Transform your dinner routine with this incredible Instant Pot beef stew, which delivers all the rich, comforting flavors of traditional slow-cooked stew in just 60 minutes. This recipe creates perfectly tender beef and beautifully firm vegetables in a velvety, flavorful sauce that will remind you of your grandmother’s kitchen. The secret lies in a two-step cooking process that ensures your meat melts in your mouth while your vegetables maintain their texture and vibrant taste.
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Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
The magic of this Instant Pot beef stew lies in its two-stage cooking method. First, we pressure cook the meat with aromatics to achieve that fall-apart tenderness. Then, we add the vegetables for a shorter cooking time to maintain their structure and flavor. This technique, combined with browning the meat first and using chicken stock as our secret ingredient, creates a restaurant-quality stew at home.
Instant Pot Stew – Inspired by my Grandmother’s recipe
I wanted something to remind me of my Grandmother’s beef stew. She cooked plainly, letting food’s natural flavors come through. Her homemade beef stew was one of my favorite recipes, and the best thing about this recipe was when you enjoyed it the next day because it tasted even better.
This easy instant pot beef stew is made with beef, potatoes, onions, carrots, a little garlic powder, salt, tomato sauce, chicken broth, and smoked paprika. You really can make delicious stew in an electric pressure cooker.
Instapot beef stew ingredients
What one secret ingredient is in this recipe? Chicken stock. I use chicken stock as the stew base. I think the flavor of the chicken stock adds a richness and nice flavor profile that beef broth does not have.
People always ask, “did you just say chicken stock?”. Yes. If you prefer beef stock or beef broth, please use it. I urge you to try your beef stew with chicken stock just once.
- Beef chuck roast – Well-marbled cut that becomes incredibly tender and flavorful
- Vegetable oil – For browning the meat to develop deep flavors
- Kosher salt – Enhances all the natural flavors in the stew
- Chicken stock – The secret ingredient that adds richness and depth
- Tomato sauce – Provides body and subtle acidity to balance the richness
- Smoked paprika – Adds warmth and subtle smokiness
- Russet potatoes – Hold their shape well during pressure cooking
- Carrots – Add natural sweetness and beautiful color
- White onions – Provide an aromatic base and mild sweetness
- Garlic powder – This is a convenient way to add garlic flavor throughout
- Worcestershire sauce – Optional but adds umami depth and complexity
How to make beef stew in Instant Pot
It’s pretty easy to make delicious stew, you can make a beef stew that tastes like it cooked all day in your pressure cooker. I will walk you through the process.
- Cut your beef into bite-sized pieces. Small pieces of meat mean your stew tastes extra meaty, by increasing the surface area of the meat means more flavor comes through.
- Brown the meat first before pressure cooking it. The browning process will give your stew a depth of flavor.
- Using meat stock instead of water adds another layer of depth to the taste of your stew.
- Cooking the vegetables last results in the vegetables retaining all of their natural bold flavors. No one wants flavorless mushy vegetables.
Troubleshooting Tips
- Tough meat? Cook for an additional 5-8 minutes on high pressure.
- Too thin? Mix cornstarch with cold water and stir into hot stew to thicken.
- Are vegetables too soft? Reduce second cooking time to 5-6 minutes.
- Need more flavor? Add more salt, Worcestershire sauce, or a splash of red wine.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Freezing: Freezes excellently for up to 3 months in airtight containers. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Refrigerator Storage: Store in airtight containers for up to 4 days. Flavors actually improve overnight.
- Reheating Method: Reheat gently on stovetop over low to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add splash of stock if needed to thin consistency.
Loved this recipe? Try my other Instant Pot recipes
- Easy Pulled Pork
- Pinto Beans in Instant Pot
- How to Make Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- French Onion Rice Instant Pot
- Corned Beef Instant Pot
- Pressure Cooker Irish Stew
Best Hearty Soup Recipes
- Best Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe
- Copycat Zuppa Toscana Recipe
- Low Fat Vegetarian Black Bean Soup Panera
- White House Navy Bean Soup
- Chili Make With Tomato Juice
- Luby Green Chili Chicken Soup Recipe
- How to Make Crostini to Serve with Soup
Be sure to take a look at more of my easy soup recipes and Instant Pot meals.
Instant Pot Beef Stew with Tender Meat & Vegetables
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds chuck roast cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 16 ounces chicken stock
- 16 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 pounds potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 8 ounces carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 large onions, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Cut beef into bite-sized pieces. Season meat with salt. Brown bite-sized pieces of roast in the Instant Pot on saute in vegetable oil, you may need to do this in small batches.
- Once the meat has browned add tomato sauce and chicken stock. Cook the meat on the manual high setting for 30 minutes. Perform a quick release.
