I know stew meat has a reputation for being tough, chewy, and time-consuming to cook, but this Instant Pot Beef Stew proves that doesn’t have to be the case! I take this inexpensive cut of beef, mix it with seasonal veggies, and pressure cook them to create a warming, beefy, satisfying stew. It’s got all that delicious slow-cooked flavor but is ready in a FRACTION of the time. This Instant Pot beef stew recipe is the only one I reach for on those busy weeknights when I don’t have the time (or patience!) to wait for my slow cooker.
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“I’ve made this a few times and it always turns out delicious, warm, thick and cozy!!! I tend to add whatever veggies I have in the house (carrots, celery, mushrooms, peas, zucchini) and fresh herbs (if I have them). Such a delicious dish!”
Bethany
Our stovetop beef stew and crockpot beef stew recipes are pretty hard to beat, but I really like this Instant Pot recipe because A) it’s a lot faster and B) I can do all the steps, including browning the beef, in one pot which means a lot less dishes to clean. YAY!
This recipe starts similarly to my crockpot recipe, but I played around with the vegetable mix, using less potatoes and adding in mushrooms and pearl onions. I also skipped the Dijon and added just a little tomato paste for a more traditional beef stew flavor. This Instant Pot beef stew always turns out tender and amazing, so much so that when I first made it, my boyfriend said, “Is this healthy? Because I could eat this every day.” 😊
Recipe Success Tips and Suggestions
- The vegetables WILL be soft when you follow the recipe as written. I like my veggies to be soft because they break down and help thicken the stew. But, if you like a bit more bite, you could cook the stew as written (without the veggies) for 20 minutes, do a quick release, add your prepared vegetables, and cook for 15 minutes on high pressure. The meat must be cooked for the full 35 minutes to make sure it turns out tender. But you can definitely adjust the cooking time to your preference for the vegetables.
- Avoid the ‘Instant Pot burn warning.’ Some Instant Pot models are sensitive and can sometimes display a ‘burn’ warning, even when there’s enough liquid in the pot. To avoid this, make sure to deglaze the bottom of the pot with broth after browning the beef. Also, scrape up any browned bits and mix them into the liquid before adding the remaining ingredients. This will help prevent any burnt spots that could trigger the warning. Another tip some readers suggested is to add the tomato paste, but don’t mix it in until AFTER pressure cooking (tomato paste is apparently a common culprit for triggering the warning in any recipe, not just this one!).
- Double the recipe. One question often asked about this Instant Pot beef stew recipe is if it can be doubled. While I haven’t tried this, I don’t see why not! The cook time will remain the same, but it’ll likely take more time to come up to pressure and then to naturally release. Just be very careful not to fill your Instant Pot past the max fill line.
Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe
Servings 6 servings (10 cups total)Ingredients
- 1 lb beef stew meat, cubed ($8.96)
- salt and pepper ($0.10)
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour ($0.02)
- 2 Tbsp butter ($0.25)
- 2 cups beef broth* ($0.18)
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce ($0.06)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.05)
- ½ Tbsp brown sugar ($0.02)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.08)
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste ($0.18)
- 1 tsp dried rosemary ($0.10)
- 1 tsp dried thyme ($0.10)
- 14 oz bag frozen pearl onions** ($2.12)
- 8 oz mushrooms ($1.97)
- 1 lb carrots ($0.98)
- 0.75 lb potatoes ($0.70)
Instructions
- Place the stew meat in a bowl and season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the flour and stir to coat.
- Place the butter*** in the Instant Pot and turn on the sauté function. Heat the butter until it is melted and sizzling, then add the stew meat. Brown the meat on all sides. Don't stir too often as this will prevent the meat from achieving a nice brown, crispy exterior. The flour may coat the bottom of the pot and that is okay, just don't let it burn.
- Pour the beef broth into the pot and stir to dissolve the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Once dissolved, add the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, tomato paste, rosemary, and thyme.
- Wash and quarter the mushrooms. Peel and slice the carrots into one-inch sections. Wash the potatoes well, peel if desired, then chop into one-inch cubes. Add the pearl onions (no need to thaw), mushrooms, carrots, and potatoes to the Instant Pot. Give all the ingredients in the pot a good stir.
