Brusselicious Beer-Braised Beef Cheeks with Root Vegetables

By AislePrompt Test Kitchen · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-07 · Updated 2026-04-07

Slow-cooked beef cheeks in dark Belgian beer with caramelized root vegetables, inspired by authentic Brussels brasseries. This belgian-inspired beef ready in about 180 minutes pairs beef cheeks, dark Belgian beer, medium carrots for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 620 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs beef cheeks
• 1 cup dark Belgian beer
• 3 medium carrots
• 2 medium parsnips
• 2 large onions
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Step 1: Pat beef cheeks dry with paper towels, then season generously with 1 tsp sea salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering, then sear cheeks in batches for 4 minutes per side until deeply browned — do not overcrowd the pan.
2. Step 2: Remove cheeks and set aside. Add 2 large diced onions to the pot, cooking for 5 minutes over medium heat until translucent and starting to caramelize, then stir in 3 tbsp all-purpose flour and cook for 1 minute until golden.
3. Step 3: Pour in 1 cup dark Belgian beer and 1 cup beef stock, scraping up all browned bits from the bottom. Return cheeks to the pot, nestling them into the liquid. Add 4 thyme sprigs, 2 bay leaves, and 3 diced carrots, then bring to a gentle simmer.
4. Step 4: Cover tightly with a lid, reduce heat to low, and braise for 2.5 hours until beef is fork-tender. Add 2 diced parsnips during the last 30 minutes of cooking, ensuring they're submerged in liquid.
5. Step 5: Remove cheeks and vegetables, strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan, discarding solids. Return the strained liquid to the pot, increase heat to medium-high, and simmer for 15 minutes until reduced by half and coats the back of a spoon.