Pressure Cooker Beef Stew - a hearty beef stew with potatoes, carrots, green beans, and tomatoes can be on the table in minutes when you use a pressure cooker.
I'm just going to say it - I love my pressure cooker. So there. Lots of people are scared of them, I know. They have visions of them exploding all over the kitchen. I guess I understand that. I mean, after all, I've seen it happen. Once. And I remember it well, too.
It was on a Sunday morning when Mama was trying to get my two sisters and me dressed and ready for church. Preparations for attending church in our household were something of a three-ring circus.
We each had to have our Sunday socks and shoes, Sunday dress probably with crinolines underneath (raise your hand if you know what a crinoline is), clean white gloves and sometimes a hat.
Sunday Mornings Back in the Day
She'd get one or two of us ready and by the time she was finished with the third one, either the first or second had messed up her hair, taken her shoes and socks off or rolled around outside on the grass in her nice clean Sunday dress and Mama would have to start all over.
Sometimes I wonder how in the world we ever got anywhere. And it wasn't like we'd ever leave the house looking a mess either. Oh, no. When we stepped out the door and headed for the car we all, Mama included, were as near to perfect as possible.
Pressure Cookers Have Changed - A Lot!
Anyway, it was one of those Sunday mornings when the three of us were behaving like, well, like little girls. Besides getting everyone dressed and ready for church, Mama also had to have dinner ready when we returned. So, before she started getting us dressed, she had put some chicken on to cook in her pressure cooker.
I imagine she had plans to make something like Chicken a la King, one of my personal retro favorites, out of that chicken when we got back home. I also imagine that she was distracted beyond belief by the three squirming little handfuls that were me and my sisters when all of a sudden we heard the loudest boom coming from the direction of the kitchen.
Childhood Trauma :-)
Well, this was during the era of the Cuban Missile Crisis and me, being the biggest 'fraidy-cat on the planet, thought for sure that the "bad guys" were coming to get us. Really...all that practicing we did at school getting under our desks and covering our heads in case of an attack. It made an impression on us little kids. Especially the 'fraidy-cats.
Mama went running toward the kitchen into what I was sure would be her (and our) certain annihilation only to find the pressure cooker blown to bits and chicken covering every possible surface. And I do mean every surface - even the ceiling. Needless to say, we did not make it to church that particular Sunday.
Modern Pressure Cookers Are Safe and Easy to Use
I know I'm not doing much to allay your fears of using a pressure cooker, but honestly the technology has come a long, long way since those days. There are multiple safety features built into modern pressure cookers. Relief valves that trip if the pressure gets too high.
I tried to tell my sister, Miss P, that the other night when she called and I told her I was making this beef stew in the pressure cooker. I could hear the fear and trepidation in her voice right through the phone line. That chicken-on-the-ceiling episode really scarred her for life :-)
This recipe came from an old cookbook that was included with the first pressure cooker I ever owned. I have no idea where the cookbook is these days and the pressure cooker was worn out and tossed a long time ago, but I still use this recipe.
If you just can't bring yourself to use the pressure cooker you can, of course, cook this on the stovetop. It'll just take you about 10 times as long.
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How to Make Beef Stew in the Pressure Cooker
Cut the beef stew meat into bite size pieces.
Do the same with the potatoes,
the carrots,
and onions.
(Note: the photos for this post were made several years ago before I owned an electric pressure cooker which, by the way, is a marvel of a kitchen appliance. If you also have one, just brown your meat in the pressure cooker vessel as I show above.)
Heat the pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add the oil and stew meat. Stir and cook until the meat is well browned all over.
Add the potatoes, carrots, onion, and canned beans along with their liquid.
Next, add the tomatoes with their liquid.
Add salt and pepper to taste. I use at least a teaspoon of salt in this recipe. That's a lot of stew to season, you know!
Cook According to Your Cooker's Directions
Close the lid and place the weight (regulator) on the pressure cooker according to your manufacturer’s instructions. If you're using a new electric pressure cooker, close the cooker and set it for 15 minutes.
