Cooking with Beer: 15 Recipes That Use Ales, Stouts, and Other Brews

Beer is, of course, delicious to sip after a long day or at a casual weekend party, but did you know that you can also cook with it? From a light lager to a hoppy IPA, beer not only adds flavor to recipes, but it can also tenderize meat, caramelize vegetables, and create a rich, robust gravy for a stew. These recipes that use beer are creative, innovative, and absolutely delicious.

Start with our Aged-Cheddar and Beer Dip, a crowd-friendly appetizer that's just right for game day or your next family gathering. A combination of cream cheese, extra-sharp cheddar, and Gruyère come together as a luscious, melty, and creamy dip with plenty of nutty flavor. The secret? A bottle of lager serves as the dip's base. Pair that delicious cheddar-beer combination with our Soft Pretzels, which are made with a pale ale-style beer. The beer helps to keep the dough light and fluffy; the result is a pretzel that's just right for soaking up your favorite condiments. Be sure to sprinkle your finished bites with flaky sea salt or caraway seed, because what would a soft pretzel be without a little garnish?

The perfect main course to follow pretzels and dip are these pulled chicken sandwiches. This barbecue-inspired entrée uses a homemade sauce made from ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, paprika, and a lager (we recommend Stella Artois here). Pile the saucy, tender chicken high atop soft potato buns and you're ready for a memorable summer feast.

With these recipes that use beer, your summer meals are sure to win over friends, family, neighbors, and everyone in between.

Pulled BBQ-Chicken Sandwiches

These pulled chicken sandwiches have all of the sweet, tangy, smoky flavor found in traditional pulled pork sandwiches, but they also have a tasty sauce made with lager beer to boot.

Aged-Cheddar and Beer Dip

One kind of cheese just isn't enough for an ooey-gooey flavorful dip, so we used three. Nutty Gruyère, sharp cheddar, and cream cheese work not double—but triple—duty alongside a bottle of lager in this appetizer.

Lina Kulchinsky's Soft Pretzels

Soft pretzels are make for a delicious appetizer during a casual summer party or an Oktoberfest-inspired gathering. They get plenty of nutty flavor from dark brown sugar, unbleached bread flour, and pale ale-style beer.

Stout-Braised Lamb

While you certainly don't need a holiday feast as an excuse to make this lamb dinner, the combination of fresh herbs, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and stout beer make this a truly extraordinary meal befitting of an important gathering.

Martha's Favorite Onion Rings

The carbonation from a lager or pilsner creates a light, airy coating for sliced onions that crisps up beautifully when fried. Plus, it adds more flavor than club soda or seltzer water.

Wisconsin Beer Brats

Hot diggity dog! Bratwurst are simmered with aromatic seasonings including caraway seeds, spicy brown mustard, brown sugar, and a lager. They're finished on the grill for a charred exterior and smoky flavor.

Chili-Braised Brisket

Next time you host a dinner party, consider making an out-of-this-world brisket. The beef is rubbed with a combination of chili powder and fennel seeds, seared, then simmered with onions, garlic, tomato paste, and beer until tender.

Beer-Baked White Beans

Instead of sweet, smoky barbecue sauce, these baked beans are made with a Belgian-style white ale, plus bacon, herbs, honey, and Dijon mustard.

Pork Chops with Apples and Onions

Seared pork chops are always delicious but the real star of the show is a side of sautéed apples and onions, which soften and caramelize in butter and beer—or hard cider.

Irish Lamb Stew

There's nothing quite like a hearty dinner of meat and potatoes, but this one is extra-special because it's made with lamb, creamy new potatoes, and robust dark beer.

Chili Con Carne

This super flavorful dinner has plenty of heat. Two bottles of beer are added to the chili as it cooks low and slow for a smoky scoop.

Stovetop Clambake

Take your seaside clambake one step further by adding pale ale to a stockpot along with potatoes, chorizo, and plenty of shellfish. It's a genius inclusion for a summer day feast.

Sweet-Potato Shepherd's Pie

Pilsner is added to a mixture of mushrooms and onions, which activates the caramelized flavors and creates a rich sauce in this amped-up shepherd's pie made with ground beef. Using sweet potatoes, not regular white potatoes, on top brings an enticing orange color and lots of flavor.

Traditional Crepes Suzette

Here's an unexpected twist on this traditional French dish. Light beer is used in the crepe batter; the carbonation from the beer keeps the crepes airy and loose.

Slow-Roasted Pork with Kumquats

Tart kumquats, a tiny citrus fruit native to China, are a fabulous contrast to sweet, fatty pork shoulder. The meat roasts with the kumquats, pale ale, and honey until it becomes tender on the inside and lightly caramelized on the outside.