Instant Pot Beef Stew
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Loaded with flavorful chunks of meat + potatoes that come out amazingly tender. Truly the BEST beef stew recipe ever!
Featured Comment
I wish I could say I made this in preparation for St. Patrick’s Day this weekend, but I didn’t.
Because as I’ve mentioned before, we’re starting to get that brisk weather in Southern California. About 60 degrees cold (basically not cold at all). So my routine hasn’t changed at all.
I’m still in my no-shame sweatpants with a cozy bowl of comfort here. Loaded with tender chunks of meat and potatoes that just melt in your mouth. I’ve had 4 bowls already with crusty bread, so I should probably leave the house at some point to work this off.
tips and tricks for success
- Sear the meat. Browning the beef first is key here. That dark crust on the stew meat cubes will create such richer, deeper flavors in your stew (plus, the browned bits at the bottom of the pot are all lovely bits here, adding so much flavor).
- Potatoes and carrots should be cut in larger pieces. We want our vegetables to be cut a little larger here as they will cook down quite a bit in the Instant Pot (or else they will be overcooked, fall apart and turn to mush).
- Add wine. The recipe calls for 4 cups beef broth but you can substitute a little bit of the broth for red wine (about 1/4 cup), deglazing the bottom of the pot and letting it simmer for about 5 minutes. Pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon or merlot are all great options.
what to serve with beef stew
Tools For This Recipe
6-qt Instant Pot®
Instant Pot Beef Stew: Frequently Asked Questions
We have a stovetop version here!
Yes! Here is our favorite slow cooker beef stew recipe.
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
Baby Dutch yellow potatoes are readily available in most major grocery stores but you can also substitute Yukon gold potatoes, fingerling potatoes, yellow potatoes or quartered red potatoes.
The beef stew is thickened with a flour slurry (flour mixed with water but in this case, we are using the stew broth). Depending on the desired consistency, you can use 1-4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. The key here is to add the slurry slowly until the mixture starts to thicken.
Beef stew is very much freezer-friendly. You can freeze the leftovers in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
Instant Pot Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 pound baby Dutch yellow potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 4 carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- 4 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, optional
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup frozen petite peas
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Equipment
Instructions
- Season beef with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Set a 6-qt Instant Pot® to the high saute setting. Melt butter; working in batches, add beef and cook until evenly browned, about 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in beef broth, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- Stir in potatoes, carrots, celery, garlic, tomato paste, Worcestershire, thyme, rosemary, paprika, caraway seeds and bay leaves until well combined; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 30 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour and 1/2 cup stew broth.
- Select high sauté setting. Bring to a boil; stir in flour mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more beef broth as needed until desired consistency is reached.
- Stir in peas until heated through, about 30 seconds.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
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My first attempt at beef stew in the instant pot!
Very pleased with how tender and flavorful the beef was.
Crockpot who? Never heard of her.
I’m volunteering at a hospital in rural Kenya, but I was able to find most of the ingredients for this recipe and had purchased a generic Instant Pot in Nairobi. This beef stew was so delicious, even though I just filled it with all of the vegetables that I could find. Thank you!
As ALWAYS…Damn Delicious does not disappoint. This stew is lovely!! I followed the instructions…no changes. It is easy and so delicious. I paired it with my own homemade biscuits (I love to bake…cook not so much). I love InstaPot recipes.
Absolutely love the recipe, but sure would love someone to tell me exactly how they prep all this in 15 minutes. I’ve made this dozens of times and it takes me over an hour to wash, peel, and cut the vegetables, and to cube and brown the beef. And I’m no newbie to cooking. Are people using a food processor, or some other kitchen gadget?
Wow! This beef stew recipe is amazing! I loved it! Thanks so much for sharing it. The ingredients combination provides a delicious and tasty result! So much flavor!
Made this today and it is by far the best beef stew I have ever made. So flavourful!
Wow!! I have been making stew for many years. This was the easiest and best stew I have ever made. The instructions were very clear and concise. I will be making this again.
I make this all the time. I modified to my liking. I replaced one cup of stock with a good red wine. I double the tomato paste and also add a sautéed onion and small container of crimini mushrooms sautéed. I use 2 1/2lbs of stew meat and 1 1/2lb of potatoes. This recipe is the best.
I am always leery of just adding flour to broth, so I took the 4 tb of flour and made a roux with 4tb butter. Added the cooked broth to that and then added it back to the IP after it was thinned out. Worked great, had a great classic beef stew flavor. Thanks for the recipe!
I made this with moose meat. Very happy with the results.
This was SOOOO easy and FANTASTIC. Less than an hour from chopping to serving a wonderful stew. Thank you!! Will be making this often AND teaching my college kids how to make this fast and easy dish.
I think this is the same recipe she uses in the crockpot. I can tell you that this is absolutely wonderful. I make it alot. Just now i can do it in my instant pot. Thanks!
So delicious and tender. I love beef stew so I will make this again. So very easy and the end results were delicious. Thank you for such a great recipe.
Delicious!! All of my family members have gotten the recipe and LOVE it.
Simply superb stew. This is a perfect, delicious recipe and SO easy to make! This is a winner and will be one in my monthly rotation throughout winter and fall! Thank you!
Your recipes never disappoint! Whenever I feel like making something, I know to look to your blog to find the best. Was looking for beef stew instant pot recipes tonight, found a few and then remembered I should just look for the best damn delicious one in the first place. It was a hit!
Very yummy, I left out the rosemary and bay leave, added a diced onion, I used sirloin ( didn’t have stewing beef). Used come tastefully simple steak seasoning, excellent flavor,
I have an 8 qt. insta pot. Could I double this recipe in it?
This was an intriguing recipe for me as it had caraway seeds and I always have put allspice into my stew. Sadly, the caraway seeds and the bay leaf gave this an unpleasant flavor for me.
I will use this recipe again but leave out the above. Thanks for such a great food blog.
Love this! I make this about once a month and I always make sure I have the ingredients available. I leave out the bay leaves and caraway seeds (just things I never have at home), and follow the instructions exactly. Always turns out great