Instant Pot Beef Stew is the easiest way to make a hearty, comforting dinner without simmering it all day. Tender beef, potatoes, carrots, and a rich savory broth come together in under an hour for a family-friendly meal that tastes like it cooked for hours.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
As a busy mom, I love having a dinner recipe that tastes slow cooked but doesn’t require hours of planning ahead. This recipe has become one of our favorite comfort food meals because it’s filling, affordable, and made with simple ingredients we usually already have on hand.
- Ready much faster than traditional beef stew
- Tender beef and vegetables every time
- One-pot meal with easy cleanup
- Freezer-friendly for future dinners
- Family-tested and kid-approved
These is one of my absolute favorite easy recipes made in the instant pot. If you love making stew as much as I do try these recipes Irish Beef Stew Recipe, Crock Pot Mexican Beef Stew, Slow Cooker Steak and Potatoes Beef Stew Recipe, Ground Beef Stew, Sweet Potato Stew, Instant Pot Chicken Stew Recipe and Hungarian Goulash.
Ingredients
- Stew Meat: Beef chuck roast provides the most tender results.
- Potatoes: Russet potatoes hold up well, but Yukon Gold potatoes are also excellent.
- Carrots: Cut into large chunks so they don’t become mushy.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Adds deep savory flavor.
- Crushed Tomatoes: Creates a rich broth without needing additional thickeners.
- Beef Broth: Use broth instead of water for even more flavor.
Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.
How to Make Instant Pot Beef Stew
Step 1 – First in an Instant pot or electric pressure cooker toss the stew meat and the chunks of potatoes on the bottom.
Step 2 – Then place the onions and carrots on top of the beef and potatoes.
Step 3 – Once all the ingredients have been added to the pressure cooker, place the lid on the instant pot and turn the valve on the top to the sealing position. Set the time for 20 minutes on high pressure. Note: If your meat is frozen, then cook it on high pressure for 25 minutes.
Step 4 – Allow the meal to cook in the instant and once finished, do a quick release by manually move the lid value from the sealing position to the venting position.
Step 5 – I recommend a quick release on this recipe so that the potatoes and the vegetables don’t become too soft. If you use a natural release instead, the carrots and potatoes will likely be too soft after the cook time.
Step 6 – Finally remove the bay leaf and then allow the meal to sit for a a few minutes so that the sauce thickens. Stir then serve immediately in a bowl while it’s still warm.
Step 7 – With the cooking time and the time for the instant pot to come to pressure, this delicious beef stew is ready under 35 minutes!
Tips for Success
- Instant Pot Recommendation – Amazon has several instant pots here and I absolutely love mine. I have the larger one and it’s perfect! You can also check out the electric pressure cookers too.
- Cutting Vegetables – Make sure that you dice the carrots and the potatoes into large pieces and place in a large bowl. If they’re diced too small, they will cook too quickly in the instant pot.
- Stew Consistency – After the cook time, if the beef stew is too watery, switch the instant pot the sauté setting and allow for the excess liquid to cook off until the stew is the consistency that you prefer. You can even make a cornstarch slurry by combining 2 tablespoon of flour or cornstarch with water for a thicker consistency.
Additions and Variations
We love making beef stew as your can easily change the ingredients or add in fresh herbs to what you prefer. Try these other variations.
- Garlic Cloves
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Garlic Powder
- Celery
- Slice Mushrooms
- Onion Powder
- Red Wine – Merlot, Pinot Noir and Cabernet are great options
Serving Suggestions
I love serving this pressure cooker beef stew recipe with my easy homemade corn bread recipe. This recipe is easy to make and perfect with this beef stew recipe.
Plus here are some of my other favorite corn bread recipes:
- Sweet Honey Corn Bread Recipe
- Cheddar Jalapeño Cornbread
- Easy Cornbread Muffins
- Gluten Free Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread Recipe
- Irish Soda Bread Recipe
- Beer Bread
If cornbread is not your thing, you can also serve these with delicious homemade rolls or this easy, delicious crusty bread recipe.
Storage & Freezer Instructions
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat on the stovetop or microwave until heated through.
- Allow stew to cool completely before freezing.
- Freeze in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months.
- Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Add a splash of broth if needed when reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Generally I use beef stew meat for this recipe as it’s usually the most cost effective. However, you can use a beef chuck roast or rump roast and cut it into 1 inch pieces before placing it in the pressure cooker.
We normally use Russet Potatoes, but you can other types of potatoes. Yukon Gold Potatoes is another great option. I have also used sweet potatoes instead of Russet potatoes in this recipe and it’s delicious.
I usually don’t brown my stew meat for this beef stew recipe because I’m pretty lazy in the kitchen. However, you can brown the stew meat on the sauté setting with 2 tsp of olive oil if you prefer. Then scrap off the brown bits, add the other ingredients and switch the instant pot to the pressure cooker setting.
Yes. Increase the pressure cooking time to 25 minutes when cooking from frozen.
Yes. Replace the crushed tomatoes with additional beef broth.
More Easy Instant Pot Recipes
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Instant Pot Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 3 pounds stew meat
- 3 whole carrots (peeled and cut into large pieces)
- 3 russet potatoes (peeled and diced into large pieces)
- ½ onion (chopped)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 Can of Crushed Tomatoes (14 oz.)
- ¼ cup Worchershire Sauce
- 2 cups water
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Pepper
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Instructions
- Place 3 pounds stew meat and 3 peeled and diced russet potatoes into the bottom of an Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker.
- Add 3 peeled and chopped carrots and ½ chopped onion on top of the meat and potatoes.
- Pour in 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes, ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce, and 2 cups water.
- Add 2 bay leaves, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Secure the lid and set the valve to the sealing position.
- Cook on HIGH pressure for 20 minutes.
- Once cooking is complete, carefully perform a quick release by moving the valve from sealing to venting.
- Let the stew sit for a few minutes before serving.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Do you think leftovers would freeze well ?
Susan – Yes, they leftovers will freeze well. The potatoes will get a bit soft when defrosted and reheated again but I love potatoes soft in my stew so I usually don’t mind!
Fast and so easy , fam loves it