As much as you like to drink beer on its own, it is not actually just for washing down chips, pretzels, and hotdogs on game day. It can actually be used for cooking, similar to how you would cook with wine. Cooking with beer gives your food a deeper and earthier flavor.
It is perfect for dishes like soup, stew, chili, and even baked goods. You can use it in just about any cooking technique like braising, deglazing, marinating, simmering, baking, and more. Beer has many health benefits, so you would benefit from adding it to your food.
Using Beer as an Ingredient
Beer contains hops which gives the bitter nature. It also contains malt which gives it the natural sweetness which balances the bitter flavor perfectly. The bitterness balances the creaminess of cheese and the sugars in vegetables like onions, carrots, and corn.
Fried Foods
Dump the fizzy seltzer water in favor of light beer when frying onion rings or shrimp. Lager, for instance, will make the batter light and airy. Do not use stout beer as it can result in gray-colored food.
A light lager will result in crispier and lighter fry. Beer works like sparkling water, and it makes the food crisp, light and airy. It’s perfect for fish, onion rings, calamari, and tempura.
Soups and Stews
When making stews or soups, make sure to replace the stock with stout or ale. If you’re making a seafood soup or chicken soup, you can use wheat beer instead.
Baking with Beer
If you are planning to bake a classic quick bread, make sure to use beer along with baking powder to get the loaf to rise. If you’re planning to bake a dark bitter bread, you may want to use light lager. If you’re going to bake with chocolate, use a dark stout to bring out the flavors of the chocolate.
Marinades and Sauces
Beer tenderizes meat and caramelizes seared meat. It also helps create an earthy, smoky flavor to sauces. Throw a lager with ketchup and mustard will create a delicious marinade for beef cut.
Soups
Beers go well with onion soup. Let the onions cook for a long period and give it a boost by adding beer. This will bring out a richer and darker sweetness.
Which Beer Should You Use for Cooking?
Light and dark beers have distinctive flavors. But how do you know which beers go with which food? How do you cook with beer?
It’s simple really. Wheat beers are great for chicken and seafood. If you’re cooking pork, beef, and lamb, you will need ales, porters, and stouts. Hearty meat goes well with belgian ales. Stews pair well with ale. Cheese goes well with ale as well. If you’re cooking desserts, you need light fruity beers.
If you are unsure about what beer to use, go for pale ale. It’s fruity, rich, and hoppy, but it’s not overpowering.
You do not need to break the bank just to get a nice bottle of beer for cooking. Make sure to use beers that you would enjoy drinking. Remember that as you cook, the flavors of the beer will either intensify or diminish. So, it’s always best to bet on beers that you like.
If you want to learn more about beers so you would know how to choose the right ones for cooking, contact us and sign up for our brewery tours, and you’d be a beer expert in no time!
FAQs
Use beer as a cooking liquid for braising, steaming, and more. The next time you're making a marinade, try adding some beer! Similar to other liquids used to marinate, soaking in beer will help ensure your food stays moist as it cooks — and it contains enzymes that can help tenderize meat.
What is the point of cooking with beer? ›
The Basics
Why cook with beer? Beer adds a rich, earthy flavor to soups and stews that makes them taste like they've been simmering for hours. Beers with a sweet or nutty taste can add depth to desserts. And don't worry about getting drunk – virtually all of the alcohol evaporates during the cooking process.
Does it matter what beer you cook with? ›
Light and dark beers have distinctive flavors.
It's simple really. Wheat beers are great for chicken and seafood. If you're cooking pork, beef, and lamb, you will need ales, porters, and stouts.
What does beer do to meat when cooking? ›
One of the most effective ways to cook with beer, however, is to use it as a tenderizing marinade. Beer contains enzymes that help break down tough fibers in meat, making it more tender and flavorful at the same time.
What is the best beer for cooking? ›
For cooking, use brown ales for pork, beef, stews and chilis. They also work well in batters and in baking. Porter: Another type of ale, porters are medium-bodied with a cocoa-like sweetness. They're also medium hoppy, so less bitter than a pale ale and less sweet than a brown ale.
What is the best beer to cook beef with? ›
Ales, porters, and stouts are perfect for pork, beef, and lamb. Belgian ales go great with hearty meat and game. Nut-brown ales pair well with stews and cheesy dishes. Fruity beers are good choices for desserts, unless your recipe specifically calls for a particular beer.
Is cooking with beer healthy? ›
Surprising but true: Cooking with beer can actually be a healthy way to flavor food—here's why. A 12-ounce bottle of regular beer has about 150 calories and is free of fat and cholesterol. It also has very little sodium-only 1% of the recommended daily allowance.
Can beer replace food? ›
Although beer does contain some nutrients, it's important to note that beer should never replace food. It's also important to note that drinking too much beer can lead to negative health effects, including excess calorie consumption and nutrient deficiencies.
Does beer make meat more tender? ›
Beers can add rich, caramel-like flavor to the meat with minimal cooking time. One of the most effective ways to tenderize your meat is by using beer. Beer contains alpha acids and tannins that help break down fibers in meat, making it more tender and flavorful. Marinate using beer for an hour or more before grilling.
What is the best beer to bake with? ›
If you're new to baking with beer, porters and stouts are the best place to begin. Because they're brewed with dark roasted malt, they lend flavor notes of cocoa and coffee. Porters lean more toward chocolate and malted flavors with less bitterness.
Yes, expired beer can be used for cooking.
However, be cautious if the beer has noticeable off-flavors.
What beer to put in beef stew? ›
For beef stews, we really like using porters. These beers tend to have a lot of caramelized and toasted malt flavors that work very well with slow-cooked meat, but without going into the coffee-like bitterness of many stouts.
Why add beer to chicken? ›
Water and fat don't mix, but alcohol and fat do. The alcohol is able to penetrate deep into the meat, carrying the flavors of the brine solution with it. Beer can also break down fat, something that water cannot. You can also baste the chicken with beer.
What does beer do for cooking? ›
There are three reasons to use beer in your cooking – as a leavening agent, as a tenderiser or to add flavour. Let's start with leavening. Beer contains yeast which can add to anything you are cooking that needs to rise. The carbonation in beer can also make baked goods light and fluffy.
What does beer do to BBQ? ›
Beer can be used to impart flavor while you are roasting, using the rotisserie, and even smoking. It's as simple as adding beer to your drip pan or the water basin in your smoker. Drip pans collect the delicious drippings from whatever you're cooking so that you can use them to make sauces and gravies.
When you cook with beer does it cook the alcohol out? ›
Alcohol does partially evaporate during cooking, but not as much as you might think. Depending on the cooking method and how much alcohol is used, anywhere from 4 to 85 percent of the alcohol may remain. After 15 minutes of cooking, about 40 percent of the alcohol remains.
Can you cook with beer instead of oil? ›
One tablespoon of olive oil has approximately 120 calories, while an entire 12-ounce can of beer has around 146, breaking down to fewer than seven calories per tablespoon. It's even been said that cooking with beer can enhance the flavors in foods, especially meat. But that's not all — it can be healthier, too.
What food goes well with beer? ›
Pair with: Roasted foods; smoked foods; barbecued/grilled foods; salty foods; oysters; rich stews; braised dishes; chocolate; desserts (ideally the beer is sweeter than the dish).
How do you substitute beer in cooking? ›
Easy Substitutions
You can use chicken broth, ginger ale, white grape juice, or white wine if your recipe calls for a light beer. Use beef broth, chicken broth, mushroom stock, apple juice, apple cider, root beer, or co*ke instead of dark beer.
