Easy Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe
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Craving a cozy, hearty meal? This Instant Pot Beef Stew is what you want. Loaded with tons of flavor, stew meat, potatoes and vegetables all cooked in your pressure cooker for a tender, delicious combination. Make it for dinner tonight!

Okay, so today’s post is just another reason I LOVE my Instant Pot – you can make a hearty homemade Beef Stew in 30 minutes. Yes, 30-minutes! And there’s no tricks or shortcuts involved with the ingredients.
It’s made with stew meat and lots of vegetables just like ones that takes all day to cook, but using a pressure cooker cuts the cooking time by a ton!
Normally, beef stew takes hours to cook so the beef breaks down and turns tender. Well, the Instant Pot makes quick work of it so you can make this delicious dinner during the week. The beef is so tender, the vegetables are perfectly cooked and your whole family will wonder how you managed to make it on Monday.
My family loves beef stew and for years I made my Crock Pot Beef Stew, which is so good, but sometimes I don’t even have time to get the ingredients in the slow cooker first thing in the morning, so this Instant Pot version is the one I turn to for those really crazy weeks. You can prep it all and have the Instant Pot locked and loaded in about 15 minutes. Then you just wait for it to do its thing and 15 minutes later you have an amazing one-pot dinner on the table.
If you have a meat-and-potato-loving family like I do, they are going to love this beef stew!
Beef Stew Instant Pot Recipe Ingredients
The ingredient list might seem long, but half are pantry ingredients so you probably already have many of them on hand. Here’s what you need:
- Olive oil
- Stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
- Salt and pepper
- Minced garlic
- Paprika
- Worcestershire sauce
- Canned tomato sauce
- Low-sodium beef broth
- Chopped yellow onion
- Diced potatoes
- Sliced carrots
- Cornstarch and water

What is the best beef for stew?
You have a few choices:
- You can buy a package of pre-cut “stew” meat which is usually chuck roast or beef round which are both tougher cuts of meat that are meant to be simmered or braised for a long time. As they cook the connective tissue breaks down and the meat turns tender. If you buy precut stew meat you can always check the package to see what cut of beef it is or ask the butcher. The pieces of meat are not always the same size so it’s a good idea to cut them into even-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
- You can also just buy your own whole cut of the meat and cut it down into bite-sized pieces yourself.
What are the best potatoes for stew?
Waxy potatoes are best for stew because they hold their shape and don’t break down like starchier potatoes (like russets). Yukon gold potatoes are great but you can also use new potatoes and red potatoes.
How to make Beef Stew in Instant Pot
We’re using two different settings for this recipe: the saute setting and the manual pressure setting. I love that you can brown the meat right in the Instant Pot!
- Prepare Stew Meat – First, turn on the saute setting and once the IP is warmed up add the oil. Brown the meat in the oil for three to four minutes on each side. Be sure to season the meat with salt and pepper while it browns.
- Prepare Soup – Add all of the other ingredients except for the cornstarch and water. You’ll use those at the end to help thicken the stew. Stir everything together in the Instant Pot.
- Cook Beef Stew – Then secure the lid, close the valve and set the manual pressure for 30 minutes. When the timer goes off, do a natural release for ten minutes. After ten minutes, open the steam valve and release any remaining pressure.
- Thicken Stew – Turn on the saute setting again and bring the stew to a simmer. Mix the cornstarch with the water and add it to the stew. Stir and simmer the stew for three to five minutes or until the liquid starts to thicken.
- Garnish – I like to garnish the stew with some chopped fresh parsley, but this is optional!

Tips for Make Ahead Beef Stew in Instant Pot
This stew is so quick and easy I don’t usually make it ahead, but you can! It’s great as a make-ahead dinner or lunch if you like to meal prep. Store the stew in an airtight container and it will keep well in the refrigerator for three to four days. Or you can freeze it for up to three months!
Your stew might be a lot thicker after it’s been chilled so when you reheat it you can thin it by adding some beef stock or even water. If you use water just be sure to give it a taste and add a little salt if needed. I usually warm leftover stew on the stove but you can also just pop it in the microwave!
When it’s cold and wintery out there is nothing better than a bowl of this cozy beef stew! I hope you love it as much as we do – it’s one of our favorite cold-weather dinners. Looking for more Instant Pot recipe ideas? You have to give these a try, too!

