Our Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe loaded with tender beef and hearty root veggies, is perfect for a cold winter day, without having to wait hours and hours to eat!
Normally beef stew, because it contains tough cuts of meat and hard root vegetables takes hours in the slow cooker or Dutch Oven. With this instant pot beef stew recipe, you can be sitting down to eat in less than 2 hours! Yep, you read that right.
This is an Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe with amazing cooked-all-day flavor that is ready in about 90 minutes. This recipe SO good that it made our top recipes several years in a row.
By the way, if you love this recipe, you'll want to check out our Beef Tips and Gravy - another family favorite! And for another comforting dish, try my Creamy Tomato Basil Soup.
Ingredients
- Beef Roast: I like to use bottom round roast. Chuck roast also works for this recipe.
- Potatoes: Be sure to cut these uniformly to ensure an even cook. This recipe calls for a combination of Yukon gold potatoes and purple potatoes. The best potatoes for stew are those that are 'waxy' because they are higher in water content and lower in starch which means they hold up better during the cooking process. Red bliss or new potatoes also work well in this recipe.
- Sweet Potatoes: These don't take quite as long as potatoes to cook so cut them slightly bigger. If you are not a fan of sweet potatoes, consider substituting another root vegetable such as butternut squash, parsnips or golden beets for extra nutrition and flavor.
- Red Onion: Onion is a must-have in beef stew. You can use any variety of onion you have on hand.
- Beef Stock: This will form the base for the stew. You can use beef broth or beef stock interchangeably in this recipe.
- Fresh Herbs: I use fresh thyme, however, if you're not a fan you use other herbs such as rosemary. Bay leaves also give the beef stew a wonderful flavor.
- Carrots: Baby rainbow carrots add beautiful color and add different subtle flavors. Purple carrots tend to be a bit more peppery. Yellow carrots have a more earthy flavor than the common sweet orange carrots. White carrots are the sweetest while red carrots are the least sweet. Use any carrots you like.
From the pantry: flour, olive oil, salt and pepper.
One of the reasons I love beef stew so much is that it's loaded with nutrient-rich root vegetables, which have a very high concentration of iron. Plus, root veggies are great sources of vitamins A, B, and C. Check out this Guide to Root Vegetables for everything you ever wanted to know about root vegetables!
Ang's Tips
Look for root vegetables that are very firm - the harder, the better!
The final amount of time needed may depend on the shape and thickness of the piece of meat. It is imperative that your roast is in the center of the inner pot to help with even cooking and tenderizing.
Our Favorite Instant Pot Recipes
Using an instant pot to make dinner is a great way to save time. Here are a few of our favorite recipes:
- Instant Pot Asian-Inspired Baby Back Ribs
- Perfect Instant Pot Meatloaf
- Easy Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin Dinner
And, if you love easy instant pot recipes, you'll also like this Instant Pot Bourbon Chicken! Our instant pot chicken and rice recipe that reminds me of my Grandmother is another great weeknight meal.
Related: Check out more delicious instant pot recipes, for more great quick meal ideas.
What to Serve with Beef Stew
I love serving beef stew with a slice of crusty bread or some buttery dinner rolls.
Instant Pot Beef Stew
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2.5 lb bottom round beef roast
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 6 small Yukon gold potatoes peeled
- 3 medium purple potatoes peeled and halved
- 2 large sweet potatoes peeled and sliced into 1" thick pieces
- 1 medium red onion chopped
- 6 cups beef stock divided
- 2 cups baby rainbow carrots
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- fresh thyme about 8 whole stalks
Instructions
- Heat the oil in the Instant Pot's inner pot using the saute setting.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Flour the bottom round roast, rubbing it all over the meat. Shake off excess.2.5 lb bottom round beef roast, ¼ cup all purpose flour
- Sear each side of the meat until browned.
- Remove the meat from the pot while you deglaze the pan using 1 cup of the beef stock or broth.6 cups beef stock
- Return the meat to the center of the pot. Add the vegetables all around the meat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.6 small Yukon gold potatoes, 3 medium purple potatoes, 2 large sweet potatoes, 1 medium red onion, 2 cups baby rainbow carrots
- Add the remaining beef stock or broth and the fresh thyme.6 cups beef stock, fresh thyme, kosher salt and black pepper
- Double check the sealing ring, then twist on the locking lid.
- Cancel the Saute setting and select Meat/Stew setting for 45 minutes.
- When the pressurized cook time has ended, the pot will beep a few times. Allow the Instant Pot to natural pressure release (NPR) for about 30 minutes.
Equipment
Notes
Regarding Cook Time
The final amount of time needed may depend on the shape and thickness of the piece of meat. Be sure your roast is in the center of the inner pot to help with even cooking and tenderizing.Slow Cooker Instructions
Here's how to make this recipe in your slow cooker instead of the instant pot:- Season the beef with salt and pepper and then dust with flour.
- In a hot skillet, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sear the beef on all sides, then place into the slow cooker crock.
- Deglaze the pan with the beef stock to get all the brown bits off the bottom and transfer them to the slow cooker.
- Add the prepared vegetables.
- Set the slow cooker on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 5 hours.
- Just before the time is up, add the fresh herbs to brighten up the beef stew.
Meal Planning
Want to add this recipe to your meal plan? Download our free printable meal plan here.
This recipe is included in Meal Plan 37 along with:
- beef pot pie
- chicken puff pastry pockets
- sausage mac and cheese
- chili pot pie
- chicken pasta bake
- potato sausage casserole
- breakfast enchilada casserole
... and more!
Be sure to check out all our meal plan ideas here.
Ang Paris says
Family recipes are a gift, aren't they?
Anne says
Your beef stew looks so good!
Theresa C. says
Love to make a beef stew but I hadn't used my new IP yet. This was easy to follow and came out great. Thanks!
Samantha C Murch says
I want to try this!
Ang Paris says
You're going to LOVE it!
Thanks for stopping by Samantha!
Karen Howard says
Definitely making your Beef Stew Recipe for Instapot recipe again - so good!!
Tamra Phelps says
This stew is very good. I added frozen corn, peas, and beans. Thanks for the recipe.
Nidhi = says
I made this but I used a rump roast instead. It was very good and we really like the flavor of the broth/gravy.
Rose Santuci-Sofranko says
I made this but witout the sweet potatoes. It was very good. Thanks