Instant Pot Beef Stew is the easiest, most satisfying and tender beef stew you’ll make! It’s loaded with fall-apart-tender beef, hearty carrots, and potatoes simmered in a savory rich red wine gravy. Ready in about an hour, dinner is on the table fast!
Best Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe
Yes, we love the instant pot! It’s not hard to see why – after some minimal prep you’ll have a delectable meal ready in minutes. This amazing beef stew is no exception and it’s one of our favorites. In fact, this is the second beef stew recipe we have shared that is made in the instant pot. The first, Instant Pot Beef Stew is delicious and made easier with gravy packets.
This new version has a rich and savory beef gravy that is infused with red wine that surrounds fork-tender beef and nourishing vegetables. Each bite delivers the comforting, classic flavors of beef stew, with garlic and celery undertones to add even more flavor. It’s definitely our new favorite way to make beef stew!
This hearty, quick stew is a great weeknight option, especially during the fall and winter months or if you have kids’ sports schedules to work around. It also makes an easy pack-and-go lunch to take along to the office. And it freezes well – you can stash leftovers in the freezer for nights when you have absolutely no time to get dinner on the table, or plan ahead and make a double batch to freeze for later. So go ahead and grab that instant pot and lets get started!
Looking for a crockpot version? Try our favorite Crockpot Beef Stew!
Why You’ll Love This Instant Pot Beef Stew
There’s a lot to love about this quick recipe. Here is why we turn to this one again and again.
- Instant pot and done. We could sing the praises of the instant pot for days but we’ll simply say that it’s one of our favorite tools for getting dinner together fast. This stew recipe is a perfect example. You need just 15 minutes of easy prep and then the instant pot does the rest of the work. Check out more of our Instant Pot Dinner recipes.
- Hearty and wholesome. Potatoes and carrots plus beef make this a hearty one-bowl meal. You probably won’t be hungry for hours after eating it! And it’s made up of simple, healthy ingredients that really satisfy.
- Cozy ingredients and flavors. When you start with a base of garlic, onion, and celery you know you’ll end up with something good! The fragrance of this trio while cooking will instantly fill your kitchen with a cozy feeling. When you add red wine to the mix, it enhances the flavor of the beef and deepens the taste of the overall stew. And the thick, meaty gravy is just beyond good. File this one to save for especially cold winter nights.
What You’ll Need to Make Instant Pot Beef Stew
Familiar ingredients make this a dinnertime favorite. Be sure to check the recipe card at the end of this post for the full ingredient amounts.
- Stew Meat: We use beef stew meat in this recipe.
- Salt and Freshly Cracked Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Olive Oil: I like extra-virgin olive oil, but avocado oil will also work well.
- Potatoes: We use yukon gold potatoes, but you can use any type of potatoes you prefer.
- Carrots: We use baby carrots to keep it easy, but you can also use regular-sized carrots. Just make sure to peel and cut them into similar sized small pieces so they cook evenly.
- Onion: We prefer to use a yellow onion as they are a little sweeter.
- Celery
- Fresh Garlic: Fresh garlic will give you the best final flavor.
- Italian Seasoning: You can use a mix of dried basil and oregano if you don’t have Italian seasoning.
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Beef Broth
- Red Wine: Or sub with more beef broth.
- Cornstarch: To help thicken the gravy.
How to Make Instant Pot Beef Stew
Here’s how to make this cozy stew tonight. Have everything ready to go in advance so you can add it to the instant pot when it’s time to do so.
- Season the beef. Take the beef out of the refrigerator and season it with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Sear the meat. Set the instant pot to sauté, heat some of the oil, and add half of the stew meat. Make sure not to crowd the meat. Sear both sides of the meat, about 3 minutes on each side, and then place the cooked stew meat on a plate. Add the remaining oil and repeat with the second batch. Remove all meat from the instant pot and set aside.
- Add the broth. Add the broth to the pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits of beef and to deglaze the bottom of the instant pot.
- Add the meat and other ingredients to the pot. Add the stew meat back to the instant pot along with the potatoes, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, remaining broth, and red wine to the instant pot. Stir until well combined.
- Lock the instant pot and set the cook time. Lock the lid on the instant pot and set the valve to seal. Set the cook time for 30 minutes on high pressure.
- Release the pressure. Let the instant pot naturally release the pressure for 10-15 minutes. Leave the instant pot completely sealed and closed and let the pressure naturally release.
- Make the slurry. While the pot is natural releasing, make the slurry. To make the slurry, whisk the cornstarch with a little broth in a small bowl.
- Add the slurry to the stew. Quick release any remaining pressure, turn the instant pot on to sauté and pour in the slurry. Stir to blend. Continue to sauté, stirring often, until the gravy has thickened.
Tips for Success
This is an easy recipe but there are a few things you can do to make sure it turns out great every time. Read on for my tips.
