After hours in the crockpot, this roast will be falling apart tender with a rich Guinness gravy and savory vegetables. Preparing this roast in a slow cooker makes it easy to make a great dinner any night of the week. Just a few easy steps will ensure maximum flavor.
Bake up a quick loaf of our no yeast, no rise, Irish Soda Bread to soak up all of the delicious sauce!
Jump to RecipeIngredient list for Irish Pot Roast
The great thing about pot roast is that all of the ingredients are very common, easy to find, and relatively inexpensive. You probably have most of these ingredients in your pantry or refrigerator.
- Boneless Chuck Roast (3-5 pounds)
- Mushrooms
- Potatoes
- Onion
- Carrots
- Tomato Paste
- Beef Broth or Stock
- Salt, pepper, garlic
- Olive oil
- Worcestershire sauce
- Fresh Thyme
- Irish Stout Beer, such as Guinness Extra Stout
4 Easy steps for making Slow Cooker Pot Roast:
1. Brown the pot roast before slow cooking
Browning meat before cooking is an important first step. This is true of any slow cooker recipe. Searing your chuck roast first gives it a nice crusty, brown, caramelized surface and ensures a more complex flavor overall.
Pot Roast is traditionally made with boneless chuck roast which requires a long slow cooking time to become tender. Unlike making a stew, you will cook the meat whole. You will know it’s ready when you can easily pull it apart with a fork.
When you cook in a slow cooker you can lose the amazing flavor that develops when you braise meat slowly in a hot oven. Searing the meat before slow cooking helps to recreate that braising flavor so don’t skip this important step.
Sear chuck roast before slow cooking
2. Vegetables for traditional pot roast
This is where everything becomes easy. The great thing about the slow cooker method is we “set it and forget it”.
While your cuts don’t need to be perfect you should try to make sure most of the vegetables are cut into the same size pieces to guarantee even cooking. From there, we just toss them in the slow cooker!
Root vegetables and mushrooms are traditional for Guinness Irish Pot Roast but if you substitute a hearty red wine for the Irish beer this could also be called a Yankee Pot Roast.
Guinness Extra Stout Beer 
Guinness Irish Pot Roast and Vegetables ready to cook in slow cooker
3. Using Guinness Beer for flavoring:
Every good pot roast needs flavorful liquids to make the delicious brown gravy that helps cook the meat. Generally, you will use at least 1 cup of liquid for every two pounds of meat when slow cooking. Want more gravy? Use a bit more liquid. This recipe calls for tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, beef stock, and of course Guinness Irish Beer.
Guinness beer is a stout beer that is roasted and takes on a deep coffee-like flavor when used for braising and cooking. While it has a very distinct flavor you can sub in any hearty stout beer. I usually buy it by the bottle, in a big beverage store, because that is all I need.
4. Set it and forget it in the slow cooker:
This pot roast is so easy because once you’ve seared the meat you simply add the vegetables to the crockpot, add the liquids and gently combine with the herbs.
Then add the roast on top and lightly submerge. Cover and cook!
Slow cookers take time to work their magic. Cook on low (170°f) for 6-7 hours and on high (280°f) for 3-4 hours.
How to know when your pot roast is ready?
The meat is done if it’s tender and able to be easily shredded with two forks. If the meat is undercooked it will be tough and chewy, and will just need more time in the slow cooker.
Serving the perfect Irish Pot Roast:
Remove the roast to a cutting board and loosely break apart pieces with two forks. Serve in large bowls and ladle vegetables and gravy over the top. Sprinkle with additional herbs, if desired.
This pot roast is rich, so warm Irish Soda Bread, and a refreshing salad are the ideal side dishes. Here are some of our favorites:
Suggested Drink Pairings for Slow Cooker Pot Roast:
- A glass of Guinness beer, naturally!
- A nice glass of hearty red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot
Slow Cooker Irish Pot Roast Recipe
Equipment
- Slow Cooker or Crock Pot
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 3-4 lb boneless chuck roast
- 4 tsp salt, divided
- 3 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 2 cups mushrooms, thickly sliced
- 2 cups potatoes, cut into large chunks
- 1 cup onion, roughly chopped
- 1 cup carrots, sliced into thick rounds
- 3 Tbsp garlic, roughly chopped in large pieces
- 3 Tbsp Tomato paste
- 4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups Guinness Extra Stout beer
- 2 cups beef stock
- 2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
- fresh thyme leaves, optional garnish
Instructions
Searing the chuck roast:
- Season chuck roast with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 tsp ground pepper on both sides.
- In a large saute pan, heat oil over medium high heat unitl hot but not smoking.
- Sear the beef on all sides until dark golden brown and started to get crispy.
Preparing ingredients in a slow cooker:
- In a large slow cooker add all of the vegetables, remaining salt and pepper, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Mix to coat.
- Pour in Irish beer, beef stock, 2 tablespoons chopped thyme leaves, and thyme sprigs. Stir well to combine.
- Place seared chuck roast on top of vegetables and submerge slightly.
- Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 7 hours.
- Pot roast is ready when it is easy to shred.
- Remove roast from slow cooker and loosely cut into pieces. Serve in bowls and ladle vegetables and sauce over the top. Garnish with fresh chopped thyme if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
It’s a mouthwatering stew loaded with vegetables and tender beef
This is hands down the BEST instant pot Beef Stew recipe you will ever make and your family will love it too!
No Instant Pot ~ No Problem!
It’s easy to make this beef stew the traditional way by starting it on the stove top and finishing it in the oven. You can definitely do that with this version and we’ve written wrote notes for that method in the recipe card.
