Instant Pot Beef Stew: The Ultimate 1-Hour Comfort -

Name: Instant Pot Beef Stew: The Ultimate 1-Hour Comfort
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 large yellow onion, chopped; 3 carrots, peeled and sliced; 2 celery stalks, chopped; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 4 cups beef broth; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 bay leaf; 1.5 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed; 1 cup frozen peas; 2 tablespoons cornstarch; 2 tablespoons cold water; Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

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You know those cold, blustery days when all you want is to wrap yourself in a blanket with a giant, steaming bowl of comfort food? For me, that is always, always beef stew. The only problem is, I almost never have the hours it takes to let a pot simmer away on the stove. That’s where the magic of this Instant Pot Beef Stew comes in. It gives you that rich, savory, slow-cooked flavor you’re dreaming of, but in a fraction of the time. This recipe is the official go-to winter dinner in my house, the one everyone starts asking for the second the temperature drops.

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love This Instant Pot Beef Stew

I’m telling you, this recipe is a total game-changer for busy weeknights Here are just a few reasons why you’ll find yourself making it on repeat:

All-Day Flavor, One-Hour Time: You get that deep, slow-simmered taste without having to watch a pot for hours.
Perfectly Tender Beef: The pressure cooker works its magic, turning tough beef chuck into fall-apart tender bites every single time.
Easy One-Pot Cleanup: Everything cooks right in the Instant Pot. That’s it Less mess means more time enjoying your amazing dinner.

Essential Equipment for This Recipe

You really don’t need much to pull this off, which is part of the magic Here’s the simple list of tools that I always use for this amazing pressure cooker comfort food.

A 6-quart Instant Pot (or any larger model)
A sharp knife and a sturdy cutting board
A small bowl for making the cornstarch slurry

Ingredients for The Perfect Instant Pot Beef Stew

Okay, let’s get everything lined up I always say that the secret to a stress-free dinner is getting all your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you even turn the pot on. It makes me feel like a real TV chef These are all pretty standard pantry and fridge staples, which is another reason I love this recipe so much. Here’s what you’ll need to grab:

2 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1.5 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed into 1-inch pieces
1 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

How to Make Instant Pot Beef Stew (Step-by-Step)

Okay, this is the fun part Don’t let the list of steps intimidate you, it’s actually super simple. The Instant Pot does almost all of the heavy lifting. Just follow along, and I promise you’ll have a pot of incredible, soul-warming stew in no time. Let’s get cooking

First things first, hit that Sauté button on your Instant Pot and set it to high. Once the pot says it’s hot, pour in your olive oil. Add the beef cubes in a single layer. Now, this is important: don’t crowd the pot You might need to do this in two batches, but trust me, getting a good, dark brown sear on all sides is where the deep flavor starts. Once browned, take the beef out and set it aside on a plate.
Toss the chopped onion, carrots, and celery right into the pot. Sauté everything for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the veggies start to get soft and the onion looks a little translucent. Now add the minced garlic and cook for just one more minute. The smell in your kitchen should be amazing right about now
Stir in the tomato paste and let it cook for another minute. This step really deepens the tomato flavor. Pour in a little splash of the beef broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all those delicious browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. That’s pure flavor gold right there
Time to bring it all together. Put the browned beef back into the pot. Pour in the rest of the beef broth, the Worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaf, and the cubed potatoes. Give it all a good stir and season generously with salt and pepper.
Secure the lid on your Instant Pot, making sure the little steam release valve is set to the sealing position. Choose the Pressure Cook or Manual setting, and set the timer for 35 minutes on high pressure. Now you can walk away and let the magic happen.
Once the 35 minutes are up, just let the pot sit. It will start releasing pressure on its own. We want to let it do this naturally for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, you can carefully flip the valve to the venting position to release any steam that’s left.
Open the lid and carefully remove the bay leaf—you don’t want anyone to get that in their bowl In a separate small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and cold water together until it’s smooth. This is your slurry. Turn the Sauté function back on. Pour the slurry into the stew and stir gently until the broth thickens up into a beautiful gravy, which usually takes about 2 to 3 minutes.
Finally, turn the pot off. Stir in the frozen peas—the residual heat will cook them perfectly so they stay bright green and pop in your mouth. Let the stew sit for about 5 minutes, then it’s ready to serve.

