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Homemade Beef Stew made in the Instant Pot is an easy and relatively quick homemade dinner recipe with tender flavorful pieces of beef, soft potatoes, carrots and peas, smothered in a savory gravy.
Why this recipe is so great:
- Instant Pot gives best results: This beef stew recipe is done in two stages. The Instant Pot is used to sear the meat and and brown the onions, then the stew is pressure cooked to lock in the flavor. The result is the most tender meat and perfectly cooked vegetables.
- Prep while you cook: Since this recipe is cooked in stages, you can do the prep work in sequential order. See my tips below to maximize your dinner efficiency!
- Great as a meal prep or make ahead dinner: Beef stew tastes great when you make it, but some may argue it tastes even better leftover. If you have a busy week ahead, make this recipe when you have time and reheat for a quick and easy dinner.
Ingredients needed:
Exact quantities are listed in the recipe card below, but here is a summary.
- Beef Stew Meat: This can generally be purchased from the grocery store meat counter. Stew meat is often cut from cuts of beef with tough connective tissue, thus it needs to be braised for a long time or pressure cooked in order to make tender.
- Potatoes: I prefer Yukon Gold because the skin is very thin. When the skin is left on the potatoes when making beef stew, it helps them hold their cut shape.
- Carrots: I recommend peeling for best flavor.
- Peas: Fresh or frozen work, but use fresh if available.
- Beef broth: Store bought or homemade beef broth.
- Onion, garlic, tomato paste, fresh thyme, and kosher salt: All to add flavor.
- Olive oil: To sear the meat.
- Cornstarch: To thicken the broth.
How to make Instant Pot Beef Stew:
Detailed step by step instructions are listed in the recipe card below, but here is a summary.
- Sear meat in Instant Pot: This is done to add flavor. The beef stew meat is seared in batches and then set aside.
- Brown onions: Onions are added to the Instant Pot after the stew meat has been seared. This allows them to brown but also lift off any flavor that stuck the bottom of the pot. Garlic and tomato paste are added once the onions have sauteed.
- Pressure cook meat: The stew meat is added back to the pot along with beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, salt and thyme. This mixture is pressure cooked for 10 minutes.
- Pressure cook vegetables: The potatoes, carrots, and peas are added to the Instant Pot and this mixture is cooked on high pressure for another 10 minutes.
- Thicken: Cornstarch is added to broth to make a slurry and then stirred into the beef stew to thicken.
- Serve: Beef stew is ready to enjoy! don’t forget to make some homemade dinner rolls to serve alongside the stew.
Recipe tips for perfect results:
- Prep ingredients in stages: Instead of preparing all of the ingredients before you begin cooking, prepare them as you cook to make the most efficient use of your time. While the meat is searing, chop the onion and mince the garlic. While the beef and broth are pressure cooking, chope the potatoes and carrots.
- Thicken stew: If you prefer your beef stew extra thick, you can use a potato masher to mash up some of the vegetables.
- Make ahead directions: Ingredients can either be chopped and measured ahead of time to make cooking easier, or the entire recipe can be made and then refrigerated to enjoy later.
- Leftovers: Refrigerate in air-tight container and enjoy within 3-5 days. Beef stew freezes exceptionally well. To freeze, store in plastic quart sized containers, cool in refrigerator, and then freeze. Thaw in refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheating beef stew:
- Stovetop: reheat in pot on stove over low heat until heated through.
- Microwave: at 50% power in one minute increments, stirring after each minute, until heated through.
- Crockpot: heat on low and enjoy anytime after it is fully heated through.
Similar hearty stew and soup recipes
Love Instant Pot Beef Stew? Then you will love these other comforting homemade soup and stew recipes.
- Vegetable Beef Soup
- Hungarian Mushroom Soup
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Green Chile Pork Stew
- Winter Minestrone Soup
- Irish Stew
If you’ve made this or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out. I love hearing from my readers!
