Where slow cooker beef stew allows you to slowly simmer meat all day, just in time for dinner, this Instant Pot beef stew recipe is the quickest way to achieve the same “slowly simmered” full-body flavor, in record time. The resulting stew is rich, savory, hearty, and a crowd-pleasing weeknight meal whenever you crave cozy, comforting food. With a combination of melt-in-the-mouth tender beef, hearty vegetables like carrots, potato, and onion, and a rich, velvety, herb-infused sauce, this pressure cooker stew has a deliciously complex and full-bodied flavor with only simple and inexpensive ingredients. Best of all, this quick and easy beef stew is really simple to prepare. Just chop the ingredients, brown the beef, sauté the veggies, add the remaining ingredients to the Instant Pot, and cook for just 35 minutes until perfectly tender and flavor-packed to satisfy your taste buds. It’ll taste even better on day two, so be sure to save leftovers!
Ingredients
Make the best beef stew recipe with just inexpensive, pantry-friendly ingredients.
Beef stew meat: Pressure cooker beef stew is perfect for low-cost, tough cuts, like boneless beef chuck roast (my preferred option), brisket, or meat labeled “stew beef” (least preferred). Garlic: For aromatic depth. Adjust the amount to taste. Vegetables: I’ve used a fairly classic stew combination of: Carrots – use regular or baby carrots, Onion – use yellow or white, Potatoes – waxy potatoes, like new potatoes, red potatoes, or Yukon Gold potatoes will hold their shape best when pressure cooked. Beef broth: Use rich beef broth (or chicken stock) or high-quality beef broth powder + water. Use a low-sodium version for more control over the sodium levels. Tomato sauce: This adds a rich, acidic, umami-rich depth. Alternatively, use passata or 1/3 the amount of tomato paste. Worcestershire sauce: Just a little of this acidic, tangy, umami ingredient adds brightness and creates a full-bodied flavor in the Instant Pot beef stew. Olive oil: Or another neutral cooking oil to sear the meat and sauté the veg. Seasonings: I used a simple combination of Italian seasoning, sea salt (or soy sauce for added umami), and black pepper. If preferred, use single herbs (like rosemary or thyme) instead of the Italian seasoning. Cornstarch slurry: (Optional) Combining cornstarch (or arrowroot flour) and water creates a slurry to thicken the stew if needed.
How to Make Instant Pot Beef Stew
Prepare the Ingredients: First, if it isn’t already, cut the beef down into 1-inch chunks, removing any excess fat. Also, roughly chop (or mince for more robust flavor) the garlic, dice the onion, and chop the potatoes and carrots into 1 ½-2-inch pieces. Par-cook the Meat and Vegetables: Set the Instant Pot to the sauté method and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the beef and sear until brown on all sides (1-2 minutes per side). Then, add the onion, garlic, spices, and Worcestershire sauce, and saute for a few minutes until fragrant. Pressure Cook the Beef Stew: Add the broth and use a spatula to scrape the bottom of the pot to get all the flavor into the liquid. Then add the tomato sauce, carrots, and potatoes, and stir. Close the lid and turn the steam valve to the sealing position, then cook the beef stew on manual HIGH pressure for 35 minutes. Once ready, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes before carefully (using the back of a wooden spoon or a kitchen towel) opening the pressure release valve to release the remaining pressure.
How to thicken Instant Pot beef stew?
The starches in the potato and the cooking time will naturally thicken the beef stew. However, if you prefer it thicker, prepare a cornstarch slurry by combining equal parts starch and water into a lump-free paste/liquid (use just 1-2 Tbsp of each). Pour that into the stew and return it to sauté mode, stirring constantly until thickened (3-5 minutes). Other ways to thicken beef stew include mashing or pureeing some vegetables or using flour instead of cornstarch.
How to serve
Enjoy this comfort food warm in a bowl, optionally garnished with fresh parsley, and served alone or with side dishes like:
Bread (dinner rolls, crusty loaf, garlic bread, focaccia), Polenta, Mashed potatoes, Rice or quinoa, Cooked green veggies (broccoli, cabbage, green beans, Brussels sprouts, spinach, etc.) A simple leafy green side salad.
How to store
Allow the stew to cool first (for no longer than 2 hours), then store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer (spread flat in Ziplock bags) for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating it in the microwave (about 2 minutes) or on the stovetop over medium-low heat. Note that the vegetables will become more soft/mushy after freezing and thawing. It’ll taste even better on day 2 or 3, so I highly recommend making enough for leftovers.
More Instant Pot recipes
Corned Beef and Cabbage Chicken Breast The Best Vegetable Soup Perfect Jasmine Rice
If you try this easy Instant Pot beef stew recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
