Instant Pot Beef Stew
Loaded with flavorful chunks of meat + potatoes that come out amazingly tender. Truly the BEST beef stew recipe ever!
I wish I could say I made this in preparation for St. Patrick’s Day this weekend, but I didn’t.
Because as I’ve mentioned before, we’re starting to get that brisk weather in Southern California. About 60 degrees cold (basically not cold at all). So my routine hasn’t changed at all.
I’m still in my no-shame sweatpants with a cozy bowl of comfort here. Loaded with tender chunks of meat and potatoes that just melt in your mouth. I’ve had 4 bowls already with crusty bread, so I should probably leave the house at some point to work this off.
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR SUCCESS
- Sear the meat. Browning the beef first is key here. That dark crust on the stew meat cubes will create such richer, deeper flavors in your stew (plus, the browned bits at the bottom of the pot are all lovely bits here, adding so much flavor).
- Potatoes and carrots should be cut in larger pieces. We want our vegetables to be cut a little larger here as they will cook down quite a bit in the Instant Pot (or else they will be overcooked, fall apart and turn to mush).
- Add wine. The recipe calls for 4 cups beef broth but you can substitute a little bit of the broth for red wine (about 1/4 cup), deglazing the bottom of the pot and letting it simmer for about 5 minutes. Pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon or merlot are all great options.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH BEEF STEW
- Buttermilk Cornbread
- Best Chicken Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons
- Italian Chopped Salad
- Easy No Knead Bread
- Flaky Mile High Biscuits
TOOLS FOR THIS RECIPE
6-qt Instant Pot®
INSTANT POT BEEF STEW: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
We have a stovetop version here!
Yes! Here is our favorite slow cooker beef stew recipe.
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
Baby Dutch yellow potatoes are readily available in most major grocery stores but you can also substitute Yukon gold potatoes, fingerling potatoes, yellow potatoes or quartered red potatoes.
The beef stew is thickened with a flour slurry (flour mixed with water but in this case, we are using the stew broth). Depending on the desired consistency, you can use 1-4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. The key here is to add the slurry slowly until the mixture starts to thicken.
Beef stew is very much freezer-friendly. You can freeze the leftovers in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
Recipe
Yield: 6 servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Ingredients
Equipment
Instant Pot
Instructions
1. Season beef with salt and pepper, to taste.
2. Set a 6-qt Instant Pot® to the high saute setting. Melt butter; working in batches, add beef and cook until evenly browned, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Stir in beef broth, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the Instant Pot.
4. Stir in potatoes, carrots, celery, garlic, tomato paste, Worcestershire, thyme, rosemary, paprika, caraway seeds and bay leaves until well combined; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 30 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and 1/2 cup stew broth.
6. Select high sauté setting. Bring to a boil; stir in flour mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more beef broth as needed until desired consistency is reached.
7. Stir in peas until heated through, about 30 seconds.
8. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
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Martha
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