Is stew better in the slow cooker or Instant Pot?

Taste: For overall taste, the pressure cooker was the hands-down winner . Beef, carrots, and potatoes all retained their rich flavors. After 8 hours in the slow cooker, they emerged bland and seemed to need salt.

Is it better to pressure cook or slow cook beef?

Pressure cooking beef stew is much faster than cooking beef stew in the slow cooker. Also, to get the beef, potatoes and carrots really tender, you have to cook it longer in the slow cooker.

Why is my stew meat tough in Instant Pot?

Skip the stew meat and start with boneless beef chuck. Stew meat is often cut into irregularly shaped pieces, which won't cook evenly and the pieces can be smaller than you want when making stew in your Instant Pot. Additionally stew meat tends to have more tough gristle, which will never get tender .

Why is my beef stew tough in slow cooker?

“Beef may be tough in the slow cooker if you haven't added enough liquid, or haven't cooked it for long enough ,” Kristen Carli, M.S., R.D., owner of Camelback Nutrition & Wellness, tells SELF. “For cuts of meat, the fattier cuts are often the ones that get juicy and tender.

Does slow cooker taste better than pressure cooker?

Both appliances produce deep flavors. Slow cookers utilize long cooking times to develop these richer flavors, while pressure cookers use high heat and pressure to impart as much flavor as possible in a shorter time .

Is slow cooking or pressure cooking healthier?

Is cooking in a pressure cooker healthy? Yes, cooking in a pressure cooker is healthy . Unlike a slow cooker, which cooks foods for a long time at a lower temperature, pressure cookers do use high heat when cooking - but not for a long time. This means that most of the nutrients won't be lost.

Which makes meat more tender slow cooker or pressure cooker?

Traditionally cheaper cuts of meat always slow cook better. Slow cooking breaks down the connective collagen in meat, which turns into unctuous gelatine. This creates that soft and tender mouth feel we all crave.

Can you overcook meat in a slow cooker on low?

Yep. Even slow cooking doesn't prevent overcooking if your brisket is in for too long or too hot . Here's what happens to your brisket if it's been overcooked too long in a liquid…

Is stew better in a slow cooker?

Slow Cooker vs. While high heat may cook the potatoes and meat quickly, only low, slow cooking can create the tender morsels of meat and flavorful broth that we seek . The stove (hob) will create a thicker broth/gravy for the stew because more liquid will escape during cooking in the form of steam.

Is it better to slow cook or pressure cook soup?

Yes, if you are using meat and dried beans and/or lentils as the pressure cooker cuts down on cooking time dramatically! For other soup vegetables not so much unless you're in a hurry, when it would speed things up. Otherwise the slow cooker is a better option for long slow cooking .

What is the advantage of cooking a stew in a pressure cooker?

Benefits of a pressure cooker. Pressure cooking reduces the cooking time for most foods . This shorter cooking time can result in fewer nutrients being leeched out of food during the cooking process. Put another way, your food keeps more of the nutrients inside.

Instant Pot Beef Stew - A Healthy and Hearty Slow Cooker Stew Recipe (2024)

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Instant Pot Beef Stew (Homemade Pressure Cooker) makes for a super comforting dish on a cold winter day. This warm and hearty one-pot meal is full of tender meat with carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes and celery.

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A HOMEMADE BEEF STEW CROCKPOT RECIPE

There’s something about the arrival of fall that makes all of us crave for hearty comfort food.

To me, nothing screams comfort more than a big pot of soup or stew. My mom used to make a big batch of homemadebeef stew for us on the weekends as soon as the weather got cooler.

It was the ultimate cold weather food and we’d always go for seconds and thirds throughout the day.

Homemade Beef Stew is still one of my favorite lazy Sunday meals I make for my own family now and they love it just as much as we did.

3 POPULAR BEEF STEWS:

I already have two incredibly popular beef stews on my site:

If you’re a fan of beef stew, we’ve got 3 delicious versions you can find here:

this classic homemade beef stew made on the stove
a slow cooker beef stew

and now that I have an Instant Pot, I could not wait to try making my some classics like oatmeal, rice, pasta, chicken, hard boiled eggs, soup and of course, this Instant Pot Beef Stew.

And you know what? Instant Pot Beef Stew was an instant hit with my family and is now another big time reader favorite along with my other two versions above.

The great thing about soups and stews is that you can customize them by adding whatever vegetables you prefer or have on hand.

I’ve even included options to keep this beef stew paleo, gluten free and low carb / keto-friendly.

HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT BEEF STEW

Start off by combining the flour, salt, pepper, onion powder, and 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning into a large zip-top bag. Add meat and shake until well coated..
BROWN THE MEAT: (if you’re in a pinch – you can skip to step 5 and add all the ingredients together instead). Set the Instant Pot to SAUTE, add cooking oil and brown the meat on all sides. The meat will not be cooked through which is okay – we just want to add that crispy caramel coating. (Be sure not to crowd the pot – you may have to work in batches). Transfer browned meat onto a large plate.
Place the inner pot back in the instant pot pressure cooker and add onions and garlic and sauté for a minute or two. Add the balsamic vinegar and tomato paste until just hot enough to deglaze the pot, about 1 minute.
Add the browned beef back into the pot along with potatoes, sweet potato, carrots, celery, Worcestershire sauce, the remaining 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, bay leaf, beef broth and (star anise if using). Stir to combine. If there is not enough liquid to cover the vegetables, add water – only as much as needed.
Cover and seal the lid and set to 20 minutes with High Pressure on Manual mode. Allow the pressure cooker to release naturally for at least 15 minutes. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper if necessary (discard star anise if used). Serve hot with fresh parsley.
TO THICKEN THE STEW (OPTIONAL) Make a slurry by whisking 3 tablespoons of cool water with 2-3 tablespoons cornstarch or flour (all purpose, gluten free or arrowroot powder). Set the Instant Pot to SAUTE and allow the stew to come to a boil and thicken up.
See Also
Easy Recipes Using Frozen Bread Dough Sweet Bread Recipe - Basic Sweet Yeast Dough The Best-Ever Crusty Sourdough Rolls (Easy Recipe!)Cloverleaf Rolls Recipe: Old Fashioned & Buttery

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST BEEF STEW:

What type of meat do I use for beef stew? We prefer using beef chuck since I find it produces the most tender beef but if you are in a pinch, you can use beef stew meat
What is the best pressure cooker for making beef stew? (Affiliate link) Be sure to use at least a 6 quart Instant Pot pressure cooker for this recipe. I use the 6 Quart DUO PLUS.
Can I skip browning the meat before? While you can skip this step, I would definitely brown the beef in the Instant Pot prior to adding the other ingredients. It’s an extra, more involved step but completely worth it for that caramelized and hearty depth and extra layer of flavor you get. On those days you are pressed for time, you are totally free to skip the browning if you’d prefer an easy dump and go recipe.
What vegetables do you use in beef stew? Be sure to use a combination of aromatics like onions and garlic plus vegetables. I used carrots, celery, potatoes and a sweet potato. Feel free to leave that out if you’re not a sweet potato fan and you can also add some green peas or mushrooms if you like. And for low carb / keto use turnips or cauliflower instead of potatoes.
What other key ingredients do I need to make the best beef stew? Add some tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar and a star anise for a punch of flavor. If you can’t find a star anise or are not a fan, feel free to leave it out.

Instant Pot Beef Stew - A Healthy and Hearty Slow Cooker Stew Recipe (3)

MAKE AHEAD AND MEAL PREP TIPS FOR THIS INSTANT POT BEEF STEW

chop the carrots and celery the day before and add them to a zip-top freezer bag in the fridge
peel and chop the potatoes and onions and store them in a zip-top freezer bag in the freezer. This prevents the potatoes from changing color and the onions from spreading odors in the fridge.
cut the beef into chunks and place in zip-top freezer bags. Store in the fridge.

This Instant Pot Beef Stew recipe makes a big batch with enough for LOTS ofleftovers.

In fact, I think I love the flavors even more the next day. So you can make it ahead for a freezer friendly recipe to the next time you are craving beef stew. Or prep it the night before on your Sunday meal prep – and portion it out for work or school lunches.

All those thick rich and deep flavors get a chance to build even more overnight.

So delicious and the perfect meal for busy weeknights or a cozy Sunday dinner.

MORE INSTANT POT RECIPES:

Instant Pot Steel Cut Oatmeal

One Pot Teriyaki Rice with Chicken

Instant Pot Recipe Index

MORE BEEF STEW RECIPES:

Slow Cooker Beef Stew – Video

Homemade Beef Stew (Stovetop)

FIND MORE POPULAR INSTANT POT RECIPES HERE:

3.98 from 482 votes

Instant Pot Beef Stew

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

43 mins

Recipe Video

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Beef Stew

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 175

% Daily Value*

Carbohydrates 22g7%

Fiber 4g16%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 4g8%

* Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy using the WPRM recipe calculator. It is best to make your own calculations to ensure accuracy. We expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.