Fast, easy, and delicious, this easy Instant Pot Beef Stew cooks up in just an hour and tastes like its been simmering slowly all day long! It is the perfect easy pressure cooker recipe and comfort food for chilly winter evenings!
Hi friends! We hit the upper 40s this week and in South Georgia, that means everyone is freezing and talking about it being winter! My husband (who is from Michigan) thinks this is hilarious, but we Southerners are cold anytime it's below 70! Anyways, the crisp weather has me craving comfort foods, and this easy Instant Pot Beef Stew is just that.
Why I love this recipe
- I can make this stew in just an hour and it tastes like it has been simmering all day in a crockpot! It's the perfect easy beef stew recipe for those busy nights I'm running kids around to various sports and clubs.
- This is also a GREAT beginner Instant Pot recipe, just read the comments at the bottom of the post to see how many new Instant Pot owners are having great results with this recipe.
- It's the perfect comfort food, I like to serve it with homemade texas toast or drop biscuits!
(If you're new to the Instant Pot, check out my Instant Pot 101 post to learn all about how to start pressure cooking!)
Ingredients
- beef stew meat I usually use chuck roast is a favorite
- flour & butter help sear the meat's flavor in
- beef broth deglazes the bottom of the Instant Pot to release all that flavor
- potatoes, onion, & carrots make this stew hearty and filling
- garlic of course, can I make any savory dish without it?
- soy sauce & Worcestershire sauce - makes the flavors pop
- tomato paste thickens and enhances the broth
- salt and pepper finish off the flavor perfectly
Step by step with video
- Start with sauté mode to brown the meat and then add the beef broth. When you pour in the broth, stir around the bottom to deglaze the bottom of the pan and release all those flavorful bits into the broth for the best taste.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and stir, then pressure cook on stew mode for 35 minutes.
- Once you lock the lid of the Instant Pot and set the timer you're good to go to forget about this cooking until you are ready to eat.
- Let the pressure release naturally over the 30-40 minutes after cooking for the best results.
Tips
- Don't skimp when browning the meat, you want to brown all side and really lock the flavor into the stew meat.
- If you're not ready to eat it after the pressure releases the Instant Pot will keep the beef stew warm automatically until you are ready. I like to set up this recipe around the time my kids are coming home from school so its ready once we are finished with evening sports.
- It's also a great recipe if you have a busy evening where different people are eating at different times, as it will taste just as good at 5 as it will at 6:30 (which often happens when my husband and I have to tag team to get the kids to different activities and our evening schedules don't overlap!) Just keep it on Warm mode in the Instant Pot with the lid on until you're ready to eat.
FAQs
Most grocery stores carry pre-cut stew meat but you can also use chuck roast, boneless short ribs, or brisket cut into 1-2 inch pieces.
Allow stew to cool before storing in the fridge. (Never let it sit out more than 2 hours at room temperature though for food safety.) Keep leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container up to 4 days. If you want to keep it longer freeze it.
Store stew in airtight containers, leaving at least 1 inch of space to allow it to expand in the freezer. Stew can be kept frozen for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in the refrigerator overnight.
If you want to add more veggies to the stew, some great options are peas, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and eggplant. Be sure to cut into larger pieces so they don't get overcooked.
Serving suggestions
If I have time I like to pair it with some corn muffins, pretzel bread, beer bread, homemade biscuits, or this yummy cornbread I shared with you recently. My husband likes it served over mashed potatoes as well. (He's a potato guy!) Any way you serve it, you'll love coming home to this delicious beef stew at the end of the day.
I hope you enjoy this warm Instant Pot Beef Stew. For more easy comfort food recipes, check out these blog posts:
- Bacon Cheddar Quiche
- Slow Cooker Ham, Bacon, & Potato Soup
- Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
- Buttery Instant Pot Lemon Chicken
- 21 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes
If you’ve tried this easy Instant Pot Beef Stew recipe please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!
Print
Easy Instant Pot Beef Stew
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: soup
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Description
Fast, easy, and delicious, this Instant Pot beef stew cooks up in just an hour and tastes like its been simmering slowly all day long! Its the perfect comfort food for chilly winter evenings!
Ingredients
- 1 pound beef stew meat, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups beef broth or beef stock
- 5 large red potatoes
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup carrots, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop vegetables into 1 - 1 ½ inch pieces, set aside.
- In a large bowl combine stew meat and flour and stir to coat.
- Set Instant Pot to Saute setting and add butter. When butter is melted and sizzling, add meat. Brown on all sides stirring only enough to prevent burning.
- Pour in beef broth and scrape the bottom of the bowl to deglaze.
- Add potatoes, onion, carrots, garlic, soy sauce, Worcestershire, and tomato paste. Stir until uniform.
- Lock the lid of the Instant Pot and set to Stew mode for 35 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally after the cooking time is ended, about another 30 minutes.
- Carefully move open steam valve and release the lid. Salt to taste.
