Why This Recipe Is So Great:
- Instant Pot gives best results: This beef stew recipe is done in two stages. The Instant Pot is used to sear the meat and and brown the onions, then the stew is pressure cooked to lock in the flavor. The result is the most tender meat and perfectly cooked vegetables.
- Prep while you cook: Since this recipe is cooked in stages, you can do the prep work in sequential order. See my tips below to maximize your dinner efficiency!
- Great as a meal prep or make ahead dinner: Beef stew tastes great when you make it, but some may argue it tastes even better leftover. If you have a busy week ahead, make this recipe when you have time and reheat for a quick and easy dinner.
How Do I Pressure Cook Meat In Instant Pot
Cover bottom of pot with 1 cup cold water for a 6 quart instant pot and 1.5 cups of cold water for an 8 quart instant pot. Add in trivet and place frozen or fresh ground meat directly on trivet. Put the lid on the Pressure Cooker and turn valve to seal. Set to High Pressure for 20 minutes if frozen, 6 minutes if fresh.
Traditional Meatloaf Instant Pot
Have you been searching for the ideal meatloaf recipe one thats not too busy but still tastes divine? Then, look no further!
This traditional meatloaf works well as is, though, of course, you can also spice it up with a bacon wrap.
I dont know about you, but I dont usually add bell peppers to meatloaf.
However, its an excellent way to sneak some veggies into the dish. Instead, try sliced green bean pieces to add the green color and additional nutrients.
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You Will Need A Pressure Cooker To Make This Instant Pot Recipe
I am using an 8 quart Instant pot but you can use a 6 quart. I personally have an Instant Pot and so far I am loving it.
You can find the Instant pot on sale here. Its really changed dinner time around here.
If you have been putting off trying an instant pot, I highly recommend going ahead and biting the bullet. I love using the pressure cooker when I dont have much time.
It is perfect for frozen food or meals that normally take a while. You can toss everything in and have dinner ready in no time at all.
Those days when you forget to take something out of the freezer or wait until the last minute for dinner, the instant pot is your saving grace.
I am not exaggerating when I say it truly has changed meal time around here. We love ours!
You can also these Instant Pot Accessories to make pressure cooking a breeze. We just love to pressure cook and I am certain you will too.
Dinner time is much easier and less complicated now that I have the pressure cooker. If you are hesitant or on the fence, dont be. You will love it!
You can also make this meal in the slow cooker if you prefer.
Instant Pot Chicken Stew Recipe

This is one of those meals that everyone loves and is a great use of leftover chicken. Each bite is loaded with tons of tasty ingredients and you only need a few minutes to prepare it.
It is perfect any time of the year and just an all around great meal! From family dinner to special occasions, this meal can easily feed a crowd and everyone always loves it.
Instant pot italian chicken stew is hearty and delicious while being frugal and simple. This is our type of recipe.
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What To Serve With Instant Pot Chicken Stew
This meal is amazing with crusty bread so you can dip into that yummy broth. Pick up a loaf of french bread from the bakery or make these easy homemade dinner rolls. Yum!
Just use whatever your family likes! We have even made this easy homemade cornbread and served the soup with that.
You can also try Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread Recipe for a little extra kick.
Instant Pot Soup Setting
The default Instant Pot soup setting is pre-programmed to set the pot to cook at HIGH pressure for 30 minutes. The soup program brings contents of the pot to a slow simmer and results in a clear broth due to lack of boiling motion. Below is how to use the Soup/Broth setting on Instant Pot.
- Turn the Instant Pot on, it will say OFF to indicate the Stand-By mode. Add all ingredients, seasonings and liquids to the pot and stir. Secure the lid on top. Press the Soup button. It will say Normal, 30 minutes at High Pressure. If you press the Soup button again, you can adjust the mode from Normal to Less or More .
- Normal mode 30 minutes at High pressure recommended for soups with meat.
- Less mode 20 minutes at High pressure recommended for soups without meat.
- More mode 4 hours at High pressure recommended for soups that require longer cook times such as rich bone broths. Release the pressure naturally.
Use the / + buttons to further customize the time. The cooking time may be adjusted at any time during pressure cooking.
