With tender beef and nourishing veggies, this Instant Pot beef stew is the ultimate comfort food after shoveling or playing in the snow!
I’ll be honest- my Instant Pot often sits in the basement. So, mostly out of sight, out of mind…
But, every time I use it- I just LOVE all of the things it can do in such short periods of time!
Chicken teriyaki…10 minutes. Rice…3 minutes. Corn on the cob…2 minutes. 2 minutes!?! Plus, there’s also a bit of time to release the pressure. But, some of these cook times are mind-blowing!
My grandma made beef stew, simmering in a crockpot for most of the day. Such simple ingredients, yet so DAMN delicious. Every single time. Just beef, carrots, and potatoes. I decided to use sweet potatoes. Just know, they will not hold up as well as baking, golden, or even red potatoes; however, they do provide a few more nutrients.
All the flavor of beef simmering for hours, in only a fraction of the time!
Ingredients in Instant Pot Beef Stew
Beef
Carrots
Celery
Sweet Potatoes
Low-Sodium Beef Broth
Garlic
Worcestershire Sauce
Bay Leaves
Italian Seasoning
Corn Starch
What gives beef stew its flavor?
The flavor comes from beef and a mix of herbs that just get better the longer they cook and sit. Slow cooking helps to develop these flavors, but an Instant Pot will give you most of the flavor in only a fraction of the time.
What can I use to thicken stew?
Your best bets are flour or a little corn starch and water mixture, known as a slurry. Mixing either of these with warm broth should help to thicken your stew.
90 minutes
Instant Pot Beef Stew
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 1 1/2 lbs. beef chunks
- Salt and pepper
- 7-9 medium-large carrots, chopped
- 6-8 stalks of celery, chopped
- 2-3 sweet potatoes, peeled & chopped
- 4 c. low-sodium beef broth
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 3 Tbsp. corn starch
- 3 Tbsp. water
Instructions
- Add 2 Tbsp. of olive oil to the Instant Pot. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Then, sauté for about 4 minutes, per side.
- Pour in some of the broth first and deglaze the bottom of the pan. Next, add the carrots, celery, sweet potatoes, broth, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to the Instant Pot. Pressure cook on high for 35 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally. Remove the bay leaves.
- In a small bowl, whisk the corn starch with water. Add to the Instant Pot. Next, stir very carefully, be prepared for the sweet potatoes to break apart. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, until mixture thickens.