One of my good friends gifted me an Instant Pot for Christmas and for weeks it sat, unopened, in my living room, collecting dust and Betty-fur. I was a bit nervous using it because Ive never made anything in a pressure cooker before, but with some tips from a friend and Google, it found its way out of the box and helped me make a super quick and easy beef stew dinner!
Ingredients for 6-8 servings:
- 2.5 lbs beef chunks
- 5-6 russet potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes (I like a very starchy beef stew)
- 3 large carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large onion, wedged
- 3 cups of canned tomato sauce (I used canned crushed tomato)
- 3 cups of beef broth
- 1 packet of Lipton Beef and Onion Soup/Dip Mix
- Cornstarch + cold water mixture (optional, if you like a thicker broth)
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- Olive oil, to saute beef chunks
Add olive oil to the Instant Pot and turn on the saute function. When the oil starts to sizzle, add the beef, salt, and pepper, and cook until beef is browned on all sides
Add beef broth to the instant pot and scrape up any brown bits at the bottom of the bowl. Add the carrots, potatoes, garlic, tomato sauce, and Lipton Beef and Onion Soup Mix packet (you can also add in the onions at this point as well, but I waited until the end to add them in so they are not so mushy).
Close the lid and steam valve on the instant pot.
Cook on high pressure for 35 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for about 10 minutes before doing a quick release. [Tip: You can place paper towels over the vent when doing the quick release after 10 minutes of natural release so the stew doesnt spray all over your kitchen.]
Add in onions (or prior to pressure cooking, if you prefer).
NOTE: If you like a thicker stew, mix some cornstarch with cold water and add it to the pot, stirring until thickened.
