Instant Pot Beef Stew

This Instant Pot Beef Stew is the BEST recipe for stew--PERIOD! Tender beef, potatoes, and carrots are enveloped in a rich, flavorful broth that is seasoned to perfection with a few secret ingredients. And instead of hours to prepare, this recipe is ready in just over one hour, making it perfect comfort food for any day of the week!

Nothing hits the spot like a bowl of rich, hearty Beef Stew. And this recipe for Instant Pot Beef Stew adds in three ingredients that take a good recipe and turn it into something absolutely spectacular! This is one Instant Pot comfort food recipe you don't want to miss out on!

Why this Recipe Works

Growing up in the mid-west, nothing says comfort to me like a big bowl of Beef Stew. And friends, this Instant Pot Beef Stew hits a home-run in the comfort category. It is perfection!

It is everything you crave in a beef stew and more. A rich and velvety beef and tomato broth envelope nuggets of tender beef, potatoes, and carrots. The meat is fall-apart tender, the vegetables have absorbed the richly flavored sauce, and the sauce has dimension and flavor thanks to a few ingredients.

This is one recipe that not only delivers on comfort but also delivers on flavor and it is ready with minimal work and time.

Key Ingredients

There are 3 ingredients that I add to this beef stew recipe that adds tremendous flavor. They are not unusual or hard to find ingredients, but they may be new additions to you. But trust, me they add INCREDIBLE flavor!

• Horseradish--Horseradish and beef pair beautifully together. Not only does Horseradish add great flavor to this stew, but it also helps to tenderize the meat. I use it in my Instant Pot Pot Roast as well, and as you can see from the reviews it is a game-changer! Just be sure to purchase prepared horseradish, not horseradish sauce.
• Red Wine--A dry red wine adds richness and depth to the sauce. A dry red wine such as Merlot or Cabernet is best. Of course, if you do not drink alcohol, feel free to use additional beef stock in place of wine.
• Worcestershire Sauce--Just like the horseradish, the Worcestershire Sauce adds incredible depth of flavor. It is salty and rich and finishes off this stew perfectly. A little bit goes a long way!

How to Make Instant Pot Beef Stew

Step One: Saute the Beef

• To sear meat in your instant pot, turn your pressure cooker to Saute.
• Wait until your pressure cooker reads Hot.
• Pour in oil--I use 1-2 teaspoons oil but up to 1 tablespoon oil is fine. 
• Season stew meat liberally with salt and pepper and then add to the heated pressure cooker.
• Brown meat on all sides.
• Once the meat is browned, turn off Instant Pot.

Step Two: Deglaze Pan

• Add in red wine (if using) and beef stock.
• Be sure to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of your inner pot, so that pressure can build appropriately and you won’t get a burn notice.

Step Three: Add Ingredients to Pressure Cooker

• Add in remaining ingredients (except for cornstarch and water) into the pressure cooker.

Step Four: Pressure Cook

• Place lid on Instant Pot and secure vent knob to the sealed position.
• Cook on HIGH pressure for 30 minutes.
• Allow pressure to release naturally. 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.

Step Five: Thicken

• Once pressure has released on your pressure cooker, remove the lid and turn the pressure cooker back to saute (hit cancel/off button then saute button again)
• Whisk together the cornstarch with water until very well combined and then whisk in the cornstarch slurry and allow the beef stew to thicken about 5 minutes.

