Instant Pot Beef Stew

This tasty homemade Instant Pot beef stew is the perfect addition to your menu or next gathering. It is healthy, freezer-friendly, frugal, and SO easy to make. Pairs well with a kale Caesar salad and parmesan cheese crisps.

I used to think that beef stew was something you only made when it was cold out…

Or when you wanted a warm, cozy, Sunday night dinner… like Instant Pot chicken noodle soup or easy baked ziti or slow cooker quinoa chicken cacciatore.

Or when your freezer was down to just the one package of meat and you needed to make something that would cover a few meals… like ground beef taco meat or Instant Pot beef and broccoli or slow cooker beef ragu.

But I knew the first time I made this Instant Pot Beef Stew that it would be a winner among my Instant Pot recipes, and we’ve served this all year, on any day of the week, and we’ve made it work regardless of the cut of beef we had in the freezer!

Pressure Cooker Beef Stew

I have to confess that I love making dinner in my Instant Pot. I love the “set it and forget it” mentality, letting me spend time doing things that are more fun than standing at a hot stove and stirring.

Aside from this beef stew being made in the Instant Pot, I also love that its:

• Versatile – LOTS of options with the meat and veggies! (see my notes below)
• Freezer-friendly – I can make one for now, and another in a gallon plastic storage bag for later!
• Feeds a Crowd – Even though this recipe only uses 1 lb of meat, it’s enough to cover several meals!
• Tender, Warm, Cozy, Comforting, Packed with Flavor – everything a beef stew should be!

Plus it is one of the classics! We all need a go-to beef stew recipe, right?

Instant Pot Stew Ingredients

• onion
• garlic
• tomato paste
• thyme
• water (or beef broth)
• salt & pepper (to taste)
• bay leaf

You have a lot of wiggle room with the meat and vegetables in this beef stew recipe. Scroll down to see more variations that will help use up what you have, and save money buying what’s on sale!

Psst! If you’re going to add salt, I highly recommend Ava Jane’s Kitchen. You may think all salt is created equal, but unfortunately, 90% of the salt produced around the world contains microplastics (gross, right?). Ava Jane’s Kitchen is an exception. Their salt is 100% microplastic-free, and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a bag for just 1¢!! (Get your penny bag of salt on this page.)

How to Make the Best Beef Stew in the Instant Pot (pressure cooker)

Step 1. Press high pressure, turn the valve into the sealed position.

Step 2. Ladle finished stew into bowls and serve hot!

If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge!

Making Beef Stew Gravy

If you want to thicken the liquid from the beef stew into a gravy (so less like a soup, and more like a traditional stew), ladle 2 tablespoons of liquid from the stew into a mug or small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and stir well.

• If the stew is still very hot (i.e. you just removed the lid), stir this cornstarch slurry back into the stew and stir until the liquid has thickened.
• If the stew has cooled, turn the Instant Pot on “sauté” and when the stew is hot again, add the cornstarch slurry and stir well.

(Using a cornstarch slurry is best for pressure cooking so you don’t get the burn error. Plus it keeps the dish gluten-free!)

Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe: FAQ’s

Tips for the Best Instant Pot Beef Stew

• Skip the Saute –Some recipes call for dredging the meat in flour and sautéing it in batches, but I’ve found that it doesn’t make much of a difference in the end. Skip that step, save time, and make this meal more hands-off!
• Stretch the Meat – Stew meat often comes in 1-inch pieces, but if you cut each of those pieces in half (to about ½” inch chunks) then your stew meat will go much further! You’ll get more pieces of meat in each serving, and you can get away with using just 1 lb of meat for the recipe, versus 2+ lbs.
• Make One Freeze One – while you measure ingredients for tonight’s dinner, measure the same ingredients into a gallon freezer-safe bag for later!

Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe Variations

Vegetables: I used root vegetables in the version of Instant Pot Beef Stew, but you can go the more traditional route with Yukon gold potatoes and carrots (like in my Slow Cooker Beef Stew recipe). If you want to add mushrooms, summer squash, or frozen peas, add them to the very end, close the Instant Pot and let them cook in the residual heat for 5 minutes.

Beans/Lentils: Adding beans or lentils are a great way to stretch your meat as well and increase the nutrients and fiber in the beef stew. Add 1-2 cups of your favorite beans or lentils at the very end of the recipe – black beans, kidney beans, green lentils, brown lentils, and black lentils are all great options!

Meat: Beef stew meat is the traditional cut of beef for stew recipes, but I’ve also made this recipe using chuck roast and flank steaks that I’ve cut into 1-2” cubes myself! This is a perfect way to use the meat you already have, and if you’re a member of Butcher Box, this is how you can make your monthly order go even further!

Note: If you don’t have access to these stores OR your local stores don’t carry grass-fed ground beef, I recommend Butcher Box. You can read my honest review of their products here!

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More Homemade Soup Recipes

• Tomato Basil Soup
• Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup
• Slow Cooker Mexican Potato Soup
• Garlic White Bean and Kale Soup

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