This Instant Pot Beef Stew recipe is perfect for cold and rainy days or any day for that matter. Packed with vegetables, red wine, and herbs, it’s a delicious one-pot meal.
A traditional beef stew needs to simmer for 2-3 hours in order for the meat to become fork tender. With an Instant Pot, you get the same wonderful, slow-cooked flavors in less than half the time. It has become one of my favorite kitchen appliances.
To get the most flavor from your meat, season it well with salt and pepper and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours, longer if you can. This will allow the seasoning to penetrate the beef giving you more flavor in the finished stew. You could also use venison for this recipe which I do often. It’s just as delicious.
Turn the Instant Pot onto the saute function. When the panel reads “hot”, add the bacon and cook for 3-4 minutes until browned. Remove the bacon leaving the rendered fat in the bottom.
Add the stew meat in batches and brown lightly. Add the meat to the bacon and continue until all the meat is browned. If you add the meat all at once it will not brown but will braise instead. You are looking for layers of flavor that you get by browning in small batches. You may need to add a little olive oil along the way.
Next, add the potatoes, onions, carrots, garlic, tomato paste, and herbs to the pot. Cook for 2-3 minutes just to get as much flavor into the vegetables from the meat as you can. Turn the Instant Pot off.
Add the meat to the vegetables along with the wine. Scrape the bottom of the Instant Pot with a wooden spoon loosening all the browned bits. Add the peas and beef stock to the pot.
Lock the lid in place, close the pressure valve, and using the manual function, set the timer for 35 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally.
If you prefer a thicker sauce, remove a cup of the liquid from the Instant Pot and add it to 2 tablespoons of flour. Whisk until all lumps disappear, pour it back into the pot, and using the saute function, cook until it reaches the desired consistency, stirring constantly to avoid sticking. Turn off the pot once complete. Note: Adding this step will cause the recipe to contain gluten, so choose accordingly. I omit this step because my family loves cornbread crumbled in their soup which also creates a thickening of the broth.
INSTANT POT BEEF STEW
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 4 slices thick bacon chopped
- 2 pounds beef stew meat may substitute venison
- 4 russet potatoes peeled and cut into one-inch cubes
- 4 carrots peeled and cut into one-inch pieces
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 bay leaf
Nutrition
I hope you enjoy this Instant Pot Beef Stew. If you are looking for other Instant Pot recipes, try these:
Thanks for stopping by!
Leave a Reply