Guinness Pot Roast
Guinness Pot Roast is a Beef Chuck Roast recipe that is braised in a rich sauce with onions and carrots. It’s loaded with flavor, fresh thyme, and bold spices. Cook in a dutch oven until tender and juicy; the most delicious comfort dish served with hot crunchy bread. Optional to cook in the slow cooker!

I love a good dutch oven recipe, especially the comfort of a Guinness Pot Roast, served with mashed potatoes for a Sunday meal. This recipe has been on RE since 2017! It’s loved by all. It’s similar to a regular pot roast recipe, but Guinness stout beer (or a dark beer) is used to braise the meat in addition to beef stock and a bold tomato paste mixture. We also love our Guinness Beef Stew recipe that is so delicious served with Fresh Irish Soda bread.
Guinness Pot Roast
This Sunday roast is a braised chuck roast recipe, cooked in dark beer (Guinness is the best!), with lots of flavors, spices, and bold flavors. The longer it cooks, the longer it gets tender and every bite is so delicious. Let’s just say, this is a great Irish meal for St. Patrick’s Day, but we also loved it served on any Sunday of the year.

Why we love this recipe
- Our family has enjoyed this recipe for years, a simple one that only takes a few minutes to prepare.
- There’s nothing better than a “Sunday roast” cooked with carrots and onions!
- You can braise and cook it in a Dutch oven on the stovetop or in the oven.
- You can also cook it in the slow cooker.
- It’s a crowd-pleasing recipe – especially for St. Patrick’s Day.
- The bold flavors go so well with any St. Patrick’s Day menu.

With this Guinness Beer Beef Chuck Roast Recipe, that reminds me so much of both of our trips to Ireland (and cooking for St. Patricks Day), it’s a super simple recipe that comes together quickly. Pop it in the oven and walk away!

Gather these ingredients:
- Beef chuck roast: pot roast
- Salt and pepper
- Onions, carrots (potatoes, optional)
- Olive oil, garlic cloves
- Tomato paste
- Instant coffee
- Chili red pepper flakes (optional)
- Guinness beer: we use Guinness because it’s a dark stout
- Fresh basil or thyme
Feel free to add in potatoes, too!
How do you make a Guinness Beer Beef Chuck Roast?
- Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a wide frying pan over a high heat. Brown the meat on all sides; heavily salt and pepper both sides. [Optional to pat the beef with flour before browning for a thicker gravy.] Remove the meat and set aside.
- In a separate small bowl, add hot water the tomato paste, instant coffee, and chili flakes. Mix well.
- In the same frying pan, heat the remaining oil and sauté the garlic, adding the tomato paste mixture. Mix together and cook for a few minutes (will be thick).
- Chop the onions, and place in the bottom of a Dutch oven. Place the cooked piece of meat on top. Spread the paste on top of the meat. Add fresh herbs for additional flavor.
- Place the chopped carrots on top of the meat and sauce. Pour the Guinness beer around the meat.
- Stovetop: Cover with the lid of the casserole/Dutch oven and simmer very gently on stovetop (very low heat) until the meat is tender (toward the end of 3-4 hours + make sure there is enough liquid)
- Oven: Place in the oven and bake for about 3-4 hours (or until tender).
- Slow Cooker: Cook on HI for 3-4 hours until tender. *Add more stock if you need to.
Allow to sit for 20 minutes before serving
Tips and substitutions:
- Beef Chuck Roast is a thick cut of beef sold as a “7-bone roast” or “chuck roast,” and is usually cooked with liquid as a pot roast.
- You can buy a bone-in chuck roast, a more economical cut of beef.
- Every cut of meat is always different, so make sure and check to make sure for doneness, but it should be tender when done cooking!
- You can skip the Guinness but the flavor won’t be as bold. If you so, you can add more beef broth.
- Use any dark “stout” beer if you prefer.
- Add potatoes if you want to add more veggies.
- Here’s another recipe to try with NO beer: Irish Beef Lamb Stew Recipe.

