Instant Pot Guinness Beef Stew! All the flavor of a slow-cooked stew, done in a fraction of the time in the pressure cooker. Made with beef stew meat, onion, celery, carrots, parsnips, and of course, Guinness. So good on a cold winter day.

Photography Credit: Coco Morante

You guys, I get so much joy out of converting slow cooker recipes into brand spanking new versions for the Instant Pot. There are so many advantages to doing this! Everything cooks much faster, so there’s no need to plan ahead—yet you can also leave the food on the “Keep Warm” setting if you don’t get to it right away. Total flexibility.

This beef stew can even be left on the warm setting all day long, so you can start it in the morning, then come home to a hot dinner.

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Adapting Slow Cooker Beef Stew to the Instant Pot

This stew is an adaptation of one of Elise’s tried-and-true recipes from the Simply Recipes archives. Instead of four to eight hours, the recipe only takes about an hour and a half to make in the Instant Pot! You could also use any other electric pressure cooker, and I’ve included stovetop pressure cooker instructions, too.

Since less liquid is required with pressure cooking, you only need a cup of Guinness (or another stout beer) for the whole pot.

That means I get to enjoy the leftover beer on the couch while the stew is bubbling away. Not only does the stew get a deep flavor, the cook gets a treat, too. This makes a tender, deeply flavored beef stew, packed with carrots, parsnips, and root vegetables. Pressure cooker for the win!

New to the Instant Pot? Check out our post How To Use an Instant Pot: A First-Timer’s Guide.

The Best Cut of Meat for Beef Stew

I use pre-cut beef stew meat for this recipe to make it even quicker and easier to prepare. But you can also buy a whole chuck roast (2 pounds) and cut it into pieces yourself. This takes a little more time but you can sometimes save some money.

Sear all the cubes of beef in the Instant Pot before cooking. Yes, this takes time (which yes, we’re trying to save!), but it’s worth it for the added flavor that searing adds. This said, if you’re short on time, you could skip this step; just know the flavors won’t be quite as rich or intense.

How to Cook the Best Beef Stew in the Instant Pot

Cooking great beef stew in the Instant Pot is a two step process.

First pressure cook the meat.

Second, add the vegetables and pressure cook a few more minutes.

The vegetables cook more quickly than the beef, so this two step process means that the meat is perfectly cooked without the veggies getting mushy.

Keep in mind that after pressure cooking the meat, you can leave the Instant Pot on the “Keep Warm” setting for up to 10 hours and continue with the recipe when you’re ready. The beef will become more tender the longer it sits.

Storing and Freezing Beef Stew

This beef stew makes great leftovers! Cool and store in the fridge for up to five days.

Beef stew also freezes very well. Transfer it to freezer containers and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and gently reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Want to Skip the Guinness?

Don’t have any Guinness handy? Swap in any stout, porter, brown, or amber ale. As long as it’s not too hoppy, it will work just fine.

Swap in any stout, porter, brown, or amber ale. As long as it’s not too hoppy, it will work just fine. Prefer to skip the beer altogether? Swap the Guinness for beef stock.

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