45 Minute Instant Pot Beef Stew

Make this 45 Minute Instant Pot Beef Stew for dinner tonight!  The beef is SO tender and the gravy delicious!

Well I've gone and done it…I bought an Instant pot.  I had to.  I needed to see what all the fuss was about.  I have friends that swear by them, Pinterest is loaded with Instant Pot recipes, and every where you turn someone is talking about them, so clearly I had to try one out for myself.

So over the past few months I have have been testing and trying out several different Instant Pot dinner recipes…some worked out, some didn't.  What I didn't expect when I first started using the Instant Pot, was that there was a learning curve to using it…it definitely takes some getting used to.  They're not as straight forward as everyone is led to believe they are…I'm sharing a few of my thoughts about the Instant Pot at the bottom of this post, so make sure to read all the way to the bottom!

But first I did want to share a recipe that turned out very well, 45 Minute Instant Pot Beef Stew.  And when I say 45 minutes, I mean from start to finish…pressurizing, cooking, depressurizing, resting…the whole process takes 45 minutes. And for a beef stew with amazing tender beef, rich gravy and perfectly done vegetables, 45 minutes is amazing.

Instant Pot Beef Stew

45 Minute Instant Pot Beef Stew

After making beef stew in the Instant Pot a few times, I learned a few things.  In the end I decided that the vegetables had to be added in part way through the cooking process.  When I added them at the beginning, the meat was perfectly tender, but the vegetables were mush…flavourful, but mushy.  So you will see that I make you open the Instant Pot about 20 minutes into the cooking process, and this yields perfectly cooked vegetables.

45 Minute Instant Pot Beef Stew

Then after about 45 minutes you have the most tender beef.  Honestly, I have never made a stew with more tender beef…I think I will always make stew this way.  It's so easy and so fast.  And the gravy is rich, the vegetables tender.  Yum.

45 Minute Instant Pot Beef Stew

Now you may have noticed that this beef stew is served in an enamel dish.  I like to transfer the meals made in the Instant Pot, over to a pretty serving dish. I don't like to serve right out of the Instant Pot bowl, but you certainly can.  Serve this beef stew with fresh bread and a green side salad.

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45 Minute Instant Pot Beef Stew

Make this 45 Minute Instant Pot Beef Stew for dinner tonight!  The beef is SO tender and the gravy delicious.

  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6 people 1x
  • Category: Main Course
  • 2 lbs stewing beef cut into 1 inch chunks
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1 – 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 onion (chopped)
  • 1/2 cup tomato sauce ((spaghetti sauce or tomato juice works too))
  • 1/2 cup beef broth
  • 1 tsp salt
  • fresh ground pepper
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 stalks of celery (chopped)
  • 4 large carrots (cut into chunks)
  • 3 – 4 medium potatoes (cut into 1 inch chunks)
  1. Add the oil to the instant pot, making sure to cover the bottom of the pan.
  2. Dredge each stewing beef cube in the flour, making sure to coat each side. Shake off the excess flour (don't add it the extra flour to the stew, just add the floured meat).  Then add the beef to the instant pot.
  3. Add the onion, tomato sauce, beef broth, salt, pepper and sugar.
  4. Use the manual setting on the Instant Pot, and set it to 20 minutes.
  5. After this time, vent the Instant Pot, then open when it is ready, and add the vegetables (celery, carrots, potatoes). Give the mixture a good stir.  NOTE: If the stew looks too dry, you can stir in 1/2 cup more beef broth.
  6. Use the manual setting again, setting it to 15 minutes.
  7. Once the stew is done, let it rest for about 10 minutes in the pot before venting.

Recipe adapted from Pinch of Yum

Here are a few things I learned from using my Instant Pot:

  • You can in fact burn food.
  • Follow the recipe.  If it says 3 minutes on high, do 3 minutes on high.  Even 1 or 2 extra minutes will overcook your food.
  • Most recipes are promoted as having very short cook times, and most recipes are very fast.  But what people tend to overlook is the time it takes for the Instant Pot to pressurize and depressurize.  These processes can add up to 30 minutes to the time.  Which is still quick…but when you see 5 minute 'boiled eggs', it's really up to 20 minutes when you take into account the pressurizing/depressurizing time.
  • The instant pot is amazing for meat.  I will likely never make rice or eggs in the Instant Pot, but stews and roasts, YES.  It makes the most tender meat, especially beef, in such a short period of time…it's really quite impressive.

I'm still learning how to use the Instant Pot, but overall I think I like it…especially for comfort food.  I hope to share more recipes with you!

Have a delicious day!