Instant pot beef stew is one of those stew recipes you pull out when the weather chills you to the bone. Beef stew just has a way of warming you up and leaving you completely satisfied. You know, the kind of satisfied where you go put on your comfortable fuzzy pants.
This instant pot stew is even do-able on a busy weeknight but that won’t affect the awesome layers of yummy flavor. Savory melt-in-your-mouth beef and soft salty potatoes along with lots of wholesome veggies give this instant pot beef stew recipe plenty of substance. You’ve gotta’ taste this!
Let’s cook!
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What I Love About This Recipe
I just love that this instant pot beef stew recipe has such a delicious and complex flavor profile but it’s so incredibly easy to make! It’s a wholesome recipe with a variety of herbs and spices to up the flavor ante. Here are even more great reasons to love it!
- Savory succulent beef practically melts in your mouth
- Plenty of wholesome veggies and potatoes
- Doable midweek – ready in an hour
- Spreads a warm fervent glow around the dinner table
How To Make Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe
Following this instant pot beef stew recipe is as easy as 1, 2, 3! Brown the beef, deglaze the pot and add the rest of the stuff in stages. There’s no need to overcomplicate the process. Just bask in all the incredible flavors and taste the L-O-V-E.
Recipe Notes
Building incredible flavor into this instant pot beef stew is done in stages and there are a couple of tips that can help ensure tasty success. For instance, brown your beef in a single layer even if you must brown a couple of batches. It’ll cook more evenly.
Also, take the time to sauté your onions and garlic until soft. Sautéing veggies helps coax out their milder sweeter flavors. Plus, it’ll help build your fond which adds a ton of flavor to your instant pot beef stew recipe.
Easy Beef Stew Ingredient Notes
This easy beef stew recipe uses a few kitchen staples to craft some amazing forget-me-not flavors. There are no crazy ingredients here but a few that may surprise you. Here’s what you need for this instant pot beef stew recipe.
Stew Meat – I like to use beef chuck for this recipe. It comes from the front shoulder and has plenty of connective tissue to melt into the meat. If it goes against everything you know to choose this economical cut of meat for a homemade stew recipe, check out the science of why it works here.
Veggies – A tasty combination of peas, carrots, potatoes, and onions give this recipe a metropolis of textures and flavors. Its yummy wholesome nutrition to warm your insides.
Beef Broth – Adding low sodium beef broth to your stew gives you the opportunity to add salt separately so it behaves as you want it to. Its also sooo much yummier than using water. At the right concentration, salt enhances the umami flavor in savory dishes.
Tomato Paste – Tossing in a can of tomato paste not only helps with your fond but it adds some slightly sweet undertones to your full-flavored instant pot beef stew recipe.
Better Than Bouillon – Better Than Bouillon is a spiced flavoring paste that is over-the-moon incredible. It’s got a ton more flavor than those salty bouillon cubes and its easier to measure. You can use a little or a lot depending on your recipe.
Herbs & Spices – A fragrant blend of thyme, parsley, Bay leaf, and Italian seasoning give your instant pot beef stew recipe and ambrosial flavor that’s just hard to beat.
Storing Tips
Your instant pot beef stew will keep in the fridge just fine. Keep family-sized meals in a large covered container or use gallon-sized Ziplocs to save space. You can also keep single-serve portions in shallow airtight Tupperware dishes that are easy to grab-n-go.
Can You Freeze This?
Yes and no. This yummy instant pot beef stew recipe is so tasty, you may want to double the recipe and freeze half of it. The thing is that the cornstarch causes it to separate in the freezer and the potatoes tend to get a little grainy.
If you’re planning on freezing this, then don’t add the cornstarch or potatoes just yet. Just pre-cook the potatoes and add the cornstarch when you heat to serve.
Make Ahead Tips
The chopping and mincing can be done ahead to save some time if you’re making this recipe on a busy weeknight. Of course, the potatoes will have to be stored in water, so they don’t brown. A mason jar works really well for this.
You can also go the freezer route and then just add the cornstarch and precooked potatoes.
How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge?
Your instant pot beef stew will stay fresh and yummy for 2 to 3 days when stored properly in the refrigerator and you can keep it for up to 3 months in the freezer. It is best to reserve the FDA recommended 2-hour serving rule just to be on the safe side.
