This slow cooker 5-ingredient Guinness beef is the kind of hearty, no-fuss supper I lean on when the house is full and I’d rather be visiting than fussing over the stove. It starts the way so many good Midwestern pot roasts do: big chunks of beef in the crock, then a generous pour of dark stout beer right over the top. A little onion, garlic, and tomato paste are all it takes to turn that stout into a rich, velvety gravy while you go about your day. I started making this back in the late ’80s when a neighbor brought over a few bottles of stout from a new brewery and told me to “treat it like soup stock.” I did, and this easy, comforting beef has been the first thing I suggest to guests ever since.
Serve the Guinness beef spooned over a bed of creamy mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles, with plenty of the dark, glossy gravy ladled on top. A simple side of steamed green beans, buttered peas, or a tossed salad helps balance the richness. Warm dinner rolls or a good crusty bread are perfect for sopping up every last bit of sauce. If you like, pour small glasses of the same stout you cooked with, or offer iced tea for a more old-fashioned farmhouse touch.
Slow Cooker 5-Ingredient Guinness BeefServings: 6
Ingredients
3 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into large 2-inch chunks
1 large yellow onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (11–12 ounce) bottle dark stout beer (such as Guinness)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
Directions
Place the slow cooker crock on a stable surface, such as a speckled beige granite counter. Scatter the sliced onion evenly over the bottom.
Lay the beef chuck chunks on top of the onions in an even layer. Sprinkle the salt and black pepper over the beef.
Spoon the tomato paste over the beef chunks in small dollops, then scatter the minced garlic over everything.
Slowly pour the dark stout beer directly over the raw beef chunks, letting it run down between the pieces until the meat is mostly nestled in the liquid.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid. Cook on LOW for 8–9 hours, or on HIGH for 4–5 hours, until the beef is very tender and easily pulled apart with a fork.
Once cooked, gently skim any excess fat from the surface with a spoon. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with a bit more salt and pepper if needed.
Lightly shred or break up the beef chunks with two forks right in the slow cooker, stirring to mix the meat with the onion and stout gravy. Serve hot with plenty of sauce spooned over each portion.
Variations & Tips
If you prefer a thicker gravy, whisk 2 tablespoons of flour or cornstarch with a few spoonfuls of the hot cooking liquid in a small bowl, then stir that slurry back into the slow cooker and let it simmer on HIGH for 15–20 minutes until slightly thickened. For a more vegetable-forward version, tuck a few peeled carrot chunks or quartered mushrooms around the beef before pouring in the stout; just keep in mind that adds more ingredients beyond the basic five. You can swap beef chuck for boneless beef short ribs or stew meat, though chuck gives the most classic pot-roast texture. If you don’t have Guinness, any good dark stout will work; avoid sweet dessert-style stouts, which can make the sauce too sugary. Leftovers reheat beautifully and make wonderful open-faced sandwiches the next day—pile the warmed beef on toast and spoon the gravy over the top.