- Bring the meat to room temperature before cooking it. If you have time, let the stew meat come to room temperature before cooking. This will create more tender beef.
- Add frozen peas. If you like your stew with peas, add a cup of frozen sweet peas to the stew when you add the slurry.
- Use any kind of potato you have. I used Yukon golds in this recipe, but often use red potatoes and any other kind of potatoes will work, too. If you purchase the baby potatoes, you only need to rinse them and can add them directly to the instant pot without cutting them.
- Omit the potatoes. You could skip the potatoes in the stew and serve this over mashed potatoes or with egg noodles instead.
- Deglaze the bottom of the instant pot. Make sure not to skip deglazing the bottom of the instant pot. This is a super important step to make sure you don’t get the dreaded burn notice.
- Swap out the red wine. If you don’t want to use red wine, you can use beef broth instead.
Serving Suggestions
In our opinion, stew is a one-bowl meal! However, if you feel like adding something more, here are a few suggestions:
- Fresh bread. Slices of fresh bread and butter would be a perfect complement to this meal. If you’re in the mood for something more rustic, try my Classic Cornbread recipe which would also be nice here.
- Over egg noodles. As noted above you can omit the potatoes in the stew and serve it over egg noodles instead.
- With mashed potatoes. Again, you can leave out the potatoes and serve mashed potatoes instead! Try my Best Mashed Potatoes or Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes recipes – these would be so good with beef stew!
- Sprinkle a little fresh parsley over each bowl. If you like, chop up some fresh parsley and sprinkle it over individual bowls of stew when serving.
Storage and Reheating Options
Leftover stew makes a great next-day option. You can also make it in advance and freeze it for a quick weeknight dinner. Here’s what to do with your leftovers:
- Fridge – Let your beef stew cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer – Leftover stew freezes well! To freeze, place single servings in air-tight, freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- To Reheat – When reheating this stew, place individual servings in microwave-safe bowls, cover with a plate to prevent any splattering, and heat for a few minutes. Check to see if the stew is heated through, give it a stir, and then reheat for a little longer if you don’t think it’s hot enough.
More Easy Beef Recipes
- Crockpot Beef Tips
- Beef Tips and Gravy
- Instant Pot Beef Tips
- Crockpot Chili
- Crock Pot Shredded Beef
- Instant Pot Beef Tips
- Air Fyrer Steak Bites
Yield: 6 -8 servings
Best Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe
Instant Pot Beef Stew is a one-pot meal and the instant pot does all of the hard work! Fork tender beef with vegetables in a thick delicious gravy all ready in a little over an hour!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds stew meat
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 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
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 4 cups beef broth, divided
- ½ cup red wine
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Take beef out of the refrigerator, season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. (Optional: Let stew meat come to room temperature before cooking, this will create more tender beef.
- Set the instant pot to sauté, heat one tablespoon of oil and add half of the stew meat making sure not to crowd the meat. Sear both sides of the meat, about 3 minutes on each side, remove the stew meat to a plate. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and repeat with the second batch. Remove all meat from the instant pot and set aside.
- Add 1/2 cup of broth to the pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits of beef and to deglaze the bottom of the instant pot. (This is an important step. If any pieces of meat are left stuck to the bottom of the instant pot, you can get the dreaded burn message while cooking.)
- Add the stew meat back, potatoes, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, 3 cups of broth and wine to the instant pot. Stir until well combined.
- Lock the lid on the instant pot, set the valve to seal. Set the cook time for 30 minutes on high pressure. (Keep in mind it will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure.
- Let the instant pot natural release the pressure for 10-15 minutes. (This means do not open the instant pot once it finishes the cooking time countdown. Leave the instant pot completely sealed and closed and let the pressure naturally release.)
- While the pot is natural releasing make the slurry. To make the slurry, whisk to combine 4 tablespoons cornstarch with the remaining 4 tablespoons broth in a small bowl.
- Quick release any remaining pressure, turn the instant pot on to sauté, and pour in the slurry and stir to blend. Continue to sauté, stirring often, until the gravy has thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Serve warm with a hunk of bread and a little fresh parsley on top, if desired.
Notes
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- When adding the slurry you can add a cup of frozen sweet peas if you like your stew with peas.
- Use any kind of potato you have on hand. I used Yukon golds, but also often use red potatoes. If you purchase the baby potatoes, you only need to rinse them and can add them directly to the instant pot without cutting them.
- You could also skip the potatoes in the stew and serve this over mashed potatoes or with egg noodles instead.
- Make sure to deglaze the bottom of the instant pot. This is a super important step to make sure you don’t get the dreaded burn notice.
- If you don’t want to use red wine, you can use all beef broth instead.
Nutrition
Serving: 1, Calories: 412kcal, Carbohydrates: 34g, Protein: 42g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 112mg, Sodium: 741mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g
Tasted great! Very easy too.