Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe

This Instant Pot beef stew recipe turns tough stew meat into fall apart tender bites in about 40 minutes total, a fraction of the hours it takes on the stovetop. It’s built the classic way, with carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms simmered in a rich, thickened gravy, and there’s no canned soup anywhere near it. I sear the meat first for real depth of flavor, then let the Instant Pot do the rest of the work. This is the stew I make when it’s cold out and I don’t have all afternoon to babysit a pot.

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The Stew I Make When I’m Out of Patience

Some nights I want a slow, all day simmered stew. Most nights I don’t have that kind of time, and that’s exactly what this recipe is for. It gets me the same fall apart tender beef and thick, savory gravy in under an hour, start to finish.

I’ve made a lot of versions of this stew over the years, and the one change that made the biggest difference was searing the meat in batches instead of all at once. It sounds fussy, but it takes maybe five extra minutes and it’s the difference between a stew that tastes rich and one that tastes boiled.

Pierre is not a stew person, generally, but this one he’ll ask for again. I usually serve it with my Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes on the side for the nights I want something extra to soak up the gravy.

And if the Instant Pot isn’t your thing, or you’re feeding a crowd and want the low and slow version, my Slow Cooker Beef Stew is built on the same base.

Key Ingredients

All ingredients and their amounts are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Beef Stew Meat: Most grocery stores sell pre-cut “stew meat,” but I’ve started buying a whole chuck roast and cutting it myself whenever I can. Packaged stew meat is often a mix of trimmings from different cuts, so some pieces turn out more tender than others. A whole chuck roast gives you more control and a more even result, since the fat is distributed consistently throughout. If you’re short on time, packaged stew meat still works fine here, just avoid top round. It doesn’t have enough fat to break down into that rich, tender texture you want.

Pro Tip: Sear the beef in two batches, not all at once. If you crowd the pot, the meat steams instead of browning, and you lose the caramelized edges that build the base flavor for the whole stew. I tested skipping this step once to save time, and the stew came out noticeably flatter tasting.

Arrowroot Flour: I toss the beef in arrowroot flour before searing, which helps thicken the stew as it cooks. If you don’t have arrowroot on hand, cornstarch or all-purpose flour both work as a substitute in the same amount.

Beef Broth: After searing, this is what you’ll use to deglaze the pot, and it’s not optional. Scraping up the browned bits stuck to the bottom is what prevents the Instant Pot’s burn notice, and it’s also where a lot of the stew’s flavor is hiding.

Carrots and Baby Potatoes: Cut these into pieces roughly the same size as your beef cubes, about two inches. Everything cooks under the same pressure for the same amount of time, so if your vegetables are cut smaller than the meat, they’ll turn to mush before the beef is done.

Mushrooms: I use white or baby bella mushrooms here, sliced. They’re not traditional in every beef stew, but I like the extra savoriness they bring to the gravy. Leave them out if they’re not your thing, the stew holds up fine without them.

How to Make This Instant Pot Beef Stew

Before you start, cut your beef, carrots, and potatoes into roughly two inch pieces so everything cooks evenly, and have your beef broth measured out and ready to go for deglazing.

Coat the beef. Place the beef in a large bowl with the arrowroot flour, salt, and pepper, and toss until every piece is coated. The flour coating is what helps the stew thicken later on, so don’t skip it even if you’re tempted to save a step.

Sear the beef in batches. Set the Instant Pot to sauté and add the olive oil. Once it’s hot, add half the beef and sear until golden on all sides, then repeat with the second batch. Searing in two batches instead of one keeps the pot from getting overcrowded, which is what actually browns the meat instead of just steaming it.

Deglaze before you add anything else. Sauté the garlic until fragrant, then pour in the beef broth and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. This step matters more than it looks like it does. Skipping it is the number one reason people get the Instant Pot’s burn notice on this recipe.

Add everything and pressure cook. Add the remaining ingredients, stir to combine, and seal the lid. Set to manual high pressure for 20 minutes, then do a quick release as soon as it’s done. I know a lot of stew recipes call for natural release to make the meat as tender as possible, and I’ve tested it both ways. Natural release does give slightly more tender beef, but by the time the pressure fully releases on its own, the carrots and potatoes have gone past tender into mushy. Quick release right at 20 minutes is the balance point where the meat is done and the vegetables still hold their shape.

Finish and serve. Remove the bay leaves, stir, and garnish with fresh parsley. Let the stew sit for five minutes before serving. It will continue to thicken slightly as it cools, so if you ladle it out the second the lid comes off, the gravy will look thinner than it actually ends up being.

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Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe

3.77 from 26 votes

Author: Olivia Ribas

ServingsServings: 6 people

Prep TimePrep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook TimeCook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total TimeTotal Time: 40 minutes minutes

This Instant Pot beef stew recipe turns tough stew meat into fall apart tender bites in about 40 minutes total, a fraction of the hours it takes on the stovetop. It's built the classic way, with carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms simmered in a rich, thickened gravy, and there's no canned soup anywhere near it. I sear the meat first for real depth of flavor, then let the Instant Pot do the rest of the work. This is the stew I make when it's cold out and I don't have all afternoon to babysit a pot.

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Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 pounds beef stew meat cut into bite-sized pieces
• ▢ 1/4 cup arrowroot flour
• ▢ Salt and black pepper to taste
• ▢ 2 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 2-3 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 medium onion finely chopped
• ▢ 2 cups carrots cut into bite-sized pieces
• ▢ 2 celery ribs chopped
• ▢ 1 lb baby potatoes cut in half
• ▢ 1 cup mushroom sliced
• ▢ 1/4 cup tomato paste
• ▢ 4 cups beef broth
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ▢ 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ▢ 3 dried bay leaves
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped, for garnishing

Instructions 

• Place the beef in a large bowl. Add in the arrowroot flour, salt and pepper. Mix everything well and until beef is coated in the flour.
  
• Set the instant pot to the sauté setting and add olive oil. Once pot is hot (about 2 minutes), add half of the beef cubes and sear until all the sides are golden brown. Set aside on a plate and repeat the process again until you sear all the meat*. Set aside all the meat.
  
• Add in the Instant Pot, minced garlic and sauté the garlic until fragrant. Add beef broth to loosen the pan of bits. Add the remaining ingredients, stir everything together and close the lid.
  
• Set the instant pot to manual high pressure for 20 minutes. Once it’s finished, flip the toggle to do a quick release.
  
• Remove the bay leaves and garnish with fresh parsley before servng.
  

Notes

To store: You can tightly wrap the beef stew, once cooled, and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.

To reheat: Reheat in the oven until warmed through. You can also reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop.

To freeze: Tightly wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6, Calories: 345kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 38g, Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 97mg, Sodium: 1329mg, Potassium: 1089mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 6g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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