Get warm and cozy with this Instant Pot Beef Stew with Root Veggies- a hearty, comforting one-pot meal that is keto-friendly, easy to make, and full of depth and flavor.
I realize there’s something incredibly honest about trees in winter, how they’re experts at letting things go. – Jeffrey McDaniel
Incredibly tender and savory Instant Pot Beef Stew – a cozy one-pot meal. The instant pot makes this quick and easy without sacrificing texture or flavor. The meat is cooked first adding the veggies at the end of cooking, making for melty beef with perfectly tender cooked root vegetables.
Root vegetables are plentiful this time of year, and in the coming of winter, our bodies are ready for a bit of grounding and hunkering in. Eating root vegetables is a beautiful way to nourish our bodies in sync with the season, letting ourselves ground in and receive the moments as they are, making it easier to embrace the chill and take time to nourish our own roots.
Cubing your own meat assures that you know for certain what cut of meat you are using. I often opt for stew meat already cut from my friend who raises grass-fed beef here on San Juan Island. I know for certain from him I am getting the good stuff.
Chuck roast is a good choice if cubing your own.
Make sure your beef stew meat is not much larger than 1-inch chunks. Of course, they are not going to be perfectly square, but you get the idea, right?
Put a couple of layers of paper towel on a plate, spread meat chunks out on top in a single layer. Thoroughly pat dry with another double layer of paper towel, removing as much moisture as possible. You may need to change out the bottom layers. (Alternatively, you could use a cloth towel, making sure it is smooth and has no fuzzy bits- laundering in hot water when finished.)
Season the stew meat with salt and pepper just before searing.
If you do it too far ahead it can draw out too much moisture.
Get stew components chopped and measured.
You will most likely need to cook the meat in two batches. You want to give space, crowding can result in the meat releasing too much moisture and you may not get the sear to fully develop. The oil can tend to collect on the edges of the instant pot, it is good to lift it up the inner pot with hot pads and give it a swirl to redistribute during the cooking process. You can sear all sides of the meat though I find two sides be sufficient.
why is searing stew meat recommended?
- There is this thing called the Maillard reaction that occurs during high heat cooking. Basically, it is the chemical transformation of sugars and amino acids resulting in rich deep color, heightened flavor, and a more palatable texture.
- Even simpler ~ caramelizing intensifies the flavor.
- You really don’t want to skip this step. It makes the difference between a so-so stew and an amazingly delicious stew!
how to get a good sear on stew meat:
- Make sure your meat is patted dry of all moisture.
- Salt and pepper just before searing.
- Use a high heat oil with a low smoke point, like grapeseed or avocado oil.
- Have your pan fully heated to medium heat before you put the meat in.
- Give the meat space, don’t crowd.
- Once you place meat in the pan – do not move around– let it be for a least 4-5 minutes. It may seem like it is sticking to the pan, but once it develops a good crust, it will lift right off.
Set meat aside. Saute celery, shallot and garlic in the leftover meat juices.
Add liquids, smashing tomatoes up a bit. Pressure cook for 30 minutes.
While the beef stew is pressure cooking prep the root veggies.
You’ll need about 4 cups total: Carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, potatoes, etc.
These will go in the instant pot, after the beef cooks, for another few minutes so they are tender but not mushy.
Tender and savory Instant pot Beef Stew with Root Vegetables is rich, satisfying and nurturing with all the ease of a one-pot meal. A bit of searing, chopping, and a little time… add sourdough biscuits or Popovers and dinner is served!
Enjoy this delicious Beef Stew and let us know what you think in the comments below.
Wishing you so much health and vitality!
More recipes you may like!
- Homemade Corned Beef (Natural & Nitrate-Free)
- Cranberry Pot Roast
- Simple Irish Stew
- Corned Beef and Cabbage Stew
- Brothy Leek, Lamb & Cabbage Soup
- Instant Pot Middle Eastern Lamb Stew
Instant Pot Beef Stew with Root Vegetables
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 75 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups 1x
- Category: Dinner recipes, Beef, main, one pot meal
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
A homey and comforting beef stew with perfectly cooked root vegetables using the instant pot. Incredibly tender, rich, and satisfying all in about an hour and a half.
Ingredients
- 1 pound beef stew meat or 1 inch cubed chuck roast
- 3/4–1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2–1 teaspoon cracked pepper
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil (or other high heat oil)
- 1/2 cup shallot, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1–2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 3 tablespoons balsamic
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup whole tomatoes in juice
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, adjust to taste
- 4 cups or 1.5 pounds of combined root vegetables: 3 red potatoes, 1 parsnip, 2 rutabagas, 2 carrots – cut into 1-2 inch chunks- see notes. Prep these while beef is pressure cooking.
- 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Pat the meat chunks off with paper towels, soaking up any moisture. The less moisture the better the sear, which will give the meat better flavor and texture. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Set instant pot to saute function. Add oil and sear beef chunks in two batches, remove beef from pot and set aside.
- Saute shallots, celery, garlic, olive oil (if needed) among all the leftover bits in the pot for about 2 minutes.
