This Instant Pot Beef Stew recipe is super easy & completely delicious. Made with mushrooms but without tomatoes, it’s a simple gluten free dinner for a weeknight. Options for low carb and Whole30 diets included!
Classic beef stews are great, but sometimes you want something more. This beef stew gives you some of the same ingredients but kicks it up a notch with the addition of mushrooms and, my personal favorites, coconut aminos and fish sauce.
Now I know you might thinking it’s bizarre to put fish sauce in a stew. If that’s where your mind goes, you have not discovered the wonders of fish sauce. It will NOT make the stew taste fishy, at all. Instead it lends a perfectly salty and briny flavor to the stew that really gives it the BEST flavor. I promise you will love it and not look back.
*You can find fish sauce in most stores in the Asian section, or you can order it on Amazon here (affiliate link). I like Red Boat Fish Sauce, which is what is linked.
How to Make Instant Pot Beef Stew
Step 1: Season and Sear the Beef
Plug the Instant Pot in, making sure the lid is removed and the metal insert is inside. Press the Saute button and pour in ½ tbsp of oil into the metal insert.Let it warm up while you cut and season the beef.
Cut each strip of beef on the cutting board with with a sharp knife into small, 1-inch pieces, then lay them out in a single layer on the cutting board. Sprinkle ½ tsp kosher salt and a bit of freshly ground black pepper (roughly ¼ tsp) across the beef.
Once the metal insert has warmed up and the oil is hot, place the beef in a single layer in the Instant Pot, with the salted side down (as best you can).The hot oil will splatter so you may want to wear a kitchen glove or wrap a towel around your hand. Season the other side of the beef with another ½ tsp kosher salt and ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper.
Let the beef cook for 2 minutes, uncovered (i.e. don’t put the lid on the Instant Pot), then stir the pieces up and flip them over as best you can to cook for another 2 minutes.
Step 2: Prep the Veggies
While the beef is cooking, cut the onion, carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms with a sharp knife and cutting board. Don’t use the dirty cutting board and knife from cutting the bacon. You either need a new cutting board and knife or to wash the other ones and reuse them.
For the onions, cut off the ends and remove the outer layers then chop the onion into smaller pieces, about ¼ of an inch thick. Place it in a separate medium bowl when done.
Next cut the other vegetables. Wash all the vegetables first. You don’t have to peel the carrots or potatoes, just make sure to scrub them well when you wash them. The mushrooms can be gently washed or wiped off with a damp paper towel.
Chop both the carrots and potatoes into roughly ½ inch cubes (or coins for the carrots is fine).
Remove the stems of the mushrooms then cut them into ½ inch pieces. For small to medium sized mushrooms you can cut them into quarters. For larger mushrooms you’ll need to cut them into 6 or more pieces. Set all the chopped veggies aside in one or more bowls.
Step 3: Remove the Beef and Cook the Onion
Once the beef has been seared, remove it from the Instant Pot and set aside on a bowl or plate (don’t set on cutting board as that has raw beef juices on it).
Add in the diced onion and the remaining ¼ tsp kosher salt and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until it becomes soft and slightly transparent. If there are any brown spots from the seared beef, you’ll want to gently scrape it off with your cooking utensil as you cook the onions.
Once cooked, press the Keep Warm/Cancel button to turn the Saute function off.
Step 4: Cook the Beef Stew in the Instant Pot
Put the chopped carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms in the Instant Pot along with the seared beef, beef broth, garlic powder, bay leaf, coconut aminos, and fish sauce. Stir everything together with a wooden spoon to mix it up well, then place the lid of the Instant Pot on, making sure the silicone ring is in place on the lid before putting it on.
Set the valve (the little knob on the top) on the lid to Sealing, then press the Manual button and set the time to 5 minutes by using the plus and minus buttons. The Instant Pot will take a while to come to pressure (anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes), then the display will turn to a number once it’s been pressurized and start to count down.
When the timer goes off and the Instant Pot is done cooking, carefully turn the valve on the top to Venting to release the pressure, making sure to keep your hand and arm away from the top so as not to get hot steam and burn yourself. This is called a “quick pressure release”.
When the pressure is fully released (you’ll hear a small click), remove the lid from the Instant Pot. Stir the soup with the wooden spoon again, then remove the bay leaf and discard in the garbage.
Add in the frozen peas (don’t cook them beforehand) and put the lid back on the Instant Pot. Do not turn it back on or set the valve to Sealing again, just let the peas sit in the soup for 4 minutes with the lid on – the residual heat will cook the peas.
