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This Instant Pot beef stew is the ultimate cozy comfort food, packed with tender chunks of beef, hearty vegetables, and rich, savory broth. Thanks to the pressure cooker, you’ll get all the slow-simmered flavor in a fraction of the time. It’s a one-pot meal that feels both wholesome and satisfying.
Call me intuitive, but I think the ease and flavor of this easy Instant Pot beef stew recipe is going to be a game-changer dinner for most of you.
It tastes like it has simmered on the stove all day, but it’s actually ready in under 75 minutes.
And thanks to my all-time favorite secret ingredient, you’re adding extra veggies that no one will notice, but you’ll know. Secrets are fun!
Reader Review
“I cannot get enough of this stew! We are constantly making this recipe and we never get sick of it! Unbelievably easy and SO hearty and flavorful! The beef is so tender you honestly don’t even have to chew it (but I mean, please still chew your food). This is an absolute staple in our household! “
Lo
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Good cuts for stew beef: chuck, bottom round, or top round are all delicious.
- The liquid will not cover the top of all the ingredients before cooking. Don’t worry, your stew will not dry out. It’s going to be awesome. Like you!
- This stew will thicken up quite a bit the next day. If you prefer something with more broth, it is best to reheat with a splash of vegetable juice or beef stock.
Tender & Flavorful Instant Pot Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 1 lb stew beef, cubed {chuck, bottom round, or top round}
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 cup onion {diced}
- 5 cups carrots {peeled and cut into LARGE pieces}
- 4 cups potatoes {about 4 russets peeled and cut into LARGE pieces}
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup tomato-based vegetable juice
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine beef, cornstarch, kosher salt, and pepper. Toss to coat.1 lb stew beef, cubed, 2 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- Pour the beef broth and vegetable juice into the insert of the Instant Pot.2 cups beef broth, 1 cup tomato-based vegetable juice
- Add the beef and other ingredients to the Instant Pot (do not stir). The liquid will not cover the ingredients before cooking.1 cup onion, 5 cups carrots, 4 cups potatoes, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp dried tarragon, 1 bay leaf
- Lock the lid into place and set the steam release handle (valve on top) to “Sealing”. Press Manual>High Pressure>22 minutes.
- When the Instant Pot has finished cooking, allow it to sit for 10 minutes (this is called a natural release).
- If the pressure indicator is still up, flip the vent to “venting” to remove any remaining pressure.
- Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Good cuts for stew beef: chuck, bottom round, or top round are all delicious.
- The liquid will not cover the ingredients before cooking. Don’t worry, your stew will not dry out. It’s going to be awesome. Like you!
- You can make this beef stew in a slow cooker. Put all the ingredients in your slow cooker and set it to low for 8 hours.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Super Good with red stag deer meat…next time I will for sure double the meat.
Thanks!
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
My BIL is a hunter and I guarantee my sister has some in her freezer right now. I’ll suggest it to her!
Made this the 2nd day of Whole30. Both my husband and I loved it. He kept asking if it was on the diet and I told him it was! I’m making this again on day 8, it’s snowing here and this is what I want to eat ????♀️ It’s so good that this is now my go to beef stew recipe, while30 or not!
So glad you both liked it, Carolyn! The timing of your comment made me laugh because I’ve been eating this stew the last two mornings for breakfast. 🙂
The ingredients list for this recipe shows an asterisk for the ‘tomato-based vegetable juice’, but I cannot find where the asterisk leads. Do tell. Thanks!
Looks like that is just a typo. I’ll delete. Thanks!
Delicious! This was so fast and easy. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it, Justin! It’s a family favorite.
Hi! Can you do this recipe in the crockpot on high?
I would do 4 hours on high in the crockpot.
Just made this and it was delicious and hit the spot. Thank you!
I’m so glad you liked it Elizabeth! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment.
What is the oil for? Are you supposed to brown the beef? Steps 2 and 3 are pretty much the same. Thanks, I do want to try this!
Hi Kim, I had recently updated the recipe to remove the section for browning the meat (I found it didn’t make a difference in taste and was just one extra step). I didn’t do a very thorough job in “cleaning” up the recipe card. The instructions are updated now and I do hope they’re more clear.
Happy cooking!
Hi, I’ve been so excited about this recipe, but for whatever reason I have gotten the burn message seven times. I keep scraping as hard as I can without splashing any liquid up. And I did originally two, as it said two in the instructions. Any tips? I’ve been so excited about this recipe, but for whatever reason I have gotten the burn message seven times. I keep scraping as hard as I can without splashing any liquid up. And I did originally to, as it said two in the instructions. Any tips? It’s currently getting back up to pressure again for about the fifth time !
