Instant Pot Beef Stew

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I’ve made many things in my Instant Pot since I got it two years ago, but this Instant Pot beef stew is now on my list of favorites.  The tender beef, perfectly cooked vegetables, and the rich gravy are mouthwatering.

My favorite Instant Pot or slow cooker meals are just dump and forget it, but unfortunately they don’t always yield the best flavor and texture.  Beef and vegetables need different cook times, otherwise your vegetables will be complete mush.  Because of this, I prefer to brown my beef first right in the Instant Pot to build flavor, cook the beef alone under pressure, and then add the vegetables for a second pressure cook.  In my opinion, this method yields the best results, but you of course can make the judgement call in your kitchen how you think is best.

One thing to take into consideration when cooking any recipe is the time it takes to come to pressure.  While it only cooks for 36 minutes plus saute time of the beef, it does take several minutes to come to pressure twice, so all in all, I would say to allow for about an hour total to make this meal.  Considering beef stew on the stove takes close to three hours, I still think it is worth it on a weeknight to make this delicious beef stew in the Instant Pot.  

I think you will enjoy this Instant Pot beef stew recipe.  My family loved it and licked our bowls clean.  

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Instant Pot beef stew

Tender gluten free beef stew in the Instant Pot

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Servings 6

Author Tara Buss

Ingredients

• 2 lbs stew meat or chuck roast cut into cubes
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 T. rice flour I tested this with rice flour, but I would imagine regular flour would work too.
• olive oil
• 2 T. tomato paste
• 2 T. balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup water or beef broth water is what I used
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp parsley dried
• 1 tsp oregano dried
• 1/2 tsp thyme dried
• 1/4 tsp rosemary dried
• 3 large cloves of garlic pressed or minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 onion cut into 1 inch chunks
• 6 large carrots cut in large chunks on the diagonal
• 2-3 celery stalks cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 cups potatoes cut into 1 inch pieces

Instructions

1. In a bowl, pat dry beef cubes and sprinkle with 1 tsp salt.
2. Add 2 T. flour and stir to coat evenly.
3. Turn Instant Pot on saute function and when hot add enough olive oil to coat the bottom.
4. Add half of the stew meat to the hot Instant Pot and brown on beef on two sides. Return to a plate and repeat with the second half of the beef. You may have to add more oil to the pot for the second batch.
5. While the beef is browning, chop your onion.
6. Remove the meat and add tomato paste, water, balsamic vinegar, onion, salt, garlic, and all of the herbs.
7. Press the "Keep Warm/Cancel" button, put on the lid and lock, and then press "manual" and adjust to 30 minutes. It will take several minutes to come to pressure, so don't panic. Just make sure your pressure valve is set to "sealing".
8. While the beef is cooking, chop the celery, carrots, and potatoes so they are ready to add when the timer goes off.
9. When the beef is finished cooking, manually release the pressure with the valve on top.
10. Stir in the remainder of the vegetables, press cancel, lock and load the lid again, and set it to manual high pressure for 6 minutes. Make sure your pressure valve is set to "sealing".
11. When time has elapsed, manually release pressure and eat!

Recipe Notes

It will take some time for the Instant Pot to come to pressure, so make sure to account for that when planning. From start to finish, allow about an hour of cook time. It is still faster than traditional beef stew that takes 2 1/2 to 3 hours to simmer on the stove.

If you are in the market for an Instant Pot, this is the one I have and really enjoy it.