This hearty beef and barley stew is loaded with tender beef, pearl barley and vegetables simmered in a rich, savory Guinness broth. It's the ultimate cozy one-pot dinner, with melt-in-your-mouth beef and a deeply flavorful broth that gets even better as it simmers.
Tell me, is there really anything better than a piping hot bowl of stew on a cold day? I think not. This Beef & Barley Stew is the perfect hearty, healthy meal to get you through a long winter. Packed with tender chunks of beef, nutritious barley, and a medley of vegetables, it's rich in flavor and comfort, making it the ultimate cold-weather dish.
What sets this recipe apart is how simple it is to make, despite the time it takes on the stove. The prep is straightforward, and once it's simmering, you're free to relax while the flavors meld together. Plus, it makes a large enough batch to enjoy all week long, making it even better on the second and third day. You can easily freeze leftovers for a future meal, so whenever you're craving something warm and filling, all you need to do is reheat. This stew is one of those dishes that only gets better with time, perfect for meal prepping or those days when you just want comfort food at your fingertips.
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Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or other heavy pot with a lid: I love my Le Creuset Dutch Oven for this recipe.
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Cutting board and knife
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Beef stew meat: Look for well-marbled beef stew meat for the most tender, flavorful stew. You can also buy a chuck roast and cut it into bite-sized pieces yourself.
- Carrots: I like plenty of carrots in this stew for a little sweetness. Parsnips can be substituted for some of the carrots if desired.
- Celery: Adds flavor to the base of the stew. If you don't have celery, you can simply leave it out.
- Onion: Yellow onion is my preference, but white or red onion works just as well.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic gives the stew the best flavor, but in a pinch you can substitute about ¼ teaspoon garlic powder for each clove.
- Thyme: Fresh thyme is my preference, but you can substitute dried thyme. As a general rule, use about ? the amount when substituting dried herbs for fresh.
- Rosemary: Fresh rosemary adds wonderful flavor to the beef and barley stew, but dried rosemary can also be used. Use about ? the amount called for if substituting dried.
- Tomato paste: Adds richness and depth to the broth. If you don't have tomato paste, you can substitute tomato sauce, although you'll need to use a little more and the flavor won't be quite as concentrated.
- Guinness or other dark stout: I really recommend Guinness for the rich, slightly malty flavor it adds to this beef and barley stew, but any dark stout can be substituted. If you'd prefer to make the stew without alcohol, replace the Guinness with additional beef broth.
- Beef broth: I recommend a good-quality beef broth or stock. Beef stock can be substituted 1:1, or you can use chicken broth in a pinch, although the finished stew won't have quite as deep a beef flavor.
- Worcestershire sauce: Adds savory depth to the broth. Soy sauce and a little balsamic can be used in a pinch, although it will give the stew a slightly different flavor.
- Bay leaf: Adds subtle flavor while the stew simmers. If you don't have one, it's perfectly fine to leave it out.
- Pearled barley: I love using Bob's Red Mill Pearl Barley for this stew. Pearl barley cooks until tender with a slightly chewy texture and helps make the stew wonderfully hearty. I don't recommend substituting hulled barley without adjusting the recipe, since it takes significantly longer to cook.
- Olive Oil: Used for browning the beef and sautéing the vegetables. Avocado oil or another neutral cooking oil can be substituted.
- Salt & Pepper: For seasoning the beef and the finished stew. If your beef broth is particularly salty, start conservatively with the salt and adjust to taste at the end.
Recipe FAQs
Barley is a whole grain that's slightly chewy with a nutty flavor. It's packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, making it a nutritious addition to stews, soups, and salads. In this recipe, it adds a lovely texture and helps thicken the broth as it cooks.
While fresh vegetables are ideal for this stew, you can use frozen vegetables if you're in a pinch. Just be sure to add them towards the end of cooking so they don't become mushy.
Yes, this stew freezes really well. Let it cool completely before transferring to an airtight container or freezer bag. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until hot.
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Made this Beef & Barley Stew recipe? Let me know what you think in the comments!
Recipe
Beef & Barley Stew
Equipment
- Large Dutch Oven or other large, heavy pot with lid
Ingredients
- 2 lb beef stew meat, cubed
- salt & pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon butter, divided
- 4 medium carrots, halved and sliced to about ½ inch thickness
- 4 stalks celery, halved and sliced to about ½ inch thickness
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped (or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary)
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 15 oz can of Guinness or other stout beer (you can replace this with 2 extra cups of beef broth is desired, but the Guinness really gives it a nice depth of flavor)
- 6 cups beef broth
- 3 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup pearled barley
- 1.5 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- additional salt & pepper to taste
- additional Worcestershire sauce to taste
- fresh thyme leaves (optional) for garnish
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large dutch oven or other heavy bottom pot with lid over medium high heat until hot.
