How To Make The Best Ever Instant Pot Beef Stew

Sharing is caring!

Surprise! Beef stew can be made weeknight-fast when you use my old standby, boneless beef short ribs. Your family will inhale it!

I like to serve it over mashed potatoes in a pasta bowl because the gravy is so delicious you don't want to miss a drop! The side of French-cut green beans adds color, fiber, and extra nutrition.

How To Make World Class Stew In About One Hour

I was a slow adopter of Instant Pot cooking! But I'm super excited to share the benefits! What a way to make great food fast!

And, I'm so glad my brother Stan told me about the wonders of boneless beef short ribs! If you don't see them on display in the meat department, ask for them! They are lean, there's very little waste, and they are usually inexpensive to boot!

Here's what you do to make them into beef stew. Use a sharp knife to remove visible excess fat, but don't remove every bit! Cut the beef into approximately ice-cube size cubes.

Try to cut the beef into chunks that are close in size. That way, they'll brown and cook evenly. Hint: this is super easy to do if the meat is not quite defrosted!

Season it with pepper, pressing it into the meat. I love Lawry's seasoned pepper for this. Set beef aside.

The Secret To The Most Exceptional Beef Stew

Exceptional flavor happens right from the start. Chop a medium-sized onion and press a couple of garlic cloves. Sautee them on high in about three tablespoons of olive oil until they get transparent and fragrant.

Next, sear and brown the beef in the pot with the onions and garlic, a few cubes at a time. Don't crowd them. You may need to add a little more olive oil because the beef is quite lean. A good brown sear on the beef cubes will produce the most beautiful gravy!

When all the beef is browned, remove it from the Instant Pot and set it aside. Pour three cups of water into the pot. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up every bit of browned goodness from the bottom of the pan and stir it in.

Add three heaping tablespoons of paste-type beef bouillon and return the beef to the pot. I prefer Better Than Bouillon brand. Set Instant Pot to high-pressure, cook for 35 minutes.

While that cooks, peel and slice about 2 cups of carrots and make a batch of mashed potatoes if you like. Quick-release the pressure and add sliced carrots to the pot. Close and seal the pot and continue to cook for six to eight minutes. Quick-release the pressure.

Here Are The Final Steps To Make It Into Perfect Beef Stew

Return the Instant Pot to the saute setting. Put 1/2 cup cold water into a glass jar or shaker and add 3 tablespoons of cornstarch. Shake well until there are no lumps.

When the stew starts bubbling, slowly add cornstarch mixture while stirring the pot continuously. You may not need the whole amount to create the consistency you want. My advice is to add it gradually.

I always serve this over plain mashed potatoes made from scratch, but it's quite tasty when it's served on top of cooked noodles, too.

I like to present this in a pasta bowl and add French cut green beans for a good-looking plate.

Just heat the beans in the microwave and drain, then drizzle a bit of olive oil and a sprinkle of kosher salt over them. You won't believe how this simple touch enhances their flavor!

Yield: 9 servings

Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe

Print

Tender lean beef and carrots in a rich brown gravy. Wonderful served over mashed potatoes or noodles.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

• 2.5 to 3 pounds boneless beef ribs with excess fat removed and cut into cubes
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2-3 tsp seasoned pepper
• 3 Tbsp olive oil, more if needed
• 3 cups water
• 3 heaping Tbsp beef-flavored Better Than Bouillon paste
• 2 cups sliced carrots
• 3 Tbsp corn starch blended into 1/2 cup cold water

Instructions

1. Trim the excess fat from the boneless beef short ribs and cut the beef into ice-cube size pieces.
2. In Instant Pot, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until fragrant and transparent.
3. Add beef cubes a few at a time. Sear and brown well.
4. Remove the beef from the Instant Pot and add water. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
5. Return the beef to the pot, add bouillon paste, and cook on high pressure for about 35 minutes. Allow the pressure to drop a bit, then quick-release.
6. Add sliced carrots and cook on high pressure for about 6 to 8 minutes.
7. Quick-release the pressure.
8. Combine cornstarch and water in a jar or shaker and shake well until no lumps remain.
9. Gradually add cornstarch mixture to bubbling stew, stirring constantly, until the desired consistency is reached.
10. Serve over mashed potatoes or noodles with French-cut green beans if desired.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

9

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 692Total Fat: 54gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 148mgSodium: 200mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 41g

Here are a couple of other recipes using boneless beef ribs. Pressure cooking is the perfect method for bringing out the flavor and making beef ribs nice and tender! Hooray for Instant Pots!

Have you ever made beef ribs? Have you ever eaten beef ribs? If not, you are missing out on a delicious beef option! I hope you'll try one of these recipes and let me know how it turns out!

If you enjoyed this recipe today, please share it on your social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. I’d sure be tickled and ever so grateful, thank you! 

Love, GB (Betty Streff)

Sharing is caring!