Description
A hearty and comforting Instant Pot beef stew featuring tender beef cubes, fresh vegetables, and a rich tomato-based broth. This recipe combines seared beef with aromatic onions, garlic, and a mix of hearty root vegetables, all pressure cooked to perfection for a quick and flavorful meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef and Oil
- 2 pounds beef stewing cubes (or chuck)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
Vegetables
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 large carrots (peeled & cut into fairly large bite-size pieces)
- 3 sticks celery (chopped)
- 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes (peeled & diced into fairly large bite-size pieces)
Liquids and Seasonings
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Pepper (to taste)
Thickener
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water (for slurry)
Instructions
- Sear the Beef: Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the Instant Pot and press the ‘sauté’ button. Once hot, add half the beef cubes and brown them on all sides using tongs, working in batches to avoid overcrowding. Remove browned beef and set aside.
- Brown Remaining Beef: Add the second tablespoon of olive oil to the Instant Pot and sear the remaining beef cubes until browned. Remove and set aside.
- Sauté Onions: Add the chopped onion to the Instant Pot and sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened, adding a splash of oil if needed.
- Add Garlic: Stir in the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Deglaze the Pot: Pour in about 1 cup of beef broth and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to lift any brown bits, preventing the burn notice.
- Add Remaining Liquids and Seasonings: Stir in the remaining beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper until the mixture is smooth.
- Add Vegetables and Beef: Add the carrots, celery, potatoes, and the browned beef back to the Instant Pot. Stir to combine.
- Pressure Cook: Close the lid, set the valve to ‘sealing’, and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes. Allow 10-15 minutes for the pot to reach pressure.
- Release Pressure and Thicken: Once cooking is complete, let the pressure release naturally for 10-15 minutes, then perform a quick release. Mix the cornstarch with cold water to form a slurry, add it to the stew, and stir. Use the ‘sauté’ function to thicken the stew for a few minutes until desired consistency is reached. Serve warm.
Notes
- For better browning, sear the beef in batches to avoid overcrowding the Instant Pot.
- Scraping the brown bits after deglazing is crucial to prevent the Instant Pot from showing a burn error.
- You can adjust the thickness of the stew by adding more or less cornstarch slurry as needed.
- Feel free to substitute Yukon Gold potatoes with other waxy potatoes for similar texture.
- For a richer flavor, use homemade beef broth if available.
