Easy Instant Pot Beef Stew (Pressure Cooker Recipe)
on Jan 17, 2018, Updated Aug 25, 2020
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Learn how to make this homemade Easy Instant Pot Beef Stew which is made from start to finish in an electric pressure cooker. This really takes the guesswork out of making a hearty, flavorful beef stew and leaves you with tender, fall apart beef chunks in a thick, tasty brown sauce. Its healthy and can easily be made gluten free!
Seriously, that luscious gravy gets me hungry every single time I look at that picture. My husband and I both love a good beef stew. For us, it has to be thick, hearty, full of carrots, mushrooms and potatoes and tender, fall apart chunks of beef. And this easy instant pot beef stew is ALL OF that!
This recipe is incredible easy. I’d say the only tough part is browning the beef, which is something that you should get right. I prefer doing everything in the IP (use the saute function) even if I have to do it in batches, but you can always brown the beef in a pan and add it to the Instant Pot if that’s easier for you.
Quick Walk Through: Easy Instant Pot Beef Stew
FAQs
Browning beef before you add everything else for a beef stew helps lock in the flavors. To brown beef, heat a little oil or butter to the pot and add beef chunks. Make sure not to overcrowd the pot or the beef will start to steam instead of browning properly. Sear the meat on high heat till its a light golden brown. The idea is to only sear and not cook the beef completely. I like to saute it in batches in the Instant Pot but you can always brown it in a pan if thats what you are comfortable with and add it to the IP or pressure cooker.
We love using carrots, mushrooms, celery and potatoes because they stand under pressure and don’t completely disintegrate. But I love using beans and green peas too. Actually, any hearty winter vegetables will work.
Basically the Instant Pot or any other pressure cooker helps cook things faster and more evenly by creating pressure in a sealed environment. The steam that is created helps meat, lentils and other things cook much faster than a stovetop, slow cooker or oven.
I like to use flour to thicken up this easy instant pot beef stew, but if you want this to be gluten free, you can substitute the all purpose flour with cornflour.
Cooking Notes for Easy Instant Pot Beef Stew
- Cut carrots and potatoes of the same size to cook everything evenly. Make sure to not cut them too small though, as cooking in the Instant Pot can make them mushy and disintegrated.
- Allow the instant pot to release pressure naturally for the best results and to prevent accidents. This is especially helpful when you’re dealing with lots of hot boiling liquid like in this beef stew.
- Here’s the Instant Pot that I use in case you want to check it out: Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1
If you are in the mood, serve these over my Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
Seriously never going back to making this any other way. Because this easy instant pot beef stew is the shizzz!
Watch Easy Instant Pot Beef Stew Video Recipe (Step by Step)
Easy Instant Pot Beef Stew (Pressure Cooker Recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoons Butter
- 500 grams Beef Chunks
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 cup Pearl Onions, or regular Onion cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon Garlic, minced
- 2 Carrots, thickly sliced diagonally
- 1/2 cup Celery, chopped
- 3/4 cup Mushrooms, halved
- 2-3 Potatoes, quartered
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 1 cup low sodium Chicken or Beef Broth
- 2 tablespoons All Purpose Flour or Cornflour for GF
Instructions
- Turn on the Saute function on your and heat butter. Add the beef chunks so as not to overcrowd the pan. Sprinkle with salt and butter and brown the beef on high. You can do this in batches too. Try not to move the beef around too much so that they brown faster. Alternatively, you can brown the beef in a pan and add it to the Instant Pot.
- Add the pearl onions and garlic to the beef and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, mushrooms, potatoes, worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, more salt and 3/4 cup chicken broth. Place the lid, turn the vent to sealing and set on meat/stew for 35 minutes. Once the timer goes off and the stew is cooked, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then release the remaining pressure manually. You can also let all the pressure release naturally if you have time.
