Instant Pot Beef Stew is an easy, mouthwatering, flavor-filled beef stew filled with delicious chunks of tender beef chuck, Yukon potatoes, and sweet carrots. Economical and easily prepared in bulk, this Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe makes delicious leftovers and is loved by all ages.
Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe
I don’t know about you guys, but a big bowl of easy and flavorful beef stew is exactly what I want to enjoy on a chilly winter night. And this beef stew, my friends, is comfort food at its finest.
Guaranteed to warm you from the inside out, this beef and veggie-filled stew is cooked entirely in your Instant Pot for a high-speed version of everyone’s favorite winter-time stew. Unlike stove-top or slow cooker beef stew, this Instant Pot version is ready and on the table in just over an hour. The result is tender, juicy, melt-in-your-mouth chunks of meat devoured by the whole family.
New to the Instant Pot? This is the Instant Pot I own and love.
Ingredients in Instant Pot Beef Stew
You will need the following ingredients to make this easy Pressure Cooker Beef Stew.
- Olive oil (or butter) – Needed to quickly sear the beef.
- Beef – beef chuck is what you want. Read all about the best cuts of beef for beef stew further along in this post.
- Vegetables (tomatoes, onion, potatoes, carrots, celery) – for best results, chop your carrots and potatoes into larger pieces. Feel free to add more or less of your favorite vegetables (carrots are my personal favorite while my husband likes potatoes).
- Garlic – fresh is a must!
- All-purpose flour – After searing the beef I sprinkled them with flour. This prevented the need for too much cornstarch in the end and produces better flavor (in my opinion). Omit if gluten free.
- Seasoning – this recipe includes Italian seasoning, whole star anise, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, bay leaf. Feel free to add a pinch of red chili flakes for a little heat, if desired.
- Beef broth – if using store-bought broth, I recommend something low in sodium. For extra flavor (and protein + nutrients) replace regular store-bought stock with homemade bone broth or Instant Pot bone broth.
- Cornstarch – mixed with a small amount of water, make sure you add the cornstarch slurry while your beef stew is still hot.
How to make Instant Pot Beef Stew
Preparing beef stew in the Instant Pot is quite simple. Lots of adding, stirring, and patient waiting. Here’s how you can make this Instant Pot beef stew recipe, too.
- Prepare your ingredients. Since you will be cooking this version of beef stew in the Instant Pot, I highly recommend gathering all the ingredients before you start cooking. Once the cooking process gets started, things tend to move relatively quickly.
- Brown the beef. Grab your Instant Pot and set it to sauté high. Just like you would when you prepare beef stew on the stovetop, you need to brown the outside of the beef chunks. This gives the entire stew extra flavor, so I don’t recommend skipping this step. Once the beef has been added, season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning, stirring occasionally.
- Coat with flour. Ok, so this was a bit of an afterthought that came to me as I was preparing this beef stew, but it worked so I decided not to question it. Midway through browning, sprinkle the beef with 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. The beef will have released some of its juices which will help prevent the flour from sticking and burning. Mix well to evenly coat the beef and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Dump, Mix, Cook. Add the garlic first, mixing to combine with the beef. Add the beef broth, scraping up any brown bits that may remain stuck to the bottom of the pot. This is super important as the very last thing you want is a burnt tasting stew- or worse, the Instant Pot “burn” warning. After the beef broth has been added, mix in the Worcestershire sauce, diced tomatoes, chopped onion, potatoes carrots, celery, whole star anise, and bay leaf. Select manual setting; adjust the pressure to high, and set the timer for 35 minutes. When finished cooking, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes before doing a quick-release pressure according to the manufacturer’s directions. Carefully remove the lid, remove the star anise (don’t forget this part), and set the Instant Pot back to high saute setting.
- Thicken. To thicken your beef stew, mix some cornstarch with 1-2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl creating a thick slurry. Stir the cornstarch slurry in with the beef stew, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened. Repeat with additional cornstarch until the desired thickness is reached. If stew becomes too thick, simply add additional beef broth to the pot.
- Serve. Serve this easy and delicious Instant Pot beef stew with fresh chopped parsley, egg noodles, and buttered bread, if desired.
How long do you Cook Beef Stew in the Instant Pot?
All in, this Instant Pot beef stew recipe should be ready and on the table in just over one hour.
The total active cooking time for this recipe is 35 minutes. In addition to the 35 minutes, it will take approximately 10 minutes to brown the meat and an additional 10 minutes for the pressure to build up within the Instant Pot before the timer begins. Finally, at the end of cooking, allow 10 minutes for pressure to release naturally before manually releasing any remaining pressure.
I know this may not seem super “instant”, but remember, we’re working to make tough chunks of meat soft, tender, and juicy. When you compare the total time required by the Instant Pot to that of the slow cooker or stovetop (hours and hours), you’ll realize that an hour is well worth the wait.
Instant Pot Beef Stew Frequently Asked Questions
- Once this beef stew finishes cooking can I do a quick release? Yes. Doing a quick-release immediately instead of waiting 10-15 minutes for some of the pressure to decrease is just fine as long as you follow the manufacturer’s directions. That said, I highly recommend natural release given that the contents include boiling hot liquid.
