These 17 Instant Pot Stew Recipes are perfect for the cold season or anytime you need a cozy and heartwarming meal.
What is actually a stew? Is stew a soup?
I am so glad you asked because I see a lot of “stew” recipes out there that have nothing to do with what a stew is supposed to be.
While soups and stews might use the same foundation of ingredients, they are very different from each other.
Both soups and stews use a combination of vegetables and meat cooked in liquid. However, the main difference is the amount of liquid used for each. Stews always contain less liquid than soup, and the liquid is thicker, like a sauce.
The stews contain vegetables and meat that are barely covered with the cooking liquid. This liquid could be just water or broth. Also, the ingredients are chunkier than in a soup.
Stews also simmer over low heat for extended amounts of time. The liquid reduces and becomes thicker.
They are also served on their own or often as a topping for solid starchy side dishes like polenta, mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta. Sometimes, the stew liquid is thickened with flour.
Conclusion: Soups are NOT stews, and stews are NOT soups, so let’s not get confused anymore about that. 🙂
Here are some super easy stew recipes made on the stove:
Chicken Stewed in Tomato Garlic and Cinnamon- Kota Kapama
Mexican Pork in Green Sauce- Puerco en salsa verde
Why stews are so important all around the globe in so many cuisines?
- Stews are important in your diet as they provide a good amount of vegetables, meats, starches and fibers.
- They are usually economically, as the recipes use cheap cuts of meat or vegetables that are available all year round.
- As stews in general are made by slow cooking methods(unless you use an Instant Pot to speed the process), tough meats are tenderized.
- Stews are flavorful and comforting especially in the winter.
- Stewing consumes less energy, as the traditional cooking way on the stove is done at low temperatures. Instant Pots and pressure cookers are better from this perspective, as the time of cooking a stew is cut by 70%.
- Stews are wonderful dishes. The vegetables and meats used in the recipes retain their own juice and aromas, making the stew a rich and interesting choice of textures and flavors.
Stews made in Instant Pot are easy to make and full of flavor
I don’t know about you, but I think the food cooked in slow cookers and Instant Pots is one of the best. Slow cooking and pressure cooking force the ingredients to get friendly with each other,
Some of the benefits of pressure cooking:
- Foods retain most of their nutrients, so they are more flavorful and nutritious.
Cooking in a pressure cooker is faster and uses less liquid. Also, the food doesn’t lose its color and flavor, as vitamins and minerals are not evaporating away with the liquid, like in traditional cooking methods.
Using a pressure cooker reduces the cooking time by almost 70%, which is a great way to produce rich and natural flavors in food.
2. There is less cleaning.
Cooking on the stove leaves cooking residues on the stovetop, walls, and counters as steam and oils escape from the open pots and pans. This requires a lot of cleaning after a meal is cooked.
A pressure cooker or an Instant Pot has a well-secured lid that stops any liquids from escaping the pot. Also, when the food is cooked, there is only one pot to clean.
3. The kitchen will stay cool.
Using an Instant Pot or a pressure cooker keeps your kitchen and the entire house cooler. How? When you use traditional cooking methods, the heat rises and spreads in the kitchen and the rest of the house. Instant Pots retain that heat and steam so that none escapes to heat your kitchen. Win-win!
4. An Instant Pot(affiliate link) saves energy.
Cooking a stew for hours requires a lot of energy. Most recipes developed for Instant Pot are one-pot cooking recipes, and because the food cooks much faster than the traditional cooking on the stove, less energy is needed to prepare meals. With the cost of electricity increasing constantly, we all need to find more ways to reduce the monthly bill.
Now I hope you understand why I put together this collection of 17 Instant Pot stew recipes. So let’s get cooking!
PS: Please feel free to leave a comment on the blog and let me know which one you liked the most! Happy cooking!
17 Instant Pot Stew Recipes
These are some of the best Instant Pot Stew Recipes you can find. These stews are heart and belly-warming, nutritious, and also delicious. Worth trying any of them!
Instant Pot Irish Stout Beef Stew recipe
This Instant Pot Irish Stew recipe is a combination of those two things: a hearty Irish-inspired stew flavored with a rich stout beer. Serve Irish soda bread or sourdough bread on the side.
