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
The Basics
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.
What's the best kind of beer to cook with? ›
In general, choose lighter, less bitter styles such as wheat beers and pilsners for more delicate recipes using seafood and chicken. Choose heartier ales, stouts and porters in more robust dishes such as beef and game (more on beer, game, and other meat cuts can be found here).
Is cooking with beer healthy? ›
“With meat, for instance, you'd enhance flavor with oil, but oil is about 120 calories per tablespoon, so even if a regular beer has 150 calories, you only get about 75 calories if you add a tablespoon to your meat dish and you get a delicious taste,” Amidor says.
Does cooking with beer tenderize meat? ›
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 happens to the alcohol when you cook with beer? ›
The science:
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.
What is the best beer to cook beef with? ›
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.
Why do people fry with beer? ›
Beer Can Add a Deeper Flavor
You may be familiar with foods fried in a beer batter, such as beer-battered onion rings, fries, or fish. Beer is commonly used in a batter because its carbonation gives the batter more acidity.
Why cook meat in beer? ›
When added to a marinade or braise, beer can also tenderise and moisten meat. Beer is both a flavouring agent and an agent of leavening in baking recipes.
What does soaking meat in beer do? ›
Most importantly, ignore what cookbooks say about marinating with beer. Beer doesn't tenderize meat any more than lemonade (nor does wine or vinegar-based marinades). And be careful: If meat is left in the liquid too long, it will take on the grayish hue of a government-issue metal desk.
What kind of beer is best for beer can chicken? ›
Quick Answer: The ideal beer for making beer can chicken is undoubtedly a lager. Its light and refreshing profile complements the chicken without overwhelming its natural flavors. Lagers are celebrated for being light, crisp and having wide appeal, making them the top pick for this cooking method.
You can use any local wheat beer or Hefewizen style beer. I find this style of beer works very well in this marinade. One of the best things about using a beer in a marinade is that it pretty much guarantees that you will end up with a food that pairs well with the beer that you used.
Why do people use beer when grilling? ›
If you're on the hunt for grilled meat that's moist, flavor-packed, and just downright delicious, marinating or brining your meat is an easy and sure way to go (they are very similar processes)! Beer is a perfect base for a marinade. It's not as acidic as wine or vinegar, and it makes your meat incredibly tender.
Why use beer for frying? ›
First, the bubbles provide lift as they escape from the batter during frying. Second, the carbonation makes the batter slightly more acidic, which limits how much gluten can form when the beer and flour mix, preventing the batter from turning tough.
What is the purpose of boiling beer? ›
Boiling ceases the remaining enzyme activity and fixes the carbohydrate composition of the wort, and hence the dextrin content of the final beer. Dextrins are complex carbohydrates. In the absence of enzyme activity to break them down into simpler sugars, brewers yeast cannot ferment them.
When to add beer to cooking? ›
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.
