How to Make Quick and Comforting Beef Stew
Let’s make some beef stew in an Instant Pot!
How to make a quick and comforting beef stew in an Instant Pot! This easy one-pot meal only takes 35 minutes to cook. It’s hearty, full of veggies, and perfect to cozy up next to on a cold day!
What is Beef Stew?
Beef stew is a comforting dish made with tender chunks of beef, potatoes, carrots, celery, and beef broth. Traditionally, it is made by cooking low and slow in a pot for hours. However, ever since I became an owner of an Instant Pot, I can no longer make it any other way. You can brown the meat and pressure cook all in one pot. It also only takes 35 minutes to cook!
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Best Cut of Meat for Beef Stew
My favorite cut to use for beef stew is beef chuck, also known as beef shoulder. This cut tends to be leaner and tougher if cooked like a steak. However it is perfect for stews because it has a high amount of connective tissue and collagen. When cooked low and slow or under high pressure, everything melts away into the meat making it super tender. It is generally a more affordable cut as well. Some stores sell it as “Beef Stew Meat” and that works great too, although it’s not always necessarily beef chuck.
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Beef Stew Cooking Tips
SOUP. My preference for beef stew is for it to be on the soupier side. However, if you like it to be thicker, you can add a slurry made with equal parts of cornstarch and water. About 2 tablespoons each. Immediately after opening the pot after it is done cooking, add the slurry while it is still hot, and mix well to combine.
VEGGIES. I like to use red potatoes and chop into bigger chucks (1-2in), skin-on, because it is a firmer potato that holds up well and doesn’t completely disintegrate into the soup after cooking. For the other veggies, I like to chop into smaller bite sized pieces.
BEEF. Searing the beef is a must for me. It adds so much more flavor to the broth!
WINE. I love adding red wine to beef stew because I feel like it makes it taste even more cozy and luxurious. My favorite to use is a dry red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Instant Pot Beef Stew
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs beef chuck/shoulder, boneless
- 2 red potatoes, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery sticks, chopped
- ⅓ onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ tsp chicken bouillon
- ¼ tsp Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups beef broth
- ½ cup red wine
- salt and pepper to taste
- parsley (for serving)
Instructions
- Trim fat and cut beef chuck into 1 inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
- In an Instant Pot on sauté mode with oil, brown beef on all sides.
- Add all ingredients to the pot and mix together.
- Close the lid and steam valve. Pressure cook on high for 35 minutes.
- Manually release the steam valve before opening the pot. Taste test and adjust to preference.
- Serve with parsley.
