Instant Pot Beef Stew is a rich and hearty meal, perfect on cold days when you need something to warm you up from the inside.

Even better is the fact that this classic beef stew can now be cooked in half the time thanks to the use of an Instant Pot! This Instant Pot Beef Stew is loaded with potatoes, baby carrots and onions, thickened with a quick and easy cornstarch slurry right before serving over some freshly steamed rice. Otherwise enjoy this beef stew in a bowl as is – it’s completely adaptable to suit your ingredient and serving preferences.

What Is Beef Stew?

Beef stew is a combination of larger-sized cut vegetables and beef meat, cooked in a liquid such as broth with various seasoning options until fork-tender. A beef stew is chunky in texture and typically served over freshly steamed rice.

It’s a delicious main meal option for the family to be enjoyed on cold winter days and can easily be varied depending on your preference of vegetables and optional side dishes.

While beef stew is typically cooked slowly on a low, simmering heat, the great news is that you can still achieve the same level of tenderness and flavor with substantially reduced cooking time by using your Instant Pot instead of cooking on the stove top or in a slow cooker, which is what I’m sharing with you today!

Instant Pot Beef Stew Ingredients

Nothing quite beats a comforting bowl of beef stew on a chilly day! Well, actually…there is one thing, and that’s making this meal in an Instant Pot! Here’s what you’re going to need to make a beefy stew that’ll satisfy the family any day of the week:

• beef stew meat
• russet potatoes
• baby carrots
• yellow onion
• beef broth
• olive oil
• tomato paste
• garlic
• Italian seasoning
• pepper
• salt
• cornstarch

How To Make Beef Stew In The Instant Pot

Cut your cooking time in half by opting to make this beef stew in an Instant Pot. Follow my easy recipe steps and have a hearty meal prepared in 1 hour!

Step 1: Heat the Oil and Brown the Beef

Set the Instant Pot to sauté and add the oil, allowing the oil to get hot before adding the meat. Once your meat is added to the hot oil, sauté for 5 minutes to brown the outside of the meat.

Step 2: Add Garlic and Onion

When the meat has browned, add in the minced garlic and diced onion. Sauté for another 3 minutes. The garlic onion adds incredible flavor to the meat and provides the foundation of the stew’s flavor profile.

• 

• 

Step 3: Add the Remaining Ingredients to the Instant Pot

Add the broth to the pot to deglaze the Instant Pot liner from anything that might have stuck during the browning of the meat and the sauteeing of the onions and garlic. If you don’t deglaze the pot, you could end up with a BURN alert.

Once you’ve deglazed the bottom of the pot, add the cubed potatoes, carrots, tomato paste, and spices. Close the lid, seal the pressure valve and cook on high for 30 minutes.

Step 4: Natural Pressure Release

Once the 30 minutes of cooking are done, choose the natural release pressure which will decrease the pressure in the Instant Pot slowly.

Step 5: Thicken the Beef Stew

Once the natural pressure release is complete, now’s the time to thicken that rich beef stew! In a separate bowl, mix the cornstarch with 2 teaspoons of water to create a cornstarch slurry. Then stir the slurry into the stew to thicken it before serving.

What Kind Of Meat Do I Need For Beef Stew?

The meat used for beef stew is actually called “beef stew meat” – there’s no way you can miss it! On a more technical level, this so-called beef stew meat is just the tougher and leaner cuts of beef that contain collagen which will break down while cooking and leave you with tender pieces of meat.

You shouldn’t opt for fatty cuts of meat for beef stew (i.e. well-marbled steak) since the fat will simply melt away during the cooking process and you’ll be left with chewy meat instead.

Why Do I Need To Brown The Meat First?

The whole point behind browning meat before stewing is to create that rich caramelized texture on the outer edges of the meat which not only intensifies the meat flavor in the entire dish but also helps to keep the meat moist and tender upon serving!

While you could opt not to brown the meat first, it’s well worth the effort and I never skip this step!

Can I make this one the stove top?

Yup! You absolutely can! You can make a very similar beef stew on the stove top using this recipe. If you want something slightly different, try this classic Irish stew on the stove top as well!

Side dish recommendations

This beef stew really is a one pot meal, but sometimes adding an extra side will round out the meal. Some side suggestions for this easy Instant Pot dinner are:

• Asparagus almondine
• Hoagie rolls
• One hour dinner rolls
• Honey cornbread

How To Store Leftover Beef Stew

Leftover beef stew can be stored (together with the vegetables and thickened broth or liquid) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

You can reheat it in the oven (covered in aluminum foil to prevent the meat from drying) at 350℉ for about 20-25 minutes (or until heated throughout), or you can add it to a pot on the stovetop over a medium heat, stirring occasionally until heated for serving.

Can I Freeze Instant Pot Beef Stew?

Definitely! This Instant Pot Beef Stew is great for freezing for up to 3 months either in an airtight container or an anti-leaking freezer-safe bag.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating and always make sure that leftover beef stew has completely cooled prior for any form of storage.

Other Instant Pot Beef Recipes:

Looking for other beef recipes to try in your Instant Pot? Some of my favorites are:

• Instant Pot Mongolian Beef
• Instant Pot Corned Beef Recipe
• Savory Instant Pot Short Ribs
• Instant Pot Big Mac Burgers

Did you try this recipe? I’d love for you to leave a review above in the recipe card or below in the comments. Want to try it later? You can pin the image below. I appreciate your support!