- Add red wine, balsamic, dijon, tomatoes, beef broth, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Mix around, scraping the bottom of the pot to get off any stuck bits. Smash up the tomatoes against the side to break them up a bit.
- Add seared beef. Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes, making sure to seal the steam valve. Prep your veggies.
- Allow to naturally release for 15 minutes.
- Add the root vegetables in with the stew and set to low pressure for another 3-4 minutes, depending on your preference of doneness. (see notes)
- Manually release the steam valve. Add fresh parsley and serve with sourdough biscuits!
Notes
Adjust the secondary cook time according to how your vegetables are cut. I kept mine in 1-2 inch chunks. If you opt for smaller vegetables go for the lesser time.
An alternative short cut if you are going to cut your own chunks from chuck roast- sear the entire roast in a Dutch Oven on both sides and then cut when it is cool.
Though we have not tested these cuts, they are known to be used for stew: bottom round, chuck roast, chuck steak, beef shoulder, pot roast.
Yes! This can be done in a slow cooker. Sear meat in a pan, briefly saute shallots, celery and garlic. Add all ingredients, except parsley, to slow cooker. Cook on high 6-8 hours. Stir in parsley when ready to serve.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 238
- Sugar: 8.7 g
- Sodium: 641.7 mg
- Fat: 6.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 25.8 g
- Fiber: 5.4 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 49.9 mg
If I were to double this recipe, would cook time be the same?
Thanks in advance!
I think so. Just make sure you sear the meat in batches, don’t overcrowd.
Came out good, but the Instant Pot kept going into Burn mode when it was time to add the root vegetables. The meat at the bottom did burn, better to slow cook next time.
Oh that’s too bad! Glad you were able to save it. It really needs to be scraped and deglazed after searing the meat. I do know some instant pots run hotter, maybe try turning it down?
Thank you. What type of cabbage did you use here, is it the Savoy kind?
There is no cabbage in this recipe, but it would be a nice addition!
Could you make this stove top in a Dutch oven?
Yes! Probably allow 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Made this last night and my family LOVED it! There wasn’t a drop left. Definitely making again. Thanks for another great recipe.
Awesome Kate!
Followed the recipe exactly but the root veggies did not have uniform tenderness. The parsnips were still hard! The carrots were also undercooked! Only the potatoes and rutabagas were properly tender. I looked up the problem on google and it said something about the liquid being too acidic. I think the culprit was the Balsamic vinegar! I had never heard of adding Balsamic vinegar to Beef stew until I found this recipe. I will not be making it again.
That is so strange Margaret. Sorry it didn’t work out for you.
With sweet potato and parnsnips, when would you add them to the instant pot?
I would put them in for 2-3 minutes, after the stew has finished.
Very good recipe. I also appreciated your complete and concise directions and tips. I needed to make some substitutions because I didn,t have some ingredients on hand, but it turned out great. Thank you!
Great to hear Wanda!
Loved this recipe. It tasted like it had slow cooked all day. I substituted 3 medium braised onions for the fresh ones. Added them at the same time as the tomatoes. To braise onions in the crock pot, peel and slice off both ends to make them flat. Place in pot covering bottom. Put a pat of butter on top of each onion. Slow cook on low for 6-8 hours. Store the rest in the freezer. These are great in soups or stews, can be used to make a quick french onion soup or used to top a roast, steak or hamburgers. Also great in beef gravy.
Thanks for sharing Cheryl! Glad you enjoyed this one!
I made this stew and thought it had the best flavor ever. The beef was perfectly tender. The potatoes and parsnips were just right when I cooked them for 4 minutes. The carrots were still a little on the crunchy side even though I cut them into small pieces. I didn’t know what to do about this. Any suggestions?
That is strange. Some carrots are more fibrous than others, especially in the winter. I suppose you could add carrots in with the beef.
Or try roasting the vegetables and adding them after the stew is cooked, just before serving. That way you can be sure each kind of vege is cooked perfectly.
I love cooking in the Instant Pot but most stew recipes have you cook everything together which leads to mushy vegetables. Your stew was perfect – tender beef, perfectly cooked vegetables and a flavourful broth. It’s now the only way I will make beef stew. Thanks for another 5 star recipe.
We’re so glad this worked for you Terry!
My God this is awesome. This is day two of “Feasting at Home” recipe’s. The broth is so rich and delicious. Combined with the tender chunks of meat, and the al dente root vegetables, totally amazing. Again, family coved this meal! Thank you “Feasting at Home”!!!!!
Love it Erick! So glad you let us know.
This my first time making beef stew in my InstantPot, it was absolutely the best ever. I did add 2-1/2 cups of broth instead of 1.
Thanks for you adaptions Cheryle.
Hi Cheryle – this comment is from Cheryl. Wondering how this came out with the additional water. I think that if you add additional water, you might consider thickening the stew with a little corn starch before serving. Just a suggestion.
Hi,
I was wondering about how many pounds of parsnip? My grocery store has it to where you can choose how much, and I only see the recipe says, 1 parsnip. I’m going to go ahead and buy 0.25 pounds as the lowest option and hope it’s okay 😅
I think that is a good guess Halie!