Beef · Slow cooker adaptation

Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew Recipe

Three pounds of chuck roast browned in rendered bacon fat, deglazed with a can of Guinness Draught, then carrots and Yukon Gold potatoes thrown in until the gravy turns dark and glossy. Sip and Feast's Irish stew that scored a perfect 10 from the in-house taste tester, rebuilt for the slow cooker.

R By Richard · Adapted from Sip and Feast · Published 23 June 2026
👁 354.1k source views ❤️ 10.2k source likes
⏱Prep 30 min
🍲Slow cook 8 hr (Low) / 4 hr (High)
🍽Serves 6
Irish Beef Stew - Easy Comforting One Pot Recipe

Source video by Sip and Feast on YouTube. This recipe was adapted with strict source-fidelity rules and is marked for human review.

This is a slow cooker version of Sip and Feast's Irish beef stew, originally cooked for 90 minutes at 300F in a Dutch oven. Bacon is rendered, the chuck roast browned in the fat, and the pot deglazed with onions, garlic, tomato paste and Guinness Draught Stout before everything moves to the slow cooker with beef stock, carrots, celery, Yukon Gold potatoes, bay leaf, thyme and Worcestershire sauce. The gravy is finished with a cornflour slurry at the end. Best made a day ahead, the cook says the stew improves overnight.

Slow cooker notes: Source is a covered Dutch oven braise at 300F for 90 minutes, which moves naturally to a slow cooker. The browning of bacon, beef and onions, deglazing with Guinness and the cornflour slurry finish are kept on the hob since slow cookers do not brown. Slow cooker low and high times are the site's standard for a beef chuck braise and were not stated in the transcript. Beef stock kept at 2 cups as stated; slow cookers retain more liquid than an oven so skim fat before serving as the cook demonstrates.

Ingredients

Main
  • 1.36 kgbeef chuck roast, trimmed of large fat layer, cut into chunks
  • 4 slicesstreaky bacon, cut into large pieces
  • 2 mediumonions, chopped thick
  • 3 mediumcarrots, cut into roughly 2.5cm chunks
  • 2 ribscelery ribs, chopped into 18mm (3/4 inch) pieces
  • 3 mediumYukon Gold potatoes, cut into chunks
  • 4 clovesgarlic, minced
  • 85 gtomato paste
  • 355 mlGuinness Draught Stout
  • 475 mllow sodium beef stock
  • 2 tbspWorcestershire sauce
Aromatics
  • 1 largebay leaf
  • 4 sprigsthyme, tied
Seasoning
  • 10 gDiamond Crystal kosher salt
  • black pepper
Finish
  • 1 tbspcornflour, mixed with a little cold water into a slurry (add late)
  • sugar (add late)
  • parsley, chopped (add late)

Method

  1. Pat the chuck roast dry, trim the large fat seam and cut into chunks. Season all sides with the kosher salt and black pepper.

    ~10 min

  2. In a large frying pan or hob-safe slow cooker insert on a touch under medium heat, render the bacon for 8 to 10 minutes until most of the fat is liquefied and the bacon is crisp. Lift the bacon out and reserve.

    ~10 min

  3. Sear the beef in the rendered bacon fat in two batches over medium heat, getting good colour on the bottom of the pan without burning. Remove the beef and set aside with the bacon.

    ~10 min

  4. Add a splash of water to the pan and scrape up the browned bits with a flat-edged wooden spoon. Add the onions with a pinch of salt and cook over medium to medium-high heat until the liquid evaporates and the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

    ~7 min

  5. Add the minced garlic and cook for a minute or two until fragrant, lowering the heat and adding a touch of water if it starts to catch.

    ~2 min

  6. Stir in the tomato paste and fry with the onions for a couple of minutes to deepen the flavour.

    ~3 min

  7. Pour in the Guinness, turn the heat to high and boil for about 2 minutes, scraping the base again so nothing sticks.

    ~3 min

  8. Tip the contents of the pan into the slow cooker. Add the seared beef with any accumulated juices, the reserved bacon, the beef stock, bay leaf, thyme sprigs and Worcestershire sauce. Add the carrots, celery and Yukon Gold potato chunks.

    ~5 min

  9. Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours, until the beef is tender and the potatoes are cooked through.

  10. Skim the fat from the surface, fishing out the bay leaf and the thyme stems. Mix the cornflour with a little cold water to a smooth slurry. Stir a little of the slurry into the stew, switch the slow cooker to High and let it bubble for about a minute to thicken. Add more slurry only if needed.

    ~5 min

  11. Taste the stew. Add a pinch of salt only if needed, grind in more black pepper, and add a small pinch of sugar only if the Guinness has left the gravy too bitter. Scatter chopped parsley over to serve.

    ~2 min

Frequently asked

Do I have to brown the beef and bacon before the slow cooker?
Yes. Slow cookers steam rather than brown, so the colour on the beef and the rendered bacon fat are where the depth of flavour in this stew comes from. Skip the searing and the gravy will taste flat.
Can I use Extra Stout instead of Guinness Draught?
The cook specifically uses Draught for a milder, less bitter flavour. Extra Stout will work but will push the stew more bitter, so taste at the end and add a pinch of sugar if it needs balancing.
Why Yukon Gold potatoes?
Yukon Gold holds its shape well during a long cook and has a buttery texture that suits the dark gravy. A waxy or all-rounder potato is a good substitute; floury potatoes will break down too much.
Is it really better the next day?
The cook says yes. Like most stews, an overnight rest in the fridge lets the gravy thicken and the flavours settle. Reheat gently on the hob or in the slow cooker on Low.
Can I leave out the bacon?
Yes. The cook notes you can sear the beef in oil or in a bit of reserved beef fat instead. The bacon adds smoky depth but the stew still works without it.
Extraction notes (transparency): Defaultservings not stated in transcript; 6 is the site default for a 3 lb / 1.36 kg chuck stew and should be checked. Cornflour quantity uncertain: cook says 'I have a tablespoon of cornstarch, we don't need this much' then uses less, marked 1 tablespoon with note. Salt at the sear stage stated as 3 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt (about 10g); kept as-is. Sugar mentioned as a possible end-of-cook adjustment but the cook decided not to add any, so it is listed optional with note. Recipe sheet quoted in the video says 3 medium carrots, 4 slices bacon and 3 Yukon Gold potatoes; cook used more on the day but the original recipe quantities are kept here.