Notes
- use pre-cut stew meat or chuck roast, boneless short ribs or brisket
- cut vegetables into thicker pieces so they dont get mushy
Keywords: beef stew
This recipe was originally shared in October 2018 and updated in January 2020.
Janelle says
Easy and delicious. My husband is eating directly out of the pan as we speak 😅
★★★★★
Melissa Riker says
So glad you liked it!
Yolanda says
I had just scored an amazing deal on stew meat. I looked up an EASY recipe for Instapot beef stew because…cooking after shopping is never fun! This was a real winner! I didn’t have tomato paste, soy sauce or beef broth. Subbed veggie broth and left out the other ingredients. Delicious and hearty! Lots of flavor. Thank you!
★★★★★
Melissa Riker says
I'm so glad you liked it!!
Kay Schaeffer Carroll says
My husband just finished chemo and has not had an appetite and has lost a lot of weight. I fixed this recipe hoping to find something to entice him to eat and begin the journey back to good health. He had two servings and told me it was the best beef stew he has ever eaten. What a victory! Thank you!
★★★★★
Melissa Riker says
That makes me so happy, I'm so glad he enjoyed it, sending prayers for him
Tammy says
Is it possible to double this recipe, to cook in one sitting? Family from out of town wants me to cook for this for them.
★★★★★
Melissa Riker says
I'm not 100% sure it would fit in an 8 quart Instant Pot if you fully doubled the recipe, it would be close. You could do 1.5 times fine I think. If you try it, you will need to brown the meat in batches and possibly reduce the broth to be sure it is not overfilled.
Katherine says
I realize your company has probably come and gone by now, but I just wanted to mention that beef stew is almost always even better a day or two after you make it. I am making two potholes this morning and putting them in the fridge to serve to my family in two days! I make mine exactly as stated in the recipe, however I use about 3/4 of a pound of beef, add in three stalks of celery cut into large pieces and when it's all done I stir in one cup of Frozen peas. They cook naturally and quickly with the heat of the stew. This is so delicious, and we eat it all the time!
★★★★★
SAMANTHA says
I made this for dinner tonight and it was wonderfuIl. I also add a packet of beef stew too
★★★★★
Melissa Riker says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Rene says
I made this with venison steak cubed up. Also added some mushrooms and a bit of organic turmeric powder.
Absolutely delicious 😋!
Melissa Riker says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Naomi says
Phenomenal!
Joan says
I've been looking for good IP recipes and this one turned out great. The carrots were a little overcooked so next time I may cook large chunks separately and add them in at the end. Potatoes in large chunks were fine. The flavor was great!
★★★★★
Melissa Riker says
So glad you liked it Joan!
Donna says
I used a cup of baby carrots not cut and they were fine!
Diana says
My instant pot doesn´t have the stew mode. Do i just pressure cook it for 35 minutes?
Melissa Riker says
yes that will work!
Donna says
Is the soup/broth function the same as stew function? I was not sure so I used pressure cook and it turned out tasty for my 1st attempt on my instant pot! 😉
Dawn says
Love this recipe. So easy! Sometimes i thicken w 3T cornstarch and 3T water.
★★★★★
Kameryn says
My favorite recipe to make with my instant pot!! It has quickly become a family favorite and I get asked to make it often. The perfect meal for a cold day, so warm and nourishing. Thanks for the great recipe!
★★★★★
Melissa Riker says
So glad you like it!!
Nina says
Made it just as written, we really enjoyed it! Will definitely make it again!
★★★★★
Ashley says
Do you know how to can this recipe? My husband and I love it and want to can it so we have it available all the time!
Sarah says
Super tasty! My boys loved it too.
Michelle says
What size insta pot did you use? My daughter at college has a small insta pot and we are trying to find recipes she can make. Thank you.
Rose says
If she has a smaller instapot just half the recipe
K Carter says
I got a burn food notice when it was pressurized. What did I do wrong?
Melissa Riker says
Did you scrape the bottom of the pan when you added the broth? That is the only thing I could possibly think of as it shouldn't give a burn warning with the liquid in it. Maybe there was a lot of residue left from the browning step?
Susan says
I deglazed the pot but it said burn twice. I even emptied pot and washed but still burned. Is it because the stew was so thick? I used a lot of flour when I browned the meat, maybe I should have doubled the liquid.
Lisa says
This was easy to make. The tomato paste makes it taste like Campbell’s vegetable beef soup.
Melissa Riker says
I hope you liked it!
Brittany says
Loved this! I also added minced garlic while sautéing the beef and added a can of drained green beans. So good!
★★★★★
Melissa Riker says
so glad you liked it!
Kendra says
Got my insta pot as a wedding gift... This is the first time I'm using it and I got married 2 years ago in Sept. Lol. I didnt add soy sauce as the hubby doesn't like it, I had to add more beef broth as I had lots of veggies lol
I can't wait to see how it turns out and tastes.. Also I'm paring it with sweet corn bread.
Melissa Riker says
How did it turn out Kendra?
Amanda says
Has anyone tried this with frozen meat? If so how much time did you do?