- Generously season both sides of the beef stew meat with salt & pepper. In batches, so as not to overcrowd the beef, sear one side of the meat undisturbed for 1-2 minutes until browned. Flip meat to the other side and sear for an additional 1-2 minutes until browned. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the seared beef (it will not be cooked through at this time) to a plate and set aside.
- Repeat the process until all of the stew meat has been browned. This will probably take about 2-3 batches. Set aside.
- Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in the pan with the beef drippings and add in onion, celery, carrots and garlic. Sautee over medium high heat for about 5 minutes until softened.
- Add in thyme, rosemary and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute over medium high heat.
- Stream in the can of Guinness to deglaze the pan. Then pour in 6 cups of beef broth, stirring continuously.
- Add in 3 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, browned beef and one bay leaf and bring to a boil.
- Turn heat down to low then cover and let simmer on low for about 1 - 1.5 hours.
- After 1 to 1.5 hours of cooking, add in 1 cup of pearled barley. Continue cooking on low for another hour or so until the barley is cooked through and the beef is tender.
- Remove from heat and taste to see if the stew needs any additional seasoning. Add any salt, pepper or Worcestershire sauce to preference.
- If desired, garnish with thyme leaves and enjoy!
Tim
This stew is a keeper,perfect for cold winter days,a real rib sticken meal.
judy
It wasn't clear if I take the lid off for the barley part so that the liquid can reduce? or do I keep it on and then at one point take it off after I add the barley?
jamjarkitchen
Hi Judy - You will keep the lid on and cook on low for about an hour after adding the barley. Hope you enjoy!
Kellie
When do you re-add the beef to the broth?
jamjarkitchen
Hi Kellie- Not sure how I missed that! You add the beef back along with the Worcestershire sauce and bay leaf. Sorry about that! Adding to the instructions now!
Gaby
A great meal for a winter day...love this recipe. Definitely a regular feature on the menu now! Thank you
Heidi
I completely forgot the celery at the market. I thought I had some in my crisper but alas nope! I did buy turnips and I had celery seed and celery salt. It is currently simmering on my stove; I just added the barley. Even without the celery the broth is wonderful. I cannot wait until the barley is fully cooked!
Suzan
My whole family loved this recipe, and I have two very picky young eaters. I added butter to each dish and it made the broth velvety smd smooth. Next time I will have the meat sit in the salt longer. My soup pot didn't sear the meat as much as I would like but if I sear the meat in the cast iron skillet then I miss out on the yummy goodness at the bottom of the pot when I add the guiness and broth. I added basil and didn't add the bay leaf- I'm not a fan of bay leaf. We will be making this again.
Katie
I just made this and it was delicious. I sprinkled in a little bit more barley than it called for because we like our stews “meaty”. Speaking of which, I also used 2.5 lbs of stew meat — could’ve even done 3lbs. I didn’t have a stout beer so I deglazed with a couple turns of brandy. Turned out awesome! My entire family loved it. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
KC
First time making a stew. Using Moose meat and my house smells AMAZING!!
jamjarkitchen
Moose meat is a great idea! I bet it was delicious!
Andrea
Loved this recipe I added a little less than 3lbs of beef because I could only find 1.5 lbs packs, also added and extra sprinkle of barley, and a little arrow root to thinken it just a bit. This will definitely be added to my rotation
jamjarkitchen
So happy you liked it!
Sam
Lovely recipe. Used beef shin as it's a spectacular cut for stewing. Also layered with suet dumplings towards the end (it's the Brit in me!). Thank you!
jamjarkitchen
Glad you enjoyed! The suet dumplings sound delish!
Mary
Delicious! Followed the recipe exactly, which is unusual for me, but I'm new to cooking barley. Now that we've tasted it I wouldn't change a thing and will definitely be making it again!
Scott
Soup was great, one of the best ones I've had!
CBJ
This is excellent! Followed directions exactly but sautéed some mushrooms with the carrot/onion/celery mix and added a few frozen peas & green beans at end. The stout, tomato paste, herbs & worchestershire made this stew DELICIOUS! Perfectly balanced. Going to keep this recipe!
Edward Zehe jr
This recipe is spot on delicious! Iv'e made this several times just as written.
Thanks
Ed
jamjarkitchen
Hi Edward - So glad you liked it!