Instant Pot Beef Stew is comfort food made fast! Featuring tender beef and perfectly cooked vegetables in a rich, thick, and flavorful broth, this Instant Pot Beef Stew recipe delivers a classic beef stew in record time!
Looking for more cozy stew recipes? Don't miss my recipes for Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon, Irish Beef Stew, and Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings.
The BEST Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe
- Perfect Results. This Instant Pot Beef Stew is everything you crave in beef stew and more. The potatoes and carrots are fork-tender and the beef is so tender it practically melts in your mouth. Enveloped in an incredibly rich broth, this stew hits the spot.
- Game-Changing Ingredient. This recipe, like my recipe for Instant Pot Pot Roast, has been inspired by my Papa's recipe for Beef Stew. His secret to the BEST beef stew (and pot roast) is horseradish. The horseradish adds a subtle flavor to the stew but also works to tenderize the beef, resulting in fall-apart tender beef.
- Comfort Food Fast. Not only does this recipe for Instant Pot Beef Stew have spectacular flavor, but thanks to the magic of the electric pressure cooker, you can have this beef stew on your table in just over an hour.
Notes on Ingredients
- Beef: You can purchase pre-cut stew meat from your grocer, or cut up a chuck roast, top-round roast, or sirloin roast yourself into 1-inch cubes.
- Cooking Liquid: For the best flavor, I recommend using a combination of low-sodium beef broth and dry red wine, such as Merlot or Cabernet, which will add a rich, bold flavor to this Instant Pot stew.
- For Flavor: Yellow onions, garlic, horseradish, thyme leaves, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and bay leaves will all work together to add incredible nuanced flavors to the beef stew. Be sure to use prepared horseradish found in the refrigerated section of your grocery store, not horseradish sauce.
- Potatoes + Carrots: Use any type of potato you like and ensure your potatoes and carrots are cut into even 2-inch chunks so they don't overcook as the stew pressure cooks.
- Cornstarch Slurry: Most recipes for beef stew use flour to thicken the braising liquid in the stew. That is a no-no when pressure cooking, so instead a mixture of cornstarch and water is added after pressure cooking to thicken the stew.
How to Make Instant Pot Beef Stew
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Sear Stew Meat
A key to developing great flavor in any beef stew is to begin the recipe by searing the beef along with the onion. This step helps to caramelize and soften the onions and form a nice crust on the beef, which both help to amplify the texture and flavor of the stew. While you can skip this step, it only takes a few minutes to sauté the two together using the sauté function and the results are well worth the added effort.
Deglaze Inner Pot with Wine or Broth
Whenever you sauté anything in the instant pot, it is crucial to remove any browned bits off the bottom of the inner pot before pressure cooking. This is crucial for preventing a burn notice. For beef stew, I recommend adding in red wine, or stock if not using wine, and scraping up any browned bits off the bottom of the inner pot.
Layer Ingredients for Beef Stew
Now it is as easy as adding the ingredients to the inner pot. I do recommend adding the crushed tomatoes last. Even though we are stirring everything together, if you add the tomatoes before the broth, they may not fully incorporate into the broth and can cause a burn notice if your unit is finicky.
Pressure Cook Beef Stew
Secure the lid on the instant pot and ensure that the vent knob is pointed towards sealed, not venting. Cook on HIGH pressure for 30 minutes. Once the cooking time has elapsed, allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 15 minutes. This will keep your meat TENDER and keep the hot liquid from spewing out of your vent knob. DO NOT be tempted to release pressure sooner.
Thicken Stew if Desired
It is not necessary to thicken the stew, but for a classic texture, thickening the stew with a cornstarch slurry and sautéing until thickened is recommended.
How to Serve Instant Pot Beef Stew
Instant Pot Stew is a hearty meal that can stand as a one-pot meal. That said, I love serving this beef stew with Dutch Oven Bread, Homemade Wheat Rolls, or Italian Bread to soak up all the delicious, rich broth.
Substitutions/Recipe Modifications
- Thick or Thin: For a thicker stew, use 3 cups of beef stock. For a thinner beef stew that is more like a hearty soup, use 4 cups of beef stock.
- Omit the Wine. If you do not drink alcohol, feel free to use additional beef stock in place of the wine.
Storage
- Refrigerate: Once cooled slightly, store leftover Instant Pot Beef Stew in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: While you can opt to freeze leftover beef stew in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months, keep in mind that the texture of the potatoes does not hold up well to freezing, and they will become mushy once defrosted.
- Reheat: Defrost in the refrigerator overnight if needed. Reheat the stew in individual heat-safe bowls covered with a damp paper towel in 60-second intervals in the microwave, until warmed through.
More Instant Pot Comfort Food Recipes
- Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup
- Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice
- Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers
- Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes
- Instant Pot Short Ribs
If you enjoyed this recipe for Instant Pot Beef Stew, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below. I love hearing from you!
Instant Pot Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 1-2 teaspoons olive or canola oil
- 1 pound stew meat cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1 small onion minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup dry red wine or beef stock
- 3 cups low-sodium beef stock *see note
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
- ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3 cups baby potatoes or potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 cups carrots cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 fresh sprigs
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch see note
- 3 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to Saute, add the oil, and let heat. While the oil is heating, season the beef on all sides liberally with salt and pepper.
- Add the seasoned beef and chopped onion to the Instant Pot and saute until the beef is browned on all sides and the onion has begun to soften. Once the meat is nearly fully browned, add in the minced garlic and saute for 1 minute longer, being careful to not burn the garlic.
- Add in red wine (or additional beef stock if not using wine) and scrape up any browned bits of liquid on the bottom of the inner pot. Allow the alcohol to cook off for 1-2 minutes, then turn the saute function off.
