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This Instant Pot beef stew recipe is rich and flavorful with tender beef, carrots, and potatoes. It’s the perfect hearty family meal that’s easy yet tastes like it’s been simmering for ages!
You may also like my Crockpot Beef Stew or my classic stovetop Beef Stew for similar recipes with different cooking methods.
Why you’ll love it
This Instant Pot beef stew really benefits from being made in a pressure cooker since it makes incredibly tender beef, carrots, and potatoes that melt in your mouth! A stew that’s cooked low and slow is great and all, but sometimes you really don’t have the time for that effort. This one solves that for a piping hot meal the easy way.
The broth is rich and super tasty, just like you’d expect in an old fashioned beef stew. There’s nothing fancy in here either. All you need is a few pantry staples to put together this recipe, and you’ve got a cozy meal for your entire family. I have plenty of Instant Pot recipes on here, and it was only a matter of time before I tried out a classic beef stew in the Instant Pot.
I also have an Instant Pot Irish stew (with Guinness!) if you’re looking for a fun twist on beef stew.
What you’ll need
- Beef – we’re using stewing cubes, which are a convenient cut for stews and soups. Or use chuck if you prefer.
- Olive oil – for sauteing
- Garlic – for another punch of flavor. I like to mince it with this garlic press since it’s not even necessary to peel the cloves beforehand.
- Potatoes – we’re using yellow potatoes here aka Yukon Gold
- Beef broth – it gives that deep, rich flavor you crave in a stew
- Tomato paste – it just makes the broth richer. It doesn’t make it overtly tomato-y, don’t worry.
- Worcestershire sauce – this is a savory flavor enhancer. You don’t taste it specifically, and it’s important to making this stew so tasty.
- Onion, carrots, and celery – our aromatic trio which is the best base for many soups and stews. I like Vidalia (sweet) onion, but yellow works fine as well.
- Cornstarch – it’s a thickening agent
A note to my readers
- If you’re a regular around here, you may notice that this recipe has been tweaked since it was first published. This was a difficult decision since the original received many positive reviews, but some readers’ newer Instant Pots gave burn warnings, and honestly the negative comments were disheartening. I haven’t encountered the problem with my 2018 model, but I want this recipe to work for all readers, so I reformulated it.
- To mitigate the issue, the beef is not coated in flour and the pot is deglazed in a more thorough way than in the previous version of this recipe. If you loved the previous version, that is totally fine since I still have it here for you to continue to enjoy!
Why make it in the Instant Pot?
- Beef stew is one of my favorite things to make in an Instant Pot because it really saves time and effort when it comes to tenderizing tougher cuts of meat like your standard beef stewing cubes. On the stove this can take anywhere from 1-2 hours to get the meat tender, but the Instant Pot makes this process even easier. It’s also more hands off once you close the lid.
How to make Instant Pot beef stew
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
We’ll work in two batches. Add half the olive oil to the Instant Pot. Once hot, sauté half the beef. Once browned, set aside, and repeat for the rest of the oil and beef. Add the onion to the IP and sauté until translucent, followed by the garlic. Pour in a cup of the beef broth, and scrape up the bits from the bottom to prevent a burn warning.
Add the rest of the broth and stir in the tomato paste, salt & pepper, and Worcestershire sauce, followed by the potatoes, celery, and carrots. Return the beef to the pot. Close the lid, set the valve to “sealing”, and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes. Do a natural release for 10-15 minutes followed by a quick release. Stir in a cornstarch slurry, and season with more salt & pepper if needed.
Substitutions and variations
- Try swapping up to 1 cup of the beef broth with red wine to give it a special touch.
- Stir in some peas after the pressure has been released to add more veggies in.
- You can use red potatoes instead of the Yukon gold, but don’t use Russets because they will fall apart.
What to serve with it
- It’s a hearty and filling meal on its own, but a dinner roll is always a good idea. If you want something more substantial, try a big slice of my Extra Cheesy Garlic Bread.
- Many people like to serve beef stew over a pile of Mashed Potatoes. Those are my kind of people.
- I also like a fresh side salad to complement it. Try some mixed greens and my homemade Olive Garden Dressing or this Creamy Balsamic Dressing. They’re both easy and quick.
Leftovers and storage
- This beef stew will keep in the fridge in a covered container for 3-4 days.