Heat on medium-high setting until pressure is achieved (weight begins to rock back and forth). For an electric pressure cooker, you won't need to do a thing! It'll automatically start timing for you when it achieves the correct pressure.
Continue cooking for 15 minutes. Keep the heat regulated so that the weight rocks gently and steadily throughout cooking.
Reduce the Pressure and Finish the Stew
At the end of the cooking time, reduce the pressure immediately by running cold water on the top of the pressure cooker. Do not remove the weight until the cooker has completely vented. When the pressure releases, open the cooker and place it back on the stove. (For those of you with an electric cooker, follow your manufacturer's instructions for releasing the pressure manually.)
Remove the lid of the pressure cooker and return to the heat.
Combine the cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl. Bring the stew back up to the boil, add the cornstarch and water and stir until thickened.
Serve over rice or noodles. I like to stir a teaspoon of prepared horseradish into my serving.
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Pressure Cooker Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs. beef stew meat
- 3 tblsp. oil
- 2 large potatoes
- 4-5 large carrots
- 1 large onion
- 1 can green beans with liquid
- 2 cans diced tomatoes with liquid
- Salt
- Pepper
- 2 tblsp. cornstarch
- ⅓ cup cold water
Instructions
- Cut the beef stew meat into bite size pieces. Do the same with the potatoes, carrots and onions.
- Heat the pressure cooker over medium high heat. Add the oil and stew meat. Stir and cook until the meat is well browned all over. Add the potatoes, carrots, onion, beans with their liquid, and tomatoes with their liquid. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Place the lid and weight on the pressure cooker according to your manufacturer’s instruction. Heat on medium high setting until pressure is achieved (weight begins to rock gently and steadily). Continue cooking for 15 minutes.
- At the end of the 15 minutes cooking time, reduce the pressure immediately by running cold water on the top of the pressure cooker. When pressure releases, open the top of the cooker and place it back on the stove.
- Combine the cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl. Bring the stew back up to the boil, add the cornstarch and water and stir until thickened.
- Serve over rice or noodles.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
More Pressure Cooker Recipes ...
- Old Fashioned Beef Stew from Pressure Cooking Today
- Alton Brown's recipe for Pressure Cooker Chili
- Spicy Pinto Bean Soup with Ham, Tomatoes and Cilantro from Kalyn's Kitchen
- Wine-Braised Lamb Shanks with Rosemary and Thyme from We Are Never Full
Harold Burton says
I love poached fish or chicken, but I seem to do something wrong. I think I should have been starting with cold water instead of simmering. I am going to try your technique. And the leek sounds like a good idea also. 🙂
Harold Burton
Vicki says
Been cooking this way for 50 years! Don’t add the tomatoes to mine tho- may try- looks good!
Use my Pressure Cooker for everything from vegetables to Short Ribs. Don’t know why everyone is so afraid of them. Great short cut.
Michele Johanson says
I have always labored under the idea that a pressure cooker exploded in our house, but my mom says, no, we moved into a house that had beetroot on the ceiling (no guesses as to what happened there). Anyway, in my early sixties, I acquired my first ever pressure cooker and I just love it. Beef stew for dinner tonight, which is how I found your blog. A lovely story, thank you.
Lana Stuart says
I recently got one of the new electric pressure cookers, Michele, and I really like it!! Still have my old stovetop model as well but don't use it as much now. I'm so glad you're enjoying yours.
Andrea says
Fantastically simple and delicious. I love that there are no stinky spices or seasoning packets! I followed recipe except I swapped out one of the cans of diced tomatoes with a can of Ro*Tel and it was just enough heat to warm you up and make your nose run. lol
Pat says
Hi Lana. I found your stew recipe on an electric pressure cooker site. Can't wait to try it. I have memories from the childhood time of which you write about including the school hall practices to "protect" us from those bombs. I also have the memory of my young sister-in-law doing "the bomb" incident in my mother's kitchen. The weights on those old pressure cookers were really heavy so it was loud and scary. Plus, amazingly, there was food on the ceiling. I used pressure cookers many years ago when I was first married and have come to use them again with pressure canning and the new electric pressure cookers. I enjoyed finding your blog. Thank you!
