Instant Pot Beef Stew

Instant Pot beef stew is made with tender chunks of beef, potatoes, carrots, celery, and mushrooms in a rich red wine and beef broth gravy. The pressure cooker gives you the tender beef and slow-simmered flavor of classic beef stew without having to cook it on the stove for hours.

I’ve made this with chuck roast for years, and it’s still the cut I prefer. It has enough fat and connective tissue to become tender under pressure without drying out. I also like browning the beef first. It adds a little extra prep time, but the browned bits left in the pot add a lot of flavor to the broth.

This has become one of the most popular Instant Pot recipes on Savory Sweet Spoon, and one of the things readers mention most often is how tender the beef turns out.

If you like this kind of hearty beef dinner, Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast is another longtime reader favorite.

Ingredients You’ll Need

You’ll find the full measurements in the recipe card below, but here are a few things to know before you start.

Chuck roast: I prefer buying a chuck roast and cutting it myself rather than using packaged stew meat. Chuck has enough marbling and connective tissue to become tender under pressure, and cutting it yourself also lets you keep the pieces a consistent size.

Red wine: Use a dry red wine you enjoy cooking with. Cabernet Sauvignon is what I usually use, but Merlot or Pinot Noir also work. Avoid sweet wine.

Beef stock: Beef stock makes up the other half of the cooking liquid. I also like Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef Base for a stronger beef flavor.

Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste: Both add more depth to the broth without making the stew taste strongly of either ingredient.

Potatoes: Baby potatoes work well because you can simply halve or quarter them. Keep the pieces fairly large so they hold their shape during pressure cooking.

Carrots, celery, and mushrooms: These go into the Instant Pot after the beef has cooked. Adding them later keeps them from becoming too soft while the beef tenderizes.

Cornstarch: A small cornstarch slurry thickens the cooking liquid into more of a gravy at the end.

Please scroll ⬇️ to the recipe card for the full ingredient amounts and instructions.

Why I Use Chuck Roast

Chuck roast is what I usually use for beef stew because it’s affordable, easy to find, and becomes very tender in the Instant Pot.

You can use pre-cut stew meat, but the package may contain different cuts of beef, so the texture isn’t always as consistent.

Whichever you use, don’t skip browning if you have the time. Pat the beef dry first, then sear it in batches so there’s enough room between the pieces. If the pot is overcrowded, the beef releases moisture and steams instead of browning.

How to Make Beef Stew in the Instant Pot

Start by cutting the chuck roast into 1-inch pieces. Pat the beef dry, season it with salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne, then sear it in batches using the Sauté setting.

Set the browned beef aside and cook the onions for a few minutes until they begin to soften.

Pour in the red wine, beef stock, and Worcestershire sauce. Scrape the bottom of the pot well to loosen all of the browned bits left from searing the beef. This step is important because anything stuck to the bottom can trigger a burn warning once the pot comes to pressure.

Return the beef to the pot with the garlic, then add the tomato paste and thyme on top. Pressure cook on High for 20 minutes, followed by a 10-minute natural pressure release before releasing the remaining pressure.

Remove the thyme stems, then add the potatoes, carrots, celery, and mushrooms.

Pressure cook for another 6 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally after this second cooking cycle. If you’re short on time, give it at least 10–15 minutes before releasing the remaining pressure.

To finish, switch back to Sauté and stir in the cornstarch slurry. Let the stew simmer for another 2–3 minutes, until the broth thickens into a gravy.

Can I Make Beef Stew Without Wine?

The red wine adds flavor and acidity to the broth, but you can make the stew without it and just add extra beef broth.

I’ve also tested replacing the 1 cup of red wine with ¾ cup beef broth, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, and 1 teaspoon sugar. This is the option I prefer if you want some of the acidity and depth that the red wine adds without actually using wine.

Why Are the Vegetables Added Later?

This is one of the most important parts of the recipe.

Chuck roast needs more pressure-cooking time than potatoes, carrots, celery, and mushrooms. If everything goes into the pot at the beginning, the vegetables can become very soft by the time the beef is tender.

Instead, I pressure cook the beef for 20 minutes first. The vegetables go in afterward for a second 6-minute pressure cook. This gives the beef enough time to become tender while helping the vegetables hold their shape.

What to Serve With Beef Stew

Beef stew is already a complete meal with beef, potatoes, carrots, celery, and mushrooms, so you don’t need much with it.

Crusty bread or Air Fryer Garlic Bread is good for soaking up the gravy. You can also serve it with a simple salad or Air Fryer Green Beans if you want something fresh on the side.

For another beef stew with a completely different flavor, Instant Pot Bo Kho is a Vietnamese version made with lemongrass and warm spices.

Storage and Reheating

Store leftover beef stew in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm the stew gently on the stovetop. The gravy will thicken as it sits, so add a splash of beef broth or water if needed when reheating.

The stew can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely, freeze in airtight containers, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

If you make this Instant Pot Beef Stew, I’d love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment and rating below.

RECIPE