Guinness Pot Roast
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Guinness Pot Roast is loaded with flavor from the rich taste of Guinness beer, fresh rosemary, vegetables and bold spices. It's slow-cooked in a dutch oven until tender and juicy, making it the perfect comfort food on a cold and blustery day!
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Why You'll Love It
- great dish to make on St. Patrick's Day or any time of year
- slow cooked until fork-tender
- easy recipe with very little prep
- one pot dutch oven does all the work for you
- hearty and delicious meal your entire family will love!
What is Guinness Pot Roast?
If you're familiar with traditional pot roast, this recipe is similar, but Guinness stout beer is used to braise the meat in addition to beef stock and tomato paste. It's like an Irish Beef Stew, but uses a beef chuck roast instead of stew meat.
The final results are incredible, with a robust flavor and delicious sauce that tastes great when served over creamy mashed potatoes, or dipped with a big slice of Irish Soda Bread.
If you love the idea of cooking with Guinness, try Corned Beef and Cabbage and Irish Stew. Both of these recipes are delicious and include the rustic flavor of a dark beer.
Recipe Highlights
Irish Pot Roast is so tender and flavorful, you'll be tempted to make it at least once a week in the winter and early spring months! The depth of flavors comes from the fresh herbs and rich sauce made with Guinness.
Even though the alcohol is cooked away, the extra flavor remains, and is infused into the beef and pot roast vegetables.
My whole family loves this beef roast, and ranks it up there with Shepherd's Pie and Hearty Stew as one of our favorite meals.
While the dark beer is the secret ingredient, the carrots and red cabbage also add richness to the stock, creating the perfect gravy to spoon over red potatoes or rice.
What's the best cut of beef to use?
While traditional Irish recipes often use lamb instead of beef, this Guinness Pot Roast works best with a heavily marbled chuck. The only other type of beef I would recommend is a rump roast since it also has a good amount of marbling.
When cooked low and slow, the connective tissues break down and create a fork-tender roast beef that falls apart from the juiciness. There really aren't enough words to describe how good this Irish pot roast tastes! It's guaranteed to make your Sunday Suppers a hit!
Ingredients
See recipe card at the bottom of this page for quantities.
- olive oil
- 3 pound chuck roast
- steak seasoning
- onion
- beef broth
- Guinness stout beer
- tomato paste
- fresh rosemary sprigs
- bay leaves
- minced garlic cloves
- carrots
- red cabbage
- salt
- black pepper
- cornstarch slurry
How to Make Guinness Pot Roast
- Add olive oil to a large dutch oven on top of the stove. Sprinkle roast with steak seasoning or your favorite dry rub recipe.
- Rub dry spices into all sides of the meat, then sear roast in the bottom of the pot over medium-high heat. Sear beef on all sides until you get a deep brown crust.
- Roughly chop an onion and add it to the pot. Sauté onion on low heat with the beef until transparent.
- Add half of the beef broth, tomato paste, bay leaves and garlic. Stir well.
- Pour in Guinness stout beer and give it a stir.
- Close the lid tightly and bake in a dutch oven at 325ºF for 3 hours. Check half way through cooking process to add more beef broth.
- After 3 hours, add carrots, rosemary and red cabbage to the pot. Make sure veggies are submerged in liquid. Cover and bake in oven for 1 more hour until vegetables are tender and meat can be easily pulled apart with a fork.
Top Tips
- Sear the meat before cooking to seal in the juices.
- Use a dutch oven (ad) for best results.
- Make sure the lid is closed and fits tightly.
- Add the vegetables at the end (with an hour to go) so they won't break down.
Variations
- Try using red wine (like a Cabernet Sauvignon) instead of beer if preferred.
- Skip the alcohol altogether and add more beef broth as a substitute.
- In keeping with Irish heritage, make this recipe with a lamb roast instead of beef.