INSTANT POT SOUP COOKING TIPS
We find that most vegetables, including potatoes, dont need the full 20 minutes at High pressure and will often overcook and get too soft, so for most vegetable-based soups, 5 to 10 minutes at High pressure is usually enough.
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Make Ahead And Meal Prep Tips For This Instant Pot Beef Stew
- chop the carrots and celery the day before and add them to a zip-top freezer bag in the fridge
- peel and chop the potatoes and onions and store them in a zip-top freezer bag in the freezer. This prevents the potatoes from changing color and the onions from spreading odors in the fridge.
- cut the beef into chunks and place in zip-top freezer bags. Store in the fridge.
This Instant Pot Beef Stew recipe makes a big batch with enough for LOTS of leftovers.
In fact, I think I love the flavors even more the next day. So you can make it ahead for a freezer friendly recipe to the next time you are craving beef stew. Or prep it the night before on your Sunday meal prep and portion it out for work or school lunches.
All those thick rich and deep flavors get a chance to build even more overnight.
So delicious and the perfect meal for busy weeknights or a cozy Sunday dinner.
Tips For Making The Best Beef Stew:
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How To Make Instant Pot Beef Stew:
Ingredients For Instant Pot Beef Stew
No paprika, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, red wine, etc. Save your money and time. Seriously, its super easy!
- Beef stew meat: An affordable roast like chuck, rump, or any other cheap roast turns into tender beef in the Instant Pot. Just cut it into 1-inch pieces and you are good to go.
- Potatoes: Yellow, red potatoes or baby potatoes will keep their shape better because they are waxier than they are starchy. Russet potatoes are good if you like fall apart potatoes in a stew.
- Other veggies: Onion, celery, carrot, and frozen peas at the end.
- Tomato paste and stock: I used both low sodium. If yours are not, add less salt.
- Spices: Oregano, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, salt, and pepper are a magical blend of seasoning that imparts so much flavour.
- Fresh dill and garlic : These are 2 secret ingredients. You can use less dill than I do, but give it a try.
If you are looking for stew recipes without beef, check out my ground turkey stew and chickpea stew with chicken.
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If Youre Not A Fan Of Soft Veggies
Im not going to lie. Vegetables cook fast in the instant pot, and they will be soft all the way after 45 minutes or so under pressure. Its an extra step , but for the sake of recipe testing I have tried this three ways:
Adding the veggies for the entire cooking time: Everything will be soft, but not disintegrated.
Adding the veggies for the last 15 minutes, only: The veggies will be cooked pretty much on point, but it is a small extra step, and youll lose some time bringing the pressure down, and then bringing it back up.
Cooking the vegetables separately on the stove, then adding them once the meat is done cooking: Huge extra hassle, less flavor in the gravy, thinner gravy , BUT you get to cook the vegetables exactly to your liking.
Personally, I always add the veggies for the entire cooking process Since they are part of a stew, I dont mind them being super soft. AND Im a hater of any and all extra steps I can prevent, ha!
Why Is Searing Stew Meat Recommended

- There is this thing called the Maillard reaction that occurs during high heat cooking. Basically, it is the chemical transformation of sugars and amino acids resulting in rich deep color, heightened flavor, and a more palatable texture.
- Even simpler ~ caramelizing intensifies the flavor.
- You really dont want to skip this step. It makes the difference between a so-so stew and an amazingly delicious stew!
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Instant Pot Yogurt Setting
The Yogurt button is a non-pressure cooking Smart Program made for easily fermented dairy and non-dairy recipes. The setting modes Less, Normal and More are used for different times of fermentation or for boiling the milk. Below are some basic steps and setting options for making yogurt using the Yogurt setting button.
PASTEURIZING/HEATING MILK
- Add milk to the inner pot. A minimum of 4 cups of milk is recommended for a 6-quart Instant Pot . Secure and close the lid. Make sure to press the quick-release button down until it clicks and locks into the Vent position. On Duo Classic, turn the steam release hand to point to Venting. Do this before you select the settings and make any adjustments.
