Instant Pot Beef Stew (With A Secret Ingredient)

This Instant Pot Beef Stew (With A Secret Ingredient) is the BEST beef stew with fork-tender beef, potatoes, and vegetables in a rich, savory gravy that is ready in an hour. 

We have had a cold and rainy winter and on my birthday this year, I wanted the ultimate comfort food, Beef Stew, because it is the quintessential cold weather comfort food meal.

Table of Contents

• Beef Stew Makes A Perfect Cold Weather Dinner
• What Makes This The Best Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe? 
• Can I Make This Recipe With Chicken?
• What Tools Do I Need To Make This Instant Pot Beef Stew?
• What Ingredients Do I Need To Make Instant Pot Beef Stew?
• How Do I Make Instant Pot Beef Stew?
• How Long To Cook The Beef Stew In The Instant Pot?
• How To Thicken Beef Stew Gravy
• Tips For Perfect Instant Pot Beef Stew
• Variations of Beef Stew
• What To Serve With Instant Pot Beef Stew?
• Other Similar Beef Recipes
• More Instant Pot Recipes
• Recipe
• Reviews

Beef Stew Makes A Perfect Cold Weather Dinner

While I love making beef stew using the traditional method, I love making it in my Instant Pot even more. It was the first recipe I made after I got my Instant Pot, and is still one of my favorite Instant Pot recipes.

Like other Instant Pot Beef dishes, such as Instant Pot Beef And Barley Soup,  Instant Pot Beef Tips and Gravy, Instant Pot Ropa Vieja, and Instant Pot Salisbury Steak, this Instant Pot Beef Stew makes a perfect comfort food.

What Makes This The Best Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe? 

While I have made other delicious beef stews and soups, both my husband and I both thought this one is the best. Here’s why:

1. This amazing Instant Pot Beef Stew can be on your dinner table in about an hour. Normally, beef stew needs to be cooked slowly in a slow cooker or in the oven in order to get that tender beef and rich, savory gravy. However, the Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker speeds up the cooking yet still gives you that same tender beef and vegetables and flavorful gravy.
2. My Secret Ingredient that makes the gravy extra rich and flavorful. What is it you ask? Instead of adding tomato sauce, I add a tomato-based Chili Sauce. Yes, Chili Sauce! It adds additional flavor to give the gravy more depth of flavor. My husband could not stop talking about how good the gravy was.

Can I Make This Recipe With Chicken?

Yes, you can make stew with chicken. However, instead of adapting this recipe, I would refer you to our Instant Pot Chicken Stew recipe.

What Tools Do I Need To Make This Instant Pot Beef Stew?

Below are tools needed to make this recipe. These affiliate links give you an opportunity to see each tool on Amazon.com and purchase it if you wish. I receive a very small commission if you choose to buy an item.

1. An Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker – This recipe requires a pressure cooker, such as Instant Pot, in order to cook the beef stew in an hour. This is the one that I use.
2. Cutting Board – You will need this to cut the chuck roast and potatoes as well as to chop the onions, celery, and carrots. I use a cutting board similar to this one.
3. Sharp Knife – It is extremely important to have a good quality sharp knife to cut meat and chop vegetables. It makes the job of chopping much easier and faster. I like this one.
4. Large Spoon – This is helpful in adding all the ingredients to the Instant Pot and stirring the stew as necessary. 
5. Gravy Ladle – This beef stew is so thick and hearty that a good gravy ladle is required.
6. Serving Bowl – A requirement for any soup recipe. 
7. Soup Bowls – It is very challenging to eat soup without these.
8. Soup Spoons – If you have the soup bowls, you have to have the soup spoons to go with it.
9. Dinner Napkins – We all want to be perfect but, just in case an accident happens, it is a good idea to have napkins on hand just in case of a spill, and no table setting is complete without them.
10. Napkin Rings – These make a very pretty table setting. I have a set like these.

What Ingredients Do I Need To Make Instant Pot Beef Stew?

1. 2 pounds chuck roast, cut into about 1-inch or bite-sized pieces. People have asked me what the best type of beef to use for beef stew, and I like a good chuck roast the best because after cooking, it is so fork tender. To save time, you can buy the chuck roast already cut into “stew meat” at the grocery store.
2. 1 Tablespoons of oil – I like to use avocado oil because it is a healthy oil that handles high heat well. However, you could use vegetable oil or olive oil (but I don’t recommend extra virgin olive oil because that does not handle the high heat as well.)
3. 2 (or 1 pound) medium Russet Potatoes, cut into about 1-inch pieces – You could use red potatoes or Yukon gold but for a stew, I like to use russets.
4. 1/2 Large Onion, chopped – you could use a medium onion. I used a white onion but a yellow onion would work also.
5. 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 cloves) – I think everything is better with garlic.
6. 2 Stalks Celery, chopped 
7. 2 cups chopped or sliced carrots – I chopped up some baby carrots. Just slice or chop the carrots into bite-sized pieces.
8. 1 cup red wine – I like to use a dry red wine like a merlot or cabernet. However, use one that you like. If you don’t want red wine, you can increase the amount of the beef broth by an equal amount.
9. 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire. 
10. 1/4 cup Chili Sauce – my secret ingredient – If you don’t have a tomato-based chili sauce, then you could use tomato sauce instead.
11. 2-1/2 cups Beef Broth. I recommend using the reduced sodium so you can better control the amount of salt in the recipe and prevent it from becoming too salty.
12. Salt and Pepper to taste – I use little salt since the beef broth and Worcestershire usually contain quite a bit of salt and I use a lot of pepper because we like pepper. However, I recommend adjusting the amounts of salt and pepper based on your taste preferences.
13. 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning (Basil, Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme) 
14. 2 Tablespoons cornstarch – The cornstarch combined with water is optional and helps thicken the gravy if needed.
15. 1/4 cup water to be mixed with the cornstarch to thicken the gravy.
16. 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh Cilantro or Parsley for garnish.

