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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Large Spoon – This is helpful in adding all the ingredients to the Instant Pot and stirring the stew as necessary.
- Gravy Ladle – This beef stew is so thick and hearty that a good gravy ladle is required.
- Serving Bowl – A requirement for any soup recipe.
- Soup Bowls – It is very challenging to eat soup without these.
- Soup Spoons – If you have the soup bowls, you have to have the soup spoons to go with it.
- 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.
- 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?
- 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.
- 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.)
- 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.
- 1/2 Large Onion, chopped – you could use a medium onion. I used a white onion but a yellow onion would work also.
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 cloves) – I think everything is better with garlic.
- 2 Stalks Celery, chopped
- 2 cups chopped or sliced carrots – I chopped up some baby carrots. Just slice or chop the carrots into bite-sized pieces.
- 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.
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning (Basil, Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme)
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch – The cornstarch combined with water is optional and helps thicken the gravy if needed.
- 1/4 cup water to be mixed with the cornstarch to thicken the gravy.
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh Cilantro or Parsley for garnish.
How Do I Make Instant Pot Beef Stew?
- Cut the beef into about 1-inch bite-size pieces or use pre-cut stew meat.
- Chop the potatoes, onion, carrots, and celery. This can be done the day before if desired.
- Add oil to the Instant Pot and turn it to the Sauté setting.
- 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.
- Add the chopped onion and garlic to cook. Add additional oil, if needed. Cook until the onions are translucent.
- 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.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, and celery.
- 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?
- Use the sauté setting on the Instant pot to brown the beef in a little oil for about 5 minutes.
- Pressure cook the beef stew with high pressure for about 35 minutes.
- Release the steam naturally for about 15 – 20 minutes. This time can vary.
- Basically, it takes roughly about an hour to cook, including the time for the steam to naturally release.
How To Thicken Beef Stew Gravy
- 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
- Use Chuck Roast or Stew Meat. This cut has more fat and adds more flavor.
- Cut the meat and vegetables to be approximately the same size. This will allow everything to cook more evenly.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 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.
Pin To Save
Recipe
Instant Pot Beef Stew (With A Secret Ingredient)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds stew meat or chuck roast , cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 Tablespoon oil
- 2 medium russet potatoes , cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 large onion , chopped
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 stalks celery , chopped
- 2 cups carrots , chopped
- 1 cups red wine
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire
- 1/4 cup Chili Sauce (A Tomato-Based Chili Sauce like Heinz)
- 2-1/2 cups beef broth (Recommend using low-sodium version)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley or cilantro , chopped
Instructions
- Cut the beef into about 1-inch bite-size pieces or use pre-cut stew meat.
- Chop the potatoes, onion, carrots, and celery. This can be done the day before if desired.
- Press the Sauté button. Wait until "Hot" appears on the front of the Instant Pot. Then add oil to the inner liner pot within the Instant Pot.
- 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.
- Add the chopped onion and garlic to cook. Add additional oil, if needed. Cook until the onions are translucent.
- 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 and helps to prevent getting the "Burn" warning on the Instant Pot.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, and celery.
- Add the beef broth, Worcestershire, and chili sauce, followed by salt and pepper as well as Italian Seasoning.
- Pressure cook the beef stew with high pressure for about 35 minutes.
- Release the steam naturally for about 15 – 20 minutes. This time can vary.
- 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.
- Garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro.
Video
Notes
How To Thicken Beef Stew Gravy
- 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
- Use Chuck Roast or Stew Meat. This cut has more fat and adds more flavor.
- Cut the meat and vegetables to be approximately the same size. This will allow everything to cook more evenly.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Use Cornstarch mixed in cold water to add to the beef stew to thicken the beef gravy, if necessary.
Nutrition
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.
Debbie says
Oh my Goodness…this was fantastic! My husband kept saying over and over how good it was. I used Beef Bone Broth..no wine..tomato sauce and a bit of ketchup too. I did use chuck roast as we don’t care for “stew meat”. Italian Grinder mix for seasonings. This recipe is highly recommended by my family.
** For some reason I kept thinking a bit of cognac would taste good in this. Might try it some day. Thank you for sharing!!!
Michele says
Hi Debbie,
I’m so glad you liked it. It sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing! Be sure to check out our other wonderful recipes.
Michele
melissa says
I’ve made this recipe three or four times now and it is a family favourite! Love it – I’ve used chicken stock when I don’t have beef stock, and soy sauce instead of Worcestershire since I ran out. I do add cornstarch to thicken at the end as suggested. I serve it with a baguette. Yum – thank you for such a fantastic instant pot beef stew!! Great flavour.
Michele says
Hi Melissa,
Thanks for the kind comment. I’m so glad you and your family like it. Be sure to check out our other Instant Pot recipes as well.
Thanks,
Michele
Denise says
Can the beef be frozen? Or does it need to be thawed?