- Whisk the flour in the remaining stock and add it to the stew. Switch on the saute function and let the stew simmer for 5 minutes or so till it thickens. Serve over mashed potatoes. Try this .
Notes
- How to brown beef? Browning beef before you add everything else for a beef stew helps lock in the flavours. To brown beef, heat a little oil or butter to the pot and add beef chunks. Make sure not to overcrowd the pot or the beef will start to steam instead of browning properly. Sear the meat on high heat till its a light golden brown. The idea is to only sear and not cook the beef completely. I like to saute it in batches in the Instant Pot but you can always brown it in a pan if thats what you are comfortable with and add it to the IP or pressure cooker.
- What vegetables can I use for Beef Stew? We love using carrots, mushrooms, celery and potatoes because they stand under pressure and don’t completely disintegrate. But I love using beans and green peas too. Actually, any hearty winter vegetables will work.
- How does the Instant Pot cook Beef Stew so quickly? Basically the Instant Pot or any other pressure cooker helps cook things faster and more evenly by creating pressure in a sealed environment. The steam that is created helps meat, lentils and other things cook much faster than a stovetop, slow cooker or oven.
- How do you thicken up beef stew? I like to use flour to thicken up this easy instant pot beef stew, but if you want this to be gluten free, you can substitute the all purpose flour with cornflour.
So good, easy, and flexible to change around. Very good for beginners too
Hi, can you do this without a pressure cooker at all? I only have a slow cooker.
Yes, you can absolutely put this in the slow cooker and cook for 6-8 hours till the beef is nice and tender
Finding this recipe was like a gift from heaven! I have now made it at least 5 times or more and it never disappoints. I haven’t changed a thing in the recipe except omitting the celery as my husband won’t eat it. I do make the mashed potatoes as who doesn’t like creamy mashed potatoes! It a dish Deserved to go into my my 2020 chapter of recipes that I lovingly pass onto to my children in their personal recipe book I made them. I add a chapter each year with new and wonderful recipes I have found that are worth sharing… thank you so much for this dish it will be passed on in my house hold for generation’s…
I don’t think I’ve ever commented on a recipe before, but this one made me stop to comment. This was incredibly easy, and I really can’t believe how delicious it was. The meat fell apart like it had been in a slow cooker all day. 5 stars!
Wow! You made our day, Lauren! Thanks a lot, and we’re super thrilled you liked our beef stew recipe 🙂
I have made a lot of beef stew recipes but once I tried this one I knew my search had ended. This by far is the most amazing dish and so easy to make. My taste buds go wild with every delicious bite.
Thanks for leaving a comment! Soooo glad you liked it Theresa
Oh my goodness!! This recipe is amazing!! I had mashed potatoes to use so I left out the potatoes!! Delicious! The beef was tender and everything blended to perfection. I like mine with mashed potatoes a little thicker so I used more broth and flour. Thank you so much!!!
Sounds fantastic! Thank you so much Mills. So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Thanks for sharing how to made instant pot beff stew in electric pressure cooker .It’s is adviser of everyone. I personally liked it .
Hi. Can I use corn starch instead of corn flour?
Absolutely! Cornstarch will work.
My in-laws hate beef stew, so my husband was shocked when they stopped by unannounced and I asked them to stay for dinner knowing I had made stew for dinner…and even more shocked when they ate it, had seconds and asked to take some home for my father-in-law’s lunch. Thank you for an amazing recipe…I’m now the talk of the family with everyone asking for my recipe.
Kate Masters
Yaaay! This made my day
This is, by far, the best recipe I’ve come across for beef stew! The flavors are amazing! Very umami. I used coconut aminos instead of the Worcestershire sauce and also added some raw ACV. I omitted the tomato sauce since I’m following AIP. I added 14 oz. of beef bone broth too. I used sweet potatoes, carrots and mushrooms. Excellent!!!
Thanks for sharing your feedback Karen. I’m sure it’ll help others who are looking to make similar substitutions. Glad you liked it!