How Do I Make Instant Pot Beef Stew?

1. Cut the beef into about 1-inch bite-size pieces or use pre-cut stew meat.
2. Chop the potatoes, onion, carrots, and celery. This can be done the day before if desired.
3. Add oil to the Instant Pot and turn it to the Sauté setting.
4. When the oil starts to sizzle, add the stew meat. Let it brown for a couple of minutes. Then turn the meat so it browns on all sides. Don’t cook it all the way through. The goal is to just brown the outside of the meat.
5. Add the chopped onion and garlic to cook. Add additional oil, if needed. Cook until the onions are translucent.
6. Deglaze the pan by pouring in the wine. Scrape all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. That adds flavor to the sauce.
7. Add the potatoes, carrots, and celery.
8. Pour in the beef broth, Worcestershire, and chili sauce, followed by salt and pepper, as well as Italian Seasoning.

How Long To Cook The Beef Stew In The Instant Pot?

1. Use the sauté setting on the Instant pot to brown the beef in a little oil for about 5 minutes.
2. Pressure cook the beef stew with high pressure for about 35 minutes.
3. Release the steam naturally for about 15 – 20 minutes. This time can vary.
4. Basically, it takes roughly about an hour to cook, including the time for the steam to naturally release.

How To Thicken Beef Stew Gravy

1. If the gravy is too thin, mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water and stir into the beef stew while it is hot.

Tips For Perfect Instant Pot Beef Stew

1. Use Chuck Roast or Stew Meat. This cut has more fat and adds more flavor.
2. Cut the meat and vegetables to be approximately the same size. This will allow everything to cook more evenly.
3. Sauté the beef to brown it before starting to cook. This sears the beef and gives it so much more complex flavor. The Instant Pot makes this easy because it has a sauté setting so that you can brown the meat in the Instant Pot before you start pressuring cooking the beef stew.
4. Chop vegetables ahead of time. Save time and stress by chopping your vegetables ahead of time, such as the night before. Store in air-tight containers and refrigerate until ready to use.
5. Deglaze the pot with red wine to ensure that get all the brown bits off the bottom from the beef because those add flavor, as does the red wine.
6. Use Cornstarch mixed in cold water to add to the beef stew to thicken the beef gravy, if necessary.

Variations of Beef Stew

To Make a Guinness Beef Stew for St Patrick’s Day, instead of using one cup of red wine, use 1 cup of a dark beer, such as Guinness beer.

What To Serve With Instant Pot Beef Stew?

Honestly, this Beef Stew is a meal unto itself. You don’t really need anything else. However, if you would like bread or rolls to soak up the gravy, try either of these recipes:

Irish Soda Bread Muffins – Traditional Irish Soda Bread made into smaller muffins and with cheddar and jalapeños added.

Easy Homemade Buttermilk Cornbread – This is a dense, buttery, golden, semi-sweet cornbread that goes well with soups, chowders, gumbo, chili, chicken, roasts, and red beans and rice; and any other comfort food you can think of.

Other Similar Beef Recipes

Beef Tips and Rice – with sautéed onions and peppers covered in a savory gravy, made in a dutch oven or crockpot, make an easy, delicious, and hearty dinner your family will love.

Crockpot Chuck Roast – This easy Crock Pot Chuck Roast or Pot Roast or Beef Roast recipe, with roasted potatoes, carrots, and onions, is so juicy, tender and flavorful, no one would ever believe how easy it is to make dinner in the slow cooker!

Ground Beef Stroganoff – This easy 30-minute recipe omits the cream of mushroom soup and uses ground beef for an awesome comfort food dinner!

Salisbury Steak – is pure comfort food. Serve with mashed potatoes and green beans or peas for a fantastic hearty family dinner.

More Instant Pot Recipes

Instant Pot Chicken Stew

Instant Pot Chicken And Dumplings

Instant Pot Beef Tips And Gravy

Easy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Be sure to check out the rest of our delicious Instant Pot Soups.

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Originally published on January 1, 2019 and updated March 5, 2020, to add a photo of ingredients, and step by step photos, a tutorial video, a variation of beef stew, and links to other Instant Pot recipes.