5 Ways to Cook With Guinness for St. Patrick's Day

Glaze a ham, or braise brisket, short ribs, and bison with Ireland's beloved stout beer.

Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Guinness has been one of Ireland's most popular exports for more than 250 years. While we love sitting at our local pub and sipping the famously creamy foam-topped stout, its slightly tangy flavor makes it ideal for cooking. The sweet-bitter flavors in Guinness come from the multiple types of barley used to make it. They add complexity to marinades and braising liquids, making Guinness an especially nice pairing with meats like bison, beef, ham, and even turkey. And if you have a sweet tooth, then yes, you can absolutely make a Guinness ice cream float — we like it paired with rich, chocolate ice cream. Here are some of our favorite ways to cook with this Irish icon.

Guinness-Glazed Ham

Caitlin Bensel
Caitlin Bensel

This celebration-worthy Guinness-glazed Irish ham comes together with just three ingredients and demands very little attention in the kitchen. Irish chef Jp McMahon combines dark stout and brown sugar to create a simple glaze that develops a malty, caramel-like bittersweetness in the oven.

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Braised Brisket Potato Tot Casserole

Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

This homey dish from The Stray Dog in Minneapolis takes classic Minnesota hot dish to new levels. The tender brisket is braised in Guinness or another stout beer, while brown sugar helps caramelize the brussels sprouts. A creamy mushroom bechamel brings everything together, while the truffle-laced potato tots cap things off.

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Stout-Braised Short Ribs

© Christina Holmes
© Christina Holmes

Braising short ribs in beer makes them super-tender and adds a slight bitter note. Chef Sarah Simmons cooks her ribs in Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout, but you can use Guinness or any dark beer.

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Guinness-Marinated Bison Steak Sandwiches

© Luca Trovato Photography
© Luca Trovato Photography

Cookbook author Bruce Aidells uses a marinade made with Guinness, soy sauce, and molasses to add moisture and a sweet-hearty flavor to these delicious steak sandwiches.

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Beer-Brined Roast Turkey with Onion Gravy and Bacon

© Christina Holmes

© Christina Holmes

Dark, full-bodied, and slightly bitter, Guinness adds layers of smoke, maple, and roasted malt to the turkey. The Guinness-brined turkey from former F&W food editor Grace Parisi soaks up the robust, toasted flavors of the beer and becomes golden brown in the oven. Adding this beer to your brine is an excellent way to bring even more flavor to your turkey with very little effort.

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