- Close the lid on the Instant Pot and close the steam valve. Press the “meat/stew” button, or set the cooker to 35 minutes of high pressure. After 35 minutes of high pressure, allow the cooker to naturally cool and release pressure.
- Once the pressure has released, open the steam valve then carefully open the lid. Give the stew a good stir, taste, and adjust the salt if needed. Serve hot with crusty bread.
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Equipment
- 6 Quart Instant Pot
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Beef Stew in an Instant Pot — Step by Step Photos
Gather all of your ingredients.
Place one pound of stew meat in a bowl and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add 2 Tbsp flour and stir until the meat is coated in the flour.
Add 2 Tbsp butter to the Instant Pot and turn on the sauté function. Heat the butter until it is melted and sizzling, then add the stew meat (and any leftover flour from the bowl).
Brown the meat on all sides. Be sure not to stir the meat too often because this can prevent it from forming a nice brown crust. You do not need to cook the beef pieces completely through at this point. Just get a nice brown color on the outside.
Add 2 cups beef broth and stir to dissolve all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Once everything is dissolved off the bottom, add 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 2 Tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp dried rosemary, and 1 tsp dried thyme.
Wash and quarter the mushrooms. Peel and slice the carrots into one-inch sections. Wash the potatoes well, then cut into one-inch cubes. Add the frozen pearl onions, mushrooms, carrots, and potatoes to the pot.
Give everything a brief stir to combine.
Close the lid on the Instant Pot, close the steam valve, then press the “meat/stew” button. This will set the cooker to 35 minutes of high pressure. It takes about 10-15 minutes to get up to pressure, then natural pressure release will take another 15 minutes or so.
After the pressure naturally releases, open the steam valve then carefully open the lid. Give it a good stir, and then it will look more like beef stew! It may seem a bit watery at first, but as the temperature comes down from “molten” to just “really hot” it will thicken a bit.
It’s always a good idea to give the stew a final taste and adjust the salt if needed. I added a touch of parsley for color, but the flavor of the stew is just fine on its own!
Do I Have to use an Instant Pot for this Recipe?
No, you don’t have to use a name-brand Instant Pot to enjoy this delicious stew. You can use any other cooker that has both a sauté and a pressure cooking feature, or just use a plain old pressure cooker and do the browning through deglazing steps in a skillet before transferring everything to the pressure cooker. Just make sure whatever pressure cooker you use is big enough to fit all the ingredients. I use a 6-quart Instant Pot.
Serving Suggestions
I highly recommend a good crusty bread to go along with your bowl of stew. A cheap loaf of fresh French bread from the bakery department at your grocery store would be perfect. I sometimes make my no-knead bread when I have the time because it’s so worth it. I also like to serve this beef stew over mashed potatoes, with a side of egg noodles, or with some creamy polenta.
Storage and Reheating
Let any leftovers cool before portioning them into airtight containers and storing them in the fridge for 3-4 days. This pressure cooker beef stew also freezes great, but the vegetables do get softer after thawing and reheating. Freeze it for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. I’d reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium-low, stirring often.
More Hearty Stew Recipes
Our Instant Pot Beef Stew was originally published 1/18/17. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 2/13/25.
I made a few modifications (used regular diced onion, added no sugar or rosemary, and used a bit of canned tomatoes rather than paste), but it was still delicious and definitely going to become a permanent dinner on the winter rotation!
I love this recipe. I’m making tomorrow as the high temp will be -1F. More instapot recipes please 💕
Instant Pot Beef Stew is the perfect comfort food—rich, hearty, and ready in no time! 🍲🥩 A delicious way to enjoy tender beef and flavorful veggies. 😋 #ComfortFood #InstantPotRecipes
My 50 yr old pressure cooker does a fine job with this recipe. I have replaced the gasket twice during its lifetime as rubber doesn’t last as long as aluminum. This is a really delicious stew! The veggies do NOT turn to mush. I have sometimes varied the veggies a bit, depending on what’s in my produce drawer. Both parsnips and baby turnips are good with this recipe–I use them as add ons–and butternut squash is a good sub for carrots..