- Do I have to add star anise? No. The addition of star anise is simply a recommendation. If you know that you do not like star anise, or you simply do not have any on hand, this beef stew will still taste delicious without it. That said, I highly recommend that you try it! It adds such wonderful depth and flavor to the broth.
- How many people will this Instant Pot beef stew serve? This beef stew fed me, my husband, and son for two nights. So six people. My son eats a lot of beef and I eat a lot of vegetables.
- What can I serve with this beef stew? While this really is a one-pot meal, you can serve this delicious dish with egg noodles, buttered bread, or a light green salad.
- What other vegetables can I add to this Instant Pot Beef Stew? Parsnips, beets (this will change the color and change the flavor a bit), peas, sweet potatoes, and kohlrabi.
What is the best beef for beef stew?
You find yourself at the market, staring at the million different cuts of beef, completely clueless as to what you should purchase to make this stew. You guys, I’ve been there. Grocery shopping can be confusing and (frequently) very stressful.
Fortunately! Beef stew, like this Instant Pot beef stew, prefers leaner, tougher cuts of beef. You know, the cheaper stuff. Why? Well, this cheaper meat (usually taken from the stronger muscles of the animal) contains loads of collagen-rich connective tissue. Unlike fat that releases from the meat into the broth, this collagen dissolves back into the meat, releasing gelatin.
Similar to making bone broth, the only negative to these less expensive, tougher, leaner, more flavorful, and ultimately more nutritious cuts of meat, is that they require hours of cooking to get all that good stuff to break down.
Don’t worry. It’s totally worth it. Plus, we have the Instant Pot to help.
Ok, so the “best” cut of beef for beef stew? Beef Chuck, aka – Chuck Shoulder, Chuck Roast, Chuck-Eye Roast, or Top Chuck.
Other top contenders include Bottom ROund Roast, Rump Roast, Top Round, Round Tip Roast, English Roast, or Pot Roast.
Phew.
How to store leftover instant pot beef stew
How long does leftover beef stew last in the refrigerator? Can I freeze leftover beef stew?
Fortunately, beef stew makes for some amazing leftovers. Keep stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days and reheat in the microwave with some buttery noodles or creamy mashed potatoes.
To freeze, allow your beef stew to cool before transferring to a freezer-safe zip-lock bag or container. Remove as much air as possible. Transfer to the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, simply reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop anytime you feel like a comforting bowl of beef-filled stew.
More beef recipes,
- Easy Korean Beef Bibimbap Recipe (Mixed Rice)
- Easy Beef Stroganoff Recipe
- Bulgogi Korean BBQ Beef Lettuce Wraps
- Easy Hungarian Beef Goulash
- 20-Minute Ground Beef Tacos Recipe
- Easy Instant Pot Bone Broth Recipe
- American Goulash Recipe (One-Pot)
If you try making this Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.
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Instant Pot Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 pounds beef chuck roast or beef stew meat - cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 6 cloves garlic - minced
- 3 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 large onion - roughly chopped
- 1 pound potatoes - chopped into large cubes
- 5 carrots - peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks celery - chopped
- 2 whole star anise - optional, but recommended
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
- Fresh chopped parsley - for serving
Instructions
- Set a 6-quart Instant Pot to high saute setting. Add the olive oil and beef. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute the beef chunks for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with Italian seasoning and stir to combine.
- Sprinkle the flour over the beef, stirring continuously to prevent burning. Saute for 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for one minute more.
- Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, diced tomatoes, onion, potatoes, carrots, celery, and star anise. Mix well to combine. Add the bay leaf.
- Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 35 minutes. When finished cooking, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes before doing a quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions. Carefully remove the lid, remove the star anise, and set the Instant Pot back to high saute setting.
- In a small bowl mix the cornstarch with 1-2 tablespoons of water to create a thick slurry. Stir the cornstarch slurry in with the beef stew, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened.
- Serve immediately garnished with fresh chopped parsley, if desired. Enjoy!
This looks great. I have a large family- do you think it would work well to double?
Hi Andrea,
Yes, this recipe can easily double, and you can do so in the recipe card by doubling the serving. The only catch with this recipe is you have to have an instant pot big enough 🙂 .
This stew was delicious. The star anise was a genius addition. I’ve never had that in beef stew before, but now I’ll add it every time. Thanks for a great recipe!
* I can’t rate the recipe for some reason, but I’d give it 5 stars!
Great stew, my hubby loves it. Made sure to add it to his favorite meals. Thank you
Best beef stew I have ever made. I also didn’t have a star anise but it was still delicious.
Thank you. It was also my first insta pot meal. I will making more !!!
Hi Angie,
Thanks for the good feedback – I really appreciate it. Definitely try adding the star anise next time as it adds a lot of flavor!
My first Inatant Pot meal! I also only had 1lb of meat (stew meat), but kept everything thing else the same, ratio wise. I didn’t have star anise or bay leaf, and didn’t do the corn starch (we like ours more like soup) but this turned out AMAZING. Best beef stew I’ve ever had. My husband kept laughing at me because I wouldn’t stop saying “mmm” as I ate it.
I made this tonight and it turned out great! I only had a lb of chuck roast on hand but felt like that was enough meat to give he stew great flavor. I didn’t have star anise so I left that out too.