Pro Tips for the Best Instant Pot Beef Stew

Okay, you want to take your stew from great to absolutely unforgettable? I’ve made this dozens of times, and I’ve picked up a few little secrets along the way. These are my game-changers.

For extra depth, use red wine: If you have a bottle of dry red wine open, use about a half-cup to deglaze the pot after cooking the veggies. It adds this incredible richness that tastes like it simmered all day.
Beef chuck is your best friend: I know it’s easy to just grab “stew meat,” but trust me, using beef chuck is so much better. It has more fat, which melts down in the pressure cooker and makes the meat incredibly tender and flavorful.
Cut potatoes uniformly: Try to chop your potatoes into roughly the same 1-inch size. This little step is key to making sure they all cook through perfectly, so you don’t get a mix of mushy and hard bites.

Fun Variations on This Recipe

Once you’ve got this basic recipe down, it’s so much fun to make it your own I almost never make it the exact same way twice. Here are a few easy ways to change things up depending on what you’re in the mood for.

Switch up the veggies: Feel free to toss in other root vegetables, Cubed parsnips add a lovely sweetness, and mushrooms are fantastic for an extra savory flavor.
Play with herbs: While thyme is classic, a sprig of fresh rosemary completely changes the aroma and makes it feel even cozier.
Add a little heat: My husband loves when I add a pinch of red pepper flakes along with the other seasonings. It gives the stew a gentle warmth that’s perfect for a chilly day.

How to Store and Serve Your Instant Pot Beef Stew

Okay, now for the best part—eating it and trust me, the leftovers are just as incredible, maybe even better the next day. Here’s how we handle it in my house.

Serving Suggestions

My number one rule is that you absolutely need some crusty bread for dipping into that rich gravy. It’s non-negotiable This stew is also amazing served over fluffy egg noodles or a big scoop of creamy mashed potatoes to soak up all the flavor.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Once it’s cooled down, store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. This stew also freezes beautifully When you’re ready to eat it again, just reheat it on the stove or in the microwave. It might thicken up a bit, so feel free to add a splash of broth to get it back to that perfect consistency.

Instant Pot Beef Stew Nutritional Information

Okay, for those of you who track this stuff, here’s the nutritional breakdown per serving. Just a quick heads-up: these numbers are an estimate They can shift a little depending on the specific ingredients you use, like your brand of beef broth or the fat content of your beef, so think of this as a helpful guideline.

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 515 kcal
Sugar: 7g
Sodium: 980mg
Fat: 24g
Saturated Fat: 8g
Unsaturated Fat: 14g
Trans Fat: 1g
Carbohydrates: 32g
Fiber: 5g
Protein: 42g
Cholesterol: 125mg

Frequently Asked Questions About Instant Pot Beef Stew

Can I use frozen beef for this recipe?

You technically can, but I really, really don’t recommend it. The secret to a deeply flavorful stew is getting that beautiful brown sear on the beef, and you just can’t do that with a frozen block of meat. If you’re in a massive hurry, you could throw it in frozen and add about 5-10 minutes to the pressure cooking time, but you’ll be sacrificing a lot of that rich flavor. My honest advice is to take the time to thaw it first. It makes a huge difference.

My stew isn’t thick enough, what did I do wrong?

Oh, don’t worry, you probably did nothing wrong at all This is a super common and easy fix. Usually, it just means the cornstarch slurry needs a little more heat to activate. Make sure your pot is on the Sauté setting and the stew is simmering when you stir it in. Let it bubble for a minute or two. If it’s still not as thick as you want, just whisk up another tablespoon of cornstarch with cold water and stir that in. You get to decide how thick your gravy is.

Can I cook this for a shorter or longer time?

I would strongly suggest sticking to the 35-minute cook time. I’ve found it’s the absolute sweet spot for getting that beef chuck perfectly tender without turning the potatoes and carrots into mush. A shorter time might leave you with tough beef, and a longer time risks everything getting too soft. This timing is what makes it such a reliable and Quick Beef Stew. It’s the key to getting that perfect pressure cooker comfort food texture every time If you tried this recipe, please let me know what you think by leaving a rating or a comment below.

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