Beer Braised Beef
Posted on: January 19, 2024. Updated on: January 19, 2024.
by Carolina Gelen
Table of Contents
Almost 4 hours of cook and prep time for a beer braised beef stew sounds horrifying, I know, I know, but don’t be fooled. If you look closely into this beer braised beef recipe instructions, you’ll notice the majority of that comes from the bake time. This beer braised beef will spend 2 1/2 to 3 hours in the oven, time in which you can pretty much forget about it and keep yourself busy with other home tasks: putting laundry away, sweeping your floors or cleaning your windows.
If you skip the 10 to 15 minute vegetable chopping session by dumping everything in a food processor and pulsing until coarsely chopped, you might as well call this a 30-minute meal. Too much of a stretch? Yes, hahaha!
About this Beer Braised Beef
While it might look impressive, this beer braised beef is less fussy than you might think. The most difficult step in this entire beer braised recipe recipe is probably waiting for the beef to slowly simmer in the oven until it’s nice and tender. Some key tips to getting the most amount of flavor in this recipe would be:
- Take the time to properly sear the beef in the beginning: getting that crusty, dark brown exterior on the chuck roast will bring lots of flavor in your final beer braised beef.
- Season, season, season: Whenever you’re working with a hefty amount of liquid — 4 cups in this recipe — you want to make sure to season the dish accordingly, so season the beef, season the veggies and generously season the broth for maximal flavor in your beer braised beef.
- Don’t rush the time spent in the oven: I know it’s tempting to check the simmering pot of beer braised beef every 10 minutes, but allowing the beef to slowly simmer away in the beer will guarantee the most tender result, don’y rush it!
Could you make this in a slow cooker? Absolutely! Just make sure to adjust the time accordingly.
What should I serve the Beer Braised Beef with?
Think carbs! Since the final dish is so comforting and hearty, you’ll want a proper side dish for it: mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, freshly cooked rice or a simple crusty toasted slice of bread will do the job. Not into all these carbs? Try roasted cabbage wedges or steamed cauliflower instead.
Can I substitute the beer in this recipe?
If you don’t drink alcohol or don’t want to go out of your way to buy beer, no worries, you will still be able to make this. Of course, it won’t be a beer braised beef dish anymore, but you’ll still end up with a deliciously soft and melty braised beef. My top choice for a beer substitute would be beef stock or beef bone broth. That said, if you don’t want to spend a fortune on store-bought beef stock or bone broth, get your hands on some beef flavor bouillon or consommé powder.
Since the dish is packed with so many vegetables that will infuse their flavor in the braised beef, you’ll also be fine using just water instead of beer.
How should you clean your Dutch oven after making this?
I know seeing all those burnt, caramelized bits on the edges of your very expensive Dutch oven might be scary, but do not worry! They will come off right away. After serving the beer braised beef, I like transferring any leftovers to deli containers, then filling up the empty Dutch oven with hot, soapy water and letting it soak overnight in the sink. The next day, everything should come right off after a nice and gentle scrub.
Looking for other recipes similar to this Beer Braised Beef?
Try my comforting White Bean Soup with Turkey, Leeks and Kale for a brothy meal that mostly uses pantry staples you might already have on hand. Another dinner idea you’ll love is my Orange Chicken with Fennel and Shallots, it has a special, festive feel to it, but comes together so so easily.
Beer Braised Beef
Servings: 6
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 3 hours 25 minutes
Total: 3 hours 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 to 3.5-pound (1.3 to 1.5 kg) chuck roast
- Kosher salt
- 3 small yellow onions
- 2 medium red bell peppers
- 4 celery sticks
- 1 large carrot
- Extra-virgin olive oil, grape seed oil, sunflower seed oil, etc., for searing
- 12 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds, roughly crushed
- 2 teaspoons chili flakes
- Black pepper
- 4 cups (1 liter) light beer
- 1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) soy sauce
- 1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- Fresh parsley, for serving
Instructions
- Place the beef on a cutting board and slice it into 12 to 14 cubes. Generously season with kosher salt on all sides and set it aside.
- Prep the veggies: Dice the onion, bell peppers, slice the celery into 1/4-inch (0.5 cm) thick slices, and coarsely chop the carrot into bite-sized pieces. You could also add the onion, peppers and celery to a food processor and coarsely process if you want to speed up your prep time.
- In a medium (4 to 6 quart) heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pot. Working in 2 batches, add the beef to the pot and sear for 10 to 15 minutes until deeply seared and brown in color, flipping the meat halfway through. Remove the beef chunks from the pot, set them aside in a clean bowl and repeat with the remaining batch, adding more oil as needed for searing. Remove the beef from the pot.
- Add the onion, bell peppers, celery, carrot chunks, garlic cloves, paprika, fennel, chili flakes, black pepper and a hefty pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until all veggies have softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Set an oven rack in the center of the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Pour the beer, soy sauce, vinegar in the pot and add back the seared beef chunks, as well as all the juices from the bowl. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and carefully place the pot in the oven. Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the beef is fork tender. The beer will reduce to about a 1/4 or 1/3 of its initial volume. Come back every hour or so and baste the meat with the juices from the pot to prevent the tops of the beef from drying out.
- Taste and season with more salt if needed. Serve with fresh parsley on top.
i feel like i need to make this along with your spicy cheddar everything biscuits 😋🖤
I just started following you very recently, you’re brilliant! I am planning on trying some of your recipes very soon! Thank you!
Mike
That makes me so happy! Grateful to have you here, Mike!!!
I’m so excited to try the beer braised beef! Thanks for the recipe! 🥰
I had to share… when I came to this recipe and saw the stars I clicked them thinking it’d take me to reviews and it saved a “vote” for me. I doubt I’d only vote 3 stars cuz this recipe looks amazing. Just felt like I needed to comment on this. lol
You are one of my favorite people to watch on instagram. I get your sense of humor and your food looks so delicious! My next recipe to try are the Beer Braised Beef. Thank you
You are a lovely chef
Just ate this for dinner, it was soooo yummy and comforting! I used smoked paprika since that’s all I had, and the flavor was incredible!
Especially interested in your thrifting and SCRAPS ideas!
I tried this recipe but used beef stock instaed…the liquid didn’t reduced as anticipated during the oven braising. Any suggestions?
Wish I could share my pictures! This came out incredible and it was even better the next day!!! You never fail Carolina! Thank you so much!!!
I’m assuming that the temperature given is not for a fan assisted oven? 🤞🏻
This was fantastic for a winter meal to perk my family up! You are an amazing follow 🙂
I made this about a month ago and thought it was simply scrumptious! I’m not sure why the low rating—all of you low star people are wrong. I’m going to make this again this week!
Hi i just had to comment that i accidentally gave this recipe a 3 stars. I taped the stars hoping it would take me to reviews because this looks soooooo good and i was wondering why the low rating. Yikes i didn’t mean to do that. I’m excited to try this recipe. Thank you!