Instant Pot Aged Beef and Vegetable stew

Aged beef and vegetable stew is a super easy and cozy week night dinner recipe that you can have ready in under an hour!

I love dinner recipes that I can make quickly! I have been really getting a lot of use out of my instant pot lately. At first, it was an appliance that sat in the cupboard for year, and pretty much all I made in it was beans. But, then I started experimenting with meals and was so shocked at how delicious they turned out! Think slow cooker quality meals in a fraction of the time!

AGED BEEF AND VEGETABLE STEW INGREDIENTS LIST

Okay, so the list of ingredients may look long for this instant pot recipe, but really most of them are either vegetables or spices. And I'd bet you probably have most of them in your kitchen already!

• Aged stew beef
• Avocado oil
• Yellow onion
• Garlic
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Beef stock
• Tomato paste
• Baby potatoes
• Carrots
• Mushrooms
• Seasonings: pink sea salt, black pepper, dried oregano, dried rosemary, and dried thyme

Picking the best ingredients for your Beef and Vegetable Stew

Aged stew beef. Aged beef adds a lot of amazing flavor to this recipe. If you can't find aged beef, you can simply substitute in regular stew beef. Stew beef is just cut up chuck or round beef.

Avocado oil. I love using avocado oil when I am heating an oil for sautéing. Avocado oil holds up to heat really well over other vegetable oils.

Yellow onion. I just learned the scale of bitterness to sweetness for onions. First you have shallots, then yellow onions, white onions, red onions, and finally sweet white onions. Pretty cool right? You learn something new every day. 🙂

Garlic. Make sure you use a fresh bulb of garlic and mince it up. It makes a HUGE difference in flavor over pre-minced garlic from a jar.

Balsamic vinegar. Balsamic vinegar adds a hint of a tangy flavor to this beef stew. Believe me, it adds such an amazing depth of flavor that you don't want to leave it out!!

Beef stock. Beef stock, beef broth you can use either one that you like. 🙂 I tend to use sodium free stock or broth so that I can adjust the salt to the taste I like.

Tomato paste. Tomato paste gives this stew a little bit of a thicker texture, and of course more flavor!

Make sure to buy tomato paste from BPA free cans!

Baby potatoes. I used baby fingerling potatoes, but you can use any type of baby potatoes that you like. I love that baby potatoes have such an amazing smooth and creamy texture.

Carrots. Oh the humble carrot.. but did you know that just 1 carrot has all the vitamin A (as beta carotene) that you need for the entire day!?

Mushrooms. I love using a variety of mushrooms in my meals. For this recipe, I used some simple baby bella mushrooms. But, you can choose any type of mushroom that you want!

Spices/seasonings: pink sea salt, black pepper, dried oregano, dried rosemary, and dried thyme. Check the dates on your spices! Spices can start to lose their flavor after sitting on the shelf for over a year 🙂

How to make Aged Beef and Vegetable Stew in the Instant Pot

STEP 1: SEAR THE MEAT

First, set your instant pot to the sauté setting.

Add 3 tablespoons of avocado oil and allow the oil to heat up for a few minutes.

Next, add the 2 pounds of stew beef and cook until the beef is brown on all sides.

STEP 2: ADD AROMATICS

Add 1 large diced yellow onion and cook it into the beef until the onion is soft.

Next, add 3 cloves of minced garlic. Stir the garlic in and cook it only until it just becomes fragrant. You don't want to brown your garlic, which can give off a bitter flavor.

STEP 3: DEGLAZE THE PAN

Add ⅛ cup of balsamic vinegar to scrape the bottom of the pan. Those bits that you scrape off are super flavorful!

STEP 4: ADD EVERYTHING ELSE

Finally, add the rest of your ingredients: 3 cups beef stock, 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 pounds sliced baby potatoes, 5 sliced carrots, 6oz sliced mushrooms, 2 teaspoons pink sea salt, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, and 1 teaspoon dried thyme.

Stir together gently to fully combine all the ingredients.

STEP 5: PRESSURE COOK (final step!)

Set your instant pot to 30 minutes on high pressure. Make sure the steam valve on the lid is adjusted to the "sealing" position.

Allow your aged beef stew to naturally release for at least 10 minutes after cooking. After that you can release the rest of the pressure and remove your lid.

Stir your beef and vegetable stew again to make sure everything is combined.

And that is is! Your delicious and flavorful dinner is ready in under 1 hour!

Can I make Aged Beef and Vegetable Stew over the stove?

I have not tried this recipe over the stove. But, as it goes with most instant pot to stove recipes, you can make them over the stove but it will take longer for the ingredients to cook down.

Stew beef has the best tender texture when it is cooked in the slow cooker over a long period of time, or in the instant pot on high pressure. Both of these techniques will break down that tough connective tissue in chuck beef or round beef for a very delicious and tender texture.

How to store and reheat Aged Beef and Vegetable Stew

Store your aged beef and vegetable stew in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can store it either right in a pan and reheat it over the stove. Or, store it in separate glass containers so that you can heat the containers up in the microwave. This stew makes a delicious lunch for the next few days!

Other warm and healthy recipes you might like for this winter:

1. Roasted Butternut Squash and Pear Soup
2. The Best Broccoli Cheddar Soup!

FAQ's

How do you tenderize stew meat in the instant pot?

Stew meat is quickly tenderized in the instant pot when you pressure cook it on high. To tenderize stew meat in the instant pot, add your meat with water about 1 inch over the meat, place the lid on your pot. Set the valve to sealing. Pressure cook on high for 20 minutes. Allow your instant pot to naturally release for the best tender meat texture.

How long do you cook beef cubes in a pressure cooker?

Unlike traditional cooking methods for stew beef (like the slow cooker or the stock pot), you can cook beef cubes quickly in the pressure cooker to break down that tough cartilage. Set your pressure cooker to cook on high for 20 to 30 minutes. Allow your pressure cooker to naturally release the steam before removing the lid for the best tender texture.

How can I thicken my beef stew gluten free?

You can make any stew thick using either cornstarch or arrowroot starch. Both cornstarch and arrowroot starch are gluten free and will thicken your stew quickly! Simply mix about 1 tablespoon of either with 2 tablespoons of water and add it to your stew. Stir it into your stew and let it thicken for about 5 minutes over medium heat. If you want an even thicker broth, just add another tablespoon of the cornstarch or arrowroot starch.

Don't add powdered cornstarch or arrowroot starch straight to a stew without mixing it with water first because it will thicken quickly and leave you with a lumpy broth.

---

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Youtube!

---

If you make this recipe, please be sure to tag your photo #thehintofrosemary on Instagram and leave me a rating in the recipe card!