This recipe is an adaptation of my Crock Pot Beef Stew. Beef stew is one of my absolute favorite recipes to make on a chilly, cloudy day (same with this Crockpot Vegetable Beef Soup). I love it when I can prep the beef stew early in the day, then take pleasure in allowing the meat to cook low and slow for hours until it is so fall-apart tender, it slices with a spoon. Time, however, is not always on my side. This recipe for Instant Pot beef stew is that recipe’s taste twin, but on warp speed. The pressure cooker makes that all-day flavor attainable in a fraction of the time. The veggies and beef pieces become perfectly tender and flavorful in a scrumptious, cozy-to-your-core broth. Every time I take a bite of this tasty Instant Pot beef stew, I feel transported to a snug room beside a roaring fire in some windswept, drizzly, fairytale part of the world. The coast of Ireland, perhaps? Or try Beef Bourguignon for a French-inspired version. Ultimately, location doesn’t matter when you tuck into this hearty stew as long as you’re snug and the stew is hot and ready.
Tips for the Best Beef Stew in an Instant Pot
Brown the beef so that it gets that delectable crust. Crust = FLAVOR, so don’t skip this step. It takes a little bit of patience but will be well worth your time.Deglaze the pot and scrape up every brown bit. Deglazing adds richness to the stew and ensures you don’t receive the dreaded Instant Pot “burn” warning.Use wine if you like. I wrote the recipe for deglazing the stew with beef broth to keep it simple, but you could certainly do an Instant Pot beef stew red wine and deglaze with that instead.Pile on the veg. Forget Instant Pot beef stew with few ingredients! I loaded this soup with lots of healthy vegetables, so it’s incredibly flavorful and truly can hold its own as an all-in-one meal.Size matters. The Instant Pot can turn finely chopped veggies into mush pretty easily. For best results, cut the potatoes and other vegetables roughly into larger pieces. They will hold up better during the cooking process.
How to Make Instant Pot Beef Stew
If you love cozy, hearty, and nutritious recipes that will please everyone at your table, then this dairy-free Instant Pot beef stew recipe is the best thing to cook in an Instant Pot! Like hearty Spanish Chicken Stew and Braised Short Ribs, Instant Pot beef stew feels like the meal for that kind of night when the rain taps on the window, but you needn’t worry.
The Ingredients
Boneless Chuck Roast. Beef chuck roast is the perfect for beef stew (and Beef Barley Soup). It’s tender, protein-packed, flavorful, and won’t dry out during cooking.
Onion + Garlic + Carrots. Staples that help build the stew’s flavors and add nutrition. If you love celery, you could also add some to this easy Instant Pot beef stew recipe.Russet Potato. Russet potatoes hold up well during cooking (save the Yukon gold potatoes for Scalloped Potatoes), making them the perfect variety to use in beef stew. Make sure your potato chunks are similar in size so that they will cook in the same amount of time.
Worcestershire Sauce. A dash of this umami ingredient will make the flavors pop. Bayleaf + Dried Thyme. For a more complex broth with that extra somethin’ somethin’.
Tomato Sauce. Instead of making Instant Pot beef stew with tomato paste, the tomato sauce helps give the stew liquid and balances out all the other flavors. (Plus, unless it is 100% necessary, I hate opening a can only to use a few tablespoons tomato paste!) Cornstarch + Water. You can add water to your beef stew with a little cornstarch (instead of flour) to thicken it up. Peas. Fresh or frozen will work here.
The Directions
Storage Tips
To Store. Refrigerate stew in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.To Reheat. Rewarm leftovers in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-low heat or gently in the microwave.To Freeze. Freeze stew in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
Instant Pot. This is the one I own and love! Ladle. The ideal tool for serving soups and stews. Extra Large Cutting Board. For recipes with lots of ingredients, this cutting board is perfect.
Instant Pot beef stew, I’m ready for a big bowl of your cozy, delicious comfort!
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