Instant Pot Beef Stew has tender chunks of beef and hearty vegetables in a rich beefy broth.
Learn my favorite tips and tricks to cook this easy classic in an Instant Pot (or pressure cooker) for a family favorite everyone loves.
Instant Pot Cooking is Easy
If you’re new to pressure cooking (and the Instant Pot), you’re going to love it! It’s so easy to use and cooks meals in minutes in just one pot (including browning meat and cooking). Win-win!
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can find them online here! It makes the most tender ribs and chops and of course amazing beef stew.
We make homemade beef stew often but this recipe cuts down on time (and dishes) for a flavorful stew in one pot!
Instant Pot Beef Stew Ingredients
BEEF
When it comes to pressure cooker beef stew, there is no better cut of meat than chuck. Buy a thick chuck pot roast and cut it into chunks. If you can’t find chuck, regular stewing beef will work just fine!
VEGETABLES
This recipe contains the classics, potatoes, onions, carrots and celery. Peas are added in at the end (so they don’t overcook).
Not a fan of peas? No problem, add in some green beans instead!
BROTH
This is a rich brown-gravy type broth with flavor from fresh herbs and a bit of tomato paste. If desired a small can of diced tomatoes can be added for a tomato broth stew.
How To Make Instant Pot Stew
To make this instant pot beef stew recipe (full recipe below):
- SEAR: Turn the Instant Pot on to sauté and brown the stew beef chunks in small batches. Overcrowding will make too much juice and the meat won’t sear well.
- DEGLAZE: Simply add broth/wine and scrape any goodies off the bottom of the pan. These bits add flavor and scraping them off ensures you won’t see a “burn” notice on the instant pot.
- COOK: Add the rest of the ingredients (per recipe below) and turn the pressure cooker on.
- THICKEN: When cooking cycle ends, release the pressure from the Instant Pot and add the cornstarch slurry to thicken.
How Long to Cook Beef Stew in the Instant Pot
Sear, 15 minutes This pressure cooker beef stew recipe starts with searing the beef to get a good crust on it (don’t skip this part). This will take about 10-15 minutes or so (in 2 batches).
Build & Release Pressure, 25 minutes It will take about 10-15 minutes to get up to pressure and it will natural release for about 15 minutes.
Cook Time, 35 minutes The stew cooks for 35 minutes in the Instant Pot but keep in mind, that’s the cooking time only.
Overall, you can expect this Instant Pot Beef Stew to take about 90 minutes start to finish, but don’t worry, most of the time is hands off.
Time Saving Tip
While the beef is searing in batches, this is a good time to prep and chop the veggies. Performing tasks while things are cooking helps things flow easily during preparation!
Serve with…
Beef stew is practically a complete meat-and-potatoes meal in itself, no need to fuss with much else.
A fresh tossed salad (or caesar salad) and some crusty bread, French bread or dinner rolls are the perfect sides.
Got Leftovers?
To freeze beef stew place in a freezer bag or container. To reheat, no need to pre-thaw. Just empty the frozen block into a pot on low heat, and you’ll have dinner on the table again in no time!
More Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese – Reader favorite (and so easy)!!
- Instant Pot Pot Roast
- Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs – Easy for snacks, salads and sandwiches!
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Instant Pot Chicken Tacos – Great for salads or tacos
- Instant Pot Ribs – Melt in your mouth good!!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds stewing beef trimmed and cubed
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large onion diced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 cup red wine or 1 more cup beef broth
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary chopped
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 cups baby potatoes cubed
- 4 large carrots chopped
- 2 ribs celery chopped, about 1 cup
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons water
- ¾ cup peas defrosted
Instructions
- Toss beef with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Turn a 6-quart Instant Pot to sauté and add half of the olive oil. Brown half of the beef, about 3-5 minutes, don’t stir too much so you get a nice crust. Repeat with remaining beef and set aside.
- Add onions (and a bit more oil if needed) to the Instant Pot and cook 2-3 minutes or just until slightly softened.
- Add beef, broth, wine, tomato paste, rosemary, thyme, and vegetables except peas (ensure ingredients do not go above fill line). Secure lid and select Meat/Stew; cook on high pressure 35 minutes.
- Once the timer beeps, allow for a natural-release for about 15 minutes. Release any remaining pressure.
- Remove lid and turn to sauté bringing broth to a boil.
- Create a slurry by combining cornstarch and water in a small bowl or cup.
- Once the broth is simmering, stir in the cornstarch to reach desired consistency (you may not need all of it). Allow to simmer 2-3 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.
- Stir in peas and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Dinner, Main Course, Soup
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I’ve made this several times over the years & the whole family loves it! Is there a slow cooker version, so we can make larger batches for bigger gatherings? Would be nice to have an IP & slow cooker running at the same time :)
Hi Katie, yes we certainly have an instant pot beef stew recipe .
Made this today and it was very tasty. I would only make one minor adjustment. I think 35 minutes is way too long. The carrots and potatoes were very mushy. Next time I will go with 30 minutes or force the pressure release instead. Other than that, great recipe! Didn’t have red wine so went with the listed alternative of one additional cup of beef broth. Also I didn’t have the fresh herbs, and no rosemary. I added some oregano and marjoram in place of the rosemary.
I am glad you enjoyed it, Sheri!
I have made this several times. Always turns out great. No peas. Mushrooms instead and I force the pressure release so the potatoes don’t get mushy