- Add the beef stock, potatoes, carrots, crushed tomatoes, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaf, fresh thyme, and a pinch of salt. Stir to incorporate the ingredients.
- Place lid on instant pot and be sure vent knob is closed to seal in pressure. To set the cooking time, hit the pressure cook or manual button and adjust the cooking time using the +/- buttons to 30 minutes on high pressure.
- Once cook time has elapsed, allow the pressure cooker to release pressure naturally or for AT LEAST 15 minutes. Once pressure has been released, open the pressure cooker and remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs.
- To thicken the stew, hit cancel on the pressure cooker (to turn off the keep warm function) and turn back to saute. Whisk together the water and cornstarch and then whisk into beef stew once bubbling. Allow to bubble and thicken to desired consistency, whisking constantly. Taste and season with salt if needed.
Equipment Needed
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2019 but was updated in 2024 with new photos and a new video.
Janet Weiss
We traditionally add Bisquik dumplings on top of our beef stew. Do you know if this could be done in an Instant Pot?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Janet! I add dumplings to my Chicken and Dumplings Recipe, but the cooking time is a lot less. I haven't tried it, but I may suggest trying after pressure cooking for 30 minutes followed by 15 minutes of natural pressure release, add the dumplings then and cook for 5 minutes with another 10 minutes of natural pressure release.
Kg
Too much thyme! Cut it back by half, trust me. And don't bother using the cornstarch, it's perfect without it.
Kristen Chidsey
Hey there! If you use dried ground thyme, rather than thyme leaves the thyme would GREATLY overwhelm the stew, otherwise it should be okay. But thank you for sharing your feedback.
Diane
The best and easiest stew recipe. I had bought a bunch of tough beef, tried a few recipes and it was tough, yours was perfect and saved the meat and it was tender !! Thank you it was well written and a keeper!
Kristen Chidsey
I love hearing you enjoyed the stew and found the recipe easy to follow! Thanks for sharing!
Charles
How about pulling out a few potatoes and mashing them to use to thicken the stew?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Charles! That is a great idea as well.
Beth Lewis
This was easy and delicious ~ my entire family loved it! I will be making this again soon; thank you, Kristen!
Kristen Chidsey
Yay! I love hearing you all enjoyed! Give them all my love too!
Juli
Wondering what depth/dynamic the horseradish adds to the stew? Can you taste it? I’m not a fan of it, and I’m sure I could omit, but won’t if it’s not a prominent flavor overall.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Juli! It is not at all a prominent flavor. Instead it helps to tenderize the meat and add a background "zippy" flavor.
Laurie
Could I add some frozen vegetables to this recipe? The carrot I was going to use got eaten by a mole! : ( So have some homegrown frozen green beans and store bought frozen carrots. What do you think?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Laurie! What a sneaky, naughty mole! HA! Frozen carrots will work great. Green beans may get a bit softer than you care for, but they still should work. Enjoy the stew
Mary Lou Mercadante
Made it, love it! Thanks for sharing! My best for you and your family this New Year!
Kristen Chidsey
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing and for the best wishes! Sending you the same.
LyndaB
Wonderful..! So easy and tasty, it works perfectly on a chilly weeknight - we’ve just had this with warm crusty bread and it was a big hit! Thank you!
Kristen Chidsey
Sounds like a wonderful meal! Thanks for taking the time to let us all know you enjoyed the Beef Stew 🙂
Andi D
Terrific stew recipe. So easy and so yummy. I did add frozen peas before thickening. Thanks so much.
Kristen Chidsey
You bet! I am so happy to hear you enjoyed the stew recipe, Andi!
Kathy
Hi Kristen, My husband is allergic to cornstarch, can I thicken the beef stew. With Wondra flour? Do you know what the ratios might be?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Kathy! Absolutely! I suggest dissolving the Wondra flour in a bit of the cooking liquid and then add to the soup to thicken. To replace cornstarch, use half the amount the recipe calls for. For this recipe, that would be 1 tablespoon of Wondra Flour. Enjoy!
Reginia
Kristen, help me, my husband don’t want any carrots or potatoes, do I need to change the cooking time?
Kristen Chidsey
No, you can leave the cooking time the same. Just increase the amount of beef. Enjoy
Laurie
It’s almost a sin how good your recipes make me look. And easier than gassing up the car to go to the diner, for sure. Tomato sauce works great if you don’t have the crushed tomatoes on hand. I just added another 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch to the slurry to make up for the more liquid consistency. As with any stew, the key is to pay attention to the cut size of the meat and veggies so you don’t end up with a bowl of mush.
Kristen Chidsey
YAY! I love hearing I am helping you to be a rockstar in your kitchen!
Stephanie
Made your beef stew yesterday. Was absolutely delicious. Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks for sharing Stephanie! I love hearing you enjoyed!
Winter Arnold
Hi there! I was just reading the comments and kept noticing comments about tomato paste. Has the recipe changed recently? I’m not seeing any in the ingredients. Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Winter! This recipe has not changed. There is no tomato paste in this recipe, but some commenters shared they added to the recipe with success.
Luisa Claus
I intend to make this very soon. I however am confused on when to add the veggies like carrots and potatoes. Your recipe says to cook at the same time with your stew meat. In another section you say never to cook together as they come out mushy and to add after meat is cooked. Can you explain how to do this ? Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Luisa! Sorry for any confusion. For this recipe, I recommend cooking the vegetables with the meat. I don't have any issues with the vegetables turning to mush, as they do with pot roast.
Laura
Wow! This was fantastic! And easy too! I don't think I have ever tasted a better beef stew!