This easy Instant Pot beef stew recipe incorporates simple ingredients for a comforting homemade meal. This savoury dish is a hit with tender beef chunks that fall apart in your mouth, sweet carrots, rich Yukon Gold potatoes, and a hint of celery. For a rich, dark broth you can add Guinness beer. Or, for a kid-friendly version add water.
Prep the beef: Cut the beef chuck into 1” chunks. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Prep the vegetables: Thinly slice the green onions. Peel the carrots and potatoes. Cut the carrots, potatoes and celery into 1” chunks.
Brown the beef: set Instant Pot to sauté mode and add garlic olive oil. When the oil is hot, add half of the beef. Brown both sides of the beef. It should take 2-3 minutes per side. (see notes) Remove from heat and brown the remaining beef. Remove all the beef.
Deglaze the pan: add 1 tbsp of water to the pot. Using a wooden spatula, scrape the yummy meat particles stuck to the bottom the pot. (See notes)
Sauté the green onions: add the green onions to the pot and sauté until slightly brown.
Add everything back to the pot (in this order): beef, carrots, celery, bay leaves, potatoes, water or beer. (See notes)
Cook on manual mode for 20 minutes on high pressure with quick release.
On sauté mode, the Instant Pot doesn’t get as hot as a stove pot. So, the best way to get that delicious brown crust on your meat is to brown the meat in small batches. For this beef stew recipe, it’s best to brown the meat in two batches so the pot doesn’t get overcrowded.
The other key step is to drop the meat into the pot and leave it for 3-4 minutes, then flip it over using tongs. Resist the urge to keep flipping the meat.
Your beef is browned when it has a dark brown outer crust.
Tip 2: Deglaze The Pan. It’s Worth The Extra Step!
Deglazing the pan is one of my favorite cooking techniques. It’s an easy way to add more flavor to the dish! You just need to add 1 tbsp of water to the pot, then using a wooden spatula scrape the yummy meat particles stuck to the bottom of the pot. Watch the recipe video to see this in action.
Tip 3: Water or Beer?
Beer definitely adds more flavor to this Instant Pot beef stew recipe. I like using Guinness beer, which yields a rich dark broth.
When I make this recipe for my baby I use water, which also tastes great. She easily gobbles up the stew since the pressure cooker makes the beef, potatoes, carrots, and celery super soft.
Tip 4: Soft or Mushy Potatoes?
If you want soft potatoes that maintain its shape, filll the water or beer just below the potato layer. If you want mushy potatoes, add water or beer so it covers the potatoes.
Tip 5: Thick or Soupy Consistency?
For a thick stew consistency, mash up some of the potatoes until you get the consistency you want. For a soupy consistency, then don’t mash up the potatoes.
Tip 6: Cut 1 Inch Chunks
When it comes to stew, you want to cut your beef an veggies into 1 inch chunks. The only exception are the green onions, which should be thinly sliced. If you cut smaller chunks, the veggies will crumble into the liquid and it'll become a thick soup.