Best Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe
This Best Instant Pot Beef Stew recipe is a hearty, comforting dish perfect for any season. Tender stew meat is seared and pressure cooked with potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and a flavorful blend of seasonings, including Italian herbs and Worcestershire sauce. Finished with a thickened gravy made from cornstarch slurry, this stew is ready in just over an hour thanks to the Instant Pot, offering a warm and satisfying meal with minimal effort.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Beef and Seasonings
- 2 pounds stew meat
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Vegetables
- 2 pounds gold potatoes, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 2 cups baby carrots
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
Liquids and Seasonings
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 4 cups beef broth, divided
- ½ cup red wine (or more beef broth as substitute)
Thickener
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Season the Beef: Take the stew meat out of the refrigerator and evenly season it with salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and garlic powder. For more tender beef, optionally let the meat come to room temperature before cooking.
- Sear the Meat: Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode and heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add half of the stew meat in a single layer without crowding and sear each side for about 3 minutes until browned. Remove the meat to a plate and repeat with the remaining olive oil and meat. Set all the seared meat aside.
- Deglaze the Pot: Pour ½ cup of beef broth into the Instant Pot. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits stuck to the bottom to prevent burning during pressure cooking.
- Add Ingredients to Pot: Return the seared beef to the Instant Pot. Add the potatoes, baby carrots, diced onion, celery, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, 3 cups of beef broth, and red wine. Stir everything until well combined.
- Pressure Cook: Lock the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to sealing. Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. It will take approximately 10 minutes for the pot to reach pressure before the timer starts counting down.
- Natural Pressure Release: After cooking, allow the Instant Pot to naturally release pressure for 10 to 15 minutes. Do not open the lid during this time to let the pressure drop gradually.
- Prepare Cornstarch Slurry: While the pressure naturally releases, whisk together 4 tablespoons of cornstarch with 4 tablespoons of the remaining beef broth in a small bowl until smooth.
- Thicken the Stew: Perform a quick release to release any remaining pressure. Switch the Instant Pot back to sauté mode and slowly stir in the cornstarch slurry. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the gravy thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Serve: Serve the beef stew warm, optionally garnished with fresh parsley and accompanied by a hunk of bread for dipping.
Notes
- Letting the meat come to room temperature before cooking helps achieve more tender beef.
- Deglazing the pot properly prevents the Instant Pot from triggering a burn warning.
- You can substitute the red wine with additional beef broth if preferred.
- The cornstarch slurry is essential to thicken the stew into a nice gravy consistency.
- Use gold or Yukon potatoes as they hold their shape well during cooking.
- Leftover stew can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Keywords: instant pot beef stew, beef stew recipe, pressure cooker beef stew, hearty stew, easy beef stew
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