This one pot Instant Pot beef stew is perfect for a cozy night in. With super tender and succulent beef, a flavourful tomato gravy, and scrumptious veggies… it has the same results as a slow cooker, except all in under 1 hour!
I know a lot of people dread the words ‘beef stew’ but I am here to convince you that stew can be absolutely delicious. Now, I don’t know what your parents were cooking when you were a child but I love a good stew.
Key Ingredients
- Beef – of the rump variety, is what I use for this recipe. You could also use chuck roast; however, I find rump to be my favourite while slow or pressure cooking.
- Carrots – add a slight natural sweetness to the Instant Pot beef stew. Cooked until fork tender, these juicy carrots are a great vegetable to add. Like the potatoes, the carrots absorb the flavours they are slow cooked in.
- Potatoes – this beloved starchy carb adds to the heartiness and comforting experience. Cooked to be tender – not mushy – it absorbs the beef stews flavour.
- Mushrooms – these add a lovely texture that pairs well with the tomato gravy. They give the beef stew a great umami flavour which adds depth. Mushrooms soak up all the goodness while adding their own flavour.
- Aromatics – onion and garlic help build the base for the flavour of this beef stew, adding a sweet and savoury depth to the dish. The onion is diced and the garlic is crushed for optimal flavour.
- Beef stock – gives the succulent dish an umami boost. Cooking the beef in stock allows for ultimate flavour, it helps to embrace and enhance the other ingredients’ tastes.
- Tomato paste – brings another depth to the flavour. Some people use crushed tomatoes in their stews, personally I’m not a fan of this due to texture. Using tomato paste brings a flavour bomb, without all the extra juices.
- Cornstarch slurry – consists of equal parts cornstarch and water. This is added to ensure the sauce thickens whilst cooking.
How to make this comforting Instant Pot Beef Stew
Prepare your fresh ingredients.
First, prepare your ingredients. Cut the beef rump into 2 inch chunks. Dice the onion into medium size pieces, and the carrots into medium size rounds. Slice or quarter the mushrooms, depending on your preference. Chop the potatoes into medium bite size pieces.
Sear the beef rump.
Turn your instant pot onto saute mode, with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the cubed beef rump and sear for a couple minutes on each side, do not overcrowd the pot. Once browned, remove and set aside.
Saute the carrot and aromatics.
Deglaze the pot with a little bit of beef stock. Add the onion and carrot to the pot, saute these until the onions begin turning translucent. Then add the garlic.
Bring in the tomato paste.
Mix the tomato paste into the vegetables, cook for a minute or so to get rid of the bitter taste.
Put it all together.
Return the beef to the pot, along with the potatoes and mushrooms. Pour in the beef stock, and the seasonings. Give everything a good stir to combine.
Pressure cook the Instant Pot beef stew.
Place the lid on the instant pot, ensuring it is on ‘seal’. Select ‘pressure cook’ and leave the beef stew to cook for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, either natural release or quick release until no pressure remains.
Time to thicken.
Turn the instant pot back on to saute mode, and bring the stew to a light bubble. Mix together your cornstarch and water to create the slurry. Drizzle the cornstarch slurry into the beef stew, mixing thoroughly. Leave to simmer for a couple minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
Food’s ready!
Serve the Instant Pot beef stew and enjoy!
What if I don’t have an Instant Pot?
Not to worry! If you have a regular pressure cook then that works fine as well, just saute your beef and veggies in a separate pan. If you do not have either, this recipe also works if you pop it in the slow cooker on low for 8 hours.
What to serve with the Instant Pot beef stew?
The beauty of this recipe is that it only requires one pot, and has everything in one dish. However, if you would like to add some greens or another side dish, I would recommend either some sauteed green beans or my parmesan roasted brussel sprouts.
More cozy recipes:
- Roast Lamb
- Meatballs n Gravy
- Chicken Coconut Curry
- Short Rib Ragu
- Brie and Bacon Gnocchi
- Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
- Massaman Curry
- Camembert Bacon Wedge Bake
Alrighty, you should have everything you need to know about making this cozy and comforting Instant Pot beef stew. So come on, let’s grab those ingredients and get to cooking! You do not want to miss out on this one.
Instant Pot Beef Stew
Equipment
- 1 Pressure Cooker Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 500 g beef rump
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 5 potatoes
- 8 mushrooms
- 3 cups beef stock
- 3 tbsp cornstarch slurry
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp italian herbs
Instructions
- First, prepare your ingredients. Cut the beef rump into 2 inch chunks. Dice the onion into medium size pieces, and the carrots into medium size rounds. Slice or quarter the mushrooms, depending on your preference. Chop the potatoes into medium bite size pieces.
- Turn your instant pot onto saute mode, with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the cubed beef rump and sear for a couple minutes on each side, do not overcrowd the pot. Once browned, remove and set aside.
- Deglaze the pot with a little bit of beef stock. Add the onion and carrot to the pot, saute these until the onions begin turning translucent. Then add the garlic.
- Mix the tomato paste into the vegetables, cook for a minute or so to get rid of the bitter taste.
- Return the beef to the pot, along with the potatoes and mushrooms. Pour in the beef stock, and the seasonings. Give everything a good stir to combine.
- Place the lid on the instant pot, ensuring it is on ‘seal’. Select ‘pressure cook’ and leave the beef stew to cook for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, allow the instant pot to natural release for 15 minutes. Then manual release until all pressure has been released.
- Turn the instant pot back on to saute mode, and bring the stew to a light bubble. Mix together your cornstarch and water to create the slurry.
- Drizzle the cornstarch slurry into the beef stew, mixing thoroughly. Leave to simmer for a couple minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
- Serve and enjoy!