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Instant Pot Beef Stew
Instant Pot Beef Stew is a quick and easy homemade dinner recipe with tender pieces of beef, soft potatoes, carrots and peas, smothered in a savory gravy.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 pounds beef stew meat fat trimmed and cut into smaller bite sized pieces, if needed
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme thick stems removed
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 pound yukon gold potatoes cut into half inch cubes
- 1 pound carrots peeled and sliced into half inch thick pieces
- 1 1/2 cups peas fresh or frozen, about 10 ounces
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Sear meat: Set the Instant Pot to Saute mode then add the oil. When the oil is hot, add one third of the beef stew meat in a single layer and allow it to brown. Do not turn or stir and allow to sear for about 5 minutes. Transfer browned meat to a bowl and continue with the remaining meat, cooking in two additional batches. Transfer to same bowl and set aside.
- Cook onions: Add the onions and allow to brown on Saute mode for about 5 minutes, stirring only occasionally. Use a flat bottom wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan while onions cook to release anything that stuck when searing the meat. Once browned, add minced garlic and tomato paste, stir, and allow to cook for an additional minute.
- Pressure cook meat: Add browned meat and any juices from bowl along with Worcestershire sauce, salt, thyme and beef broth. Cover and lock lid. Set to high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Pressure cook vegetables: Quick release pressure, then add the potatoes, carrots and peas. Lock lid, and cook on high pressure for another 10 minutes.
- Thicken: When stew is done, quick release the pressure. Add a couple tablespoons of the hot broth to a cup and add cornstarch to the broth to make a slurry. Once all the cornstarch has dissolved, stir the slurry into the stew. The broth should thicken a bit and it will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Serve: Taste, and add additional salt and some freshly ground pepper, if desired. Serve with some hot crusty buttered bread.
Notes
- Prep ingredients in stages: Instead of preparing all of the ingredients before you begin cooking, prepare them as you cook to make the most efficient use of your time. While the meat is searing, chop the onion and mince the garlic. While the beef and broth are pressure cooking, chope the potatoes and carrots.
- Thicken stew: If you prefer your beef stew extra thick, you can use a potato masher to mash up some of the vegetables.
- Make ahead directions: Ingredients can either be chopped and measured ahead of time to make cooking easier, or the entire recipe can be made and then refrigerated to enjoy later.
- Leftovers: Refrigerate in air-tight container and enjoy within 3-5 days. Beef stew freezes exceptionally well. To freeze, store in plastic quart sized containers, cool in refrigerator, and then freeze. Thaw in refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheating beef stew:
- Stovetop: reheat in pot on stove over low heat until heated through.
- Microwave: at 50% power in one minute increments, stirring after each minute, until heated through.
- Crockpot: heat on low and enjoy anytime after it is fully heated through.
Nutrition
Calories: 347kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 36g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 88mg, Sodium: 1443mg, Potassium: 868mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 9750IU, Vitamin C: 24.4mg, Calcium: 68mg, Iron: 5.7mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave me a comment below
This recipe was originally created for Centsless Meals where I was a contributor.
This recipe was originally published in October 2018 and has been updated with helpful information and recipe tips. Don’t worry – the recipe hasn’t changed!
Why corn starch to thicken? Wouldn’t a flour slurry be better and allow reheating. Corn starch breaks down if reheated and your stew will be soupy. Just curious?
I think a flour slurry would taste pasty. The cornstarch thickens the stew just enough and when you reheat it low and slow, the stew doesn’t get soupy.
Made this beef stew in my Elite 10qt. 5 lbs of stew meat. Your guide made it easy from prep to service. Had to add instant mash potatoes to finish thickening Everyone loved it. Spot on. 1st time user. Now a trusted user.
I just bought my Instant Pot….it doesn’t have a book with it and this recipe helps me alot!! It is cold here and I love to make soups and stews…Thank You So Much!!
What kind of meat do you recommend cooking for this stew?
I always just buy stew meat from my meat guy at the farmers market. Any kind of roast meat that needs to be braised (cooked in liquid either under pressure or for a long time) will work perfectly.
Beef Stew is my fav!! Thank you for another great recipe!
Talk about a comfort meal! Looks so delicious!
I really need to start using my Instant Pot! My family would love this recipe!
I’m just becoming familiar with my Instant Pot, and I’m adding this to my list to try. It looks delicious, and just perfect for the cooler weather we have coming!
As soon as our temps cool off again, I’m putting this on our meal plan!!