- Then add the garlic powder, smoked paprika, vegetables and cook on the manual setting for 4 minutes.
- When the stew finishes you can either perform a quick release or a manual release.
Really tasty I did add a splash of red wine to mine. First time using an instant pot. I may be hooked!
I am glad you had a good experience with your Instant Pot.
Hey Stephanie,
I read your information about keeping your vegetables firm.
“LEARN HOW TO KEEP THE VEGETABLES FIRM IN YOUR BEEF STEW
I did pressure cook my stew twice. The first time through it was simply salt, tomato sauce, and chicken broth. I wanted the meat to have a head start on the vegetables, so I put them in first. I cooked these for 15 minutes, and then I put in the veggies and cooked for 30 minutes. What I ended up with was a flavorful stew that you would have thought was on the stovetop for an afternoon.”
In this recipe it calls for cooking the beef for 30 mins and then adding the vegetables and remainder of ingredients and cook for 4 mins. I’m a little confused. I like the vegetables firm so which directions do I follow.
Thank you for the recipes. I can’t wait to make this.
Have you updated the cooking times on this recipe? I saved it to one of my apps and cooked it last night. Delicious! Cook time was 15 min for meat, tomato sauce, and chicken broth and QR; add vegetables, cook for 30 minutes, QR. New directions say 30 mins, QR, then 4 mins, QR.
The potato and carrot quantity seemed to change as well.
It is 30 minutes for meat, then the 4 minutes for the vegetables.
Scrumptious, easy and quick – thanks for this great recipe. I’ll check out other recipes on your blog. Yum, so good!
I am glad you enjoyed this! It’s a favorite of mine!
I made this tonight and it was great with a few minor changes…I didn’t have smoked paprika so I used 1/2 tsp Chipotle powder and also added 1 cup of Bisto brown gravy because my husband is not a tomato sauce fan but left it in because I am. I used everything else and we loved it! I will be making this again for the winter months! Thank you!
I am happy you enjoyed it. I will have to try this with chipotle! I love chipotle!
Excellent flavor. Potatoes overpower rest of ingredients so felt like potato stew. Actually felt more like a soup than a stew. So I threw in a bag of frozen meatballs and 4 ounces of merlot and added another 5 minutes at the end.
I think the instructions meant to remove meat after cooking at empty the oily water in the pot. I didn’t know to do that so it’s also a bit to oily for my taste.
In all, the flavor blend is delicious. Couldn’t be much easier to make.I’ll make it again with adjustments.
Thank you for your comments. Each roast you buy is different and can have different amounts of fat. I’ll be sure to modify that in the directions.
you said put the meat back in the pot, when did you take it out and why?
You may not be able to brown all of it at once. You may need to brown some of it in small batches.
This recipe was absolutely delicious. I will definitely be making it again.
Trying this today- first time using and am a bit nervous- hope it turns out ok
How did it turn out?
MAN this was good. THANK YOU. Easy to use. Simple. Nice video. LOVE YOUR SITE!!
I am glad you liked it.
Success!!
Awesome!!
Hi
How do you make this in a 3Qt instant pot?
Thank you
The directions would not change. I am not 100% sure if it would all fit though. Just make sure you do not fill above the max fill live.
This is my go to recipe for IP Beef Stew. I add celery and mushrooms…and stir in some frozen peas and thicken with a little constarch slurry on sauté at the end. I have also substituted some of the liquid with 1/2 cup red wine. I cook veggies for 3 min with perfect results.
I am so glad you like this recipe!
I made this with Elk meat and added a bay leaf. It was delicious!
Just made this recipe for my family and it was amazing. The only thing different was that I added chopped fresh garlic after the beef was seared. I just received my instant pot for Christmas and this was my first recipe to try. My family all enjoyed it.
I am glad you liked it!
Very good stew. I made a few changes though. I coated the meat with flour, used V8 and dumped in veggies with meat. Cooked on high 35 minutes. Manual release 15 minutes. Inused russets and the potatoes were not mushy.
Can I use frozen beef already cut into chunks without thawing first?
I came here to ask same thing did you find out?
Also wondering this!
Did you find out the answer?
I can tell you this, you don’t have to thaw chicken if using it in the Instant Pot. You may need to add a little time.
The instant pot is such a lifesaver! Love this recipe.
I’m loving my Instant Pot for quick dinners- this is a great recipe!
I have already made this over 5 times and it was perfect every time. This is my got- recipe for Instant pot stew.
Thanks for sharing.
So glad you enjoyed it.
I was wondering how the veggies didn’t overcook—genius recipe! I’ll be making this a lot this winter!
I love the instant pot, and this is such a great hearty stew recipe.