Recipe Variations
It’s easy to tweak this instant pot beef stew recipe and put your own twist on it. Some people like to add mushrooms or their favorite vegetables, but you don’t want to change the recipe too much. Here are a few simple suggestions that may work for you.
Can I Turn These Into Goulash?
This stew is insanely delicious. It has a consistency like German goulash without the vegetables. For something a little different, you can always make hamburger goulash or goulash soup that perfectly complements a grilled cheese sandwich.
Can I Cook This In A Crockpot Instead?
Absolutely! The process is just a tad different, but the incredible flavor is the same. This recipe can easily be turned into slow cooker beef stew instead. You can also take things in a different direction and make crockpot goulash.
Can I Make This Recipe More Mexican?
This has a ton of flavor but it’s not spicy. If you want to kick things up a notch, you can turn this into a Mexican beef stew or even a beautiful Birria with a little heat. You’ll definitely want a bread item with this one. It’s so good you’ll clean the bowl!
What Other Popular Beef Stew Recipes Can I Make?
If this inspires you to experiment a little in the kitchen, you can try making Ina Garten beef stew. It’s a similar recipe that uses red wine and flour instead of cornstarch. You can also try making Pioneer Woman beef stew if you can decide which recipe you want to try (she has a couple).
What Other Instant Pot Stews Can I Cook?
Instant pot beef stew is probably the only recipe you’ll need on a cold winter’s day but there are others you can try. If you’ve got that goulash craving, you can whip up an instant pot goulash that’s ready in no time. Of course, instant pot jambalaya is pretty darn spankin’ too. I guarantee!!
Instant Pot Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil, as needed
- 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 tablespoon beef flavor Better Than Bouillon,
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
- 2 cups carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Turn a 6.5-quart Instant pot onto saute function. Add 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil. When the display reads "hot". Add the beef in batches, in a single layer, and brown. Remove to a plate. Repeat process with remaining oil as needed and beef.
- Add the onions and garlic to the Instant pot and saute, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add tomato paste, stirring constantly, and continue to saute for 1 minute.
- Add beef broth stirring, gently scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen all brown bits on the bottom of the pan (do not skip or the burn light may turn on).
- Add dissolved Better Than Bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Add in potatoes, carrots and browned beef.
- Lock the lid and set the valve to seal. Set function to "manual mode-high pressure" for 35 minutes. The instant pot will start on its own.
- Switch the valve to the "venting" position to quick release for 10 minutes.
- Carefully remove the lid (there will likely still be some remaining steam). Remove and discard bay leaf. Gently stir in the peas and cornstarch slurry in. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 3-4 minutes to thicken before serving.
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More Beef Stew Recipes
When you make something like this instant pot beef stew recipe, you may quite likely start searching for equally delicious recipes of a similar type. You can never have too many beef stew recipes because winter’s gonna’ come every year!
Here are a few others that may hit the spot. See which ones appeal to you!
- Mulligan Stew – A colorful and tasty rendition of hearty love in a bowl.
- Burgoo – A wholesome hearty stew with a little kick.
- Veal Stew – Thick and satisfying with a deep rich flavor.
- Cowboy Stew – Savory, decadent and addictingly delicious.
- Beef Barley Stew – Big beefy flavor, tons of veggies and nutritious barley.
Conclusion
Instant pot beef stew recipe is quite literally one of my favorite cold-weather meals. It’s hearty, delicious and wholesome. Its one of those dishes that makes you just sit back in your chair and think about the awesomely scrumptious meal you just had. This is a recipe that does not disappoint, and it will take care of that cold bone-chilling hunger.
It says add dissolved better than bullion. Do I dissolve it in the broth or separately and if so with how much water?
Hi, Randy. Thanks for asking. Dissolve better than bouillon in the broth.
How would you slow cook this recipe on stove top
Hi, Tim. Follow the instructions up to step 4, but don’t add the potatoes and carrots yet. Let the beef simmer until tender approximately for about 1 – 1 and a half hours. Then add the carrots and potatoes until tender, then proceed to step 7.
You can also try our other Beef Stew recipe (very similar to this one), it’s cooked on the stovetop.
Enjoy, and let us know how it turned out!