Come March 17th, many of us who don’t normally go for stout will be clutching bottles and cans of Guinness for dear life, slurrily toasting the guy or gal or empty barstool next to us.
But there are other, much classier ways to enjoy Guinness this month (and all year long). Yes, it’s a meal in itself, but the rich, creamy stout is actually a pretty versatile cooking ingredient, finding a place everywhere from the breakfast table (chocolate chip stout pancakes, yes please) to hearty stews, to classic fish and chips.
Fair warning — most recipes that use Guinness are on the heavier, richer end of the spectrum. Meaning they’ll make you feel all warm and cozy inside. So cook, and drink, on.
Boozy Guinness Ice Cream Floats from Williams-Sonoma
One of the easiest, most indulgent ways to go from beer to dessert. To concoct this delivishly smooth elixir all you need is coffee ice cream (you can swap in vanilla or chocolate if you prefer), chocolate syrup, and some of that creamy, dreamy stout.
Stout Chocolate Cherry Bread from CookingLight.com
Bread isn’t the first place we go when thinking about cooking with beer (think stews, beer batter, or just drinking the stuff ‘cause it’s awesome). But just one bottle of Guinness gives a bit of a richer caramelly taste to the bread, studded with dried cherries and dark chocolate.
Guinness Beef Stew with Prunes from PigPig’s Corner
Self-described as a manly beef stew with a twist (that twist being prunes). A pretty simple, hearty stew recipe doused with everyone’s favorite Irish stout. And yes, those prunes, which do add a subtle sweetness.
Cowboy Steaks with Guinness Sauce from Leite’s Culinaria
Yeah, it sounds like another “manly” recipe, but Cowboy steak just refers to the cut of steak—in this case, rib-eyes that are done up nice and Spartan-style. A bit of salt and pepper, an angry kiss from a hot iron skillet, and a pan sauce—made with Guinness, of course. Bonus Points: you only use half a bottle, so there’s a bit left over. For whatever you’d like to do with it.
Bangers and Colcannon with Guinness Onion Gravy from Closet Cooking
OK, so there aren’t a ton of light options on the list. But that makes sense—Guiness is a heavy, creamy, dark beer. So why not indulge with a classic Irish dish: bangers (Irish or English sausage), colcannon (basically dope Irish mashed potatoes with cabbage and bacon), and two of the sweetest words we’ve ever heard together: Guinness Gravy.
Guinness Stout Chocolate Fudge Brownies from Roxana’s Home Baking
“My lovelies, if you have never tried stout brownies, you are missing out.” Roxana’s pretty confident about these treats, and maybe fairly—a classic brownie recipe with Guinness adding a bit more depth and fudginess.
Guinness Pancakes from BetsyLife
The genius of this recipe—beyond the fact that it unites two of the greatest comestibles on earth, pancakes and beer—is how very, very simple it is. All that stands between you and a boozy breakfast is a package of pancake mix and a bottle of stout. Betsy chucked in some chocolate chips, and recommends stirring some Bailey’s into the whipped cream if you’re up for it. Which, yeah, we definitely are.
Guinness-Battered Fish and Chips from Irish Central
There’s no way to do a Guinness recipe round up and not include beer-battered fish and chips. The trick here is you gotta be fairly adept at frying, since what stands between perfectly crisp and pathetically soggy is the right oil temp. Do your homework (practice maybe?) and you’ll be rewarded with one heck of an iconic dish. Which just so happens to go really, really well with Guinness.
Guinness Bacon Burgers from KitchenSnaps
No, the burgers won’t give you a buzz—there’s about half a cup in the patties—but enough to give that umami char burger thing a bit more juicy awesomeness. Top it with bacon and some sharp Irish cheddar and fortify your stomach for a day of…revelry.