- Reheat in a small saucepan over a low heat, giving it the occasional stir, until it’s warmed through.
- You can freeze this stew and it’ll taste great when thawed, but keep in mind the texture of the potatoes may change a bit and soften up.
More cozy recipes to enjoy
I hope you’ll give this simple Instant Pot beef stew a try! It’s perfect for cooler weather. Let me know if you have any questions about this recipe or want to leave a review below. You can also find me on Instagram.
Instant Pot Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef stewing cubes or chuck
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste see note
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Pepper to taste
- 3 large carrots peeled & cut into fairly large bite-size pieces
- 3 sticks celery chopped
- 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes peeled & diced (fairly large bite-size pieces)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to your Instant Pot. Press the "sauté" button and once the oil is hot, add half the beef. Brown the beef on all sides (I find this easiest to do with tongs). I like to do two batches so the meat isn't crowded and browns nicely.
- Once the beef is seared, transfer it to a plate and set aside. Repeat for the second batch (use the second tablespoon of olive oil).
- Add the onion to the IP and sauté for 3-4 minutes (add a splash more oil if needed).
- Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add about a cup of the beef broth to the IP and scrape any brown bits from the bottom thoroughly (a wooden spoon works well). This is important as it'll help prevent getting an IP burn warning.
- Stir in the rest of the broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Add the remaining ingredients except for the cornstarch (including returning the beef to the pot).
- Close the lid and set the valve on “sealing”, and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes. It will take 10-15 minutes for the Instant Pot to get up to pressure.
- Once the countdown is done, let the pressure release naturally for 10-15 minutes, and then do a quick release for the rest of the pressure. Mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water and add the slurry to the IP. Give it a good stir and let it thicken up for a few minutes (you can put the "sauté" button back on if needed to activate the cornstarch). Season with salt & pepper to taste and enjoy!
Notes
- If using a tube of double concentrated tomato paste, you may want to halve the amount.
- This recipe has been tweaked since it was first published. This was a difficult decision since the original received many positive reviews, but some readers’ newer Instant Pots gave burn warnings, and honestly the negative comments were disheartening. I haven’t encountered the problem with my 2018 model, but I
want this recipe to work for all readers, so I reformulated it. You can print the old recipe if it worked for you. - Inactive time represents the time it will take to get your Instant Pot up to pressure.
- I use this 6-quart Instant Pot.
- Stove-top: Try my Beef Stew.
- Crockpot: Try my slow cooker beef stew recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published on October 23, 2018. It’s been tweaked to be even easier, tastier, and has new photos!
I’m curious what I can use if I don’t have tomato paste.
Hi Fran! That’s a tough one since it offers such a concentrated tomato flavor without the extra liquid. Maybe crushed tomatoes since they’re typically a fairly thick consistency?
I am not a big fan of beef stew. I make it because my husband loves it. This recipe came up in Pinterest so I followed the recipe. So easy! My husband and I loved it! Can’t wait to make it again.
That’s great!! Thank you!!
Hi. Love the recipe. To comment on the burn warning. This happened to me when I first used my insta pot. After reading more of the manual I noticed it said that when you go from Sautee to pressure cook you need to shut it off for a few minutes before going to pressure cook. When you go right from one to the other you get the burn warning. I haven’t gotten that warning since having it off for a few minutes when transitioning.
Oh that’s very interesting to know! Thanks for the info, Kerry. Glad you enjoyed this one!
This is a great recipe! I’ve made it a few times. The only thing I did differently was sautéed my onions in a skillet. The IP will melt the onions away and this way keeps them with a little crispiness. Add them to your stew at the end! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Thanks, Shelli!
This was delicious!! Thank you for sharing!
You’re very welcome, Jan!
I haven’t made this recipe yet but plan to tonight for dinner. We don’t have any Yukon potatoes but a bunch of russet potatoes. Could I substitute with these without it becoming an issue?
Hi Ash! The Russets are likely to fall apart a lot easier.
Recipe is great! If you have a newer Instapot (mine had only been used a handful of times) shorten the pressure cooking time. Still tasted great but the veggies were way over cooked. I’ve found with new appliances they cook much hotter than the older ones. I did have a slightly smaller package of stew meat so I added a little more potato. Worked out great!