My Instant Pot Beef Stew is a perfect recipe for this cold, dark weather. It promises to warm you up from the inside out AND is fast enough for weeknight dinner. Fancy enough for company, this comfort food classic is beloved by all.
This hearty and filling beef stew is a near dead ringer for boeuf bourguignon, but is ready for the dinner table in just an hour thanks to the Instant Pot. Serve a hefty scoop over mashed potatoes (or mashed cauliflower if you're going low-carb!) for the most hygge food I can think of.
Table of contents
Why This Recipe Rocks
While this Instant Pot beef stew might taste like a Julia Child recipe, it is considerably easier and faster. This is no complicated, time consuming French recipe. Rather, this is a quick and dirty version of the beloved French stew using a few well placed hacks.
All of my experiences with beef stew have involved long cook times, either in a dutch oven or crockpot. The Instant Pot once again saves the day with this recipe, turning this hearty and delicious meal into something that you can have on the table in an hour from start to finish.
While this Instant Pot beef stew is much faster than making it the traditional way, there is a bit of active work you'll need to put in up front. Once you have your ingredients prepped, the biggest time suck comes from browning the meat. Don't worry though, it only takes about 15 minutes, even when you're working in batches.
I also love stews for being so rustic. Rustic in this case happens to be synonymous with simple prep. There are no fussy knife skills needed, with a rough cut of each vegetable being all you need. Oh, and since most places sell meat already in cubes for stew, your prep load just got even easier.
TIP: If you happened to buy a whole cut of meat for stew, don't fret! You can easily butcher it down into cubes yourself. I find the easiest way to do this is to work with a very sharp knife and to partially freeze the meat ahead of time. When it is frozen, the meat is a bit firmer, making it easier to handle and cut into even pieces.
Finally, the smart use of both bacon and miso adds incredible depth of flavor without requiring any extra time (thanks for this idea, Molly Baz!). If you're in the market for a weeknight beef stew recipe, this is the one you want.
What is Miso?
If you are not yet familiar with the kitchen powerhouse that is miso paste, now's the time to change that. This staple in Japanese cuisine is known for its inherent umami qualities and is one of my favorite back pocket ways to add tons of flavor to dishes without any extra effort.
Made from fermenting a combination of soybeans, grains (usually barley or rice), salt and koji (a type of mold), miso paste is a funk factory you should definitely keep on hand. And since its been fermented, there are some serious probiotics living in this flavorful paste, making it healthy to boot.
Don't be fooled into thinking miso can only be used for making the eponymous soup you get as a starter at your favorite Japanese restaurant. This kitchen workhorse can be used for making everything from salad dressing to sweets. Seriously, do yourself and buy some. You won't regret it.
How to Make Beef Stew in the Instant Pot
First things first: prep your ingredients. Roughly cut your carrots and parsnips into inch-long pieces. If the veggies are particularly thick, you may need to halve or quarter the pieces to be more bite sized. I happen to like using the roll cut, which often eliminates the need for the extra cutting, but that's just me.
Next, peel your onions and then vertically slice them into roughly inch wide pieces. Smash and roughly chop the garlic. If necessary, cut your stew meat into roughly 1-inch cubes. Open your bottle of wine, pour yourself a glass to sip on, then set the rest to the side for the stew.
Now you're ready to get cooking. Set the Instant Pot to sauté over medium. Using sharp kitchen shears, cut your bacon into 1-inch pieces to drop into the metal insert. Render the fat from the bacon, stirring occasionally to cook it from all sides. Remove browned bacon from the pan and set aside, leaving the fat in the Instant Pot.
Liberally sprinkle your meat with kosher salt and pepper to season. Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, brown the meat on all sides. Remove the browned beef to the same plate or bowl as your cooked bacon.
TIP: Don't rush this step! I'd advise leaving the meat undisturbed for about 4-5 minutes per side to get a nice sear. Feel free to add a glug of olive oil as necessary if the pan seems dry. And don't forget that glass of wine you poured earlier - it will make the time go by more quickly and pleasantly. 🙂
Add your onions to the Instant Pot. Leave them undisturbed for 2-3 minutes to get some char, then stir. Continue cooking until the onions are beginning to soften and become translucent.
Add the carrots and parsnips, along with a five finger pinch of salt. Stir, using the resulting juices to help scrape up some of the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and stir, cooking until fragrant.
Stir in the miso, allowing it to coat the veggies and the bottom of the pan. Add the stew meat and bacon to the pan.
Tip in the flour, then stir to coat everything. Allow to cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flour is lightly browned.
Pour in the remaining wine. Stir to incorporate. Tip in your spices and give a final stir.