Recipe FAQs
While slow cooking in a crock pot will definitely work, I've found that a dutch oven yields more tender meat. However, if you prefer cooking in a crock pot, you'll need to sear the meat in a large skillet, then transfer it to a slow cooker and include the remaining ingredients. Set on low heat for 8-10 hours.
We prefer to ladle the gravy over potatoes, but feel free to add whatever you like to this dish. If you do add more veggies, be sure to cut potatoes in 2-inch wedges and layer vegetables in the pot, and cover with the flavorful liquids.
A large pot or casserole dish can be used as long as it has a lid that can trap moisture. Without a tight fighting lid, you'll lose most of the cooking liquid which will affect the final results. You can also use the slow cooker method or an instant pot recipe if desired.
Storage and Freezing
- Make Ahead - make this recipe up to 2 days in advance and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to heat.
- Store Leftovers - store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freeze Leftovers - freeze after baking in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Reheat - thaw frozen food in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat pot roast in a dutch oven or saucepan on the stove top over medium heat until temperature reaches 145ºF with a meat thermometer.
What to Serve with Guinness Pot Roast
Guinness Pot Roast goes perfectly with any type of potato side dish such as Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes, or Skin on Roast Potatoes. I also like to serve it with Creamy Coleslaw and Easy Cornbread or Buttermilk Biscuits.
A delicious beer-infused dish is just begging for a cold glass of Guinness stout, so don't forget to buy extra when you serve this recipe!
If you're planning a St. Patrick's Day party and want to bring out all the shamrocks, below are the best recipes to make that happen!
- Dry Rub for Corned Beef
- Corned Beef and Cabbage
- Corned Beef Reubens
- Irish Beef Stew
- Shepherd's Pie
- Irish Soda Bread
- Baileys Streusel Cheesecake Cups
Recipe Card
Guinness Pot Roast
*See notes in blog post for detailed tips, photos and instructions.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 3 pound chuck roast
- 2 teaspoons steak seasoning (or favorite dry rub)
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 32 ounces beef broth (divided in half)
- 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 2 small bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 bottle Guinness stout beer
- 6 medium carrots (cut in chunks)
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 small head red cabbage (cut in chunks)
- cornstarch slurry (if needed)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325ºF.
- Add olive oil to a (5 to 7 quart) dutch oven on top of the stove. Sprinkle roast with steak seasoning or your favorite dry rub recipe.
- Rub dry spices into the meat on every side, then sear roast in the bottom of the pot over medium-high heat. Sear beef on all sides until you get a deep brown crust.
- Roughly chop an onion and add it to the pot. Sauté onion on low heat with the beef until transparent.
- Add half of the beef broth, tomato paste, bay leaves and garlic. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Pour in Guinness beer and give everything a stir.
- Close the lid tightly and bake in a dutch oven at 325ºF for 3 hours. Check half way through cooking process and add the other half of the beef broth.
- After 3 hours, add carrots, rosemary and red cabbage to the pot. Make sure veggies are submerged in liquid. Cover and bake in oven for 1 more hour until vegetables are tender and meat can be easily pulled apart with a fork.
- Stir gravy. If necessary, thicken with a cornstarch slurry made of 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 Tablespoons of water. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve pot roast and gravy over mashed potatoes, noodles or rice.
Notes
- Make Ahead - make this recipe up to 2 days in advance and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to heat.
- Store Leftovers - store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freeze Leftovers - freeze after baking in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Reheat - thaw frozen food in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat pot roast in a dutch oven or saucepan on the stove top over medium heat until temperature reaches 145ºF with a meat thermometer.
- View the Google Web Story for Guinness Pot Roast!
Nutrition
Nutrition info is an auto generated estimate.
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Oh my, this does look superb and outstandingly delicious.
I made this pot roast last weekend and it was a hit with the whole family! The flavor is so rich and it makes a delicious gravy. My new pot roast recipe now.
Thanks a bunch Tina! So glad you loved it!
This recipe looks so good. I have made your pot roast recipe over a dozen times. Can't wait to try this new version. Love your dutch oven ideas!