Once you start "insta potting" you never look back! Instant Pot Beef Stew is one of the most tender, delicious, quick, and easy ways to make a beef stew recipe that cooks in less than an hour.
This easy stew packs on satisfying flavor with chunks of carrots, celery, potatoes and fire-roasted tomatoes! Be sure to also try our cabbage soup recipe, easy vegetable soup, and slow cooker rice soup, which make great weeknight dinners!
Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 5 minutes to saute plus 45 minutes on Meat/Stew
- ⏳ Total Time: about 1 hour
- 🍽️ Serving: 4
- ⚡ Calories: 341kcal per serving, with 27g protein and 21g carbs
- 🥣 Ingredients: chuck roast, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, Yukon potato, broth, fire roasted tomatoes, red wine vinegar, flour, thyme, bay leaf and parsley
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Rich and savory, with tender beef and a light tomato broth
- ✋ Difficulty: Saute, add everything, pressure cook, release
Quick Answer
Set the Instant Pot to Saute and cook 1 tablespoon oil, 2 cups sliced carrots, 1 cup chopped onion, 1 cup chopped celery and 2 minced garlic cloves for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add 1 diced Yukon potato, 3 cups low sodium broth, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 pound chuck roast in 1 inch cubes, a 14.5 ounce can of fire roasted tomatoes, 2 tablespoons gluten-free flour, 1 teaspoon thyme and a bay leaf, and stir. Seal the lid and cook on Meat/Stew for 45 minutes. Check the float valve and vent any remaining pressure before opening, then season and top with parsley. It serves 4 at 341 calories each.
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This Instant Pot beef stew is less than 350 calories per serving with 21 carbohydrates! It's a light and healthy soup packed with vegetables and protein.
We had leftovers, and my husband said the stew is even better the next day, then proceeded to rave that this is one of his favorite dinner recipes!
Why This Pressure Cooker Beef Stew Works
Click to see why it works
- Saute first for flavor. A few minutes on Saute pulls extra flavor out of the vegetables.
- Chuck roast gets tender. Fattier chuck meat becomes more tender as it cooks.
- 45 minutes, not hours. Most beef stews simmer for hours, but the pressure cooker gets tender meat in 45 minutes.
- Flour thickens it. Mix it in before cooking, and add a little more at the end if needed.
- Low sodium broth. Salt goes in to taste after cooking.
- Fire roasted tomatoes. They add more robust flavor than regular diced tomatoes.
Why You'll Love This Beef Stew
- Easy-peasy: chop, saute, dump in the rest and wait.
- Grain-free, dairy-free and gluten-free.
- Under 350 calories per serving and 21 carbohydrates.
- A balanced meal full of vegetables and protein; try it with my chicken bone broth for extra nutrients.
- Even better the next day.
Key Ingredients
- Vegetables and oil - onion, garlic, celery, carrots, potatoes and fire roasted tomatoes. A can of regular diced tomatoes works, but fire roasted adds more robust flavor.
- Red meat - beef stew uses a fattier meat like a chuck roast, and the longer it cooks, the more tender it becomes.
- Broth - low sodium beef broth or chicken broth, so you can add salt to taste after it is cooked.
- Flavor - a splash of red wine vinegar, fresh thyme, a bay leaf, parsley, salt and pepper.
- Flour - gluten-free flour to thicken, or cassava flour for grain-free.
See recipe card for quantities.
What to Serve With Beef Stew
It goes great with a side of gluten-free corn bread muffins, gluten-free pumpkin bread, or this delicious squash quick bread.
Beef can be healthy if it comes from a safe, sustainable source. We get ours from Butcher Box, which has hormone-free, no antibiotics, grass-fed and finished meats, and you can check out my review about it here.
How to Make Beef Stew in the Instant Pot
1Saute. Turn the Instant Pot (this is the Instant Pot I use and recommend) to Saute. Add the oil, carrots, onion, celery and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.
2Add the potatoes. Stir in the diced potatoes.
3Add everything else. Add the broth, vinegar, beef, tomatoes, flour, thyme and bay leaf and stir everything together.
4Pressure cook. Cover and seal the lid and turn the setting to Meat/Stew, which sets the timer for 45 minutes.
5Release and serve. When the cooking ends, check the floating valve before opening the lid. If it hasn't dropped, there is still pressure inside, so turn the venting knob on top to release it. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with fresh parsley on top.
As always, be sure to check out the full recipe details in the recipe card below.
Expert Tips
- Use chuck roast or stew meat. Lean cuts like sirloin get tough with long cooking.
- Short on time? Skip the saute and add everything to the pot on Meat/Stew for 45 minutes.
- Want browned beef? Saute the cubes in oil for 3 to 4 minutes per side first.
- Always check the float valve before opening; the lid won't open with pressure inside.
- Season at the end. Low sodium broth lets you salt to taste.
More Cozy Soups and Stews
Stew season favorites: Sweet Potato Stew, Healthy Turkey Sweet Potato Chili, Corn Chowder Soup and Broccoli Potato Soup.
More easy soups: Chicken Tortilla Soup and Paleo Mushroom Onion Soup.
Instant Pot Beef Stew FAQs
Cook beef cubes for 45 minutes on the Meat/Stew setting. If you don't have that setting, choose Stew or set the timer for 45 minutes.
A fattier cut like chuck roast, or stew meat. It becomes more tender the longer it cooks, while lean cuts like sirloin get tough.
You can substitute water for 1 cup of the broth, although the beef stew is more flavorful with broth.
Start with 2 tablespoons of flour mixed in before cooking, then add more at the end if needed. Use gluten-free flour, or cassava flour for grain-free.
Yes. Change the Instant Pot to the slow cook setting, or cook on low for 4 hours.
It is under 350 calories per serving with 21 carbohydrates and 27g protein, and it is grain-free, dairy-free and gluten-free.
More Soup and Stew Recipes
Warm up with Sweet Potato Stew, Cabbage Soup, Easy Vegetable Soup and Turkey Sweet Potato Chili. I hope you enjoy this Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe! Follow along with me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for a feature and more recipe inspiration! And don't forget to leave a comment below!
Instant Pot Beef Stew
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 2 cups carrots peeled and sliced into thick rounds
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 1 cup celery ribs chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 medium Yukon potato peeled and chopped into large dices
- 3 cups low sodium beef broth or chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 pound chuck roast cut into bite-size cubes about 1-inch
- 1 14.5 ounce can of fire roasted tomatoes preferably low sodium
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free flour or cassava flour
- 1 teaspoon thyme fresh, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons parsley fresh, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot setting to sauté. Add the oil, carrots, onion, celery, and garlic. Cook stirring frequently for 5 minutes. (Can also skip this step and just add everything to the Instant Pot and cook on "Meat/Stew" setting for 45 minutes.)
- Add the potatoes, broth, vinegar, beef, tomatoes, flour, thyme and bay leaf and stir everything together.
- Cover and seal the Instant Pot and turn the setting to "Meat/Stew" which will set the timer for 45 minutes.
- When the cooking ends, check the floating valve before opening the lid. If the valve hasn’t dropped, then there’s still pressure inside and it needs to be released. Turn the venting knob that is on the top of the lid before opening. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with fresh parsley before serving.
ELIANYS BECKMAN says
Hello, how long do you think id take to make on a slow cooker?
Danielle Fahrenkrug says
In the slow cooker you can cook it 4-6 hours on low.
ELIANYS BECKMAN says
Thank you so much!! 🙂