Instant Pot Beef Stew–a super easy recipe for beef stew that doesn’t sacrifice flavor. This stew is comfort in a bowl!
Get the SLOW COOKER version of the recipe here
Instant Pot Beef Stew
Even though it was probably 20 degrees hotter than it needed to me to make this instant pot beef stew yesterday it still tasted so amazing! My whole family licked their bowls clean. I was dancing around the kitchen that a recipe which was so simple could turn out so tasty. We served ours with cast iron skillet cornbread. Yee HAW!
I started out with beef chuck steak and cut it into bite-size stew meat pieces. Alternately, you can buy chuck roast and cut it up the same way. Or pick out actual “stew meat” at the grocery store. I prefer to cut my own stew meat from a chuck roast. This way I know the meat will cook uniformly (since it’s from the same cut of meat).
I browned the meat while I cut up the potatoes, carrots, celery and onions. It worked out perfectly. By the time I was done cutting, the meat was done browning. Then I threw all the rest of the ingredients into the pot and let the Instant Pot do it’s magic.
I chose to use a natural pressure release on this recipe so that the beef could be as tender as possible. And it was! It was melt-in-my-mouth tender. I was a little concerned that the vegetables would be super mushy but they held their shape. They were soft but not mushy. I will be making Instant Pot beef stew a lot more now that I have a go-to recipe!
More recipes you’ll love…
Instant Pot Grandma’s Sunday Roast
Instant Pot Creamy Wild Rice and Chicken Soup
What Pressure Cooker Did You Use?
To make Instant Pot Beef Stew I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. I love this Instant Pot because it has the yogurt making function which I use almost weekly. It has two pressure settings (high and low), and there are also little slots in the handles so that you can rest the lid there instead of putting it down on your counter-top.
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Instant Pot Beef Stew
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes (plus natural pressure release)
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 servings 1x
Description
A super easy recipe for beef stew that doesn’t sacrifice flavor. This stew is comfort in a bowl!
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 pound (up to 1 1/2 pounds for a more meaty stew) chuck roast/chuck steak/beef stew meat
- 1 pound russet potatoes or yellow potatoes
- 1 medium yellow or white onion
- 2 stalks celery
- 3 medium carrots
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch + 1 Tbsp cold water
Instructions
- Cut your meat into bite-size pieces, discarding excess fat. Sometimes I like to do this when the meat is partially frozen. It cuts so much easier.
- Turn your Instant Pot to the saute setting. When the display says HOT add in the olive oil and swirl it around. Add in the meat in one layer and let it brown for 5 minutes on one side. Then 5 minutes on the other side.
- While the meat is browning prepare the vegetables. Peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks. I made them a bit bigger than the size of the meat. Dice the onion. Cut your celery into half inch pieces. Peel the carrots and cut them into half inch pieces on a diagonal.
- Once the meat is done browning pour in the beef broth. Scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Stir in the salt, sugar and worcestershire sauce.
- Add in all the vegetables on top of the meat. Pour in the can of crushed tomatoes. Don’t stir.
- Cover the pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Push the meat/stew button on your Instant Pot. Adjust the time to 30 minutes on high pressure. If your pot doesn’t have a meat/stew button just set the manual/pressure cook button to 30 minutes on high pressure.
- Let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes and if you have more time you can do a full natural pressure release.
- Remove the lid. If you want to thicken the stew stir together 1 Tbsp of cornstarch with 1 Tbsp of cold water in a small bowl. Then stir the cornstarch slurry into the pot. I turned my pot to the saute setting and stirred in the slurry until it thickened up. It took less than a minute.
- Ladle the stew into bowls and serve. I served my stew with cornbread.
Notes
I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*.
You can easily double this recipe. Double all the ingredients but keep the cooking time the same.
This recipe is gluten free.
- Category: Stew
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: beef
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*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Hello! Could this be made and then frozen for later? Thanks!
I think that would work…haven’t tried it yet myself so not 100% sure
Another excellent recipe , Karen! I added a few handfuls of fresh green beans and a small can of tomato sauce since I added a bit more potato too. Perfect flavorings and oh, so good on a snowy night! Thank you!
★★★★★
you are welcome! thanks for the nice review!
First time making a true recipe. Most use was for our dogs chicken. Few things I did different for this recipe. My husband hates tomatoes in anything but spaghetti. I left out the sugar, celery. Used avocado oil (higher heat allowance). Added 2 T of worcestershire sauce 1 C beef broth & 1/2 C beef w/mushroom gravy. Did add salt & pepper (I think I added too much pepper) otherwise was very good! YAY! Meat was very tender, potatoes slightly soft not mushy, carrots perfect, onions. Added 3 cloves of garlic, minced. So now I’m confident to pursue other recipes without fear. I’m still a little mixed on the natural release. Will it release while on warm? All things said & done it was great. Next time will have some nice rolls to go with the stew.
