Beef Stew (Instant Pot)

instantpot-beefstew6qt Food cooked under pressure tastes so much better so that's reason enough to make a delicious Instant Pot beef stew! Fall apart beef, tender veggies, and a broth that has so much flavour is something you can easily have on your dinner table in under 1 hour. With easy-to-follow instructions and simple classic ingredients, this comforting soup is one you'll want to sip on all winter long.

There is no need to sauté anything, it's just a dump and set recipe that is hands-off and effortless, perfect for Instant Pot beginners and novices alike. It's also budget-friendly because there are no fancy ingredients, just simple, wholesome, and cheap. If you find beef on sale - stock up on it and keep it in the freezer that way you'll always have some on hand for this and other Instant Pot beef recipes. You can use any cut of beef for this as the pressure cooker will tenderize it into a melt in your mouth bite.

6 qt Instant Pot:
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 small stalks celery, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, grated and divided
2 lbs potatoes cubed
1.5 lbs chuck or any cheap roast beef cubed into 1″ pieces
3 oz tomato paste
1 bouillon cube
2 cups water
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried thyme
¾ tsp. sea salt
black pepper, freshly cracked
3 bay leaves
5 peppercorns
1 cup frozen peas
½-¾ cup fresh dill, finely chopped

8 qt Instant Pot:
1 large onion, chopped
3 large carrots, chopped
4 small stalks celery, chopped
4 large cloves garlic, grated & divided
3 lbs potatoes cubed
2 lbs chuck or any cheap roast beef cubed into 1" pieces
6 oz can tomato paste
2 bouillon cubes
3 cups water
1½ tsp. dried oregano
1½ tsp. dried thyme
1¼ tsp. sea salt
black pepper, freshly cracked
4 bay leaves
7 peppercorns
2 cups frozen peas
1 cup fresh dill, finely chopped

Slurry:
¼ cup water, cold
2-4 Tbsp. cornstarch or arrowroot powder (6 and 8 qt correspondingly)

In Instant Pot, add onion, carrot, celery, 2 garlic cloves, potatoes and beef as you are cutting them. Then add tomato paste, bouillon and water or stock, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, bay leaves and peppercorns. No need to stir, just flatten tomato paste with a spoon.

Close the lid, set pressure vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High for 30 minutes. Display will say ON, Instant Pot will take about 20 minutes to come to pressure, you will see a bit of steam coming out from a valve, then float valve will rise and countdown from 30 minutes will begin.

When display says OFF, stew is ready. Now your Instant Pot needs to bring pressure down before you can open it, which will be indicated by a dropped down float valve. You can let it do it on its own which will take about 15-20 minutes – Natural Release. OR you can do Quick Release by turning pressure valve to Venting position, which takes 2-3 minutes. I recommend doing so outside to avoid countertop mess and house smelling like stew for days.

Open the lid, add peas, remaining 2 cloves of garlic and dill. Stir.

To thicken beef stew: Switch electric pressure cooker to Saute. In a small bowl, whisk cold water with cornstarch, add to the pot and stir gently. Cook for a few minutes until thickened.

Serve hot.

Cook's Notes:

Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container or inner Instant Pot pot with a fitting glass lid for up to 5 days.

Freeze: I have not tried to freeze the stew as there are never leftovers and I question how well potatoes would thaw.

You can use frozen cubed meat. Thaw it a bit in water or on a counter (if have time) and separate into blobs of 2-3 pieces. Add 10 minutes to cooking time.

Replace bouillon cubes + water with any stock. I just like to keep dry cubes instead of open carton going bad in the fridge.

If you made a slurry beforehand, make sure to stir it right before adding to the pot. Cornstarch settles fast.

I don’t recommend to use dried dill. If you are not a fan of dill or don’t have any on hand, add fresh parsley.