Instant Pot Estofado de Pollo (or Pollo Guisado, Puerto RicanStyle Chicken Stew) Recipe
I adapted this recipe for estofado de pollo (AKA pollo guisado) from one of my mother’s Puerto Rican specialties to be made in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker. It has a wonderful vinegary taste with a light red sauce. It can be made with chicken breasts or thighs or a combination of both. My family likes to eat it over white rice, but it can be enjoyed on its own.
Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe - Noshing With The Nolands
This is the best Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe around! It’s easy, healthy, and exceptionally delicious. With tender beef, a flavorful broth, and hearty veggies like carrots and potatoes, it’s going to be a family favorite!
Hungarian Goulash(Stove, Instant Pot and Crockpot)
Hungarian goulash is a traditional beef stew or soup cooked with lots of onions, Hungarian paprika, tomatoes and sweet peppers. Very popular in Hungary but also in other parts of Eastern Europe, this dish can be served with bread, pasta, spaetzle, boiled or roasted potatoes, carrots and pickles.
Slow Cooker Italian Beef Stew
Let your crock pot do all the work! Beef slowly cooked with red wine, tomatoes, vegetables, beans and artichokes in this slow cooker beef stew for a delicious Italian twist! Serve it over creamy polenta for a cozy, stay in dinner!
Dump and Start Instant Pot Irish Chicken Stew
This hearty Dump and Start Instant Pot Chicken Stew recipe is full of pantry staples and super quick to make thanks to the InstantPot.
Plus it’s suitable for gluten free diets and Weight Watchers friendly.
Simple Crock Pot Hamburger Stew
This simple Crock Pot Hamburger Stew is a cinch to throw together on a busy weekday! Browned hamburger, potatoes, carrots, peas, and onions come together for this soup version of the classic “Hobo Dinner.”
Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon Recipe
This Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon is a classic French stew that cooks up in a fraction of the time in the pressure cooker! It's a hearty, satisfying gluten-free dinner that the entire family will love!
Instant Pot Irish Beef Stew
Instant Pot Irish Beef Stew is flavorful and hearty, with tender chunks of beef, potatoes, vegetables and Guinness stout! It’s so easy to make and it cooks up 35 minutes!
African Peanut Stew (Instant Pot and Stove-top)
Sweet potatoes cooked in onion, ginger, garlic, Serrano peppers, tomato paste, and peanut butter-based sauce with earthy flavors from cayenne pepper, this African Peanut Stew is ridiculously easy, delicious, and ready in a fraction of the time.
Instant Pot Beef Stew pressure cooker recipe
Whip up a big batch of warm, comforting Instant Pot Beef Stew tonight. It's quick and easy, thanks to the pressure cooker!
Instant Pot Moroccan Chickpea Stew | Recipes From A Pantry
The easiest ever, best and creamiest Dump and Start Instant Pot Chickpea Stew is just a few ingredients and minimal effort away. Comfort food, quick weeknight dinners and lazy lunches is at your fingertips with this awesome Moroccan Harira.
Instant Pot Beef Stew For Two (Dinner For Two) - Homemade In The Kitchen
Make comfort food for dinner faster by learning how to make Instant Pot Beef Stew For Two! The meat melts in your mouth along with carrots, peas, and potatoes.
Instant Pot Chicken Fricassee
Instant Pot Chicken Fricassee is a classic French Chicken Stew made easy and quick thanks to the Instant Pot! Comfort food defined with a silky broth, tender chicken, and hearty vegetables.
Vegan Sweet Potato Chili (Slow Cooker, Instant Pot or Stovetop)
This vegan sweet potato chili is hearty, satisfying and just what’s needed to warm you up during fall and winter! Get tips on how to make it on the stovetop, in a slow cooker or Instant Pot.
Instant Pot Chicken Stew
Super easy, quick, the one-dish meal is what this Instant pot chicken stew recipe is all about. Loaded with vegetables along with hearty potatoes it's a perfect meal that can be made in an instant pot or stovetop.
Mediterranean Chickpea Stew (Instant Pot or Stove)
Hearty and warm, this easy chickpea stew with Mediterranean flavors of tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, olives, and capers will transport you to Europe. Ready in 30-45 minutes using your Instant Pot or stovetop, this is the answer to a healthy weeknight meal.
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
Saturday 12th of March 2022
So many delicious recipes here for me to try! Thank you so much for including a couple of my recipes!
The Bossy Kitchen
Saturday 12th of March 2022
Thank you as well!