Can you cook a chuck roast in a slow cooker?
Yes, you can cook a chuck roast in a slow cooker!
Or, one reader writes: “Put in the crock pot on LOW for 6 hours! It was wonderful! The whole family loved it. I strained the juices and reduced them and poured them back over the pot roast and served with mashed potatoes. This is definitely a new favorite!”
Serving
Serve this for St. Patrick’s Day with this Irish Pub Salad! Or if you love Guinness, try these Guinness Beer in this Irish Guinness Cupcakes or this Guinness Beer Cheese Dip with homemade pretzels!
Make a roast beef sandwich or beef sliders with any leftovers!
More Irish recipes you may want to try while you are here:
- St. Patrick’s Day Menu
- Guinness Brownies [Well Plated]
- Irish Barmbrack Bread Recipe
- Colcannon Irish Potatoes with Bacon
I am a huge fan of my Le Creuset Dutch Oven, Kitchenaid multi-cooker and Instant Pot. All three are incredibly useful for these kinds of recipes and many more!

Get the Recipe:
Guinness Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs. beef chuck roast
- Salt and pepper
- 3 large onions, coarsely chopped
- 6 large carrots, cut in 1-inch chunks (leave peel on)
- 4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 3 large garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 Tbsp. flour, optional, for patting the beef before browning
- 1 small can tomato paste, dissolved in 1 ½ cups of hot water
- 2 Tbsp. instant coffee, use a good quality
- 1-2 tsp. chili red pepper flakes, optional, depending on how much spice you like
- 1 14 oz Guinness beer, about 2 cups
- Sprigs of basil or thyme
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. (Or you can also use stove top or crock-pot.)
- Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a wide frying pan over a high heat. Brown the meat on all sides; heavily salt and pepper both sides. [Optional to pat the beef with flour before browning for a thicker gravy.]
- Remove the meat and set aside.
- In a separate small bowl, add to 1 1/2 cups of hot water the tomato paste, instant coffee, and chili flakes. Mix well.
- In the same frying pan, heat the remaining oil and sauté the garlic for 1-2 minutes, adding the tomato paste mixture. Mix together and cook for a few minutes (will be thick).
- Chop the onions, and place in the bottom of a Dutch oven. Place the cooked piece of meat on top. Spread the paste on top of the meat. Add fresh herbs for additional flavor.
- Place the chopped carrots on top of the meat and sauce. Pour the Guinness beer around the meat.
Stovetop:
- Cover with the lid of the casserole/Dutch oven and simmer very gently on stovetop (very low heat) until the meat is tender (toward the end of 3-4 hours + make sure there is enough liquid)
Oven:
- OR bake at 300 degrees for about 3-4 hours (or until tender). OR cook in the crock pot on HI for 3-4 hours until tender. *Add more stock if you need to.
Slow Cooker:
- Put in the crock pot on LOW for 6 hours.
- Allow to sit for 20 minutes before serving. Strain the juices and reduce them and pour back over the pot roast; serve with mashed potatoes.
Notes

I like the flavor beer adds to beef- and use it all the time- never considered instant coffee though. I will have to try it!
This looks great! Can I add potatoes if I want?
I presume it’s 300 degrees Fahrenheit, not Celsius (approx 150 C)?
That’s right Jacqui!
How much water do you dissolve the instant coffee in before adding it?
It’s listed in the recipe Tonya, I added 1 1/2 cups of hot water to the mixture.
Do you simmer on a stove top or bake in the oven?
Hi, Dawn. You can do either, or cook in the slow cooker! :)
I’m confused?? It says tomoreheat oven to 300 degrees but then you simmer it on stovetop for 3 hours? When does it go in the oven? Looks delicious and I don’t want to mess it up!! ?
Bake in the oven for 3 hours 15 minutes, or until done :)
Does the red pepper flakes make this spicy? This looks really good but my husband does not like spicy. Thanks!
You can keep out the red pepper flakes. Won’t be as tasty, but still very good!
Thanks Sandy! What do you think would be comparable time in a crock pot?
HI for probably 3-4 hours.
I am going to cook this now and wanted to do it in a slow cooker. the recipe says HI but then you wrote you don’t ever use Hi. Should it be LOW or HI for 3-4 hours?
HI for this cut of beef :)
YUM! Looks so good!!
This looks especially delicious on this cold day!