Cooking with Beer
Incorporate your favorite brew into these flavorful recipes. The rich taste of beer intensifies during cooking and can be used as a braising liquid, marinade, glaze, batter, or to enhance the flavor of soups and stews. Start with our recipe suggestions, then branch out with your own creations!
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A 12-ounce can or bottle of dark beer (such as Guinness Extra Stout or Samuel Adams Cream Stout) gives this easy slow cooker beef recipe a rich, velvety texture and flavor.
Kick this hearty soup up a notch with a bit of pale lager (such as Heineken or Budweiser), which adds a crisp finish to the creamy cheese base. We topped our soup with shredded hash browns, green onions, and paprika for a flavorful garnish.
Hearty brown ale stars as a braising liquid because of its almost-bitter nutty flavor that has a hint of sweetness. Try Newcastle Brown Ale, Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale, or Abita Turbodog in this hearty chicken recipe.
Senior Food Editor Maggie Meyer walks you through the easy steps of cooking ale-braised chicken.
Believe it or not, a can of beer goes into the batter of this easy-bake bread (along with sharp cheddar, peppery Monterey Jack, and dill weed). The type of beer you choose will change the taste of the bread, so use one of your favorites to get the flavor just right for you.
A foamy, bubbly light lager (such as Corona Extra or Rolling Rock Extra Pale) is a natural for fried food because of its high level of carbonation. Lighter lagers also bring the familiar beer taste to the batter without overpowering the other ingredients.
A dark, hearty stout (such as Murphy's Irish Stout or Guinness Extra Stout) infuses this meaty porterhouse with a bold, coffeelike taste. Reserve a few tablespoons of the beer to make your own herb butter—a delicious yet simple topping.
Sweet apples, crisp green beans, and smoky seared sausage are all complemented by the citrusy glaze made with Belgian-style wheat beer. This type of beer (try Blue Moon Belgian White or Shock Top Belgian White) also pairs deliciously with seared chicken, pork, or seafood.
A dark porter beer (such as Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter or Fuller's London Porter) adds rich flavor to this already hearty beef stew, a perfect one-pot meal for a chilly evening.
Whip up this hearty stew with these easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions from Kristina Vanni.
This easy-to-make recipe transforms the popular beer and cheese soup into a party-ready favorite. A pale lager keeps from overpowering the warm dip, blending well with sharp cheddar and American cheeses.
A dark stout beer (such as Guinness Draft or Samuel Adams Cream Stout) pairs with sweet molasses to create a simple and flavorful brine for these pork chops. Rub garlic and cracked black pepper on the marinated meat for an extra punch of flavor.
Beer goes great in vegetarian chili, too. This easy slow cooker recipe doesn't specify which type to use, but we recommend a lighter beer that won't compete with the chili's slightly spicy flavor.
Use a wheat beer (such as New Belgium Sunshine Wheat) or a pale ale (such as Fat Tire) in this easy-prep slow cooker recipe for brisket. Both wheat beer and pale ale will have more distinct flavor than a standard lager, with pale ale being the stronger of the two.
A honey wheat beer (Leinenkugel's Honey Weiss or Michelob Honey Wheat Ale) gives this garlicky pork chop marinade a hint of sweetness. Melted white cheddar cheese, green onions, and chopped walnuts make for a creamy and delicious topping.
