The Best Irish Guinness Chili Recipe

Who doesn’t love chili? And with St. Patrick’s Day quickly approaching, we decided to change up the classic Tex-Mex recipes and make the best Irish Guinness chili recipe. While definitely not a traditional Irish recipe, chili is so easily tweaked that we can add and subtract ingredients to fit our needs. (The Best Irish Guinness Chili Recipe)

The Best Irish Guinness Chili Recipe

This recipe is like if American chili and Shepherd’s pie had a baby. While you’ll see many of the classic chili ingredients here, we’ll also be using some that give it an Irish flare, most notably Guinness. And just like any chili, you can swap ingredients as needed, so I’ll let you know where there are good places to make some changes.

Main Ingredients

The Meat

I think using ground lamb here helps to push this recipe in the Irish direction while keeping it very familiar at the same time. You can also use ground beef, of course, to make Guinness beef chili. And that’s the beauty of chili in general. Just mix and match to create new combinations.

The Produce

Here’s your first place to make some big changes to the recipe. If you’re not used to swapping ingredients on the fly, here’s a great way to start. At first, just switch one or two ingredients for something fairly similar. Once you get more comfortable with it, you can start making bolder moves.

We didn’t go too bold with our veg in this recipe. Onion, celery, garlic, and tomatoes are all fairly standard chili ingredients. You can push this further to the Irish food end by adding halved new potatoes or pull it back by adding chopped bell peppers.

The Spices

Here are some more common chili actors! Obviously, chili powder makes a big appearance here. Also included are sweet paprika, cumin, dried oregano, and, not a spice but, brown sugar.

Here’s another great place to make some alterations. If you want to add some smokiness, try using smoked paprika or add some chipotle chile powder. Coriander and a cinnamon stick are also great additions. Also, if you’re looking for some heat, try adding cayenne or red pepper flakes.

The Beer

As the name of the recipe might suggest, Guinness is used here. This is the single ingredient that moves the flavor profile of the dish away from its roots and more towards an Irish stew. With that said, there’s still some flexibility here.

Guinness Draught is in the recipe, but you can use another Guinness variant, porter or stout, or another variety of dark Irish beer. You can also deglaze with Irish whiskey and replace the beer with beef broth or chicken broth.

The Herbs

Fresh thyme and rosemary sprigs, and a bay leaf also help to make this a delicious Irish chili recipe. Just as with Shepherd’s pie, they help to brighten up and add complexity to a dish with deep flavors.

The Beans

Our recipe calls for kidney and black beans for a little variety, but use whatever you have on hand. Northern white and pinto beans also work well here. You’ll see that we use canned beans here for the ease and speed at which they cook, but you can use dried beans as well.

The Toppings

There’s a lot of good stuff you can put on top of chili. Keep it simple or go all in – it’s up to you! You’ll find green onions, cheddar cheese, and sour cream in the recipe below, but you can also add sliced jalapeño pepper, fresh chives, or tortilla chips.

Procedure

In a large pot or Dutch oven sauté your aromatics in a little olive or vegetable oil over medium heat, and season with a little salt. Cook while stirring occasionally until they’re translucent. Then add the garlic and stir for about a minute until fragrant.

For an even deeper flavor, you can also add a tablespoon of tomato paste here and stir until it has a deep red color.

Next, add the meat and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s no longer pink. Then stir in the spices for a minute or so.

Now deglaze the pot with the beer, or whatever you’re using, and pour in the tomatoes. From here, add your herbs and bring it all to a boil, reduce to simmer, and let it cook for about 30 minutes to thicken it up.

After the chili has cooked, add the beans and simmer for another 10 minutes. Once you’re ready to eat, put on your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Just like any chili or stew, it tastes great the next day, so don’t worry about leftovers or even making it a day ahead of time. This is also a great recipe for a slow cooker!