After several attempts that were less than stellar, my family declared this the beef stew instant pot recipe ever. Yes, you can have beef stew with meat that’s tender, but vegetables that aren’t mushy!
Serve it with a loaf of crusty bread, rolls, or breadsticks. You’ll want to make sure and soak up every drop of that yummy gravy!
Comfort food season calls for stew, and this instant pot beef stew recipe is the best I’ve ever made! Even using precut stew meat which tends to be tough, the meat is nice and tender.
I got the idea for precooking the beef before adding the vegetables from Savory Nothings. Genius!
BEST INSTANT POT BEEF STEW EVER!
- Garlic, onion, worcestershire sauce, and seasonings make for a hearty rich brown gravy that is perfect for dipping bread.
- Just a bit of tomato sauce adds flavor, but doesn’t overpower the beef flavor. And a bit of sugar helps offset the acidity.
- Coating the beef cubes with flour after they have been browned naturally thickens the gravy as the stew cooks.
- The most important secret to this beef stew is that you cook the meat first before adding the vegetables. If you add the veggies with the meat, by the time your beef is tender, your vegetables are mush. This method gives perfect results every time!
HOW TO MAKE EASY INSTANT POT BEEF STEW
- PREP – Chop all the vegetables. Large chunks are best if you want them crisp tender, cut them smaller if you like them soft.
- BROWN MEAT – Set the instant pot to saute and add half the vegetable oil. When hot, add half the meat. Brown on all sides. Remove the meat and repeat with the remaining oil and beef cubes. Add salt and pepper.
- GRAVY – Sprinkle flour over all the beef cubes in the instant pot. Stir until well coated. Add onions and cook till slightly softened. Add seasonings, tomato sauce, and about half a cup of the broth.
Scrape all of the browned bits off the bottom of the pot! Cook until thickened, about a minute.
- COOK MEAT – Add the rest of the broth, worcestershire sauce, and sugar. Lock the lid in place and set to STEW. (Mine automatically sets to 35 minutes.)
- VEGETABLES – Use quick release, then add the potatoes, carrots, and celery. Set Instant Pot to manual HIGH for 10 minutes. Use quick release and then stir in the peas.
- HEAT THROUGH – If you need to, you can saute for 3-4 minutes. You can also thicken by stirring in a slurry of a tablespoon each of cornstarch and cold water.
If your stew meat isn’t tender, you probably just didn’t cook it long enough. Tougher cuts of meat like chuck and round steak (typically used for stew meat) need to cook longer than more tender meat like sirloin.
For this beef stew, you cook the beef first before adding the vegetables. This ensures that the meat is cooked long enough that it will be nice and tender, but the vegetables won’t get overcooked.
HOW TO STORE LEFTOVERS
Store any leftover stew in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. I actually think it tastes better the next day!
You can freeze the stew for 3-4 months in a freezer safe container or heavy duty ziplock bag.
When ready to serve, you can reheat the stew in the microwave, or in a saucepan over medium heat. No need to thaw the stew before heating it.
Beef Stew Variations:
- If you can’t find pre-cut stew meat, you can buy boneless chuck roast and cut it into cubes yourself.
- In place of the peas, you can use fresh or frozen green beans. Just make sure they are cut into bite sized pieces.
- Toss in some halved mushrooms with the vegetables. Or if you like them more firm, add them at the end and just saute for 4-5 minutes.
- Instead of Italian seasoning, you can use other herbs. Rosemary, bay leaf, and thyme are all great options.
MORE COMFORTING SOUP RECIPES
- Homemade Clam Chowder
- Chicken Gnocchi Soup Copycat
- Bacon Corn Chowder
- Cream of Cauliflower Soup
- Easy Lasagna Soup
- Pumpkin Chili Recipe
- Keto Hamburger Soup
IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, PLEASE RATE IT IN THE RECIPE CARD, OR REVIEW IT IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. THANKS A BUNCH!
Instapot Beef Stew
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 ½ pounds beef stew meat cubed
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 3 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 2 onions diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- ⅓ cup tomato sauce
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 pound potatoes peeled and cubed (about 4 cups)
- 4 large carrots peeled and sliced
- 4 stalks celery sliced
- ¾ cup frozen green peas
Instructions
- Set instant pot to sauté and add a tablespoon of the oil. When hot, add half of the beef cubes and brown all the sides.
- Remove and repeat with the remaining oil and beef cubes. Add salt & pepper.
- Sprinkle flour over the meat and stir until all the pieces are coated.
- Add onions and cook until starting to soften. Stir in garlic, Italian seasoning and tomato sauce.
- Add about a half cup of the broth and use a metal spatula to scrape all of the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. . Cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in remaining broth, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar.
- Lock the lid onto the instant pot and set to STEW. (Mine automatically sets to 35 minutes, but including the time needed to come to pressure, it takes about 45 minutes.)
- When it beeps, use the quick release and remove the lid. Add the potatoes, carrots, and celery.
- Set to manual HIGH for 10 minutes. (Takes about 23 minutes total including coming up to pressure.)
- Stir in the frozen peas. You can use the saute feature if your stew cools down too much, but I don't usually need to.
- Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired.
Notes
- If you like crisp tender veggies, cut them in larger chunks. For softer veggies, cut them into smaller pieces.
- Leaving any browned bits it the bottom of the Instant Pot can trigger the burn notice. If you’re worried, you can brown the meat in a skillet first, then transfer to the pot.
- If you want an even thicker stew, you can whisk together a tablespoon of cornstarch and a tablespoon of water, then add and saute for 2-3 minutes.
Nutrition
This easy instant pot beef stew is the perfect way to warm up on a chilly winter evening! And using a pressure cooker makes it so much faster to whip up.
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So, so good! You’re right. Cooking the meat first is the only way to do this, and have tender (not overcooked) veggies. Thanks for the IP recipe.
It took me a few tries to figure that out, but now I can never go back!
Simply the best beef stew! Love that it’s made all in the instant pot!
Yes, it’s one of my favorite instant pot recipes!