Remove the lid again and stir the soup. Carefully taste it to see if additional kosher salt is needed (I typically add about ½ teaspoon at a time) and top with some chopped parsley if desired.
Now you may have a couple of questions about this beef stew recipe. Let’s get some answers for those.
Can You Make This Beef & Vegetable Stew Without Searing the Meat?
You can, but the searing doesn’t take very long and make the beef (and stew) more flavorful.
Can You Use Different Potatoes in the Beef Stew?
Yes, you can use whatever potato you like! I tend to like red potatoes as they’re fairly waxy and don’t fall apart as easily as starchy potatoes like a russet or yukon gold. If you want more information about what types of potatoes are waxy or starchy, check out this article on types of potatoes.
Can You Use Frozen Carrots or Potatoes in this Beef Stew Recipe?
I wouldn’t recommend it. There will be additional water from the frozen veggies and it will water down the soup.
How Long Do You Cook Beef Stew in an Instant Pot?
This recipe has a pressure cook time of 5 minutes, plus the additional time of searing the meat, cooking the onions, time the Instant Pot takes to come to pressure, and the last 4 minutes to cook the peas. The total cook time will be between 25 to 30 minutes.
Can I Use Stew Meat in this Pressure Cooker Recipe?
I would not recommend using stew meat in this recipe. The cook time would be longer as the stew meat is a fattier and thicker cut of beef and takes longer to become tender. The vegetables would overcook and become mushy before the meat can become tender. By using beef that’s meant for stir fry, this recipe cooks up much more quickly and the vegetables don’t overcook. I like to use this guide to cuts of beef to get an idea for which type of beef I need for whatever recipe I’m making.
WHICH INSTANT POT SHOULD I USE?
Use whichever Instant Pot you have. I’ve made it in both the LUX 6 Quart (which is one of the cheaper models) and in the DUO 8 Quart and the recipe worked well in both (affiliate links are included).
CAN I MAKE THIS IN A 3 QUART INSTANT POT?
You certainly can! You’ll need to use half the amount of ingredients, but keep the cook time the same.
COOKING TIPS
- Make sure not to sear the beef for too long. As the beef pieces are small, they’ll sear quickly and start to cook all the way through. If they cook too much initially they’ll end up a little tough after pressure cooking.
- Do not put the lid on while the Saute function is on! When cooking using the Saute function in the Instant Pot, you want to leave the lid off.
- There’s no need to set the valve to Sealing when cooking the peas. Frozen peas cook extremely quickly and the residual heat from the soup and the Instant Pot will be more than enough to cook them all the way through.
RECIPE VARIATIONS
- If you’re not on a Whole30, you can substitute the coconut aminos and fish sauce for Worcestershire sauce in the same amounts.
- Substitute the potatoes for radishes to make this stew low carb.
- Use a low sodium beef broth if you want a little more control over how much salt goes into this recipe. Add any additional salt once the stew is done cooking, to your preference.
Pin this Instant Pot Beef Stew for Later!
WONDERING WHAT TO MAKE WITH BEEF STEW FOR DINNER? TRY THESE OUT:
- Kale Coleslaw
- Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower
- Paleo Broccoli Slaw with Healthy Coleslaw Dressing
- Spring Green Salad
MORE COLD WEATHER DINNER IDEAS:
- Instant Pot Greek Chicken Thighs
- Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup
- Ground Lamb Soup (Instant Pot)
- Slow Cooker Curried Butternut Squash Soup
- Instant Pot Beef Chili
- Gluten Free Chicken Enchilada Recipe
- Easy Hamburger Soup
- Instant Pot Potato Corn Chowder
Or check out this list of 20 Gluten Free Slow Cooker Soups & Stews for even more ideas!
If you try this Instant Pot Beef Stew (or any other recipe) then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how it went in the comments below!
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RECIPE FOR INSTANT POT BEEF STEW
Instant Pot Beef Stew
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb beef for stir fry already cut into thin strips - not stew meat
- ½ tbsp oil avocado or canola
- 1.25 tsp kosher salt divided
- ½ tsp ground black pepper divided
- ½ large yellow onion
- ¾ pounds potatoes
- ¾ pounds carrots
- 8 ounces whole baby bella mushrooms
- 2.5 cups beef broth
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- ½ tbsp fish sauce
- ½ frozen peas omit if doing Whole30
- choped parsley for topping, if desired
Instructions
- Plug the Instant Pot in, making sure the lid is removed and the metal insert is inside. Press the Saute button and pour in ½ tbsp of oil into the metal insert. Let it warm up while you cut and season the beef.