Recipe Notes and Tips

• Leftover Beef Stew will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can freeze the leftovers as well, but keep in mind that the texture of the potatoes does not hold up as well to freezing.
• To keep this Instant Pot Beef Stew gluten-free, be sure your Worcestershire Sauce is gluten-free.
• For a thicker stew, use 3 cups beef stock. For a thinner beef stew, use 4 cups of beef stock. You can also use 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in place of the 1 tablespoon of cornstarch for a really thick stew. It is NOT necessary to thicken the Beef Stew. I prefer a thickened broth, while my husband likes a thinner broth--do what your family prefers.
• You can purchase pre-cut stew meat from your grocer, or cut up a chuck roast, or top-round yourself into 1-inch cubes.
• Be sure to use prepared horseradish, not horseradish sauce. (The ingredients are just grated horseradish, salt, and sometimes vinegar.)
• Use whole bite-sized new potatoes, quartered red or new potatoes, or 2 inches cubed peeled russet potatoes.
• I add my potatoes and carrots later in pot roast, but for this recipe, I don't have issues with the carrots and potatoes getting mushy. If you want firmer potatoes and carrots, add all the ingredients BUT carrots and potatoes and cook for 20 minutes and let the pressure release naturally. Then add the potatoes and carrots and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
• Instead of purchasing stew meat, you can also cube up a chuck roast or a sirloin roast to use for this recipe.
• You can find prepared horseradish in the refrigerated deli selection of your grocery store. It is just jarred freshly grated horseradish root--not prepared horseradish sauce.
• Feel free to skip searing the meat if you are in a time crunch!
• You can use frozen stew meat as well, just skip the step of searing and add 5 minutes to the cook time.
• Remember to allow natural pressure release for the best results and texture for the beef.

Instant Pot Comfort Food Recipes

• Instant Pot Pot Roast
• Instant Pot Whole Chicken
• Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup
• Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers
• Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes
• Instant Pot Short Ribs from Gluten-Free Palate

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

This Instant Pot Beef Stew is the BEST Beef Stew EVER and it is made in a fraction of the time of traditional Beef Stew. Tender beef, potatoes, and carrots are enveloped in a rich, flavorful broth that is seasoned to perfection. 

4.78 from 18 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Pressure Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 256kcal

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 teaspoon 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 beef stock low sodium, see note*
• ▢ 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• ▢ 1 tablespoon 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 bay leaf
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 fresh sprigs
• ▢ salt and pepper
• ▢ 1 tablespoon corn starch see note
• ▢ 3 tablespoons water

Instructions

• Turn the Instant Pot to Saute and allow to heat up. Once Instant Pot is heated, add in oil. 
• Season beef on all sides liberally with salt and pepper. 
• Add the seasoned beef and chopped onion to pressure cooker and let cook on all sides until beef is browned on all sides. Once the meat is nearly fully browned, adds in the minced garlic and saute for 1 minute longer, being careful to not burn the garlic. Turn the Instant Pot off.
• Add in red wine and scrape up any browned bits of liquid on the bottom of the pressure cooker. 
• Add in 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. 
• Set to manual pressure for 30 minutes. To do this, hit pressure cook or manual and adjust cook time using +/- buttons. If you have the Ultra model, hit ultra and then adjust to high pressure and then set cook time to 30 minutes.
• 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 up pressure cooker, remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Hit cancel on pressure cooker (to turn off keep warm function) and turn back to saute. 
• Whisk together the water and cornstarch and then whisk into beef stew. Allow to bubble and thicken to desired consistency. Taste and season with salt if needed.

Equipment Needed

• Electric Pressure Cooker (6 or 8 quart)

Notes

• Leftover beef stew can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can opt to freeze the stew as well, but the texture of the potatoes may be altered after freezing. 
• In place of crushed tomatoes, you can use tomato sauce. 
• To keep this Instant Pot Beef Stew gluten-free, use gluten-free Worcestershire Sauce. 
• For a thicker stew, use 3 cups beef stock. For a thinner beef stew, use 4 cups of beef stock. You can also use 2 tablespoons or cornstarch in place of the 1 tablespoon of cornstarch for a really thick stew. 
• You can purchase pre-cut stew meat from your grocer, or cut up a chuck roast, or top-round yourself into 1-inch cubes. 
• A dry red wine such as Merlot or Cabernet is best. Of course, if you do not drink alcohol, feel free to use additional beef stock in place of wine.
• Be sure to use prepared horseradish, not horseradish sauce. (The ingredients are just grated horseradish, salt, and sometimes vinegar.)
• Use whole bite-sized new potatoes, quartered red or new potatoes, or 2 inches cubed, peeled russet potatoes
• I add my potatoes and carrots later in pot roast, but for this recipe, I don't have issues with the carrots and potatoes getting mushy. If you want firmer potatoes and carrots, add all the ingredients BUT carrots and potatoes and cook for 20 minutes and let the pressure release naturally. Then add the potatoes and carrots and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 353mg | Potassium: 869mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 5410IU | Vitamin C: 17.2mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 2.6mg

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