I’ve bookmarked this for future reference, thanks!
Another winner!
I had no potatoes or mushrooms so I just went crazy with the carrots.
I love this recipe, but who can do all of the prep/chopping in 15 minutes! I need to speed things up, but would probably cut off a finger!
We love this stew recipe! It’s so easy and a household favorite. I like to add fresh herbs when I can. I usually use just a few pinches of sugar. We don’t add the mushrooms and sometimes add a little more broth to make it more soup like. I love serving it with crusty Dutch oven bread.
I remember my dad made your recipe for this a few years ago and everyone loved it! Now being vegetarian, what do you suggest I sub in for the beef? Thanks!
Our Vegan Lentil Stew is the closest thing we have to a vegetarian version of this recipe. The biggest difference is that it is a stovetop recipe rather than one for an instant pot. And since we haven’t tested this other recipe in an instant pot, I hesitate to give you any specific suggestions that may not be successful. I hope that helps! ~ Marion :)
Vegan Lentil Stew: https://www.budgetbytes.com/vegan-winter-lentil-stew/
I have this in my meal plan, but haven’t made it yet. It looks amazing! My question is, how do the veggies not turn to mush with that long of a cook time? I have yet to find an IP recipe where the carrots and potatoes stay in tact and don’t just dissolve. :)
Hi, Julie! The trick is making sure the veggies are cut into larger pieces. Beth suggests a 1″ thickness on both the carrots and the potatoes, which is larger than what you would do for a stovetop beef stew. Since we tested this recipe, it should also be successful for you as written. But if you are still not convinced or think your machine may cook a little hotter/faster than ours, you could reduce the cooking time by 10 minutes, check for your desired doneness, and if needed, cook again for just 5 minutes. (This will help account for the time the stew will continue cooking while the pot is re-pressurizing and an additional natural release.) ~Marion :)
Awesome! I added a little paprika to the beef and 1 cup of red wine to the soup base. It’s a keeper!
I’m an instant pot noob. I used natural release. it was at 30 minutes when i finally got impatient….everything was mush 🙁
I suggest pulling the plug on natural release sooner than that 😅
Hey Bob, that was disappointing for you, but I want to tell you that I have made this numerous times throughout the last couple of years, and I agree it is too long for the veggies to cook. What I do is cook all the ingredients EXCEPT the carrots and potatoes for 18mins, quick release, add them and cook for another 17 mins and do the slow release. I cut the carrots quite thick, as well using yellow potatoes, good size quarters. It’s perfect every time.
Made this stew tonight. Unfortunately I got the Burn message, added another 1/2 c beef broth and it burned again. Finally took the stew out of the IP
and cooked it on top of the stove. I was frustrated having to do this but, I have to say the stew was delicious! I will make it again and add more broth to begin with.
Hi, I’m here, because I am again cooking this absolutely delicious stew, which I have done for the last couple of years, and looking at people’s experiences. I have worked it all out so as to achieve perfect results every time. I used to get the burn message too, and there are two reasons for this. Sautéing in the Instant Pot and stirring in the tomato paste. I now saute the meat on the stove, and I add the tablespoons of tomato paste after everything is stirred in, BUT just allowing the paste to stay where it falls (no stirring) – (also garlic from a jar sinks to the bottom & will bring up the burn setting). As I mentioned to someone else, cooking everything except potatoes and carrots for 18 mins, quick release, add them, cook for another 17 mins, slow release. Perfect. I have made a few other preferential changes too, but I love this recipe.
Beware, tomato paste is the #1 perpetrator of the instant pot burn message.
(I made this statistic up)
Keep it well away from the bottom of your pot! I recommend either stirring it in on the top layer only or leave it on the top and stirring it in once the cooking cycle is complete.
whats the best way to freeze this? I have a vacuum sealer if that helps
I would just divide it into single-serving freezer-safe containers (any type) and freeze. I wouldn’t do anything special. :)