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Instant Pot Beef Stew

Instant Pot beef stew with tender beef, potatoes, carrots, and thick gravy made by pressure cooking and finishing with a cornstarch slurry. High-pressure cook time plus a natural release keeps the meat soft while the SAUTE step thickens the broth into stew-style sauce.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef
  • 2 lb beef chuck Cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
Aromatics and seasoning
  • 1 onion Diced
  • 3 cloves garlic Minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
Stew base and vegetables
  • 2.5 cup beef broth
  • 1.5 lb Yukon gold potatoes Cubed
  • 4 carrots Cut into 1-inch pieces
Thickener and finishing
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water Mixed with cornstarch
  • 1 cup frozen peas

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Season the beef chuck cubes with salt and black pepper. Heat olive oil on SAUTE and brown the beef in batches until well-browned, then set aside.
Cook aromatics and deglaze
  1. Add the diced onion to the pot and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and tomato paste, then deglaze with 1/2 cup beef broth while scraping the bottom.
Pressure cook the stew
  1. Add the browned beef, remaining beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, bay leaf, cubed Yukon gold potatoes, and 1-inch carrot pieces. Seal and cook on HIGH pressure for 35 minutes, then use natural release for 10 minutes.
Thicken and finish
  1. Switch to SAUTE and stir in the cornstarch slurry (2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water). Simmer, stirring, until the stew is thickened and glossy.
Serve
  1. Stir in the frozen peas and cook just until heated through. Remove the bay leaf and serve.

Notes

For the best browning, pat the beef dry so it sears instead of steams, and don’t overcrowd the pot in batches. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3–4 days; reheat on the stove or in the Instant Pot using SAUTE until hot. Freezing is yes for up to 2 months, but add peas after thawing if you want them firmer. For a lower-carb swap, use 1 lb peeled turnips or cauliflower florets instead of Yukon gold potatoes.