Hi Ellen, my Instant Pot doesn’t have the burn message feature but I hear it common on newer machines. Which model do you have?
Can you walk me through when you are getting the burn message? Is it after you saute the meat or when you add the other ingredients? From what I’ve read, the burn message can happen when ingredients are added and stirred? That sounds so weird to me but it is what I have gathered reading experiences with other recipes on instant pot facebook forums.
I will tell you that in a pinch I have thrown everything into the pot for this recipe and just pressed start. No sauteing, etc., and it has worked ok.
Wish I’d read the reviews before I attempted this (I usually do but was in a real rush). I prepped everything threw it in the pot and set to delay cook thinking I’d come back to some delicious beef stew (first time using the delay but have used the pot itself plenty of times). Came back to BURN and no cooked stew. Opened the pot, mixed things around and attempted again. Again BURN. Took everything out of the inner pot to find a thick burnt layer of I’m guessing arrowroot and meat mixture so had to scrape quite a bit to get it clean, put a little more broth at the bottom and threw everything back in. It has now gotten up to pressure and has been cooking for about 6 minutes. Hoping no more burn error! Can’t wait to taste it! 🙂
I’ve never used the delay feature before so I couldn’t even begin to help you troubleshoot that. Did you saute the meat before cooking it? I just dump everything in and cook it without any searing.
Hope the stew turned out delicious!
I’m planning to make this soon, but I have a question: don’t the potatoes and carrots turn out really mushy if they’ve been cooked for 35 minutes?
Not at all Thomas! I don’t really understand the science behind it, but they come out perfectly tender but still keep their shape (see the photos). And so yummy!
Can I double this recipe – I have an 8 Quart IP?
Thanks! (From a fellow Seattleite)
Yes ma’am you sure can! Happy instant potting!
Delicious! Any guidance on converting my husband to eating meat so I don’t have to fly to Seattle to get a bowl of this bomb diggity stew?
Le sigh, I’ve got nothing in that regard.
This turned out great! I used red potatoes and left the skin on, used vegetable stock because it was cheaper and used thyme instead of tarragon (also because I didn’t have any), and it all came out good! Thanks!
So glad you liked it, and I love the addition of the skin on red potatoes!
While I didn’t follow your recipe, seeing the post in my e-mail reminded me I had beef stew meat in the fridge! So, I threw a bunch of veggies (no potatoes, we are out, boo!) into the crockpot with the meat and away I go! It’s gonna cook all night which means beef stew for breakfast!
Who-hoo! Glad I had a part of the inspiration for a unicorn meal that meets all of your dietary needs. OMG I love cooking things in the crockpot all night. Though I will fully admit while cooking a kalua pig overnight, I once had a dream that a burglar broke in and was making dinner.
I made this in my crockpot and it came out great!
Recently made the beef stew in the instapot and my family loved it! I did add some dry mustard seasoning instead of the tarragon and thickened it up a bit more at the end but the family gobbled it up and the leftovers were perfect lunch the next day. Thanks for another great recipe!!
So happy to hear your crew all loved it Ang!
Got our Instant Pot not that long ago and this sounds perfect for our meal planning!
I made this in my crock pot on Christmas Eve. Ah-maze-ing. Can’t wait to try your other recipes!
I have made this with beef & it was delish! I skipped the searing, but tonight I’m making this with venison & will sear!! I’ve got a hunter & always have a shit ton of stew meat! Thanks for the recipe.
I think I would have loved your Nanna, we would have had fun in the kitchen!
Thanks for sharing this. I’ll keep an eye out for stew beef next time we do groceries. For the crockpot version, would you sear the beef on the stove before tossing it in the crockpot?
I’ve thought of getting an instant pot, but I find that my kitchen energy is highest in the morning, so throwing everything in the crockpot after breakfast works best for me.
For me, the searing is a “nice to have” portion of the recipe, but not a must. If the searing is keeping you from making the recipe, then don’t sear it.
The Instant Pot also has a crockpot function, so not only could you do something early in the am, but if you were short on time you could use the pressure function. If your crockpot bites the dust, it is worth the discussion about an Instant Pot.
My Nanna was rad!
It didn’t occur to me to replace the crock pot with the instapot after it dies. Thanks!
A recipe post that made me smile. Thanks.
🙂
I’ll totally take the blackberries, if you’re handing out apology gifts. 😉
No instant pot here, but I’m assuming that I could make this work in my pressure cooker?
I’m certain you could, but I’m not sure how the cooking times translate to a normal pressure cooker. Is it one you use it on the stove?
Yep, it’s the regular old “on the stove” version. I’ve learned to use it for canning (mostly) and a few cooking projects. My husband and his whole family love to hunt, and some cuts of game are best when pressure cooked.