- Cut each strip of beef on the cutting board with w sharp knife into small, 1-inch pieces, then lay them out in a single layer on the cutting board. Sprinkle ½ tsp kosher salt and a bit of freshly ground black pepper (roughly ¼ tsp) across the beef.
- Once the metal insert has warmed up and the oil is hot, place the beef in a single layer in the Instant Pot, with the salted side down (as best you can). The hot oil will splatter so you may want to wear a kitchen glove or wrap a towel around your hand. Season the other side of the beef with another ½ tsp kosher salt and ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper. Let the beef cook for 2 minutes, uncovered (i.e. don't put the lid on the Instant Pot), then stir the pieces up and flip them over as best you can to cook for another 2 minutes.
- While the beef is cooking, cut the onion, carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms with a sharp knife and cutting board. Don’t use the dirty cutting board and knife from cutting the bacon. You either need a new cutting board and knife or to wash the other ones and reuse them.
- For the onions, cut off the ends and remove the outer layers then chop the onion into smaller pieces, about ¼ of an inch thick. Place it in a separate medium bowl when done.
- Next cut the other vegetables. Wash all the vegetables first. You don’t have to peel the carrots or potatoes, just make sure to scrub them well when you wash them. The mushrooms can be gently washed or wiped off with a damp paper towel.
- Chop both the carrots and potatoes into roughly ½ inch cubes (or coins for the carrots is fine). Remove the stems of the mushrooms then cut them into ½ inch pieces. For small to medium sized mushrooms you can cut them into quarters. For larger mushrooms you’ll need to cut them into 6 or more pieces. Set all the chopped veggies aside in one or more bowls.
- Once the beef has been seared, remove it from the Instant Pot and set aside on a bowl or plate (don’t set on cutting board as that has raw beef juices on it).
- Add in the diced onion and the remaining ¼ tsp kosher salt and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until it becomes soft and slightly transparent. If there are any brown spots from the seared beef, you’ll want to gently scrape it off with your cooking utensil as you cook the onions. Once cooked, press the Keep Warm/Cancel button to turn the Saute function off.
- Put the chopped carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms in the Instant Pot along with the seared beef, beef broth, garlic powder, bay leaf, coconut aminos, and fish sauce. Stir everything together with a wooden spoon to mix it up well, then place the lid of the Instant Pot on, making sure the silicone ring is in place on the lid before putting it on.
- Set the valve (the little knob on the top) on the lid to Sealing, then press the Manual button and set the time to 5 minutes by using the plus and minus buttons. The Instant Pot will take a while to come to pressure (anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes), then the display will turn to a number once it’s been pressurized and start to count down.
- When the timer goes off and the Instant Pot is done cooking, carefully turn the valve on the top to Venting, making sure to keep your hand and arm away from the top so as not to get hot steam and burn yourself. This is called a “quick pressure release”.
- When the pressure is fully released (you’ll hear a small click), remove the lid from the Instant Pot. Stir the soup with the wooden spoon again, then remove the bay leaf and discard in the garbage.
- Add in the frozen peas (don’t cook them beforehand) and put the lid back on the Instant Pot. Do not turn it back on, just let the peas sit in the soup for 4 minutes with the lid on - the residual heat will cook the peas. Remove the lid again and stir the soup. Carefully taste it to see if additional kosher salt is needed (I typically add about ½ teaspoon at a time), then stop with chopped parsley if desired and serve!
Notes
- Make sure not to sear the beef for too long. As the beef pieces are small, they'll sear quickly and start to cook all the way through. If they cook too much initially they'll end up a little tough after pressure cooking.
- Do not put the lid on while the Saute function is on! When cooking using the Saute function in the Instant Pot, you want to leave the lid off.
- There's no need to set the valve to Sealing when cooking the peas. Frozen peas cook extremely quickly and the residual heat from the soup and the Instant Pot will be more than enough to cook them all the way through.
- If you're not on a Whole30, you can substitute the coconut aminos and fish sauce for Worcestershire sauce in the same amounts.
- Substitute the potatoes for radishes to make this stew low carb.
- Use a low sodium beef broth if you want a little more control over how much salt goes into this recipe. Add any additional salt once the stew is done cooking, to your preference.
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