The magic of the Instant Pot:
The Instant Pot is perfect for beef stew because it pressurizes the meat and makes it so tender that it melts in your mouth. Traditionally you need at least 2 hours in the oven to get the same results.
In the Instant Pot, you cook the stew for 35 minutes and then depressurize for another 12-13 minutes. You will have dinner completely ready in a little over an hour. The fun thing about the IP is that everything is done in one pot – saute and cook. (Hurray for less dishes!)
Ingredients for Instant Pot Beef Stew:
- Chuck roast – about 3 pounds
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Onions and garlic
- Dry red wine – such as Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon
- Beef broth
- Carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, and peas
- Worcestershire sauce
- Rosemary, oregano, Bay leaves, and parsley
- Tomato Sauce
- Cornstarch
How to saute meat for caramelization:
Cooking the ingredients in batches is the key to the best flavor.
Beef needs to be sauteed in a very hot pan or in the Instant Pot (on saute mode) to give it a beautiful carmelized flavor. Always saute the meat in single layer batches. If you crowd the meat it will steam, instead of carmelize, so batches are the way to go.
Deglazing the pan for added flavor:
Don’t skip the deglazing step! Once the meat is cooked, remove it, then add red wine to the pot and scrape up the browned bits because that’s where the flavor is and you don’t want to miss it!
You’ll only need 1/2 cup for this recipe, so open a good bottle that you want to drink along with your stew! We used Pinot Noir, but any hearty red wine will work perfectly.
Beef sauteeing in Instant Pot 
Sauteeing Onions in an Instant Pot
The Best Meat for Instant Pot Beef Stew:
The best beef to use for beef stew is a boneless chuck roast. This cut of roast is an inexpensive cut and has enough fat and marbling to make it tender with the slow cooking method.
Cut into 1″ pieces and try to keep them about the same size to ensure even cooking.
Vegetables for Beef Stew:
Hearty root vegetables work best for this beef stew recipe. Vegetables should be cut about the same size to ensure even cooking.
- Carrots and potatoes are the traditional choice, but turnips and parsnips would also work well. We like Yukon Gold potatoes because they have great flavor and hold their shape, but you can use Russets, yellow or red potatoes.
- We also used mushrooms which deepen the earthy flavor
- Peas are wonderful in beef stew but be sure to add them add the end, as they won’t hold up to instant pot cooking
The best herbs for perfect Beef Stew:
We like to use a blend of herbs to season the beef stew, but pick your favorites, or what you have on hand.
- Rosemary is a great choice, but be sure to strip the needles off the branches and finely chop
- Oregano – dried or fresh
- Bay leaves – great for added flavor but be sure to remove before serving
- Parsley – we prefer flat leaf Italian parsley. Save a small amount to sprinkle on top for a garnish
How long to cook Instant Pot Beef Stew:
When you add everything to the pot there will be a lot of liquid but it will thicken during cooking.
The Instant Pot will need to cook on high pressure for 35 minutes and then allow for a 13-minute natural release. Once completed, open the lid carefully. Remove the bay leaves and then mix in the frozen peas and allow them to warm up.
How to thicken any beef stew:
The final step is adding a combination of cornstarch and water, also called a slurry, which acts as a thickener. Blend in well and the stew will start to thicken. Garnish with some chopped parsley for a nice pop of color.
More recipes to feed a family:
- Slow Cooker Irish Pot Roast
- Instant Pot Greek Lemon Chicken Soup
- Garlic Mushrooms with Pasta
- Carne Asada Recipe
- Authentic Carnitas
Instant Pot Beef Stew
Equipment
- Instant Pot, optional
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Chuck roast, boneless, cut into 1" pieces
- 3 Tbsp Olive oil, divided
- 2 tsp salt, divided
- 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, divided
- 1 ½ cups onion, diced
- 3 Tbsp garlic, minced
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 cups carrots, cut into 1/2" thick rounds
- 1 cup potatoes, cut into 1/2" chunks
- 1 cup button mushrooms, cut in half
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- ¾ cup tomato sauce
- 2 Tbsp water
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 cups frozen peas, or fresh
- 3 Tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Trim any large pieces of extra fat from the beef and cut into 1" pieces.
- Turn Instant Pot to SAUTE and add 1 tablespoons of olive oil. If cooking on stovetop add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large oven proof pot and heat on medium high. Preheat oven to 275°Heat oil until shimmering and add half of the beef in a single layer. Do not crowd the meat or it will steam instead of saute. Sprinkle with half of the salt and pepper and let cook undisturbed for about 4 minutes on each side, or until the cubes have a dark brown crust. Transfer to a clean bowl and continue by sauteeing second batch, adding additional 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper. Remove meat and add to bowl with first batch of meat.
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, heat, and add onions to the pot and saute until softened and lightly browned. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
- Add red wine and delgaze by scraping bottom of pot to loosen browned bits. Allow wine to reduce by half. Add the beef broth.
- Add carrots, potatoes, herbs and Worcestershire sauce and stir together. Add meat and any juices that have accumulated in the bowl.
- Add the tomato sauce on the top.
- INSTANT POT:Close Instant Pot and seal. Set pressure to HIGH for 35 minutes, and then allow a 13 minute natural release. Vent to release remaining pressure and carefully open lid.OVEN:If preparing on stovetop, cover pot and put in preheated oven for about 2 hours. Check at 1.5 hours to see if you need any extra liquid. If needed, add water or additional broth. Stew is done if the beef can be shredded with a fork.
- In small bowl combine 2 tablespoons water and cornstarch.Remove bay leaf and stir peas.Stir cornstarch mixture into stew and gently mix until well blended and stew has thickened.
- Serve with parsley sprinkled on top as garnish.