Instant Pot Beef Stew

This is the best Instant Pot beef stew recipe that you’ll ever make. It’s quick and easy, and the end result is a hearty and delicious meal.

Greeting the chilly winter months with a delicious, wholesome dinner is as easy as making this Instant Pot Beef Stew.

This time-saving recipe allows you to make all of your favourite stew ingredients – tender chunks of beef, carrots, potatoes, and other veggies – come together quickly and deliciously in one pot so that you can enjoy warm comfort food without all the fuss!

Enjoy this cozy dinner any night of the week; it’s perfect for feeding the whole family!

Tips for Making the BEST Instant Pot Beef Stew

• Skip the stewing beef. Seriously. It’s an okay short cut if necessary, but you will get better results using chuck steak and cubing it yourself.
• Even sized ingredients. Use similar sized vegetables and meat pieces and keep them large but bite sized so that it all cooks evenly.
• Do not skip searing the meat. It takes the stew to the new level, it really develops the flavours.
• Deglaze the pot. When you add the broth be sure to scrape up the bottom of the pot. It adds richness to the stew and prevents the dreaded Instant Pot “burn” warning.
• Natural release. For best results you will want to be patient and allow the instant pot to natural release for at least 10 minutes.
• Add the cornstarch while the stew is still hot. Do not let the stew cool before stirring in the cornstarch slurry.

Beef Stew Variations

Add more vegetables!

• Mushrooms
• Squash
• Rutabaga
• Fennel
• Celery
• Leeks
• Tomatoes
• Parsnips

Add red wine. Substitute some of the broth with red wine for a rich stew.

Add Guinness. Substitute some of the broth with stout for an Irish inspired stew.

Change up the spices. You can use thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage etc… instead of the Italian seasoning.

How to Store Leftover Beef Stew

When it’s time to store your leftover beef stew, let the beef stew cool down completely before you put it into an airtight storage container or freezer bag. Never put hot food directly into a container or plastic bag because this can cause bacteria to form and spoil the food quickly.

You may want to divide the stew into individual portions and place in the container or bag. This makes it easier to reheat later on, as you can take out exactly how much you need.

Label the container or bag with the date that you are storing it. This helps keep track of how long the food has been in storage and will help you remember to use it before it goes bad.

For refrigerated storage, the beef stew will stay fresh for up to four days.

If you want to keep the stew longer than that, you can store it in the freezer. Place the sealed container or bag into the coldest part of your freezer and label it with the date stored. The beef stew can last for up to three months in the freezer.

When you’re ready to eat it, simply thaw the stew in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stove top or in the microwave until heated through thoroughly.

About the Equipment Needed for Instant Pot Apple Butter

Instant Pot – I have the instant pot ultra, when I was shopping around I felt it was the best value. Any pressure cook will work though as long as it has a saute function. If not, you can skip the saute and just dump everything in and go, but you will sacrifice on flavour that way.

You will also need a cutting board, a knife, and either a spatula or spoon for cooking the stew.

About the Ingredients for Beef Stew

Oil – Any neutral flavoured oil with a relatively high smoke point will work.

Beef – You can use already cubed stewing beef, but boneless blade eye roast (chuck steak or chuck roast) is best. Chuck roast is also known as chuck eye, blade roast, shoulder roast, shoulder steak, arm steak, arm roast, cross-rib roast, or seven-bone roast. You may even find it generically labelled as “pot roast.”

You can also use brisket, skirt steak, or bottom round. If you do go with beef stew meat you will want to trim and cut the pieces into fairly even bits.

Aromatics – Onion and garlic are staples of stew. They add loads of flavour to the gravy, along with the Italian seasoning, paprika, granulated garlic (or powder), salt, and ground black pepper. You can substitute with other herbs and spices as you prefer.

Tomato paste – Helps to thicken the gravy and adds rich flavour.

Broth – Beef broth is best. Whether you use low sodium broth or regular beef broth you may want to adjust the additional salt accordingly.

Potatoes – Yellow potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes are best for stew as they are less starchy and hold their shape better. Plus they have a buttery sweetness to them that works well for stew.

Veggies – Carrots and peas are pretty typical for stew. I’ve shared more delicious additions above.

Cornstarch – You can also use potato starch or flour instead if you like.

Worcestershire sauce – I always add a generous dash of Worcestershire sauce to my beef stew, it adds umami to the stew.

Looking for More Beef Dinner Recipes?

Check out more of my favourite beef dinners!

Cook a perfect sirloin tip roast with this recipe each and every time. Juicy, full of flavour and cooked to perfection, you can’t go wrong!

Smoked Tri-Tip is flavourful, juicy, and melt in your mouth tender. Make the best beef tip roast on any type of smoker with this easy recipe!

Cook a perfect prime rib roast in your air fryer each and every time. Juicy, tender, and cooked to perfection with a tasty horseradish crust!

Looking for a delicious, easy and quick dinner idea? Try this Instant Pot Salisbury Steak recipe. It’s sure to be a family favourite!

Looking for a delicious and easy corned beef recipe? Our air fryer corned beef recipe is perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or any other day!

How to Make Instant Pot Beef Stew

Yields: 6 Servings | Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 lbs beef, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups potatoes, diced
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 cup green peas

Directions:

Turn on saute mode on your instant pot. When it displays “hot” add olive oil, then the beef.

Cook the beef until browned, then transfer to a plate and set aside. Draining most of the liquid in the pot, if any.

Sauté the onion until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

Add tomato paste, stir and allow to cook for two minutes.

Pour the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce into the IP and stir.

Add the chopped potatoes, carrots, fried beef, salt and spices.

Combine everything together, then close the lid and steam valve on the instant pot and, and set to high pressure for 35 minutes.

Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes before doing a quick release.

Stir the cornstarch in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of cold water, pour into the Instant Pot bowl, then add the green peas.

Stir and cook on Saute mode with the lid open for 10 minutes.

Beef stew can be served immediately.