for a new friend and her husband and the only sounds at the dinner table were Mmm’s and Awww’s. It was also the first time I had ever used beer in a recipe and I was so impressed by the added depth it gave the stew.

Of course the Irish part of this recipe comes from Guinness beer which is rich, malty, and slightly bitter, and complements the savory, umami-rich qualities of the beef. It’s next level beef stew for sure!

What Is Irish Beef Stew?

Classic Irish stew is a flavorful peasant dish made with the cheapest, most readily available ingredients. Traditionally made with lamb or mutton, Irish stew reflects the history of Ireland itself.

The American version includes beef and a good dark beer, like Guinness. I do love a good beef stew with meat, carrots and potatoes, but serving Irish stew over creamy mashed potatoes takes it over the top.

Nothing compares to a bowl of comforting beef stew. Other recipes to enjoy are Slow Cooker Beef Stew and my Easy Stovetop Beef Stew.

Key Ingredients For Stew

• Olive oil- To help brown the beef.
• Stew meat- You’ll want a leaner cut of stew meat like beef chuck or shoulder cuts. I purchase the already trimmed and cut beef tips that come in 1 lb servings. These are ideal for stew meat and make preparation super fast.
• Flour– All-purpose flour is used to help brown the beef and thicken the stew.
• Aromatics- Onions, carrots, celery, and garlic are the foundation of a good flavored stew.
• Seasonings– Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and bay leaf.
• Tomato paste- Adds a rich tomato flavor.
• Beef broth- For a more mild beef flavor, use chicken broth.
• Beer- You’ll want to use a good stout beer like Guinness or other dark beer.
• Peas- This is optional but offers color and texture.
• Parsley– Use to add freshness just before serving.

Ingredients For Mashed Potatoes

• Potatoes
• Butter
• Milk
• Salt and pepper

Substitutions and Additions

Step By Step Directions

See full instructions in recipe card below

Step One. Combine flour, salt, and pepper with cubed beef. Add the beef to a soup pot heated with olive oil. Brown on all sides.

Step Two. Next add onion, celery, garlic, seasonings, tomato paste, beer, beef broth, and bay leaf. Cook on low for 1-hour with the lid on. Add carrots and cook another 1-hour.

Meanwhile make mashed potatoes by adding cut potatoes to a large pot of water. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and add butter, milk, salt and pepper to taste. Mashed until creamy and keep warm.

Step Three. When carrots and meat are tender make a paste with flour and water and slowly add the mixture to the stew to thicken. Add peas and parsley and cook another 5-10 minutes. Serve over mashed potatoes.

Important Tips

Common Questions

More Beef Recipes To Enjoy

• Pot Roast Stew with Pearl Barley
• Mom’s Hamburger Soup
• Cabbage Roll Soup
• Slow Cooker Cowboy Soup
• Beefy Slow Cooker Chili
• Mexican Lasagna

Irish Beef Stew Over Mashed Potatoes

Celebrate the Irish traditions with this comforting Irish Beef Stew Over Mashed Potatoes. Made with tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef tips, carrots, peas, beef broth, and Guinness beer for an incredible supper. Serve this over creamy mashed potatoes.

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Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Irish

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 5

Calories: 383kcal

Equipment

• 1 large soup pot with fitted lid
• 1 medium pot

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb stew meat, trimmed and cut in 2 inch chunks
• 3 tbsp flour, divided
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 large carrots, peeled and cut in 1-inch chunks
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 (12) oz bottle dark beer, such as Guinness
• 2 1/2 cups low sodium beef broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
• 1 tsp pepper, divided
• prepared mashed potatoes see instructions

Instructions

• In a medium bowl combine stew meat with flour, salt and pepper.

  1 lb stew meat chunks

  2 tbsp flour

  1 tsp kosher salt

  1/2 tsp black pepper
• Meanwhile heat a large soup pot to medium high heat and add oil. Add stew meat and brown on all sides until deep golden and caramelized. Depending on your pot size you may need to do this in two batches.
• To the stew meat add onions, celery, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and tomato paste. Stir to combine with the meat for 1-2 minutes, then add beer, beef broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to break up the bits. Place the lid on and turn the heat down to low. Allow to cook 1-hour.

  1 cup onions, diced

  3 celery stalks, diced

  2 garlic cloves, minced

  1 tsp Italian seasoning

  1/2 tsp salt and pepper

  2 tbsp tomato paste

  12 ounce bottle of beer

  2 1/2 cups beef broth

  1 bay leaf
• After the 1-hour add the carrots. Place the lid on a cook another 1-hour.

  4 large carrots, cut in 1 inch pieces
• Meanwhile prepare mashed potatoes. Add potatoes to a medium pot filled with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are fork tender, about 12-15 minutes. Drain and add butter, milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Mash until creamy then keep warm. Note: adjust butter and milk to make the potatoes creamier.

  4-5 russet potatoes, peeled and cut in large chunks

  3 tbsp butter

  1/4 cup milk
• When carrots and meat are tender make a paste with flour and water and slowly add the mixture to the stew to thicken, whisking constantly so the flour doesn't clump. Add peas and parsley and cook another 5-10 minutes. Serve over mashed potatoes.

  1 tbsp flour

  1 1/2 tbsp cold water

  1 cup frozen peas

  1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Notes

Tips

• Don’t cut the meat too small. You want the beef to be about 1 1/2-2 inches in size. This will ensure the beef has plenty of time to cook with the liquid and gather all the delicious flavors without completely falling apart into shreds.
• How to prevent the flour paste from clumping in the stew. Stir together cold water and flour, then slowly add to the stew and whisk constantly while adding.

Substitutions

• Seasonings- Common seasonings for Irish stew are dried thyme, and rosemary. Feel free to add these in addition to the Italian seasoning.
• Beer- If you don’t want to add beer just use more beef stock or you can substitute with red wine.
• Mashed potatoes- This Irish stew is served over mashed potatoes. If you’d rather add potatoes to the stew, you’ll want about 2 cups diced and incorporate that last hour of the cooking time. You can also serve this stew over mashed cauliflower for a lower carb meal.

 

Common Questions

Do I need to brown the beef?

Yes. Browning the beef is essential for a rich flavored stew. This only takes an additional few minutes and it’s so worth it.

Can I make this Irish stew in the slow cooker?

Definitely! Brown the beef and sauté the vegetables in a pot first, along with tomato paste and beer to help deglaze the pan, then transfer everything along with the rest of the ingredients, to the slow cooker. Reserve the peas and parsley until the very end. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

Can I freeze Irish Stew?

Yes! Simply cook the stew completely and place in a freezer safe container with a tight fitting lid. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw, heat through, and enjoy.

 

Nutritional facts do include 1/2 cup mashed potatoes. 

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be understood as an estimate rather than a guarantee. The Menu Maid makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 383kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 1086mg | Potassium: 1502mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 8842IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 4mg

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