Instant Pot beef stew
Tender, all-day-tasting beef stew on a weeknight, with potatoes and carrots that hold their shape and a rich gravy that needs no flour.
- 95 min total
- 35 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $4.79 a serving
- 510 calories
- Good the next day
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1½-inch chunks
- 3 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1½ lb stew beef
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups beef broth
- ¾ cup frozen peas
From your pantry
- 1¼ tsp salt, divided
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 bay leave
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
Each serving has about 510 calories, 40 g protein, 39 g carbs and 22 g fat, and costs about $4.79 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No Yukon Gold potatoes? Russet potatoes or red potatoes work.
- No stew beef? Chuck roast works.
- No beef broth? Bone broth works.
- No frozen peas? Frozen mixed vegetables work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the onion, the garlic, and cut the potatoes and carrots into big chunks.
Chop. Chopping means cutting food into bite-size pieces that don’t need to be neat. Keep them roughly the same size so everything cooks evenly.
How you’ll know: Your pieces are about half an inch and roughly alike, even if none of them are pretty.
Mince. Mincing means chopping something into the tiniest pieces you can, smaller than a grain of rice. Tiny pieces melt into the dish, so you get the flavor without biting into a chunk of garlic.
How you’ll know: Every piece is tiny and about the same size, and the pile starts to look almost like a paste.
the beef dry with paper towels and it with 1 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Season. Seasoning means adding salt, pepper or spices to bring out a food’s flavor. A little at a few stages tastes better than a lot all at the end.
How you’ll know: When you taste it, it tastes bright and like itself, not flat and not salty.
Press and heat the oil. half the beef without moving it for 3 minutes, turn and brown 2 minutes more, then move it to a plate and brown the rest.
Sauté. Sautéing means cooking cut-up food in a little oil or butter over medium to medium-high heat, stirring now and then. It cooks things quickly and browns them lightly without burning.
How you’ll know: You hear a steady, lively sizzle, not a hiss and spit, and the edges start to soften and color.
Brown. Browning means cooking until the outside turns brown, which is where a lot of savory flavor comes from. Give food room and time without stirring, or it steams and stays gray.
How you’ll know: The food looks brown rather than gray, and the kitchen smells toasty and savory.
Medium-high heatTimer: 5 min
Dolly’s tip: If the pieces stick, wait. They let go by themselves once they’ve browned.Add the onion to the pot and cook for 3 minutes, then stir in the garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute.
Medium heatTimer: 4 min
Pour in the broth and vinegar and scrape the bottom until nothing is stuck, then press Cancel.
Dolly’s tip: This is the step that prevents the burn warning. Scrape until the bottom feels smooth under your spoon.Return the beef and its juices, add the thyme and bay leaf, then pile the potatoes and carrots on top without stirring.
Dolly’s tip: Vegetables on top steam gently instead of turning to mush.Lock the lid, set the valve to Sealing and pressure cook on High for 35 minutes.
Timer: 35 min
Dolly’s tip: It takes about 15 minutes to come up to pressure before the countdown starts.Food safety: Steak, pork chops and other whole cuts are safe at 145°F in the middle, then let them rest for 3 minutes before cutting.
Let the pressure release on its own for 10 minutes, then turn the valve to Venting to let out the rest, keeping your hand away from the steam.
Timer: 10 min
Stir the cornstarch and water together in a small cup. Press Sauté, stir it into the stew with the peas and for 2 minutes, until the gravy .
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Thicken. Thickening means cooking a sauce or soup until it’s less runny, by simmering it down or adding something like cornstarch. A thicker sauce clings to food instead of pooling on the plate.
How you’ll know: It coats the back of a spoon, and a line drawn through it with your finger holds its shape.
Medium heatTimer: 2 min
Pull out the bay leaf, taste and add the last ¼ teaspoon salt if it needs it, and serve.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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