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This Instant Pot Beef Stew is full of melt-in-your-mouth beef, hearty vegetables, and a rich broth. You won’t believe how quickly and easily it comes together.
Instant Pot Beef Stew
This Instant Pot Beef Stew is the perfect meal for a chilly day. It is warm and full of comforting textures and flavors. Cooking it in the Instant Pot is a game changer. I love it because you get the flavor and tenderness of simmering the stew on the stove for hours, but you only have to cook it for 35 minutes! It really is the best beef stew recipe ever!
Best beef to use in Instant Pot Beef Stew
What is the best meat to use for beef stew? You might think you need to use a fancy cut of beef to get those tender bites, but hear me out. I used the pre-cut stew meat in this recipe and it practically fell apart in my mouth! The Instant Pot has a magical way of taking the toughest meat and transforming it into a melt-in-your-mouth delight. On the other hand, if you have another cut of meat, use it! Use chunks of chuck roast, beef chuck, or anything you have on hand. However, I found the stew meat to be the easiest and cheapest option that still tasted tender and flavorful.
Ingredients in this Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe
In addition to the beef chunks, gather some of your favorite veggies and spices and you’ll have a delicious, hearty meal in no time!
- Olive oil – you’ll use this to sauté the beef and get it browned on all sides. The sauté setting on your Instant Pot is perfect for this!
- Onion – I use a large yellow onion, diced.
- Garlic – mince about three garlic cloves
- Celery – one stalk nicely chopped
- Beef stock – you can use low-sodium beef broth too!
- Worcestershire sauce – gives the stew a rich, deep flavor.
- Bay leaf – just one adds such a beautiful spice to the stew
- Dried Thyme – a tablespoon or so
- Kosher salt and black pepper – to taste
- Potatoes – I like to use Yukon Gold potatoes cut into one-inch pieces. You can use russets, sweet potatoes, red potatoes, etc.
- Carrots – Dice about three medium size carrots into bite-size pieces
- Water and Cornstarch – to thicken the stew. If you don’t have cornstarch, you can use a little bit of all-purpose flour and cold water. The flour will act as a thickening agent as well.
Additions to this Recipe
The beauty of a soup or stew is how versatile it is! You can toss in all kinds of veggies or herbs you have on hand. Here are some ideas:
- Peas
- Fresh Parsley
- Parsnips
- Stewed tomatoes
- Mushrooms
- Fennel
- Kale
- Eggplant
How to Store Leftovers
Keep leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat on the stovetop in a saucepan until it’s warmed through. Or pop a serving into the microwave in a microwave-safe dish and cook for a minute, stirring and reheating until it’s heated all the way through.
Frequently Asked Questions – Instant Pot Beef Stew
The stew meat can be tough if not cooked properly. It’s important to follow the instructions carefully and sear the stew meat, do not overcook, and allow time for the natural release. If you follow these steps, the stew meat will be fork-tender.
If the stew is not thick enough to your taste, mix an additional 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water. Gently stir into hot stew.
Yes, you can freeze beef stew for up to two months. Thaw the stew in the refrigerator before reheating.
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Instant Pot Beef Stew
Video
Equipment
- Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds beef stew meat
- 1 large onion chopped
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 celery stalk chopped
- 4 cups beef stock
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- salt and pepper
- 4 Yukon Gold potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 medium carrots cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to Saute mode and add one tablespoon of olive oil.
- Once oil is heated, add beef stew meat in a single layer on the bottom of the pot. You may need to do a few batches. Brown the beef on all sides. Once beef is browned, remove from pot and set aside.
- Once all the beef is browned, add the second tablespoon of olive oil. Once that oil is heated, add onion, garlic, and celery.
- Saute until the vegetables are tender. Remove from pot and set aside.
- Add beef stock, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce to the pot and whisk until combined. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up all burned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add meat and vegetables back into the pot. Add bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Add potatoes and carrots to pot – DO NOT STIR.
- Put the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure it is set to 'sealing'. Set Instant Pot to Manual and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes.
- When the timer goes off, let the Instant Pot naturally release for 20 minutes. Then do a quick release and remove the lid. Remove bay leaf.
- Set Instant Pot to Saute mode. Mix together water and cornstarch. Pour into stew and stir gently. Be careful not to break up the vegetables.
- As soon as the stew has thickened, serve immediately.
The perfect way to make beef stew! The meat comes out so tender and the veggies are cooked perfectly!
This is one of our favorite dinner recipes! So simple and delicious! Thanks for sharing!
I love IP recipes and this on was a hit! Great recipe packed with flavor!