Beef and ale stew is the perfect comfort meal. It’s quick to prepare, and the ale adds a rich, hearty flavour.
The beef turns out beautifully tender, the vegetables soft, and the gravy thick and full of flavour. Serve it with creamy mashed potatoes, rice, or crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
What You Need
For exact measurements, check the recipe card at the bottom of the page. Here’s a quick look at what you’ll need and why.
Beef – Use a slow-cooking cut such as braising steak, or stewing beef. These cuts become tender and full of flavour after several hours in the slow cooker.
Ale – The key to the rich flavour in this recipe. Dark ales like Hobgoblin or Guinness give a deep, malty taste, while lighter ales make it a little sweeter.
Vegetables – Onions, garlic, carrots and celery form the flavour base.
Tomato purée and Worcestershire sauce – Add depth and richness to the stew.
Beef stock – Helps create a thick, hearty gravy.
Flour – Used to lightly coat the beef and thicken the sauce as it cooks.
Herbs and seasoning – Thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper bring it all together.
Optional: Mushrooms, or a spoonful of gravy granules at the end to thicken the sauce even more.
How To Make It
I recommend browning the beef first. It only takes a few minutes and adds a lovely extra layer of flavour. Once browned, transfer the beef to a plate.
In the same pan, add a little more oil and gently cook the onions, garlic, carrots and celery for a few minutes until they start to soften.
Pour in the ale and let it bubble for a minute or two while you scrape up all those tasty bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and bay leaves.
Sprinkle the flour over the beef and return it to the pot, this will help to thicken the sauce.
Add the beef stock and give everything a good stir and season with salt and pepper.
Cook for at least 1.5 hours or until the beef is soft. If the sauce is too thin stir in some beef gravy granules or a cornflour slurry to thicken it up.
What To Serve It With
Beef and ale stew is delicious with rice, creamy mashed potatoes or a pile of roasties. Crusty bread is perfect for soaking up the gravy, or you can serve it with Yorkshire puddings and green vegetables for a Sunday-style dinner.
Storing Leftovers
Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to three days or freeze for up to three months. The flavours actually improve overnight, so it’s perfect for making ahead or freezing in portions for an easy midweek meal.
Slow Cooker Method
If you have time, brown the beef first before adding it to the slow cooker, if not, you can just add everything directly to the slow cooker.
Pop the lid on and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the beef is soft and the sauce is rich and thick. If it looks a little thin near the end, stir in a spoonful of gravy granules or a cornflour slurry to thicken it up.
Pressure Cooker Method
If you’re short on time, this stew works really well in a pressure cooker. Use the sauté function to brown the beef and soften the veg, then add everything else and cook on High Pressure for 35 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before opening the lid.
The result is the same rich, hearty stew, just ready in a fraction of the time.
More Slow Cooker Beef Recipes
If you are looking for more slow cooker beef recipes check out some of these for inspiration:
- Slow Cooker Beef Stew
- Slow Cooker Beef Curry
- Slow Cooker Beef Keema Curry
- Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli
- Slow Cooker Beef Brisket
- Slow Cooker Moroccan Beef Stew
- Slow Cooker Mexican Beef Stew
- Slow Cooker Beef Goulash
- Slow Cooker Beef Madras
- Slow Cooker Roast Beef
- Slow Cooker Bolognese
- Slow Cooker Meatballs
- Slow Cooker Chilli Con Carne
Beef and Ale Stew
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Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
- 800 g stewing beef
- 2 onions chopped
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 carrots sliced
- 2 celery sticks chopped (optional but adds flavour)
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 500 ml ale e.g. Newcastle Brown Ale, Guinness or your favourite dark ale
- 300 ml beef stock
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp dried thyme or a few sprigs of fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the beef in batches and brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
- In the same pan, add onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. Cook for 2–3 minutes, then stir in the flour and cook for another minute.
- Pour in the ale and stir to lift any browned bits from the pan. Add tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaves.
- Sprinkle the flour over the beef and return it to the pot.
- Add the beef stock, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine.
- Cook for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the beef is tender and the sauce is rich and thick. If the sauce is thinner than you’d like, stir in a couple of teaspoons of gravy granules or mix 1 tbsp cornflour with a little cold water and stir it in.
- Remove bay leaves and serve with rice, mashed potatoes or crusty bread.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an estimate.
JP
Monday 10th of November 2025
Very easy to make and went down a treat. I’ve been told we’ll have this again!