Guinness Braised Short Ribs 🍺🍖
These Guinness Braised Short Ribs are slow-cooked until meltingly tender in a rich, deeply flavorful stout sauce. The Guinness adds bold, malty depth while aromatics and herbs create a savory, comforting dish that feels straight out of an Irish pub. Serve over mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or creamy polenta for the ultimate cozy meal.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fall-off-the-bone tender
- Deep, rich gravy
- Restaurant-quality but easy
- Perfect for entertaining
- Incredible make-ahead meal
- Cozy Irish-inspired comfort food
What Does Guinness Do in This Recipe?
Guinness adds:
- Deep roasted flavor
- Slight bitterness to balance richness
- Beautiful dark color
- Incredible depth to the sauce
It doesn’t taste strongly like beer — it tastes rich and savory.
Ingredients
- 3–4 lbs bone-in beef short ribs
- Salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups Guinness stout
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- Aluminum foil
Optional: 1 tablespoon brown sugar (if you prefer slightly sweeter sauce)
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat & Prep
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Pat short ribs dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Sear the Ribs
In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
Sear ribs on all sides until deeply browned (about 2–3 minutes per side).
Remove and set aside.
This step builds major flavor — don’t skip it!
Step 3: Sauté the Vegetables
In the same pot, add onion, carrots, and celery.
Cook 5–7 minutes until softened.
Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to caramelize slightly.
Step 4: Deglaze with Guinness
Pour in the Guinness and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Simmer for 5 minutes to reduce slightly.
Step 5: Add Broth & Herbs
Stir in:
- Beef broth
- Worcestershire sauce
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Bay leaves
Return ribs to the pot. Liquid should come about ¾ of the way up the ribs.
Step 6: Slow Braise
Cover and transfer to oven (preheated to 325°F).
Cook for 2 ½ to 3 hours, until meat is fork-tender and nearly falling off the bone.
Finishing the Sauce
Remove ribs carefully and tent with foil.
Skim excess fat from sauce if needed.
Simmer sauce on stovetop for 10–15 minutes to thicken slightly.
For a thicker gravy:
- Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water
- Stir into simmering sauce
Return ribs to pot and spoon sauce over top.
Serving Ideas
These are incredible served over:
- Creamy mashed potatoes
- Buttered egg noodles
- Parmesan polenta
- Colcannon (Irish mashed potatoes with cabbage)
- Crusty bread to soak up sauce
Garnish with chopped parsley for fresh color.
Make-Ahead Tip
This dish is EVEN BETTER the next day.
Cool completely, refrigerate overnight, and gently reheat.
The flavors deepen beautifully.
Storage
Refrigerate up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Freeze up to 3 months.
Reheat gently on stovetop or in oven.
Recipe Card
Guinness Braised Short Ribs
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Serves: 4–6
(Ingredients and instructions as listed above.)
If you make these Guinness Braised Short Ribs, I would LOVE to hear how you served them! 🍀 Did you go classic with mashed potatoes or try polenta? Leave a comment below and let me know! And don’t forget to save this recipe to Pinterest for your next cozy dinner night. 🍺🍖
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