Best Beef Stew (Instant Pot & Oven/Slow Cooker Directions!)

5 from 1 vote

Best Beef Stew (Instant Pot & Oven/Slow Cooker Directions!)

Beef Stew is saucy, hearty, and made with simple, good-for-you ingredients like potatoes, carrots, beef, tomato juice, and spices. Make this beef stew recipe in the Instant Pot in a flash or in the oven, cooked low and slow. Both cooking methods give drool-worthy results. Don’t forget the crusty bread for dipping!

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Total Time50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Main Dish

Keyword: Instant Pot, Beef Stew

Servings: servings

Author: Stephanie Simmons

Ingredients

2 and 3/4 cups tomato juice
24 ounces beef stew meat
3 large carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 large yellow onion, sliced
6 medium yellow potatoes
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of pepper
3 tbsp all-purpose flour 24 grams. Can use gluten-free if needed.
1 tsp thyme
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 cup peas Optional - I usually don't use them but I know some people love them in their stew!

Instructions

Prep: Preheat oven to 325℉ if using oven method. Otherwise, get out your instant pot and make sure your metal liner pot is in it.
Roughly chop the potatoes, celery, and carrots. Set aside. In a bowl, add the flour, salt and pepper and mix. Toss the beef in this mixture to coat.
Stir in a cup of frozen peas (it’s important to do this after it’s done cooking, they will turn to mush if you add them at the beginning with everything else). Serve warm with some crusty bread.
Instant Pot Method: Place the beef in the bottom of the Instant Pot liner. Add the celery, carrots, and potatoes. Add the onions on top. (I don't stir everything together). Pour the tomato sauce in and add the garlic, thyme, and an extra pinch of salt + pepper. (If using peas, save them until the end - they'll disintegrate during the cook time and need to simply be stirred in at the end.)
Make sure the vent is set to “sealing” and select the “stew/meat” setting on the Instant Pot. Cook for 35 minutes. When it's finished cooking, let the pressure release naturally (takes about 15 minutes).
Oven Method: Add everything to a dutch oven and cook for 1 hour 45 minutes - 2 hrs 10 minutes. It's done when the beef is tender and the veggies are soft - check it at 1 hour 30 minutes. (I like to pull out a piece of meat, a piece of potato, and a piece of carrot, and cut into them all to make sure they're tender/done. Taste the meat to see if it's tender enough.)
Crock Pot Method: Do the same as with the oven method, but cook on low heat for 6-8 hours until everything is tender. Stir in the peas at the end.
Serve + Store: Stir in the peas when done cooking (for any method) if using. Serve warm, with crusty bread! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Nutrition