Thank You,
Denise
Michele says
Hi Denise, yes you can use frozen beef stew meat. Don’t change the time. Just be aware that it might take a little longer to come up to pressure and release pressure.
Michele
Holly C says
Can you clarify how much broth To use when we have no wine? Making sure I understand the “by equal amount” .
Thanks!
Michele says
Hi Holly,
Yes, certainly. If you don’t use wine in the recipe, then you need to increase the amount of beef broth by 1 cup to replace the wine. Therefore, instead of using 2-1/2 cups of beef broth, you will use 3-1/2 cups of beef broth.
Michele
Dena says
Honestly the BEST beef stew I have even eaten!! This will be the only beef stew recipe I will use from now on!!! Beyond delicious!
Michele says
Hi Dena,
I’m so happy you love this! I agree. It is our favorite beef stew! Please share with friends and be sure to check out our other recipes as well.
Michele
Rita says
This was wonderful. I substituted a cup of dark beer for the wine. The chili sauce is indeed the secret ingredient.
I let it rest the full 20 minutes before releasing the steam . Delicious! Thank you !
Michele says
Hi Rita,
I’m so glad you liked it. I bet it was delicious with the beer. Thanks for letting me know. Be sure to check out my other recipes as well.
Thanks,
Michele
Lisa says
Mine came out watery but we added egg noodles and cooked for 10 more minutes and it came out perfect! Excellent recipe! I might add that I don’t ever cook anything passed grilled cheese (my husband cooks every night) and even he was impressed with this recipe!!
Michele says
Hi Lisa,
I’m so glad you liked it. That’s a great tip for thickening the stew by adding the noodles and giving it more time. It is good to have options. For the future, if you don’t want to add the egg noodles and wait 10 minutes, make a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch and water mixed together) and pour that into the stew and stir. It will thicken up in a couple of minutes.
Please be sure to check out our other recipes too. You might like the Instant Pot Beef Tips And Gravy, and The Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings is very popular as is the Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Chicken And Rice Casserole.
Jules says
This really is a fantastic recipe! The stewing beef cubes and vegetables came out so perfectly tender, all nestled in an amazing beef gravy.
We thoroughly enjoyed it!
Michele says
Hi Jules,
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback. My family loves it as well. Be sure to check out our other recipes as well.
Thanks,
Michele
Aileen says
Would this freeze well.? I looking to have some good meals ready on those busy week nights . Made for the first time, easy to prepare and tastes delicious .
Michele says
Hi Aileen,
Yes. This will freeze well. Just be sure to use an airtight freezer-safe container.
Michele
Trisha says
Can you double this recipe in a 8 quart instant pot?
Michele says
Hi Trisha,
Yes, you should be able to double this recipe in an 8-quart Instant Pot. Just be sure to not go over the fill line marked on the inner liner pot.
Thanks,
Michele
Laura says
I’ve never been able to make a good beef stew. We loved this!! My husband told me not to lose this recipe. Lol. Thanks!!
Michele says
Hi Laura,
I’m so glad you loved it. Thanks for sharing your feedback. Be sure to check out our other recipes at Flavor Mosaic, we have over 500 recipes.
Thanks,
Michele
Connie says
This was amazing! I made it without wine simply because we do not like it. I used extra beef broth instead. I think we ate at least a half loaf of French bread to sop up the delicious broth.
Thank you so much for this recipe.
Michele says
Hi Connie,
I’m so glad you liked it. Be sure to share the link to this recipe with your friends and check out our other recipes. We have almost 600 recipes.
Thanks,
Michele
Lisa D says
My family and I loved it. The only thing I left out was celery because it is n ok t a favorite of ours but it was delicious
Michele says
Hi Lisa,
I’m so glad you and your family loved it. Thanks for the nice comment.
Michele
christina rea says
I can’t wait to make this tonight..if I don’t have celery can I use some celery salt? Thank you
Michele says
Hi Christina,
That is ok if you don’t have celery. Celery salt would probably taste good. I think that would be fine.
Michele
Gail says
Wonderful recipe. One of the best I have ever tasted.
Michele says
Thank you!
Michele P says
One of the best stews I have ever eaten!
Michele says
Thanks Michele. I’m so glad you liked it!
Julie Ligthfoot says
I can’t figure out why I have so much liquid. When I finished I had 8 cups total and gravy seemed thin even though I did add the suggested 2 tbl cornstarch stirred into 1/4 cup water. Flavor is very good and all ingredients done right.. I cooked on Manual for 20 minutes and kept in on warm for 33 minutes.
Michele says
Hi Julie,
The Instant Pot requires a certain amount of liquid to function, and it may seem like a lot of liquid when you first open it. However, if you need to, you can increase the amount of the cornstarch slurry added and/or use the SAUTE feature for a few minutes after pressure cooking to thicken the beef stew.
Thanks,
Michele