Belgian beef and beer stew

Name: Belgian beef and beer stew
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 10 min
Yield: 4 persons
Cuisine: Belgian
Ingredients: 1 kg beef stewing meat; 2 large onions; knob of butter; 2 bay leaves; 2 cloves; few sprigs of thyme; 2 bottles of brown beer; 1 slice of brown bread; 1 tablespoon mustard; 3 tablespoons apple treacle; pepper and salt to taste; small dash of vinegar; fries for serving

You just want to try this Belgian beef and beer stew, the meat is so tender it will fall apart. A classic stew with fries, the perfect combination!

Recipe belgian beef and beer stew

Made by Véronique

Published at 2019-11-21, this recipe is for 4 persons and takes 2 hours 10 minutes.

Founder of Ohmydish (since 2014), she prefers to spend all day in the kitchen. Once working in the hospitality industry as an independent chef, she loves helping you gain confidence in the kitchen. With her easy-to-follow recipes, handy tips, and cooking knowledge, you'll make the most delicious dishes yourself! The recipes are accessible to everyone, from beginners to advanced home cooks.

Updated at: 2025-07-19

Let's get started

Preparation time

10 minutes

Time cooking

2 hours

Total time

2 hours 10 minutes

Preparation - 10 minutes

Peel and finely chop the onion and set aside. Divide the meat into large cubes and remove any excess fat or muscles if like you.

Don't remove too much because the fat will give the stew more flavour. Season the meat with pepper and salt. Coat the slice of bread with mustard.

Finishing the Belgian beef and beer stew - 2 hours

Heat a large knob of butter in a heavy bottomed pan and cook the meat on all sides until they're beautiful brown. It's best to cook them in batches so you won't overcrowd the pan.

If the meat is brown also add the onion and cook a few minutes more. Deglaze with brown beer and stir in the treacle. Also add sprigs of thyme, bay leaves and cloves.

Turn down the heat, as low as possible, and put the slice of bread on top (mustard side down). Let the meat simmer for about 1,5 to 2 hours with the lid on and stir occasionally.

The exact time depends of the meat you're using, the meat should be tender and soft it will fall apart. If the meat isn't tender yet but the beer is already evaporated, you can add some water and stew it a bit more.

Remove the bay leaves, cloves and sprigs of thyme. Season with pepper, salt and a bit of vinegar. Serve with fries and a salad, enjoy!