Rick says
All I can say is wow!!
Keeping this recipe for sure!!
Used an electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot) and from experience know that taters in it take 10 minutes so I did the last part that way and it was done perfectly.
Great family story to boot!!
Debra Romero says
Your story is exactly what I was afraid of. About four years ago I purchased a 2 qt pressure cooker that was on sale for $20 (close out). Because I didn't trust pressure cookers it got left in the box on a shelf...a high shelf. Yesterday I got brave. I made four batches of chicken legs. They were so tender. We can't have fried anymore and baked they would be tough. Tonight we made lemon chicken breast. So tender and so full of of flavor. There's just the two of us but we usually make enough for several meals. We brought a 6 qt today from Amazon. It'll be here Tuesday. We got the larger one also to make stews and beans in. Can you tell me how long you would cook dry butterbeans? I subscribed to your newsletter. Oh I forgot I have and ordered electric pressure cookers. Safer. :)
Kristina says
I'm new to pressure cooker cooking. I actually got my first one just before Chridtmas. I'm always intimidated by new things so I have been hesitant to try it out. I was looking for easy recipes and came across this and decided to give it a whirl tonight. All I can say is that this stew is amazing!!!! I think I'm going to be hooked on this kind of cooking! I can't believe how flavorful it is! Thank you for sharing!
Lana Stuart says
I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed it, Kristina! Another site you might like to take a look at is http://www.pressurecookingtoday.com
Sara says
Hello, I just got an electric pressure cooker for Christmas and i am really excited to use it. I really want to try your recipe, but mine is electric and the one in your recipe isn't. I have never used an pressure cooker so I am really new at this. Do I just turn it off and release the pressure? then after pressure is release what do I do since it doesn't go on a stove? Feel really dumb, I am not a good cooker or a patient one at that. That's probably why my mom bought it for me. LOL
Lana Stuart says
Sara - your pressure cooker should have come with a manual with recipes and instructions on how to use it. If you've never used one, you should follow the instructions carefully and cook some of the recommended recipes until you become comfortable with the cooker. The manufacturer will give explicit instructions on what to do.
William Williams says
I've been interested in pressure cooking for a number of years now.....because when I was growing up pressure cooking was the in thing....when microwaves came in, pressure cooking went out. I finally found the pressure cooker I wanted....made by TEFL a 7.4ltr cooker....I bought it and it's been like night and day now to prepare great meals in unbelievable times.....stews in 15min, baked beans in 35min. Just today my wife and I tried your beef stew recipe...it was unbelievable. Took me back to 1958 when my mother used an antique version and we were limited to just certain recipes, stews, chicken and soups. For the last two weeks we have been making meals unbelievable meals in no time at all.....your Boston baked beans recipe, bean soup recipe, pork roast, beef roast and now beef stew....is fantastic. I'm now looking for a recipe for spaghetti sauce.
Diane says
What size can of tomatoes do you use or does it really matter?
Lana Stuart says
I use a 14.5 oz can. If I want it really tomato-ey, I use two :-) Just don't overfill your pressure cooker.
Melissa says
Just made this for dinner when I realized that I didn't have the 1 1/2 hours to do a pressure cooker roast. Turned out so tender and yummy. My husband said it did need a pinch of spices, so we added a bit of salt and a spice mix called berber. I'm a vegetarian, so I will have to take the family's word for it, but it appears to be a hit!
JoAnn says
Just got my pressure cooker today! And made this! It looked just like the picture! And was great! Ready to try something else even tho stew is still in the pot!
Charles says
I am a male; 50 years old; I do most of the cooking in our home. I purchased a Khun Rikon Duromatic pressure cooker from Amazon last week. This stew recipe was the first I tried in my new device and it turned out to be very good; most excellent !!! I cooked my stew for 20 minutes and I could not believe the flavor! My wife said the stew tasted old fashion just like her grandmothers. If she (grandma) was still alive she would be 110 years old. Thank you for sharing this recipe as it is now a staple in my cookbook!