Start comfort food season off right with the best Instant Pot beef stew! Tender beef chuck pressure-cooks in a savory, umami-rich broth. And while our recipe cooks in the Instant Pot, it tastes like it’s been simmering in a pot all day. If you’re new to Instant Pot cooking, this stew is a great place to start. Then, try our Instant Pot Mississippi pot roast, beef and barley soup, and Zuppa Toscana Instant Pot copycat!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Cool-weather means stew weather, am I right? Every family needs a good stick-to-your-ribs stew recipe, and this is ours! Enjoy mouth-watering, fall-apart beef and fork-tender vegetables cooked in a tasty broth as an easy stand-alone meal everyone will love.
What You Need to Make this Recipe
- Chuck Roast: The success of a stew heavily depends on the beef. We love boneless chuck roast because it’s easy to find and affordable. Chuck is naturally tough, so it benefits from being slow or pressure-cooked, making it perfect for stew. There are a few things to consider when buying a chuck roast. The first thing to look for is a beef with a good amount of marbling. I also recommend purchasing a whole chuck roast and cutting it yourself rather than buying pre-cut stew meat.
- Salt + Pepper: Generously season the beef with salt and pepper.
- Olive Oil: Sear chuck roast in olive oil to lock in all the moisture and create a nice crust.
- Vegetables: Onion, carrot, and celery add variation and flavor.
- Garlic: I suggest using three cloves, but don’t let my recipe tell you how much garlic to use – measure with your heart.
- Flour: Stir in flour to thicken the stew.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Enhance the stew with Worcestershire sauce.
- Tomato Paste: Adding a spoonful of tomato paste intensifies the flavor and deepens the color of the broth.
- Marmite: Whisk marmite into the stew for a salty boost to highlight the savoriness of the beef.
- Beef Better Than Bouillon: I use Beef Better Than Bouillon and water instead stock or broth for this recipe. It’s flavorful, easy, and something I keep in my pantry. You can also purchase store-bought beef stock or bone broth and use that instead.
- Potato: I like using petite potatoes like red or Yukon gold, but I will use russet potatoes if that’s what I have available.
- Bay Leaves: Bay leaves subtly flavor the dish as it cooks.
Additions and Substitutions
Our Instant Pot beef stew recipe is delicious and easily customizable, so you can make it your own.
- Replace chuck roast with tender, boneless short rib if you can find it on sale, or reduce the cooking time and use ground beef.
- Add peas, green beans, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, parsnip, or butternut squash in place of or in addition to the potatoes, carrots, and celery.
- Use cauliflower instead of potatoes for a low-carb option.
How to Make Instant Pot Beef Stew
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Generously season chuck roast with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Warm oil in an Instant Pot on saute mode. Then, add a layer of beef to brown and sear. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, and set it aside.
Step 3: Add the carrots, celery, and onion to the Instant Pot; cook until the onions soften and become translucent, for about 10 minutes. Then, stir in the garlic and flour. Continue cooking until the onions become brown.
Step 4: Stir in the marmite, Worcestershire, and tomato paste, and cook for about 30 seconds until it becomes fragrant.
Step 5: Deglaze the pot with water and Better than Bouillon, gently scraping up any brown bits left by searing the meat and cooking the vegetables. Return the reserved beef and add the potatoes and bay leaves.
Step 6: Secure the lid, and set the Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 40 minutes with a 10-minute natural release.
Expert Tips
- Select boneless beef chuck with a good amount of marbling, and cut it yourself rather than using pre-cut stew meat.
- Cut the beef and vegetables the same size to ensure they cook at the same rate.
- Sear the beef to lock in moisture and build the base of flavor for the stew.
- Deglaze the Instant Pot with water and Better Than Bouillon, scraping up the burnt bits at the bottom to avoid a burn notification on your Instant Pot.
Can I Make This Easy Beef Stew on the Stovetop?
- Generously season chuck roast with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven until smoking. Then, add a layer of beef to brown. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, and set them aside.
- In the same pan, add the carrots, celery, and onion. Cook until the onions soften and become translucent.
- Stir in the garlic and flour; cook until the onions brown and a roux forms.
- Add marmite, Worcestershire, and tomato paste to the pan and cook for about 30 seconds until it becomes fragrant.
- Stir in the broth and gently scrape up any brown bits left by searing the meat. Add the reserved beef, potatoes, and bay leaves.
- Cook over medium heat to maintain a simmer for 1-2 hours.
Serving Suggestions
- Soda Bread without Buttermilk, Rolls, Corn Bread, Saltine Crackers, Drop Biscuits, Biscuits , Keto Yorkshire Pudding, Pao de Sal, Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread
- Egg Noodles
- Mashed Potatoes, Mashed Cauliflower
- White Rice, Brown Rice
- Vegetable Chopped Salad
What to do With the Leftovers
- Refrigerate – Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freeze – Let the dish cool, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag. Instant Pot beef stew freezes for up to 3 months.
- Thaw – Defrost the stew in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat – Our savory stew is so good you can eat the leftovers for days and never tire of it. In fact, we think it tastes even better! Warm leftover stew on the stove-top or in the microwave, and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best meat to use for stew?
My answer changes based on the stew I am making, but for Instant Pot beef stew, boneless chuck roast is king! You can also use boneless short rib, beef brisket, beef shank, and even ground beef.
Why is my stew meat tough in Instant Pot? How do you make the meat tender?
No moisture escapes when preparing stew in the Instant Pot; this locks all the moisture into every bite. Still, many factors can affect the tenderness of the beef; here are some variables to consider.
1. Cut the beef and vegetables the same size, so the ingredients cook evenly.
2. Sear the beef to lock in the moisture.
3. Pressure cook the stew and allow time for the Instant Pot to release naturally.
4. The cut of meat can impact the tenderness of the beef; for this reason, I recommend avoiding pre-cut stew meat. I have never had a good experience preparing it in the Instant Pot.
More Beef Stew Recipes:
Instant Pot Beef Stew
- 4 pounds chuck roast, boneless, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, coarse ground
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large white onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 5 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Marmite
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon Beef Better Than Bouillon
- 1 pound petite potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 bay leaves
- Generously season chuck roast with salt and pepper.
- Warm oil in an Instant Pot on saute mode. Then, add a layer of beef to brown and sear. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, and set it aside.
- Add the carrots, celery, and onion to the Instant Pot; cook until the onions soften and become translucent, for about 10 minutes. Then, stir in the garlic and flour. Continue cooking until the onions become brown.
- Stir in the marmite, Worcestershire, and tomato paste, and cook for about 30 seconds until it becomes fragrant.
- Deglaze the pot with water and Better than Bouillon, gently scraping up any brown bits left by searing the meat and cooking the vegetables. Return the reserved beef and add the potatoes and bay leaves.
- Secure the lid, and set the Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 40 minutes with a 10-minute natural release.
- Select boneless beef chuck with a good amount of marbling, and cut it yourself rather than using pre-cut stew meat.
- Cut the beef and vegetables the same size to ensure they cook at the same rate.
- Sear the beef to lock in moisture and build the base of flavor for the stew.
- Deglaze the Instant Pot with water and Better Than Bouillon, scraping up the burnt bits at the bottom to avoid a burn notification on your Instant Pot.
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.
Jen
Sunday 7th of August 2022
This doesn't compare to any stew I've ever had, absolutely making this again!
Tressa Jamil
Sunday 7th of August 2022
Thanks for the comment Jen, I'm happy this meal has worked it's way into your rotation.