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With tender chunks of beef, perfectly cooked vegetables, and a rich, savory broth, this Instant Pot Beef Stew delivers all the comfort of a classic stew in record time.
Warm, hearty, and deeply flavorful, this stew is everything you crave on a chilly night. The Instant Pot does all the heavy lifting, turning tough beef into fork-tender perfection in just over an hour. No Instant Pot? Try my Crockpot Beef Stew instead.
Kristen's Keys for Instant Pot Beef Stew (Start Here!)
My recipe for Instant Pot Pot Roast has been a fan-favorite for years now. The beef is insanely tender, the potatoes and carrots are perfectly cooked, and the flavor is UNMATCHED. I took that same flavor profile and turned it into the coziest of beef stews. To achieve that same incredible flavor, pay attention to a few key points.
- Start by searing the beef and onion. Searing locks in flavor, adds a caramelized crust, and gives your stew that irresistible depth. It's worth the extra 10 minutes.
- Horseradish is a game-changer. You won't taste it directly, but it adds a subtle bite and helps tenderize the beef. Think of it as the ingredient that makes people ask, What's your secret?
- Red wine is optional, but encouraged. It deepens the flavor and balances the richness. If you don't care to cook with wine, an equal amount of beef stock works beautifully.
- Add the crushed tomatoes last. This helps prevent the dreaded Instant Pot burn notice.
- Plan time for a natural pressure release. Allow at least 15 minutes for natural pressure release after pressure cooking to ensure the meat stays tender.
5-Star Reader Review
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! -Diane⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Notes on Ingredients & Substitutions
While you will find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card, I have a few helpful tips to help you select the right building blocks Instant Pot Beef Stew.
- Beef: Use chuck roast for the best texture, as it becomes buttery soft under pressure. Pre-cut stew meat works too, as does brisket.
- Red Wine (optional): Go with a dry red wine like cabernet, merlot, or malbec. Use something you would actually drink, not cooking wine, which will give an artificial aftertaste instead of a rich finish.
- Horseradish: Use prepared horseradish (horseradish, vinegar, and salt), not creamy horseradish sauce. You'll find it refrigerated near the deli or sauerkraut.
- Vegetables: I keep it simple with onions, potatoes, and carrots. Feel free to add celery (with onions) or peas (when thickening). For potatoes, I recommend Yukon gold potatoes as they hold up beautifully, but red or russet potatoes also work.
- Cornstarch: Used at the end to thicken the stew. Arrowroot powder is a suitable substitute.
How to Make Instant Pot Beef Stew
This step-by-step process will walk you through the process so that anyone can achieve success. Whether you are just learning how to use an Instant Pot or a seasoned pro. 😉
Step One: Sear the Beef and Onions
Using the sauté function, heat a bit of oil in your Instant Pot. Add the seasoned beef and onions, and cook until the beef is browned and the onions are lightly golden.
👉🏻Don't overcrowd the pot. Work in batches if needed for that perfect caramelization.
Step Two: Deglaze Inner Pot
With the Instant Pot still on the sauté function, pour in red wine (or beef broth) and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon to lift all those flavorful browned bits. Let it simmer for a minute or two to reduce.
👉🏻Don't skip this step! This not only boosts flavor, but it also prevents a burn notice.
Step Three: Layer Ingredients
Add the broth, potatoes, carrots, seasonings, Worcestershire, and horseradish. Stir gently, then pour crushed tomatoes on top without mixing.
👉🏻Seriously, don't stir! The tomatoes will slowly sink into the stew as it pressure cooks, but to stir them into the other ingredients may result in a burn notice--especially in finicky models.
Step Four: Pressure Cook
Secure the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on HIGH pressure for 30 minutes. Once finished, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes before manually venting any remaining steam.
👉🏻What is a natural pressure release? That simply means to leave the Instant Pot alone. Once the cooking time has elapsed, the Instant Pot will default to holding the food warm and begin to count upwards. Once the screen reads L0:15, you will know 15 minutes has passed--longer is fine!😉
Step Five: Thicken (Optional)
If you love a thick, glossy stew, you won't want to skip this step. Turn the pot back to sauté. In a small bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water until smooth. Stir it into the stew and cook for about 5 minutes, until thickened to your liking.
👉🏻For an ultra-luxurious finish, stir in a tablespoon of butter before serving.
What to Serve with Instant Pot Beef Stew
This stew is hearty enough to stand alone, but if you're like me, you'll want something to soak up that broth and maybe a fresh salad.
- For Dipping: Crusty bread, cornbread, or rolls.
- On the Side: Add a simple green salad with balsamic or ranch dressing for a fresh contrast.
Storage Instructions
- 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 and slightly grainy when 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 Favorite Instant Pot Comfort Food
Looking for more cozy Instant Pot recipes? Don't miss my recipes for Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon, Instant Pot Potato Corn Chowder and Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings or another favorite below:
Instant Pot Beef Stew
Video
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch chunks
- kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 small yellow onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup dry red wine, or additional beef stock
- 3 cups low-sodium beef stock, *see note
- 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 leaves, or 2 fresh sprigs
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
- 8 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch, see note
- 3 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to sauté function, add 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, and let heat for 30-60 seconds. While the oil is heating, season the beef meat on all sides liberally with salt and pepper.
- Add the seasoned beef and the minced onion to the Instant Pot and sauté until the beef is browned on all sides and the onion has begun to soften, stirring often, about 3-5 minutes. Once the meat is almost fully browned, add in the garlic and sauté for 30-60 seconds to just lightly toast the garlic.
- Add ½ cup dry red wine (or additional beef broth) to the inner pot and scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the inner pot. Allow the alcohol to cook off for 1-2 minutes, then turn the sauté function off by hitting cancel.
- Add 3 cups low-sodium beef stock, potatoes, carrots, 1 dried bay leaf, 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce , 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish, and a generous pinch of salt. Stir to incorporate the ingredients and then top with 8 ounces crushed tomatoes. DO NOT STIR!
- 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 sauté. Whisk together 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water 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. Hit cancel to turn off the instant pot and serve as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published in 2019 but was updated in 2025.
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?
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.
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....
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!
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.
I am so glad you were able to make this work Wendy, despite pantry limitations. Stay safe and well!
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
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.
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
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!
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!
I am so glad you enjoyed. 10 minutes to come to pressure is completely normal for any recipe with this much liquid.
Can I double this in an 8 qt?
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 🙂
Thank you... do you double the broth though? 8 cups seems like a lot of liquid?
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!