Stew is the ultimate comfort food and a classic one pot meal. Making stew in the Instant Pot is a perfect way to reduce the cooking time without sacrificing any flavor. As the days get cooler choose some of these tasty stews to warm you up and fill you up.
Whether you are making beef stew, chicken stew, pork stew, vegan stew or something else completely different. Instant Pot Stew is a quick and easy way to make a rich and warm bowl full of deliciousness.
Why is a Pressure Cooker Ideal for Making Stew?
An Instant Pot can have a tasty stew ready to eat in as little as 30-45 minutes, much quicker than simmering it all day in a slow cooker or on the stove top.
A pressure cooker excels at making even thick cuts of meat tender and delicious.
Being able to saute and pressure cook all in one appliance means there is only one pot to wash.
If you are looking for the perfect recipe for a busy weeknight or a Sunday dinner check out my list of 37+ of the best Instant Pot stews below. The list is all stews and only stews. There are no soups or chilis or chowders!
And there are recipes from all over the world! Morocco, Brazil, Greece and Sweden are just some of the countries represented in this list of the best Instant Pot stew recipes. So jump down to the list or keep reading below for the answers to your most asked questions about making stew in a pressure cooker!
FAQ
What is the difference between soup and stew?
The main difference is the amount of liquid that is used in each. Stews are thicker, with just enough liquid to almost cover the ingredients. Soups have lots more broth.
Because stews are thicker and have less broth they seem more substantial and filling. In my house stews have always been a hearty dinner, while soups are more for lunch or when you are sick!
How do you thicken Instant Pot Stew?
Use tomato paste – If a soup has a tomato based broth adding tomato paste is an easy way to thicken the broth.
Puree a vegetable – You can also use one of the vegetables in the stew to thicken the broth. Cauliflower or squash works very well for this because they puree easily. Just mash them after cooking to use as a thickening agent.
Add cornstarch or flour – These traditional thickening agents work best when they are added after pressure cooking the meat and vegetables. Mix either with cold water and stir it into the stew. Then use the saute function of Instant Pot to cook for a few minutes until it thickens.
What is the stew setting on an Instant Pot?
Some models of the Instant Pot have a specific setting for stew. This is a preprogramed button that automatically sets it on High pressure for 30 minutes. You can use this setting or just use the manual mode and set it on high pressure directly.
Why are my stew veggies mushy?
Some stew recipes call for adding the meat and most veggies all at once and then pressure cooking. This makes for quick and easy dump and go recipes.
However if the veggies cook too long this can result in vegetables that are soft and mushy. One easy way to help with this is to cut the vegetables into bigger pieces if they are being added with the meat.
Other stew recipes call for pressure cooking the meat and broth, releasing the pressure, adding the vegetables and pressure cooking again. This results in vegetables which are firmer, since they don’t cook under pressure for as long.
But this is a little more involved and doesn’t allow as much of hands off cooking time. So which type of stew you decide to make depends on how much time you have and how picky your are about the texture of stew vegetables.
Instant Pot Beef Stews
When it’s cold outside, nothing beats a hearty beef stew. These recipes will have you sitting down at the table with a steaming bowl full of tender beef in your hands.
1
Apple Cider Instant Pot Beef Stew
Fall flavors abound in this beef stew made with apple cider. The cider adds a fun twist to traditional homemade beef stew.Tender chunks of beef and lots of vegetables make this a classic stew not to be missed.
This is a classic beef stew recipe, full of hearty vegetables and beef chuck. Tasty chunks of potatoes and carrots are cooked in a hearty broth that will leave you coming back for more!
Southwestern flavor abounds in this easy low carb stew. It includes cauliflower rice along with tomatoes, olives and chiles for a thick and comforting meal. The flavoring includes just a bit of spiciness making it kid friendly.
This Taiwanese flavored stew is spiced with cinnamon and five spice powder and includes dates for a hint of sweetness. It is also full of veggies that make it paleo, Whole30 and Keto friendly.
This keto beef stew is the ultimate cold-weather comfort food. It’s hearty, cozy, perfect for a family weeknight winter dinner. The beef is meltingly tender simmered in a delicious broth with celery, turnips, green beans, and onion.
This Swedish version of beef stew is flavored with allspice and features lots of onions. Enjoy a Scandanavian classic with this fun change from American style beef stew.
This traditional stew recipe results in the simple comfort food. And the recipe even includes instructions for making the stew with frozen beef, which is super convenient.
Using the Instant Pot means this jalapeno spiced beef stew is ready in no time at all. Asian flavors like ginger root, soy sauce and sesame oil create a satisfying harmony that will leave you coming back for more.
This classic French Beef Bourguignon is full of tender chunks of beef, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, fresh herbs in a wine based rich broth. You can create all the flavor of fancy French restaurant in the comfort of your own home.
Greek Stifado is an easy comfort dinner with a hint of cinnamon for the cold days of winter. It is mix of beef, potatoes, carrots and onions in a hearty tomato-based broth that’s both healthy and delicious.
Three different types of mushrooms combine with beef in this easy stew. White button, shiitake and cremini mushrooms add flavor to the tender beef, perfect when you want a beef stew but are tired of carrots and potatoes.
