Instant Pot Beef Stew is hands-down one of the easiest, most flavorful beef stews you will ever enjoy! Made with tender beef, potatoes, carrots, and a rich, flavorful broth, this Instant Pot Beef Stew recipe delivers classic beef stew in record time!
From Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon to Irish Stew to this recipe Instant Pot Beef Stew, nothing hits the spot like a bowl of rich, hearty beef stew. And this recipe delivers the best classic beef stew in record time!
Reasons to Love Instant Pot Beef Stew
- 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 comfort food 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.
- Beef Stock: Use low-sodium beef stock to control the overall sodium in the stew.
- Horseradish: This recipe uses prepared horseradish, not horseradish sauce. Prepared horseradish is simply grated horseradish, vinegar, and salt and you can often find it in the refrigerated deli section of your local grocery store.
- Red Wine: Use a dry red wine, such as Merlot or Cabernet, which will add a rich, bold flavor to this Instant Pot stew.
- 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!
- Thyme: Thyme enhances the flavor of the stew and pairs nicely with the rich beef flavor. Use either fresh thyme or dried thyme leaves. Do not use ground thyme as the flavor is overwhelming.
- Potatoes: Use whole bite-sized new potatoes, quartered red or new potatoes, or peeled russet potatoes, cut into 2-inch chunks.
- Carrots: Use either baby carrots or large peeled, carrots that have been cut into large chunks.
- 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.
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.
How to Make Instant Pot Beef Stew
The following steps and 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 or follow along as I make this dish in the video below.
Step One: Sear the 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 saute the two together using the saute function and the results are well worth the added effort.
Step Two: Deglaze the Inner Pot. Whenever you saute 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.
Step Three: Layer Ingredients. 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.
Step Four: Pressure Cook. 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.
Step Five: Thicken Stew (Optional). It is not necessary to thicken the stew, but for a classic texture, thickening the stew with a cornstarch slurry and sauteeing until thickened is recommended.
Watch Me Make Instant Pot Beef Stew
If you learn better through a video presentation, follow along on YouTube as I make Instant Pot Beef Stew.
Serving Suggestions
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.
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 Chicken and Dumplings
- Instant Pot Short Ribs
Need more inspiration for planning meals that your family will love? Sign up for my FREE Meal Plans and each week you will get a meal plan with a shopping list.
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.
Sandy
So easy and amazing! A definite keeper recipe!
Dominic Johnjulio
Excellent! Easy as advertised!
John de Koff
Hi Kristen! Since I do freeze this and the potatoes don't freeze well, what changes should I make if I leave the potatoes out altogether? Less liquid?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi John! I would actually not make any changes, as you typically need to add liquid to stew to thin it out when you reheat. This should reheat perfectly without any additional liquid needed.
Nicole
I’m wondering if I can do this in the slow cooker? Also with the virus could I use something besides tomato paste? I don’t have any due to the virus....
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Nicole! You can indeed make this in the slow cooker. I would saute the beef to brown on the stove. Add to slow cooker, along with remaining ingredients (minus cornstarch). Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours. After cook time, whisk together flour and 1/2 cup stew broth. Stir in flour mixture into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 30 minutes, or until thickened. And there is no tomato paste in this recipe, so no worries there!
Wendy
I made this during the virus outbreak so I had to sub a couple things. I used a round steak & a small can of tomato paste. It was very good.
I used Yukon gold potatoes & fresh thyme & a fresh bay leaf.
I like my stew kind of soupy, & this came out just right. I couldn't get beef stock so I used beef better than boullion.
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you were able to make this work Wendy, despite pantry limitations. Stay safe and well!
Instant Pot Newbie
I have tried several of your recipes and they have all turned out great! Thank you so much for all you do to help instant pot users.
I would like to know the number of servings this recipe has, there is an add over that part and I can’t get it to go away
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you have enjoyed my recipes! There are 8 servings in this recipe. And I am contacting my AD company right now to resolve that issue--that should NEVER happen! Sorry for the inconvenience.
