It’s the perfect day to make my family’s all-time favorite beef stew. As I write this, snow is falling outside and it’s beyond cold with the wind chill. Once winter rushes in, it’s time to “hunker down”, as my dad says.
As a simple living aficionado, cooking from scratch is something I like to do. BUT that doesn’t mean I like to slave away in the kitchen for hours on end. We also have a lot of renovation work we want to do in our farmhouse fixer upper this winter. It’s a balancing act to get it all done and still have some sanity left.
Several years ago, to speed up some recipes, I bought an Instant Pot. Honestly, I would consider myself an early adopter of it. Since then, they have become immensely popular and more affordable, too. My slow cooker rarely sees the light of day these days. That’s because this contraption is a miracle worker. Rest assured, though, if you don’t have one, scroll down to the notes on how to make our All-Time Favorite Beef Stew in a regular pot. It will take longer, but the meat will still be tender.
How to Make our All-Time Favorite Beef Stew
Matt is very much a meat and potatoes kind of guy while I prefer to eat meat sparingly. I have gourmet taste buds while he tends to like more casseroles. But every once in a while, I treat him to this beef stew. For him, it’s a win with the meat, and for me, it’s all about the veggies. Plus, with the Instant Pot, it’s practically a fix it and forget it kind of meal instead of something that takes an afternoon to make.
Beef Stew Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless chuck, tip, or round roast, cut into cubes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cups hot water or beef broth
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 medium carrots (about 1 cup), cut into 1″ pieces
- 1 large potato (about 1 1/4 cups), cut into 1″ pieces
- 1 medium turnip (about 1 cup), cut into 1″ pieces
- 1 green bell pepper (about 1 cup), cut into 1″ pieces
- 1 stalk celery (about 1/2 cup), cut into 1″ pieces
- 1 small yellow onion (about 1/4 cup), chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 bay leaf
All-Time Favorite Beef Stew Directions
- Remove the interior rack of the Instant Pot and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the interior pan.
- With the lid off, set the Instant Pot to sauté and add the stew meat. Let it cook in the oil for 4 minutes before flipping it over. Cook the meat on the other side for an additional 3 minutes.
- Turn the Instant Pot off and add the water and all of the chopped vegetables to the cooked meat in the pan.
- Sprinkle with the remaining salt and add the bay leaf.
- Put the lid on the Instant Pot and twist it until you hear the chiming sound it makes when closed.
- Set the sealing knob on the top of the lid to Seal and choose the Stew function.
- The Instant Pot will pressurize on its own and once it reaches the appropriate pressure, the timer will start at approximately 35 minutes.
- When the Instant Pot is done cooking the stew, let it depressurize naturally. This will take about 10 extra minutes.
- Remove the lid and bay leaf and add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to the stew.
- Hit sauté again and, keeping the lid off, stir constantly to desired thickness.
All-Time Favorite Beef Stew
This hearty and flavorful soup is the perfect comfort food for meat and potatoes lovers! Using an Instant Pot makes it a breeze to cook and clean up.
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless chuck, tip, or round roast, cut into cubes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cups hot water
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 medium carrots (about 1 cup), cut into 1" pieces
- 1 large potato (about 1 1/4 cups), cut into 1" pieces
- 1 medium turnip (about 1 cup), cut into 1" pieces
- 1 green bell pepper (about 1 cup), cut into 1" pieces
- 1 stalk celery (about 1/2 cup), cut into 1" pieces
- 1 small yellow onion (about 1/4 cup), chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Remove the interior rack of the Instant Pot and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the interior pan.
- With the lid off, set the Instant Pot to sauté and add the stew meat. Let it cook in the oil for 4 minutes before flipping it over. Cook the meat on the other side for an additional 3 minutes.
- Turn the Instant Pot off and add the water and all of the chopped vegetables to the cooked meat in the pan.
- Sprinkle with the remaining salt and add the bay leaf.
- Put the lid on the Instant Pot and twist it until you hear the chiming sound it makes when closed.
- Set the sealing knob on the top of the lid to Seal and choose the Stew function.
- The Instant Pot will pressurize on its own and once it reaches the appropriate pressure, the timer will start at approximately 35 minutes.
- When the Instant Pot is done cooking the stew, let it depressurize naturally. This will take about 10 extra minutes.
- Remove the lid and bay leaf and add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to the stew.
- Hit sauté again and, keeping the lid off, stir constantly to desired thickness.
Notes
Notes
- If you don’t have an Instant Pot, I recommend making this stew in a Dutch oven with a lid. After cooking the meat in the bottom of your regular pot, add the water, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover the pan, simmering for 2 1/2 hours or until the beef is almost tender. Stir in all the vegetables and simmer for an additional 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaf and add the cornstarch, stirring it in until thickened.
Our All-Time Favorite Beef Stew tastes amazing served with a crust of hearty and flavorful herbs and cheddar zucchini bread.
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