This post may contain references to products from one or more of our advertisers. Oh Sweet Basil may receive compensation when you click on links to such products.
It’s only getting colder and colder and Instant Pot Beef Stew served alongside fresh hot bread or rolls is making an appearance on our dinner table a lot.
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest meant a lot of ice storms. It did snow as well, but those ice storms were the real killer. Because everything was so wet when the temperatures drop it all freezes and creates big ol’ sheets of ice. It’s so cold out and you really don’t leave your home as it’s too dangerous to drive. Instead, we all stayed in and made Beef Stew and homemade bread to sop up that yummy liquid. Instant Pot Beef Stew would have been even easier.
We did have a pressure cooker that went on the stove, but using an electric pressure cooker would have been such a cinch for those freezing cold days. I mean, you can’t beat having beef stew in less than an hour!
Instant Pot Beef Stew
There’s so much going on in the food scene these days, isn’t there? So many new ideas, recipes, and combinations that are taking food to a whole new level, but it’s the classics I’m most drawn to.
Remember when you were little and you’d instantly know what meal was being made the moment those smells hit your nose? You just knew!! I love that feeling. Especially now that I’m an adult because those smells are happy memories that take me back to a specific place and time. I’m instantly there again and that can feel really good.
Our instant pot beef stew isn’t made in the exact way that my mother made it, but its tender, fall apart beef, flavorful veggies and liquid are like gold on a cold winter evening.
What Ingredients Do You Need for Instant Pot Beef Stew?
At first glance, this list is going to look long, but the majority of it, you will probably have in your pantry and spice rack. This is what you will need:
- Chuck Roast (see section below for other beef options)
- Yellow Onion
- Celery
- Carrots (see section below for details on the carrots)
- Potatoes (see section below for details on the potatoes)
- Salt
- Pepper
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Flour
- Oil
- Garlic
- Tomato Paste
- Balsamic Vinegar (or red wine)
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Ground Mustard
- Heavy Cream
- Bay Leaf
- Beef Broth
- Tomato Sauce
- Water
- Cornstarch
- Brown Sugar
What Beef is Best for Beef Stew?
Since beef stew cooks slowly, it tenderizes the meat, so less tender cuts work fine with beef stew.
Chuck, Chuck Shoulder, Chuck Roast, Chuck-Eye Roast, Top Chuck, Bone-in short rib, Oxtail, Fatty brisket, and Cross-cut shanks are all good cuts of meat for beef stew.
Carrots
Let’s talk about the most obvious veggie floating around in that pot of goodness, carrots. Often we like to just throw in baby carrots as they are small and easy, plus that hint of sweetness along with the rich, umami flavor of the beef is pretty awesome. However, they do break down faster and don’t offer that same root vegetable flavor as using large carrots.
It’s really up to you, but we are going to go with a rough chop on a few large, peeled carrots.
Which Potatoes for Beef Stew?
Red Potatoes have a low starch content which means they will not mess with the thickness of your soup or stew.
Yukon Golds are considered to be all-purpose potatoes.
Russets are not the best choice for soups or stews because of their high starch content, but really any potato you enjoy will work just fine.
How to Make Instant Pot Beef Stew
Head down to the recipe card for all the details of making this stew, as well as instruction for cooking it it in the slow cooker or oven. Here are the basic steps:
- Brown the meat in the Instant Pot on “Saute” mode
- Saute the veggies and seasonings
- Add all the remaining ingredients and cook on “Stew/Meat” mode.
- Finish it off with a quick browning session in the oven.
How to Make Beef Stew Thick?
Mix a tablespoon of cornflour or cornstarch into 1 tablespoon of water.
Stir them together and add to the stew.
Stir the stew until cornstarch mixture is fully incorporated.
Cook for 2 minutes over medium heat to allow the cornstarch to mix into the soup.
Beef Stew for Special Diets
Whole30
With the inclusion of the heavy cream, flour and brown sugar, this recipe is not Whole30 compatible.
Paleo
With the inclusion of the heavy cream, flour and brown sugar, this recipe is not Paleo compatible
Keto
This recipe could be considered Keto compliant if you eliminate the brown sugar and decrease the flour. And no rolls or crusty bread for sopping it up!
Can Beef Stew Be Frozen?
If you simply cooked it until the liquid thickened naturally, then you can freeze it in either a freezer bag or a plastic container for up to 3 months.
If you used a thickener such as cornstarch or flour, it may separate as it defrosts, but it can still be frozen.
How to Reheat Beef Stew?
Stews can be reheated on the stove top or in the microwave.
For stove top, put stew into pan and heat on medium heat stirring often.
For microwave, place in a covered microwave safe bowl and heat for about 3 minutes, stopping and stirring every 30 seconds.
What to Eat with Beef Stew?
