Here is the BEST Instant Pot beef stew recipe! It’s super tender, has a delicious gravy and is filled with fresh vegetables and herbs.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – or another neutral cooking oil such as avocado or canola oil.
- Chuck roast – round roast, rump roast or pot roast would all work well in this recipe.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
- Yellow onion – white onion or shallots can be used instead.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic will work in a pinch.
- Carrots – parsnips would also be good in this stew.
- Yukon gold potatoes – red or white potatoes would also work.
- Celery – double up on the carrots if you don’t have any celery.
- Worcestershire – you can substitute for balsamic or tomato paste, but it will have a different flavour.
- Italian seasoning – make your own using a blend of basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary and thyme.
- Fresh thyme – double up on the fresh rosemary or use fresh marjoram for a similar taste.
- Fresh rosemary – add in some more fresh thyme or try using some fresh sage.
- Bay leaves – oregano and thyme provide a similar taste, but bay leaves are preferred.
- Beef broth – use homemade or store-bought beef broth. You could also melt a beef bouillon cube in boiling water.
- Dry red wine – you can leave this out if you don’t have any on hand.
- Peas – substitute for another small vegetable of your choice like corn.
- Cornstarch slurry – this is optional but will help thicken the stew.
How to make beef stew in the Instant Pot
Step 1: Sear the beef.
Heat olive oil in the Instant Pot on saute mode. Season beef chunks with about half the salt and pepper, then sear in single layer batches for 2 minutes per side until browned. Remove and repeat until all beef is seared.
Step 2: Sauté the onion and garlic.
Keeping Instant Pot on saute mode, add another splash of olive oil and onions, cooking for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic, then turn off saute mode.
Step 3: Cook on high pressure.
Add beef and juices back to pot, along with remaining ingredients except for peas, cornstarch and water. Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes.
Step 4: Thicken the sauce.
Let the pressure release naturally. Remove bay leaves and mix cornstarch and water together if you desire a thicker gravy.
Step 5: Stir in the peas.
Stir the mixture along with the peas.
Step 6: Serve and enjoy!
Garnish with extra thyme and rosemary if desired, then serve and enjoy!
How to thicken beef stew
If you want your Instant Pot beef stew to be nice and thick, all you have to do is add in a cornstarch slurry! After the stew has finished pressure cooking and you’ve done a natural pressure release, mix together 2 tbsp. cornstarch and 1 tbsp. water. Add the mixture to the stew, give it a good stir and voila! You’ll have a nice pot of thick and easy Instant Pot beef stew in no time.
Frequently Asked Questions
The key to ensuring that this beef stew Instant Pot recipe doesn’t turn out tough is to do a natural pressure release at the end. The natural pressure release will ensure that the beef stays nice and tender, so you won’t have to worry about tough stew meat.
Fresh herbs are the key to a super flavourful Instant Pot beef stew! For this recipe, I used Italian seasoning, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary and bay leaves. I also find that the Worcestershire sauce and dry red wine add an extra level of flavour!
I made this Instant Pot beef stew with red wine and beef broth. You can leave out the red wine if desired, but I highly recommend adding it in.
This easy Instant Pot beef stew is an entire meal on its own, but if you’re looking for side dish ideas, you can’t go wrong with some nice crusty bread or even a light side salad.
Storing and reheating
This beef stew Instant Pot recipe should last in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store individual serving sizes in glass meal prep containers – that way, when you’re ready to eat, all you have to do is pull one out of the fridge. You can reheat your stew either in a pot on the stovetop or in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Can you freeze beef stew?
This Instant Pot beef stew is definitely freezer-friendly! It will last in the fridge for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely then transfer it to airtight glass containers or Ziploc bags.
When you’re ready to enjoy your stew, let it defrost in the fridge overnight then reheat as normal. You can also reheat from frozen in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring halfway through.
More Instant Pot comfort food recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this stew into a weekly lunch.
- If you’re in need of a Y peeler, here’s the one that I use.
- I get all my beef from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
- Get a meat thermometer to make sure your beef is cooked through.
The BEST Instant Pot Beef Stew {Super Tender}
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lb chuck roast cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 tsp salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 3 carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 Yukon gold potatoes chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme plus more for garnish
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary plus more for garnish
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1/2 cup dry red wine omit if desired
- 1/2 cup peas
Option to thicken sauce
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in the Instant Pot on saute mode. Season beef chunks with about half the salt and pepper, then sear in single layer batches for 2 minutes per side until browned. Remove and repeat until all beef is seared.
- Keeping Instant Pot on saute mode, add another splash of olive oil and onions, cooking for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic, then turn off saute mode.
- Add beef and juices back to pot, along with remaining ingredients except for peas, cornstarch and water. Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes.
- Let the pressure release naturally. Remove bay leaves and mix cornstarch and water together if you desire a thicker gravy, stirring this mixture in along with peas.
- Garnish with extra thyme and rosemary if desired, then serve and enjoy!