Hearty + Delicious Beef Stew made in the Instant Pot

Mary

6 years ago

Ok friends, here it is….

Beef Stew In the Instant Pot!

This one’s meant to be eaten in a bowl, with a big soup spoon and a thick, buttered, crusty slice of Italian bread, to sop up all that delicious brothy sauce.

I already had a good, trusty stew recipe so I stuck with it. I adjusted it slightly to the instant pot method. I’m really happy with the results.

Now, here’s the thing…when I make stew on the stove, I usually finish it off in the oven. But I’ve now discovered this is not the norm…who knew!

In my humble opinion, it really improves the flavour and is worth the extra step.

I mean, it did taste great when I opened the IP lid…but…if you’re not pressed for time, please go the extra mile (in this case 10-15 min). I really think it’s worth it!

On the stove this recipe usually cooks for several hours on very low heat, so the instant pot version is definitely faster.

Hope you give it a try! Don’t forget to let me know how it worked out or if you have any suggestions or tips that work for you when making stew.

* I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo for this recipe

Hearty Beef Stew

and here’s the printable recipe…

Hearty Beef Stew in the Instant Pot

Course Main Course, Soup

Author Mary

Ingredients

2 slices bacon chopped
1 1/. - 2 lbs stewing beef cut in bite sized chunks
salt + pepper to season beef
2 tbsps flour
olive oil for sauteing
1 large onion sliced
1 cup red wine of your choice
4 carrots peeled, cut in thick slices
1 stalk celery sliced
1 small head of garlic peeled, smashed
2 potatoes peeled, cubed
1 pkg white or cremini mushrooms sliced in half
2-3 bay leaves
a few sprigs thyme (or other woody herbs you like
2 1/2 cups beef broth
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp corn starch
1 tsp cold water
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

Press saute mode on instant pot.
Add chopped bacon and cook until browned stirring often.
Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Toss beef cubes with flour to coat.
Add a bit of oil and cook seasoned beef, in batches, until browned.
Transfer to plate with bacon. Set aside
Add a bit more oil if needed and saute onions and mushrooms for about 5 minutes, stirring often so they don't burn.
Add garlic cloves and saute another minute, the add wine and continue cooking a few more minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, to release the crusty bits ( this adds flavour and prevents burn alert issues with the instant pot)
At this point return beef and bacon to the pot, add carrots and celery, broth, herbs and tomato paste, no need to stir.
Press cancel, lock on lid, and turn pressure valve to sealing.
Choose pressure cook mode, adjust timer to 35 min.
When done, let timer run for natural pressure release, for 10 minutes.
Carefully turn pressure valve to venting, to release any remaining pressure, press cancel then open lid.
Press saute mode.
In a small cup mix together cornstarch with a bit of cold water, then stir into stew and heat for a few minutes.
Press cancel.
Preheat oven to 425F.
Transfer stew to a cast iron pot or other oven safe cookware.
Roast in oven for 12-15 minutes, uncovered.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley.
Serve hot with a nice crusty bread or sliced baguette and enjoy.

Notes

This recipe really does get a lot of flavour from the red wine, so I highly reccomend using it. However if you need to, just substitute with the same amount of broth to deglaze, adding 1 tbsp of worchestershire sauce, and then proceed with recipe as indicated.