Bread! Is there even a question here? Any beef stew needs a side of delicious bread. Here are some of our favorites:
Instant Pot Cheat Sheet
We are all about the Instant Pot and using it to make delicious recipes quickly! If you want an awesome guide for cooking all the basics in the Instant Pot, print off our Instant Pot Cheat Sheet!
Pure comfort food on a cool fall or winter evening made quick and easy with this Instant Pot Beef Stew! It tastes just like it has been simmering on the stove top all day, but it’s done in less than an hour!
Instant Pot Dinner RECIPES
- Better Than Your Grandma’s Chicken Noodle Soup
- Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Pineapple Mexican Shredded Chicken
- Award Winning Instant Pot Turkey
- Mexican Poblano Instant Pot Chicken
- BBQ Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Smoky BBQ Instant Pot Ribs
- Award Winning Instant Pot Chili
- Instant Pot Taco Soup
- You can find all our Instant Pot Recipes here!
Instant Pot Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds Beef, chuck roast, fat trimmed off and cut into cubes
- Cooking Oil
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion, chopped
- 6 Large Carrots, sliced diagonally into pieces
- 3-4 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 Stalks of Celery, chopped
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 teaspoons Each Rosemary and Thyme, OR 2 1/2 Teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided
- 1/3 Cup Flour
- 4 Potatoes , peeled and chopped into 1 inch chunks
- 6 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar, or red wine *see note below
- 1-2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Ground Mustard
- 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 2 Cups Beef Broth
- 15 Ounce Can Tomato Sauce
- 1/2 - 3/4 Cup Water
- 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- 3 Tablespoons Water
- 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to "Sauté" mode, add a little cooking oil and brown the meat on all sides. You may need to do this in batches.2 Pounds Beef, Cooking Oil
- Once the meat is browned, remove all the meat and add the onions, carrots, garlic, celery and seasonings. Cook for 3-5 minutes and then stir in the flour.1 Medium Yellow Onion, 6 Large Carrots, 3-4 Cloves Garlic, 2 Stalks of Celery, 2 teaspoons Salt, 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper, 2 teaspoons Each Rosemary and Thyme
- Add the remaining ingredients and change the Instant Pot to "Stew/Meat" mode for 35 minutes. When it is done, let it sit for about 10 minutes before releasing the steam.1/3 Cup Flour, 4 Potatoes , 6 Tablespoons Tomato Paste, 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar, 1-2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon Ground Mustard, 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream, 1 Bay Leaf, 2 Cups Beef Broth, 15 Ounce Can Tomato Sauce, 1/2 - 3/4 Cup Water, 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch , 3 Tablespoons Water, 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
- Technically at this point, it’s done. But I recommend finishing with a quick browning session in the oven (**see note below).
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Brown the meat in a skillet on the stove top.2 Pounds Beef, Cooking Oil
- Add all ingredients to slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.1 Medium Yellow Onion, 6 Large Carrots, 3-4 Cloves Garlic, 2 Stalks of Celery, 2 teaspoons Salt, 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper, 2 teaspoons Each Rosemary and Thyme, 1/3 Cup Flour, 4 Potatoes , 6 Tablespoons Tomato Paste, 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar, 1-2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon Ground Mustard, 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream, 1 Bay Leaf, 2 Cups Beef Broth, 15 Ounce Can Tomato Sauce, 1/2 - 3/4 Cup Water, 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch , 3 Tablespoons Water, 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
Oven Instructions
- Preheat oven to 320 degrees.
- Place all ingredients in a baking dish – it can be glass or ceramic (we use a round casserole dish – something between 8×8 and 9×13). Cover with foil and bake for 3-4 hours. If the gravy dries out, you can add a little water to the gravy to loosen it up before serving. See notes below for additional modifications/instructions.2 Pounds Beef, Cooking Oil, 1 Medium Yellow Onion, 6 Large Carrots, 3-4 Cloves Garlic, 2 Stalks of Celery, 2 teaspoons Salt, 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper, 2 teaspoons Each Rosemary and Thyme, 1/3 Cup Flour, 4 Potatoes , 6 Tablespoons Tomato Paste, 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar, 1-2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon Ground Mustard, 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream, 1 Bay Leaf, 2 Cups Beef Broth, 15 Ounce Can Tomato Sauce, 1/2 - 3/4 Cup Water, 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch , 3 Tablespoons Water, 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
REMEMBER TO SUBSCRIBE TO our FREE Oh Sweet Basil NEWSLETTER AND RECEIVE EASY RECIPES DELIVERED INTO YOUR INBOX EVERY DAY!
When you try a recipe, please use the hashtag #ohsweetbasil on INSTAGRAM for a chance to be featured in our stories! FOLLOW OH, SWEET BASIL ON FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TWITTER FOR ALL OF OUR LATEST CONTENT, RECIPES AND STORIES.