Chicken stew is a perennial favorite because it is delicious, healthy and budget friendly.
13
Instant Pot Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash
This chicken stew with butternut squash is full of flavor and nutrition and is gluten free and dairy free. This creamy stew is has chicken, squash, carrots and spinach with a spicy curry flavor.
Make this Tomatillo Chicken Stew in the Instant Pot for a quick one dish meal. Tomatillos combine with grape tomatoes & chicken thighs for an easy weeknight stew.
This is a classic stew recipe basic ingredients to create a hearty flavorful stew that the entire family will love. Lots ofonion, celery and potatoes and Italian spices make this simple and tasty.
This easy Brazilian chicken stroganoff is made with a flourless and creamy mushroom gravy. Chicken chunks combine with onions, mushrooms, tomato sauce, and heavy cream for a creamy and filling dish.
This dump and cook recipe is healthy and simple to make. Coconut milk, broccoli and sweet potatoes give it a completely different taste form classic American chicken stew.
Stews made from pork make a nice change from the more traditional beef and chicken recipes.
20
Southwest Instant Pot Pork Stew
This pork stew has southwest flavors and spices for a Tex-Mex inspired taste with just a bit of spiciness. Cornmeal is used to thicken the stew for an easy one pot dinner.
This easy Mexican inspired stew consists of pork cooked with tomatillos and chiles. This delicious stew brings all the flavors of smoky roasted peppers and citrusy sweet tomatillos together in one hearty stew.
This pork stew combines hominy and salsa verde together for a big, flavorful taste. The salsa verde infused broth gives the entire stew a sweet Mexican inspired taste.
Feijoda is a Brazilian black bean stew with pork served with white rice, farofa (toasted cassava flour), couve a mineira (pan-fried collard greens), and orange slices. It is the national dish of Brazil and it is earthy and savory, with a thick bean broth and chunky meats.
Stew doesn't have to include meat! Check out these plant and grain based stews or creative meal ideas.
24
vegcookbook.net
Chana Masala
This traditional Indian stew is a delicious vegetarian option. It chickpeas, tomatoes and Indian spices combine for an easy vegan dinner that is full of flavor.
Jackfruit is used in place of pork in this vegetarian recipe! Filled with lots of fresh green chiles this mild stew is full of flavor but not too spicy.
This recipe is a lot like beef stew- just without the beef! Potatoes, carrots, mushrooms and peas are cooked in a rich broth for a perfect fall dinner.
This wholesome, vegetarian lentil stew is easy to make with pantry staples. It has lentils, seasonal veggies, and all things you need in a perfect one-pot meal.
Stuffed Cabbage Stew is full of cozy, hearty and comforting vibes in a one pot meal. This vegan and gluten free soul food is healthy and filling.cabbage, tofu, lentils
This aromatic vegetable stew has just enough heat to give the dish a nice kick without overpowering the sweet spices. Veggies, apricots, and chickpeas are flavored with cardamom, coriander, cloves and harissa in this simple stew.
Moroccan Lamb with slow cooker or pressure cooker method
This Moroccan Inspired lamb stew is full of veggies and chickpeas and is just a little bit sweet. It is flavored with dates and cinnamon making it a big hit with kids!
This delicious venison stew is chocked full of sliced carrots and diced celery. Intensely flavored venison simmered with vegetables creates a low fat, scratch-made meal.
Sausage Lentil Stew is a cozy, hearty stew made easy in the instant pot. Full of flavor and so satisfying! Kale, sausage, lentils and veggies make this a delicious dinner.
This Portuguese inspired fish stew combines fish or shellfish with a delicate fennel and wine based broth. Pair this stew with crusty bread for an easy dinner.
1Tablespooncider vinegarif using non-alcoholic cider
2TablespoonTomato paste
1cupbeef broth
1/2teaspoonsalt
2potatoes
2carrots
1cupfrozen peas
Instructions
Set the Instant Pot on saute and let it heat up.
Put the oil in the Instant Pot and brown the beef cubes on all sides in the oil.
1 Tablespoon olive oil, 1 pound beef chuck
After the beef is browned add the flour, onion, basil, oregano, cider, cider vinegar (if using non-alcoholic cider), tomato paste, broth, along with salt. Stir to mix.
2 Tablespoon flour, 1 onion, 1 teaspoon basil, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 cup apple cider, 1 Tablespoon cider vinegar, 2 Tablespoon Tomato paste, 1 cup beef broth, 1/2 teaspoon salt
Put the lid on the Instant Pot and lock the lid. Switch it to the Stew/Meat setting and program it for 20 minutes.
While the stew cooks peel and dice the potatoes and the carrots.
2 potatoes, 2 carrots
When the 20 minutes is done release the steam using the quick release.
Add the potatoes and carrots, and lock the lid back on the Instant Pot. Set it to the manual setting and program it for 8 minutes.
Once the 8 minutes are up use either the quick release and then stir in the frozen peas. Let sit for 3 minutes or so and then serve.
1 cup frozen peas
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I love to cook and I want to share my recipes with you. I believe cooking should be approachable and fun, not a chore. I want to make simple recipes using everyday ingredients that you can make again and again, whether it is for a busy weeknight, a summer cookout or a special dessert. Read more...
