Pressure Cooker Beef Stew (Easy Recipe!)

Pressure Cooker Beef Stew in Instant Pot with a wooden spoon.

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Pressure Cooker Beef Stew (Easy Recipe!)

This pressure cooker beef stew is cozy, deeply flavorful, and fast. Tender beef, perfectly cooked veggies, and a rich gravy-style broth all in a fraction of the time it takes on the stovetop.

Prep Time20

Cook Time35

Total Time55

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Beef Stew Instant Pot, Instant Pot Beef Stew, Instapot Beef Stew, Pressure Cooker Beef Stew

Servings:

Author: Jennifer Pallian BSc, RD

Equipment

1 Pressure Cooker such as an Instant Pot

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil divided
1½ lbs beef stew meat cut into 1 1/2" pieces
2½ tsp kosher salt divided
½ tsp black pepper
1 large onion finely chopped
1½ cups chopped carrots about 3 medium or 18 baby carrots
2 tsp minced garlic
1 cup dry red wine or more broth
3 cups beef broth or 3 tsp Beef Better than Bouillon + 3 cups boiling water (see notes)
2½ cups cubed potatoes about 2 medium potatoes
1 tbsp minced fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
1 cup frozen peas
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley or 1 tsp dried
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp all-purpose flour

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Brown the Beef:

Set your pressure cooker to Sauté mode. Heat 1 tbsp oil, season beef with 1 tsp salt and pepper, and brown in batches without crowding. Add more oil as needed. Transfer browned meat to a plate.

Sauté the Vegetables:

Add remaining oil to the pot. Cook onion, carrots, and 1 tsp salt for 5–7 minutes, until softened. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Deglaze:

Pour in the red wine and scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Let it simmer for 1–2 minutes.

Pressure Cook:

Return beef (and any juices) to the pot. Add beef broth and thyme. Stir in potatoes. Lock the lid, set to High Pressure, and cook for 30 minutes. Allow 10–15 minutes natural release before manually venting.

Make the Gravy:

While the stew finishes, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 2–3 minutes until golden and nutty.
Open the pressure lid. Ladle about 1½–2 cups hot broth from the pressure cooker (avoid solids) and whisk into the roux until smooth and thick.

Finish the Stew:

Stir the thickened gravy back into the instant pot, then add peas, parsley, and remaining ½ tsp salt. Set to Sauté again and simmer for 5 minutes to heat through and slightly reduce.
Taste and adjust seasoning - if it needs salt at the end, I recommend a splash of soy sauce instead of salt for extra rich color and umami flavor (you won't know it's there, promise!)

Notes

Note that the "pressure cooking time" starts from when the appliance comes up to full pressure. I like to use 3 tsp Beef Better Than Bouillon + 3 cups boiling water to shorten the time.

No wine? Extra beef broth works great.

Cut potatoes and carrots into large chunks to prevent overcooking.

Stew thickens as it cools.

Leftovers are excellent the next day. Store in the fridge up to 4 days or freeze (potatoes may soften).

Nutrition