Mary
Hi please can I ask, what is the weights of vegetables what exactly is in a cup? I know that liquid is 240mls but in UK we do kilos or lbs. Many thanks Mary
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Mary! Happy to help! For every one cup of potatoes, you will need 150 grams, so for this recipe, you would use 450 grams. For the carrots, use 100 grams. Each cup of carrots is about 50 grams. Enjoy!
Elizabeth
I used this recipe as a method and just made it with basic ingredients like my grandmother's recipe (just beef, potatoes, carrots, salt, pepper and bay leaf) I did add the Worcestershire as I thought it might need it for flavor since it isn't all day slow cooked like my grandmother's. The method was perfect. Thank you for showing me how I could make a really good beef stew when I get home from work! One thing to mention is that the Instant Pot took about 10 minutes to get up to high pressure and start counting down. It said "On" for so long I was getting worried. But sure enough after a while it started counting down. It also takes a while to naturally release pressure but patience paid off. Thanks again!
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you enjoyed. 10 minutes to come to pressure is completely normal for any recipe with this much liquid.
Sally
Can I double this in an 8 qt?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Sally! Yes, this Beef Stew can be doubled and still fit in the 8 quart and the timing will remain the same--it will just a bit longer to come to pressure. Just be sure to do a natural pressure release 🙂
Sally
Thank you... do you double the broth though? 8 cups seems like a lot of liquid?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Sally! Well first, you want to be sure 8 cups will not exceed filling your instant pot more than 2/3rds full. However, you can certainly use less liquid if you want a thicker stew. I would not use less than 6 cups stock if doubling the meat, pota6, and carrots myself. I hope you enjoy!
Molly Mann
I have a couple of questions.
1. The scrapping the pot thing. Do you pull your meat out and do this? I have a hard time scraping the bottom when the meat is in the way, I cant see and then I get the burn message. All the recipes I read say to scrape, but no one gives details.
2. Is there a place to send general questions that arent about a specific recipe?
Thanks, an older instant pot cooker trying to learn new tricks.
Molly
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Molly!! I have an Instant Pot 101 post (https://amindfullmom.com/instant-pot-101/) that may help answer some of your questions, but I am happy to answer any questions I can..and on any post or sent via email is fine 😊
As for scraping the bottom of the pot, The best way to do this is after browning meat, add your liquid and then use a metal spatula and literally scrape back and forth on bottom of pan for 1 minute or so to loosen up any bits formed on bottom of inner pot. No need to remove meat (although with large roasts, it is easier to remove while scraping). I hope that helps. Another tip to avoid burn notice is to be sure your inner pot is cleaned well on the bottom before using. 😊
Inna
Hi! The ingredient lists 1 teaspoon oil and the directions above that read 1 tablespoon. Just wanted to check which is accurate to sear the meat in. Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey
Great catch, sorry about that! I find just 1 teaspoon oil is enough for me to sear fattier cuts of meat--but 1 tablespoon would not hurt. Updating recipe now 😉
Linda
I just made an Instant Pot Beef Stew and, as you said, it's best on a cold winter's night. I'm going to have to try the thyme and horseradish in mine. It sounds like it will give it just the right kick.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Linda! It really adds tremendous flavor.
Jillian
Beef Stew is one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. When I saw this instant pot recipe I instantly knew I needed to try it. The recipe did not disappoint, I will be making it often!
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad to hear that Jillian!
Susan
How much red wine? Not listed in ingredients . . . But it does look good and I will definitely make this!
Kristen Chidsey
Sorry about that Susan! The recipe is updated now. I used 1/2 cup dry red wine. Enjoy!
majriann stephens
I'd like to try this, but how much red wine? Thanks!
mariann
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Mariann! I used 1/2 cup red wine. Enjoy!
Traci
Have I told you how much I love you lately? Your recipes are always spot on and your instructions are always clear and easy to follow. Seriously, I adore your site and adore you even more! Thank you for sharing in such a great manner that I have quickly become addicted to your site.
Kristen Chidsey
Oh thank you Traci!!!! Much love to you as well!