- Select Yogurt setting. The default mode is Normal. Press Yogurt again to cycle to the More option. The display indicates boiL. After 10 seconds the cooker begins heating. This setting mode can be used to pasteurize the milk but is also there for heating the milk before adding in the starter culture. When pasteurization/heating completes, the display indicates End.
ADDING STARTER CULTURE
FERMENTING YOGURT
How To Make Instant Pot Yogurt Cups
Yogurt cups are a convenient way to portion out your yogurt into individual or smaller servings. After adding the starter culture to the pasteurized or warm milk, carefully pour the milk into your yogurt cups and seal them tightly. Clean the inner pot thoroughly and place the steam rack/trivet on the bottom of the inner pot. Place the sealed yogurt cups on the steam rack and add water to the inner pot until the cups are submerged halfway. Follow steps in Fermenting Yogurt above.
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The Best Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe
Soup and Stew 1 hr
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The Best Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe Mouthwatering beef stew made with tender chunks of beef, delicious vegetables and a hearty broth makes a favorite Instant Pot recipe!
Beef stew has always been a recipe that I can depend on my family loving and when I started making it in my Instant Pot, we all declared it one of our absolute favorite Instant Pot recipes! If you have an Instant Pot, then you will definitely want to add this to your must-make soon list!
Hey Jeffrey Wheres Your Recipe For Beef Stew Well After Four Years Of Starting Pressure Luck It Was Time To Give You What You Asked For The Tastiest Tenderest Beef Stew Suitable For Any Occasion
If you thought the best way to make this dish was in a slow cooker, the Instant Pot will make you re-think that. Youll have this done in a fraction of the time with even richer flavor, making this beef stew one of the easiest and tastiest things youll achieve. This classic, hearty dinner is a now newfound winner.
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What Is Beef Stew
Beef stew is a combination of larger-sized cut vegetables and beef meat, cooked in a liquid such as broth with various seasoning options until fork-tender. A beef stew is chunky in texture and typically served over freshly steamed rice.
Its a delicious main meal option for the family to be enjoyed on cold winter days and can easily be varied depending on your preference of vegetables and optional side dishes.
While beef stew is typically cooked slowly on a low, simmering heat, the great news is that you can still achieve the same level of tenderness and flavor with substantially reduced cooking time by using your Instant Pot instead of cooking on the stove top or in a slow cooker, which is what Im sharing with you today!
What Meat Is Best For Beef Stew
I often use chuck roast for beef stew recipe, though Ill also use a round steak or rump roast if its on sale. Both cuts are fairly inexpensive, trim up easily, and result in tender beef stew meat.
Really its about personal preference:
Chuck roast has a little higher fat content than rump roast, which gives you a more flavorful stew.
Round roasts or rump roasts have less marbling, which can make it easier to trim up each bite to discard the meat.
Whatever type of roast you use, be sure to dice it into uniform-sized pieces for even cooking.
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The BEST beef stew recipe ever! So hearty, cozy and comforting! And it can be made SO EASILY right in your pressure cooker! Loaded with flavorful chunks of meat and potatoes that come out amazingly tender.
I wish I could say I made this in preparation for St. Patricks Day this weekend.
But I didnt.
Because as Ive mentioned before, its kind of cold in Southern California. Like 60 degrees cold.
So my routine hasnt changed at all.
Im 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.
Ive had 4 bowls already, with crusty bread, so I should probably leave the house at some point to work this off.
Side notes:
Dont be worried if you cant find baby Dutch yellow potatoes. You can substitute any kind of potatoes. I just prefer the former as it holds up a bit better in the Instant Pot.
Also, if you dont have an Instant Pot, you can try this slow cooker versioninstead.
Tips For Instant Pot Beef Stew

- Cut your carrots and potatoes into large pieces so that they dont get mushy in the stew after cooking.
- I like to use halved baby yellow potatoes. You can also use larger Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes that have been cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes.
- This recipe can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Want to amp up your beef stew to a new level? Sprinkle some cooked, crumbled bacon over the top before serving.
- You can add other vegetables to your stew such as a can of tomatoes or halved fresh mushrooms.
Once you try this Instant Pot beef stew, youll never want to make stew on the stove top again. The beef comes out meltingly tender and full of flavor, and the pressure cooker does all of the hard work for you!
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