Instant Pot Beef Stew
This Instant Pot Beef Stew recipe is easy enough to be a mid-week dinner or fancy enough for dinner guests . What would typically take all day in the slow cooker, only takes a little over an hour from start to finish. You’ll take a short cut by using stew meat (no prepping raw meat!) and Yukon gold baby potatoes (no peeling!).
Why I Love This Recipe
Complex Flavor – the red wine, stock, soy sauce, and tomato paste work together to create a velvety sauce/broth that is full of complexity.
One-Pot Wonder That’s Nutritious – Thanks to grass-fed stew meat (or chopped grass-fed chuck roast from our favorite meat source ) and all the vegetables included–onion, carrots, celery, garlic, potatoes, and peas–you’ll churn out a pretty darn nutritious and satiating one-pot-wonder.
Leftovers are the Bomb – Instant Pot Beef Stew leftovers can be reheated over low heat in the Instant Pot, stove, or microwave, but you may need to add a little extra broth to thin it out again.
Freezer Friendly – Freezing instructions are included below in the recipe, like all our freezer-friendly meals .
Ingredients Needed
You truly have a one-pot wonder with this meal. It’s filled with good-for-you protein and veggies, and the sauce has tremendous depth of flavor. Here’s what you’ll need from the store or your pantry…
Cooking Notes:
All-purpose or whole wheat flour – I use white whole wheat. (See gluten-free option in Cooking Notes)
Red wine – recommended: Pinot Noir
Lower sodium beef broth – sub: lower sodium chicken broth
Lower sodium soy sauce – see gluten-free option in Cooking Notes .
Stew meat – you can also use a chuck roast cut into 1/2 to 1 inch cubes.
Yukon gold potatoes – no peeling involved when you use these. Also why we use them in our Instant Pot Potato Soup .
How to Make Beef Stew in Instant Pot
Saute the Aromatics & Flour
Turn on the Saute function. Heat the oil until shimmery. Saute the onions, carrots, and celery until softened, about 7 minutes. Season lightly with the salt and pepper, to taste, as they cook. Add in the thyme and red pepper, too. Stir in the garlic the last 30-60 seconds.
Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. This roux helps to thicken the stew as it cooks.
Make the Sauce
Stir in the wine, broth, tomato paste, and soy sauce until smooth, scraping the brown bits off the bottom. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 2 minutes. Turn off the Saute function. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
Add Rest of Ingredients
Season the beef liberally with salt and pepper on all sides and nestle into the cooker. Stir in the bay leaf and potatoes. (Do not add the peas yet.)
Pressure Cook
Lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 30 minutes, with a 10 minute natural release and then quick release of the pressure. (Note: It may take 15+ minutes to come to pressure before the cook time will begin.) (See more details in the box below.)
Serve
Discard bay leaf. Stir in the peas. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Serve with Crockpot Cinnamon Applesauce , Autumn Chopped Salad , Sweet Potato Cornbread and Double Chocolate Brownies for a delicious meal!
Make It a Freezer Meal
We specialize in making freezer meals, and this is a great one to freeze for later! You can prepare Instant Pot Beef Stew for the freezer in two different ways–either uncooked or fully cooked.
Method 1 (Uncooked) : Follow Steps 1 and 2 in the recipe. Let the sauce cool and then add to a one gallon freezer bag or pressure cooker-shaped container with lid. Season the beef liberally with salt and pepper on all sides and add to the bag or container, along with the bay leaf and potatoes. (Note: Make sure the potatoes are completely submerged in the liquid to avoid browning.) Seal, toss gently to combine, and freeze in the shape of the Instant Pot. Tip: Set the freezer bag in a bowl in the freezer for a few hours to help it freeze in the shape of the pressure cooker.
Method 2 (Fully Cooked) : Fully cook and cool the stew. Add to a one gallon freezer bag or pressure cooker-shaped container with lid, seal tightly, and freeze in the shape of the Instant Pot. Tip: Set the freezer bag in a bowl in the freezer for a few hours to help it freeze in the shape of the pressure cooker.
PREPARE FROM FROZEN:
Method 1 (Uncooked): Saute the frozen meal in the IP for 5 minutes to release some liquid. Follow Steps 4-5 in the recipe. (The frozen meat will cook the same amount of time as from fresh.)
Method 2 (Fully Cooked): Saute the frozen meal in the IP for 5 minutes to release some liquid. Lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes with a quick release of pressure. If not fully warmed through, cook for 1-2 more minutes.
FAQs
How long do I cook beef stew in the instant pot? While researching and writing our second cookbook, From Freezer to Cooker , we honed in on the perfect cook time for beef stew in the Instant Pot. We found–whether your meal is fresh or frozen– it needs to cook for 30 minutes at high pressure with a 10 minute natural release. After that, quick release the rest of the pressure. This is long enough to cook the meat until tender and make sure your sauce melds together. Be sure to also account for the time it will take for the Instant Pot to come to pressure before the cook time officially starts. For a fresh meal, this will take about 15 minutes. For a frozen meal, it can take 20-25+ minutes. What if I don’t have stew meat? If you don’t have pre-cut stew meat, no worries. You can cut up a chuck roast and it will work fine. Can I use a different type of potato? Yes, you can use russet potatoes. However, you will want to peel them. When you use Yukon potatoes, you don’t have to peel them. Can I freeze beef stew? Absolutely. Beef stew does well freezing and thawing. We recommend freezing the cooked and cooled soup into small portions.
A Must Have for Instant Pot Users
Instant Pot Cooking Times Chart
After testing hundreds of Instant Pot recipes, we have honed in on the best timing and methods for cooking different types of meals in the Instant Pot.
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4.5 from 4 reviews
Instant Pot Beef Stew
Comforting and delicious Beef Stew comes together quickly in the Instant Pot. The beef and vegetables melt into the velvety sauce making this meal worthy of guests or a weeknight dinner.
Yield: 6 servings
Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 55 minutes Total: 1 hour 15 minutes
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Ingredients
1 – 2 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 –