More Amazing Instant Pot Recipes
- My Pork Roast recipe is a complete meal you can make in your pressure cooker! The meat, veggies and sauce all cook together for a delicious dinner.
- Swedish Meatballs are an easy dinner that my family loves! They are served with tender egg noodles and a savory gravy that cook right in the Instant Pot with the meatballs.
- Once you try my easy Homemade Hamburger Helper you’ll never buy the boxed stuff again!
- Make a batch of my easy Lentil Soup for a cozy dinner!
Take a Look at These!
- Can you make spaghetti in a crock pot?
- How long to cook broccoli in air fryer?
- Alabama Slammer Cocktail
- Good BBQ Chicken Marinade
- Chicken Green Bean Potato Bake
- How to Make Cannoli Dip
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!

Easy Instant Pot Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 lbs beef stew meat cut into ½ inch cubes
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 3 c. low sodium beef broth
- 1 yellow onion peeled and chopped
- 3 c. potatoes peeled and diced
- 4 carrots peeled and sliced
- 3 Tbsp water
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- Parsley optional
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to Saute, then select More. Wait for the pot to heat up, then add the oil.
- Add stew meat to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until browned.
- Add garlic, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, beef broth, onion, potatoes and carrots.
- Stir to combine. Seal the Instant Pot and set it to Manual High Pressure for 30 minutes.
- When cooking time is done allow to pressure to natural release for 10 minutes. Carefully vent the pressure valve to allow any additional pressure to release after 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl combine water and cornstarch until smooth to create a slurry.
- Pour mixture back into the pot, and turn the pot back to the Saute function.
- Simmer for 3-5 minutes or until stew has started to thicken.
- Sprinkle with parsley, then serve.
Tips
- You can buy a package of pre-cut “stew” meat which is usually chuck roast or beef round which are both tougher cuts of meat that are meant to be simmered or braised for a long time. As they cook the connective tissue breaks down and the meat turns tender. If you buy precut stew meat you can always check the package to see what cut of beef it is or ask the butcher. The pieces of meat are not always the same size so it’s a good idea to cut them into even-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
- You can also just buy your own whole cut of the meat and cut it down into bite-sized pieces yourself.
Heather says
30 minutes too long – veggies mushy
Sherry says
New to using the instant pot – do you need to deglaze the pot after you sauté the meat to prevent a burn signal? This looks great and I want to try it.
Julie Evink says
Yes, that’s the best way to avoid the burn message.
Megan says
Super easy to prepare and tastes great! Definitely will be a repeat.
Julie Evink says
So glad you enjoyed it Megan. Thanks for commenting and rating the recipe!
sharon vice says
this looks amazing. what is the liquid that you are adding in the video right after the beef broth?
Julie says
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Jess says
Can this be made same way with pork stew meat instead of beef?
Julie says
Yes, I think that will work just fine!
MariR says
Spectacular recipe! This stew hit the spot and was just right. I ended up adding 1 tsp of dry thyme, 2 stalks of celery, 2 tbsp of tomato paste, and a 1/2 cup of red wine. This soup as a base was magical!!! Thanks so much!
MariR says
Sorry, meant to give it 5 stars!
Julie says
Awesome! Thank you!
Julie says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Kay says
This was the best one yet! I’m still trying to figure out this instapot…
Julie says
Perfect! I’m so glad you loved it!
Debbie Hass says
Cook time on top of the recipe states 15 minutes but in the instructions it says 30 minutes. Which is it? I am doing the 30 and hopefully it turns out fine. I didn’t have any tomato sauce so I only used one can of beef broth(2cups) and of petite diced tomatoes. I might have to use a little more corn starch to thicken the gravy, we will see.
Julie says
The 30 minutes on the recipe card is the correct amount, thanks for pointing that out!
Eve Joyce says
Thumbs up!
Julie says
Thanks, Eve!
ROBIN says
Great stew. Everyone enjoyed it and we have leftovers for a few lunches.
Julie says
Perfect! I’m glad it was a hit!
Sandi says
I love how easy this recipe was for the Instant Pot…super yummy!
Julie says
Thanks Sandi! I’m glad you loved it!
Cindy says
Looks very easy. Sound very yummy. But where did are all those calories come from??
Julie says
Those numbers are an estimate as it depends on the ingredients you use.