7 Savory 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. By Chandra Ram Chandra Ram Chandra Ram led the digital food strategy for Food & Wine. She has more than 15 years of experience writing and editing food content and developing recipes. A former restaurant cook and server, she also writes cookbooks. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on March 13, 2026 Add Us On SAVE ALL RECIPES NEW! Save as a collection on MyRecipes Close Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle 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 too. 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. Keep all of your recipes at your fingertips. With the MyRecipes app you can easily save and organize your favorites from anywhere, including Instagram and TikTok, in one convenient place. Get the free app. 01 of 07 Guinness-Glazed Ham 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, caramellike bittersweetness in the oven. Get the Recipe Save 02 of 07 Guinness Irish Meatball Stew Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle This hearty stew swaps traditional chunks of lamb or beef for tender lamb meatballs simmered with potatoes, carrots, celery, and herbs in a glossy, gravy-like broth. Guinness is added to the stew base, where it brings roasted, malty notes with hints of coffee and dark chocolate. Get the Recipe Save 03 of 07 Braised Brisket Potato Tot Casserole Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen This comforting dish from Minneapolis’s The Stray Dog gives the classic Minnesota hot dish a Guinness-flavored spin. The brisket is slowly braised in stout, while brown sugar coaxes sweetness from the Brussels sprouts, and a rich mushroom béchamel ties it all together beneath a crisp layer of truffle-studded tots. Get the Recipe Save 04 of 07 Stout-Braised Short Ribs © Christina Holmes Cooking short ribs in beer makes them exceptionally tender while lending the sauce a faintly bitter edge. Chef Sarah Simmons uses Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout, though Guinness or another dark beer works just as well. Get the Recipe Save 05 of 07 Guinness-Marinated Bison Steak Sandwiches © Luca Trovato Photography Cookbook author Bruce Aidells uses a Guinness, soy sauce, and molasses marinade to keep these steak sandwiches juicy while giving them a rich, sweet-savory depth. Get the Recipe Save 06 of 07 Beer-Brined Roast Turkey with Onion Gravy and Bacon © Christina Holmes Grace Parisi’s Guinness-brined turkey takes on the beer’s deep, toasty flavor and emerges from the oven beautifully golden. Get the Recipe Save 07 of 07 Fortnum & Mason's Welsh Rarebit David Loftus The son of the Queen of England may not be the first person you turn to for St. Patrick's Day recipes, but food writer Tom Parker Bowles shares a recipe for the Welsh specialty that makes the case for cross-border collaboration. "Fortnum’s use Guinness," he writes, "although any stout or bitter will do fine." Get the Recipe Save Explore more: Food Holidays & Occasions St. Patrick's Day Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit