Beef Stew (Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, or Stovetop)
The perfect meal for cold weather days. This stew is rich, flavourful, and hearty; perfect for dipping with some fresh bread or biscuits. It is the perfect make ahead meal which will keep for days in the fridge or months in the freezer. It's also gluten and dairy free!*recipe updated May 5, 2020
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil or oil of choice
- 1 1/2 lbs stew meat, or beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-2 inch cubes
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 2 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning (divided)
- 1/3 cup cornstarch or flour if not gluten free
- 1 medium onion, diced (go as large or small as your family prefers)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small can tomato paste
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar or red wine
- 3-4 potatoes (3 large or 4 small), I prefer Yukon Gold but use whatever you like can swap out some or all with sweet potatoes if preferred
- 3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1-2" chunks
- 3 ribs celery, sliced into 1-2" chunks
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos or soy sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups beef broth can sub up to 2 cups with red wine if desired
- 1/2 star anise optional, but strongly encouraged!
- 2 cups frozen peas optional
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley optional garnish
Instructions
- Pat the beef dry with paper towel to absorb any extra moisture and trim any large pieces so the beef chunks are similarly sized (I use kitchen shears for this!). In a large ziplock bag or bowl, combine the beef with the cornstarch, onion powder, salt, pepper, and 1/2 tsp of Italian Seasoning. Shake or stir to evenly coat the meat.
Instant Pot:
- Turn on sauté mode and heat the olive oil in the pot. Brown the beef in a single layer for a few minutes each side - complete in batches, do not crowd the pan! Remove to a plate or bowl, meat will not be cooked through. *See recipe notes for how to skip the browning step if you are pressed for time, and how to make with frozen stew meat.
- Add the onions and sauté a few minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and 2 remaining teaspoons of Italian Seasoning and sauté for another minute, stirring constantly so as to not burn the garlic. Add the tomato paste and balsamic vinegar/wine to deglaze, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Turn off sauté mode. **See recipe notes for how to avoid and/or troubleshoot the "burn" error on your Instant Pot.
- Return the browned beef to the pot and the remaining ingredients (except for the frozen peas and fresh parsley). Stir to combine. If the liquid doesn't reach the meat and vegetables, add a bit of water - only as much as is needed to reach the same level as the meat and vegetables (they do not have to be fully submersed).
- Secure the lid with the pressure valve on sealing, and pressure cook on high for 20 minutes. Allow 15 minutes natural pressure release after the timer is up, after which you can perform a quick pressure release (or let it fully release naturally, whichever you prefer).
- Remove star anise and bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if desired. Add the frozen peas, if using, and let sit for a minute or two to cook (they will cook from the residual heat of the stew). Serve garnished with fresh parsley and bread or biscuits for dipping, if desired.
Oven/Stovetop:
- Preheat oven to 325F.
- Heat the oil in a large, oven safe dutch dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Brown the beef in a single layer for a few minutes each side - complete in batches, do not crowd the pan! Remove to a plate or bowl, meat will not be cooked through.
- Add the onions and sauté a few minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and 2 remaining teaspoons of Italian Seasoning and sauté for another minute, stirring constantly so as to not burn the garlic. Add the tomato paste and balsamic vinegar/wine to deglaze, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
- Return the browned beef to the pot and the remaining ingredients (except for the frozen peas and fresh parsley). Stir to combine. If the liquid doesn't reach the meat and vegetables, add a bit of water - only as much as is needed to reach the same level as the meat and vegetables (they do not have to be fully submersed). Bring to a simmer.
- Cover with a lid, transfer to the oven and braise for 2 hours, or until meat is fall apart tender.
- Remove star anise and bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if desired. Add the frozen peas, if using, and let sit for a minute or two to cook (they will cook from the residual heat of the stew). Serve garnished with fresh parsley and bread or biscuits for dipping, if desired.
Slow Cooker:
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the beef in a single layer for a few minutes each side - complete in batches, do not crowd the pan! Remove to a plate or bowl, meat will not be cooked through.
- Add the onions and saute a few minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and 2 remaining teaspoons of Italian Seasoning and saute for another minute, stirring constantly so as to not burn the garlic. Add the tomato paste and balsamic vinegar/wine to deglaze, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
- Add the browned meat and onion/garlic mixture to your slow cooker, along with the remaining ingredients (except for the frozen peas and fresh parsley). Stir to combine. If the liquid doesn't reach the meat and vegetables, add a bit of water - only as much as is needed to reach the same level as the meat and vegetables (they do not have to be fully submersed).
- Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours, until meat is fall apart tender.
- Remove star anise and bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if desired. Add the frozen peas, if using, and let sit for a minute or two to cook (they will cook from the residual heat of the stew). Serve garnished with fresh parsley and bread or biscuits for dipping, if desired.
Notes
* Browning the meat adds an extra depth of flavour and texture to the meat, but you can feel free to skip this step if you are pressed for time. Add all the ingredients to the pot (except the cornstarch, peas, and parsley) and proceed with the recipe. Once the stew is done cooking, combine the cornstarch with 1/3 cup of water to make a slurry, stir into the stew and bring to a boil until thickened. Add peas and parsley, remove from heat and serve!
If using frozen stew meat, increase the Instant Pot cook time to 30 minutes with a 15 minute natural pressure release, the oven time to 2 1/2 hours, and the slow cooker time to 10 hours on low or 6 hours on high.
**Troubleshooting a "burn" error: It is important to do a good job deglazing the bottom of your pot, as newer models of the Instant Pot will display a "burn" error once you start the pressure cook if there is anything stuck to the bottom of your pot. Add some of your beef broth or water if needed to really help lift everything off the bottom of the pan, as you scrape with a wooden spoon, before you proceed with the recipe! If your instant pot gives the burn error after pressure cooking, press the cancel button to cancel the pressure cook, then quick release the pressure. Add a bit more liquid if needed and scrape the bottom of the pot with your wooden spoon to ensure nothing is stuck to the bottom. Restart your pressure cook and all should be fine!
If the "burn" error is something you consistently have issues with in your Instant Pot, you could also brown the meat in a large skillet or skip the browning step altogether and follow the above instructions. My Instant Pot is an older model and doesn't have the "burn" error, so I haven't had to worry about it. I have heard back from a few people that this can be an issue with new models though, so wanted to give fair warning!