Secure the Instant Pot lid in place and switch to manual/pressure cook on high for 35 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes, then do a quick release to let off any remaining steam. Dish up and garnish with some fresh cut sage or parsley for a bit of green. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
As a self-confessed grocery addict and someone who deeply values convenience on weeknights, I absolutely love purchasing pre-cut chuck, often labeled as "beef stew meat." I can get the grass-fed good stuff at my local Aldi for just $7.99/lb, making this meal quite economical.
If you're more of a DIY person, I'd recommend opting for either chuck roast or boneless short ribs. Chuck will almost certainly be less expensive than the short ribs, but both will yield a tender and super flavorful stew as a result of excellent collagen stores and yummy marbling.
Heck yeah! One of the best things about soups and stews (and most of my favorite winter foods) is that they tend to get even better with age. This yummy Instant Pot beef stew will last for up to a week in the fridge or up to 6 months in the freezer. Peak flavor will start after about 24 hours, so definitely get yourself excited about your leftovers.
Mashed potatoes happen to be one of my love languages. When its dark and dreary out, I can't think of a better thing than serving a heaping scoop of this delicious beef stew over an even bigger scoop of creamy mashies.
If you're more of a crusty bread lover, I'm 100% here for that as well. Warm up a boule of sourdough or crusty French bread, soften some salted butter and dip it right into a big ol' bowl of stew. Bonus points if you skip the neat slices and tear craggy pieces of bread off by hand instead.
Finally, if you're doing the whole low-carb/keto thing, feel free to swap a pile of mashed potatoes for my ultra creamy mashed cauliflower. It has all the vibes of mashies without any of the carb-y guilt you might foster for potatoes.
Need more hygge food inspiration? Check out these other super cozy recipes:
- Mom's White Clam Chowder
- Easy Chicken Divan Casserole
- Instant Pot Split Pea and Ham Soup
- Moussaka Style Lamb and Eggplant Shepherd's Pie
- Quick and Easy Broccoli Beef
If you tried this yummy Instant Pot Beef Stew with Bacon and Miso, please let me know how it turned out! I love reading your ratings and reviews.
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Instant Pot Beef Stew with Bacon
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 oz Bacon cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 ¼ lb Beef Chuck cut into 1 inch cubes for beef stew
- Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
- 2 Red Onions vertically cut into 1 inch slices
- 2 Carrots roll cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 Parsnips roll cut into 1 inch pieces
- 8-10 cloves Garlic chopped
- 2 Tbsp White Miso Paste
- 2 Tbsp AP Flour
- 1 bottle Red Wine less one glass for sipping
- 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme Leaves
- 1 teaspoon Dried Parsley
Instructions
- Roughly cut your carrots and parsnips into inch-long pieces. If the veggies are particularly thick, you may need to halve or quarter the pieces to be more bite sized.Peel onions and vertically slice them into roughly inch wide pieces. Smash and roughly chop the garlic. If necessary, cut your stew meat into roughly 1-inch cubes. Open wine, pour yourself a glass to sip on, then set the rest to the side for the stew.
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté over medium. Using sharp kitchen shears, cut your bacon into 1-inch pieces to drop into the metal insert. Render the fat from the bacon, stirring occasionally to cook it from all sides. Remove browned bacon from the pan and set aside, leaving the fat in the Instant Pot.
- Liberally sprinkle your meat with kosher salt and pepper to season. Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, brown the meat on all sides. Remove the browned beef to the same plate or bowl as your cooked bacon.
- Add your onions to the Instant Pot. Leave them undisturbed for 2-3 minutes to get some char, then stir. Continue cooking until the onions are beginning to soften and become translucent.
- Add the carrots and parsnips, along with a five finger pinch of salt. Stir, using the resulting juices to help scrape up some of the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and stir, cooking until fragrant.
- Stir in the miso, allowing it to coat the veggies and the bottom of the pan. Add the stew meat and bacon to the pan. Tip in the flour, then stir to coat everything. Allow to cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flour is lightly browned.Pour in the remaining wine. Stir to incorporate. Tip in your herbs and give a final stir.
- Secure the Instant Pot lid in place and switch to manual/pressure cook on high for 35 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes, then do a quick release to let off any remaining steam.
- Dish up and garnish with some fresh cut sage or parsley for a bit of green. Enjoy!
Notes
- Don't rush browning your meat! I'd advise leaving the meat undisturbed for about 4-5 minutes per side to get a nice sear. Feel free to add a glug of olive oil as necessary if the pan seems dry. And don't forget that glass of wine you poured earlier - it will make the time go by more quickly and pleasantly. 🙂
- Instant Pot Beef Stew will last for up to a week in the fridge or up to 6 months in the freezer.