★★★★★
Yes it will release on warm…just give it time. You can do this!
Hi,
Would this recipe work in the 3 quart pot? It seems like it would based on the quantities noted in the recipe but wanted to get other input before I tried it. Thanks!
Yes I do believe it will work in the 3 quart pot!
Yes , I made it in my 3qt.instapot
I got a new computer and didn’t get my bookmarks from my old one – I have been searching for this recipe because I love it! Finally I put “crushed tomatoes” in the search and it came up. I love this stew, did I already say that? I leave the sugar and Worchester sauce out, however, and use a teaspoon of beef “Better than Bouillon” added to the beef broth or stock. I also add mushrooms, and leave my onions in big hunks. Great recipe, though.
★★★★★
I’m so glad you found the recipe again!!! I like your ideas!
Excellent recipe! My husband loved it!
My only tweak was to add 1/2 cup red wine.
★★★★★
Go glad you both liked it Cindy! Thank you!
Wow! This stew was delicious!!!
I finally jumped on the pressure cooking band wagon and bought myself a Ninja Foodi Deluxe 8 qt on Amazon prime day. I have been hesitant to use it from lack of knowledge or experience with a pressure cooker.
I have been watching YouTube videos, reading blogs and joining Facebook groups for 2 weeks now. That is, until I came across your site. I must say your videos and posts are very informative and easy to understand. You finally gave me the courage to try it.
Me being me, I couldn’t just make hard boiled eggs or rice the first time. That would be way too easy. When I stumbled upon this beef stew recipe, I decided to bite the bullet and use that giant beast just sitting there on my kitchen counter.
All I can say is that I am glad I did. This stew was amazing and so easy to make. It was definitely comfort food for a cold Michigan day in the fall. My entire family raved about it. My husband said it was the best stew he has ever tasted. (It has been one of his favorite meals for years.)
I did alter the recipe slightly just to fit our own personal preferences by: doubling the recipe (except for the salt), I used stew beef from our local butcher, added some minced garlic and mushrooms and of course… black pepper. I put pepper in absolutely everything. I also added a can of petite sweet peas after the pressure cooking was finished. I served with thick cut, fresh Italian bread.
The 30 minute pressure cook time was perfect. The meat was so tender and veggies were perfect. It tasted like it had been simmering all day. From the time I started searing the meat until I served the stew, took about 2 hours total. I am sure that is because I had to stop and read the directions before and after every step because I was nervous I would ruin dinner. Also, my hands don’t work the best and I am extremely slow at peeling potatoes and carrots. I am sure next time it will take much less time. I also loved that while dinner was cooking I could fold some laundry and clean the preparation mess and dishes without having to worry about standing at the stove watching a pot.
This was an amazing recipe for the first time using my Foodi. We definitely will be adding this to our dinner rotation. Thank for the amazing recipe. I will be searching through many more of your recipes and videos now that I know how good and reliable they are.
We are thinking of trying pinto beans with a ham bone next. Any suggestions, tips or tricks?
Sorry for such a lengthy comment, but I wanted you to know that you have inspired and given me the courage to be a pressure cooker cook. Also to tell you how much we enjoyed your recipe.
★★★★★
Good for you! Keep up the good work! It can be intimidating at first but you’ll get the hang of it. I haven’t done pinto beans with a ham bone. But I would just add the beans into the pot and fill with plenty of water. Add in the ham bone and pressure cook for 30 minutes plus a natural release.
Could this recipe work with added prunes?
prunes? Sure! I’ve never heard of that.
Enjoy your website and emails. My comment is
you seem to mention how to double the recipes
but I cook for my wife and myself using a 3 qt IP. Can you comment on how to halve a recipe, please?
Here you go Bill! https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/how-to-halve-instant-pot-recipes/
Making this tonight. Fingers crossed as I am a new user.
Will make again, without the tomato’s. Hubby was not a fan of them. I will leave the stew meat in larger chunks next time. Only my second meal so still learning. Thanks for the recipe.
Keep it up Zelda!
I have made this twice now omitting the onion. Its easy and a new family favorite. Thank you.
★★★★★
OMGoodness! My family LOVES this recipe! I have stopped collecting anymore recipes for Beef Stew. This is perfect and the flavor I always hoped to be able to make. I now have to double it so I have enough for my 3 men and enough for yummy leftovers. The only thing I add is lightly cooked frozen peas to the finished stew. YUM! YUM! (I’m eating some right now!)
Yes on the peas! I like that idea.
Made this last night in the IP. The only changes were: no Russets potatoes on hand, so I used uncut small multicolor potatoes; added parsnips. It was great.
Next time, I’ll double the recipe because we like leftovers.
★★★★★
Sounds great! I love those multicolor potatoes.
