Tender chunks of deer meat simmer with vegetables in a rich broth flavored with dry, stout beer in this phenomenal Venison and Guinness Stew recipe.
There’s nothing like a great venison stew recipe and this Venison and Guinness Stew is absolutely to die for. Braising chunks of venison stew meat is the perfect way to ensure a tender result, and a good stout ensures a special richness in flavor.
We’re honestly venison stew obsessed in our house. Chances are, during the winter months, I’ve got some in the freezer and I’m making it at least once a month. We love this (viral) recipe in our house, even my 8-month-old daughter scarfs it down when I serve it!
Now, this recipe isn’t one I recommend serving to real little kiddos because it does have a good amount of beer in it, but it is something special. I love to make it for a festive dish on St. Patrick’s Day or on a really chilly or dreary day when you need some serious comfort food.
How is Guinness Stew different than regular stew?
Simple! Instead of using all stock or broth, use some beer for liquid. This recipe uses quite a bit of beer which really makes the malty flavor come forward. Which, I might add, is wonderful with venison! If you’re looking for a great classic venison stew recipe, this is my version!
Why is this Venison and Guinness stew so great for using up deer meat?
Searing and braising are great for venison.
After you cut the venison into bite-sized pieces, you’re going to want to sear it in a pan to add flavor. I also happen to think that searing the meat first and then cooking it low and slow helps to tenderize things.
Once you sear the venison, it gets removed from the pot until all of the veggies have been sauteed and the liquid has been added. When that happens, you add the seared venison back to the pan and it braises (cooks low and slow in liquid) in the broth with the veggies.
I promise you this results in the most tender stew you’ve ever had in your life. Now, the longer you can let this simmer the better. I like at least an hour, but two hours is better.
If you need more venison recipes, be sure to check out my bestselling cookbook, Venison Every Day!
PrintVenison and Guinness Stew
Tender chunks of deer meat simmer with vegetables in a rich broth flavored with dry, stout beer in this phenomenal Venison and Guinness Stew recipe.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Irish American
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 1 lb. venison stew meat (or roast, steaks, etc cut into cubes)
- 2 cups diced carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2–4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp. flour
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. salt
- 3/4 tsp. black pepper
- 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 lb. yellow baby potaotes, halved (about 2 and 1/2 cups diced potatoes)
- 1 (12 oz.) bottle Guinness or a dry stout beer
- 4 cups unsalted beef or venison stock
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the venison stew meat and sear until the edges are nice and brown. Remove the venison from the pan and set it aside on a plate nearby.
- Then, add the carrot, celery and onion to the pot and saute until everything starts to soften and the onions get brown around the edges, about 7-8 minutes. Then, add the flour, thyme, salt and pepper and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste until well distributed.
- Next, deglaze the pan with the full bottle of beer. Make sure to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot, that’s where the flavor is.
- Finally, add in the potatoes, venison and broth and mix everything together well.
- Bring the stew to a boil over medium and turn the heat to low. Let it simmer uncovered for about an hour until it is rich and thick. Once the potatoes and venison are tender and the broth is thick, you can serve, or cover and continue to let it simmer until you are ready to eat.
- Enjoy! Sláinte!
Notes
- beef, elk, lamb or bison would work well, too! You can use any cut of venison, backstrap would be lovely but you may not want to waste it in a stew recipe. Leg meat is tough, so this recipe helps it to be tender and delish!
- If you want to make this in the slow cooker, saute the venison in a pan and add the flour, thyme, salt and pepper. Then deglaze the pan with the beer and transfer everything to a slow cooker with all of the other ingredients. Let it cook for 4-5 hours on high or 8 hours on low.
Keywords: Guinness, venison, deer, wild game, stew
Allie, Do you marinate the venison before searing?
Thanks!
The recipe is so amazing. And how you incorporate meat with it. I order my fresh meat from Marinashion.
that’s wonderful! glad you enjoyed it!
Hey Allie!
I have a small electric smoker. Can i use it for searing?
Hi there! I’ve never seared on a smoker, but if you can get it up to 400+ degrees I wouldn’t see why not.
Place your steak on the grates of your smoker, close the lid, and smoke the meat until the steaks reach your desired internal temperature (115 degrees for rare, 125 for medium rare, 135 for medium, 145 for medium well and 155 for well
I made this yesterday and we loved it. Simmered 2-1/2 hours- and we ate it over a turnip/potato mash. Yum!!
★★★★★
These are the best versions.
I am glad to see that.
Hi, Allie!
Made a big pot of this stew yesterday and it was delicious.
One question though, the venison itself had a strong game taste and my love said that she’d like it a bit better if the meat itself tasted a bit less ‘gamey’. I didn’t mind at all, when eating the meat together with the stew broth, it was super nice. So the question is If maybe there’s something that I could add the next time I make it taste less gamey? I had a feeling that I might have seared the meat a bit too much, but not sure.
Also, after searing the meat, there was a lot of juice from the meat in the pot, should I have left it there and put in the veggies or cleaned it and then add veggies(this is what I did)?
The dish itself was great, especially in the winter that we’re having now.
Thank you very much for this recipe!
This was awesome! So comforting on a snowy day. Easy to make and everyone loved it. When I am fortunate enough to get more deer I will make this again. Thanks for a great recipe.
★★★★★
SO glad you liked it, Tracy! Thank you! 🙂