Enjoy this Instant Pot Beef Stew recipe for a dinner any day of the week. This delicious comfort food recipe is made without potatoes and is naturally low carb! Slow cooker and stove top instructions are also included.
Beef Stew is the perfect comfort food on chilly nights. It’s warm, cozy and packed with delicious flavor. Enjoy this classic meal on a cold winter day.
To make it lower carb, this recipe excludes potatoes. With all of the veggies, you won’t even miss the potatoes. The tender chunks of beef and vegetables simmer in the pot in under 30 minutes to create the perfect comfort food!
We love using an Instant Pot or pressure cooker because it creates the slow-simmered flavor in only a fraction of the time.
If you love a good stew recipe, also try this popular Instant Pot Chicken Stew!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Everything cooks in the Instant Pot to make clean up easy.
- This easy recipe is the perfect meal for a busy weeknight.
- Simple hearty ingredients create delicious flavor!
Ingredients You Need
You will need a few classic beef stew ingredients. However, we use parsnips instead of potatoes in this recipe.
- Beef Chunk Roast – This is the perfect cut for beef stew. It’s tender and won’t dry out during cooking. It’s also sometimes referred to as beef stew meat at the grocery store.
- Vegetables – Use a mix of celery, onion, carrots and parsnips. If you want to use russet potatoes or sweet potatoes, be sure to cut them into small chunks so they cook evenly with the other vegetables. You can also use pearl onions instead of chopped onions. Frozen peas are also a great addition.
- Beef Broth – Adds delicious flavor and serves as the base of the stew. Ue low sodium, if desired.
- Worcestershire Sauce – Enhances the flavors of the stew.
- Garlic – A simple seasoning that adds delicious flavor.
- Cornstarch – This helps thicken the stew. You can substitute with xanthan gum.
Tools You Need
You will need an Instant Pot or pressure cooker for this homemade beef stew. We use the 6 Qt 7-in-1 Instant Pot. It’s the perfect size for a family and provides a few other options beyond pressure cooking (rice, yogurt, steam poultry, etc.)
How to Make Beef Stew in the Instant Pot
This hearty beef stew cooks in the Instant Pot in less than 30 minutes. This recipe skips searing the beef to make the cook time faster on busy nights. If you want to sear the beef before adding to the pot with the other ingredients, you will need to add more time to the cooking process.
- Prepare the ingredients: Cube the beef and place in a sealable container or bag. Add the garlic, celery, onion, carrot, parsnips, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Seal and refrigerate until ready to cook.
- Transfer ingredients to the Instant Pot. Place the contents of the bag into the bottom of the pot with the beef broth. Stir well.
- Cook: Cover and seal the lid and pressure valve. Cook on Manual HIgh for 20 minutes, allowing a natural pressure release. When the pressure valve drops, remove the lid.
- Thicken the stew: Hit saute and stir in the cornstarch. Allow the steam to come to a boil and thicken, 4 to 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired. Serve with crusty bread!
To Make This Beef Stew in the Slow Cooker:
Add all of the ingredients (except the cornstarch) to the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours. After the cook time is up, stir in the cornstarch and let sit for at least 15 minutes to thicken.
To Make This Beef Stew on the Stove:
If you don’t have an Instant Pot or slow cooker and want to cook this recipe on the stove, you’ll have to brown and cook the meat beforehand. Stir in the broth, garlic and spices and simmer for 1 hour. Then stir in the vegetables and simmer for an additional hour. The total time will be around 2 1/2 hours. During the last few minutes of cook time, stir in the cornstarch to thicken.
Expert Tips
- Cut the vegetables into even sized pieces – This helps the veggies cook evenly. Make sure to cut the vegetables into medium to large size chunks. If the pieces are too small, they will turn to mush.
- Natural release the pressure for the best results – This results in the best texture of meat.
- Add more cornstarch for a thicker stew – If you prefer a thicker stew, you can add more cornstarch or even double the cornstarch.
- Prep ahead – You can save time by prepping ahead. Cut all the vegetables in advance and/or prepare the recipe through step 1, then store the bag or container in the fridge for 1-2 days before cooking.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat leftovers in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave.
To freeze, store leftover beef stew in a freezer safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Law overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
For this recipe, you don’t have to cook the meat beforehand. The meat cooks completely in the pressure cooker, so you can put the raw cubed meat straight into the pot. Other Instant Pot recipes may vary and you may need to sear or cook the meat prior to cooking with the other ingredients.
The meat/stew button is a quick setting on the Instant Pot that allows you to set the cook time for 35 minutes. This setting has not been tested for this recipe, so it is not recommended to use.
Easy Instant Pot Dinner Recipes
Pressure cooker beef stew is one of our go-to weeknight dinner recipes. If you love using the Instant Pot, try some of our other favorite meals.
- Instant Pot Shredded Beef
- Instant Pot Cabbage Soup
- Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Stew
Did you try this easy Instant Pot Beef Stew recipe? Leave a recipe rating and review below.
Instant Pot Beef Stew (without potatoes)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef chunk roast, chopped into 1-inch chunks
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, cut into chunks
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1 parsnip, sliced
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum or cornstarch
Instructions
- Cube the beef and place in a sealable container or bag. Prepare garlic, celery, onion, carrot, and parsnips and add to the container. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Seal and refrigerate until ready to cook.
- Place contents of bag into Instant Pot with beef broth. Stir well.
- Cover and seal the lid and pressure valve. Cook on Manual High for 20 minutes, allowing a natural pressure release. When pressure valve drops, remove the lid.
- Hit saute and stir in cornstarch or xanthan gum. Allow the stew to come to a boil and thicken, 4-5 minutes, then taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary. Serve hot garnished with fresh parsley.
Such a cozy weeknight dinner! Love that I can use my Instant Pot for this recipe!
This is so hearty and delicious. My picky kids even loved it and we are putting it on the menu again next week.
Hello! What time and temp did you use for a crock pot?
For the crockpot – Add all of the ingredients (except the xantham gum) to the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours. After the cook time is up, stir in the xantham gum or cornstarch and let sit for at least 15 minutes to thicken. Enjoy!
This is SO good! Full of flavor and very hearty! Made it in a crock pot and it was delicious. My son is usually very hesitant about vegetables in soup, and he ate it up too!
Hi, Alyssa! I’m so glad to hear that you and your family loved this recipe. Thanks so much for the feedback!