I made it earlier this week and we loved it. I doubled the recipe, used the 8qt IP. I omitted the Worcestershire sauce and celery due to personal preferences. I cut the potatoes and carrots in the somewhat larger pieces and the timing was perfect. Thank you!
★★★★★
Sounds awesome! Glad you liked it Laura.
Karen, I love your recipes. I like my beef stew with more liquid. Should I add more beef broth or just water?
Thanks for sharing your delicious recipes!
I’d add more beef broth for more flavor
how can someone eat this? No offence to your recipe but I don’t like non veg.
Are you referring to the same recipe?? Potatoes celery onions carrots. Non veg??
Can i freeze half of the dish.
★★★★★
I think this one would be okay to freeze. My only hesitation is the potatoes and if they’d get grainy.
I made exactly as per the recipe ,the meat was perfect but the vegetables were way over cooked,mushy in fact.
I thought it was to sweet but my wife thought but was delicious.
★★★
This is the second recipe that I’ve made in my Instant Pot Nova. Meat was perfect, flavor great, but veggies were way over cooked. I followed your recipe exactly as written. Would you recommend shorter cooking time or larger cut veggies?
★★★
I’d recommend larger veggies or adding them in later.
I made this tonight and it was so good. It is definitely a keeper. The only thing I did differently was I used a can of petite diced tomatoes because that is all I had. It still turned out great. I cut my potatoes fairly large and they were perfect. Great recipe.
★★★★★
Glad you liked it!
stop eating beef.
why dude? It’s upto human choice. Though, loved the recipe.
★★★★★
I’ve made about 10-20 of your recipes and they’ve always been amazing. I was less enthusiastic about this one. The potatoes were overcooked, there wasn’t enough meat for our taste, and it was missing that pizazz that I have come to expect from your recipes. I added some garlic, thyme, and some fresh parsley, and it helped a bit. I will say the meat was cooked perfectly. My husband calls you the “Coconut Curry Meatball Lady,” by the way; he loves your recipes!
★★★
I really needed to learn which cut of beef is best for stews. I live in a country where you get the cut you get and that is it. However, we found a butcher who can really help get the cut you want (it’s a miracle). My last beef stew was a chewy mess. I also appreciate you telling us to cook the beef for two hours first. I will try this next week for sure!
★★★★★
I like chuck roast for beef stew
I made the beef stew for supper tonight. I followed the recipe as it was written and there is no stew left. It was wonderful. I will continue to follow and make more of your recipes. TY
you’re welcome! I’m glad you liked it 🙂
Delicious…just as written!! Your recipes have always been reliable and tasty, with lots of good information…thank you for that!
★★★★★
Enjoyed this recipe. I plan to make it again but use tomato sauce rather than crushed tomatoes. I am not a fan of crushed tomatoes. Also do you have a place that shows nutritional info?
★★★★
Some of my recipes have nutritional info and some don’t. I’m working on getting it on all the recipes but it’s just very time consuming.
Thank you so much for working towards getting the nutritional info. Your recipes are already perfection and this will just make it way easier for me to use having that information ♡
Hi Karen, Just wondering if you’ve had a chance to work out nutritional info? Love your recipes 🙂
Thanks Sherry! I just added the info into the bottom of the recipe card.
This is the first recipe I tried in my new cooker. The beef stew came out great with one exception. I used Sweet potatoes and they are like mush. Did I do something wrong? I don’t know how to attach a photo in site otherwise I would.
I am thinking sweet potatoes take much less time to cook? I’m sorry it didn’t turn out like you expected!
You would need to cut them much latger and then trim them in the plate
I use add butter with my olive oil and also chop up some garlic.
I have made this many times and it is great.
-Stella
Oh that sounds so great. Thanks for sharing Stella!
I notice several of your recipes, including this one, say “don’t stir.” What is the reasoning behind that?
Oh just sometimes if you stir it the tomatoes will burn on the bottom of the pot. I like clear liquids only on the bottom of my pot. It prevents scorching.
Love the recipes thanks
Often wondered- during natural release do you keep it on keep warm or turn off so it won’t keep cooking?
Thanks
I always just keep it on keep warm.
The taste was delicious but 35 min was waaay too long. It was beef mush not stew!!
★★★★★
Oh no! Mine was perfect. I’m sorry that yours was mush. Which instant pot did you use? did you use the meat/stew button or on manual?
Hi Karen…love your site.
I was wondering whether the tsp. of sugar was absolutely necessary?
Best Regards,
John
You can leave it out if you need to! It won’t make a huge difference.
If I double the recipe can I freeze half?
Yes I think that would work okay. The only thing I’d be concerned about is the potatoes and how they would freeze.
Can I substitute red wine for broth? When could/should I add mushrooms?
Yes you could! You can add them in with all the other vegetables.