Imagine coming home after a long day to a rich, hearty beef stew that's ready in under an hour - without hours of slow cooking! This Instant Pot Beef Stew is your ticket to restaurant-quality comfort food with minimal effort. Tender beef chunks, perfectly cooked vegetables, and a deeply flavorful broth combine to create a meal that will have your family racing to the dinner table. Whether you're a busy professional, a parent seeking quick meals, or just someone who loves delicious home cooking, this recipe is about to become your new weeknight superhero!
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 35 mins
Total Time: 50 mins
Cuisine: American
Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef chuck, cut into cubes
- 4 carrots, sliced
- 3 potatoes, diced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare ingredients by cutting beef chuck into 1-inch cubes, ensuring uniform size for even cooking. Pat beef dry with paper towels to promote better browning.
- Season beef cubes generously with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, ensuring each piece is well-coated.
- Set Instant Pot to "Sauté" mode and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Brown beef cubes in batches, allowing each piece to develop a rich golden-brown crust. Remove browned meat and set aside.
- In the same Instant Pot, sauté chopped onions until translucent, approximately 2-3 minutes, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add tomato paste and stir, cooking for an additional minute to enhance flavor and remove raw tomato taste.
- Return browned beef to the Instant Pot, then add sliced carrots, diced potatoes, and beef broth. Stir to combine all ingredients.
- Close Instant Pot lid, set valve to sealing position, and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes.
- Once cooking completes, allow natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then carefully perform quick release for remaining pressure.
- Open lid and check stew consistency. If desired, use cornstarch slurry to thicken sauce by mixing 2 tablespoons cornstarch with cold water and stirring into hot stew.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Let stew rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve hot in deep bowls, optionally garnished with fresh parsley or thyme.
Tips
- Pat your beef dry before browning - this is crucial for achieving that beautiful golden crust that locks in flavor.
- Brown meat in batches to avoid overcrowding, which prevents proper caramelization.
- Don't skip the step of scraping browned bits from the pot - these are packed with incredible flavor!
- For extra richness, consider using beef stock instead of broth.
- If you prefer a thicker stew, the cornstarch slurry is your best friend - but add it gradually.
- Let the stew rest for 5 minutes after cooking to allow flavors to fully meld together.
- Leftovers actually taste even better the next day, so don't hesitate to make a big batch!
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 330kcal
Carbohydrates: g
Protein: 30g
Fat: 16g
Saturated Fat: g
Cholesterol: 80mg
