Warm and cozy, this Whole30 Beef Stew is made using your Instant Pot – ready in under an hour, you’ll be able to enjoy a comforting bowl of hearty beef stew in no time!
Um, hi. I live in Florida and it is c o l d. Maybe not as cold as everyone else in January, but cold enough that we have the heat on and I’m making all the healthy comfort food to survive. “Survive” may be a little dramatic, but I’ve become a baby after twenty-five years in Tampa.
Growing up, my mom would make a huge pot of comforting beef stew in the winter, and it’s one of my favorite memories; the beef stew would simmer all day on the stove, and mom would serve a side side salad, with crackers. It’s one of my favorite food memories.
Mom’s version came from an old cookbook and called for V8 juice – which was something we always had in the fridge anyway [dad’s fave] so adding it to a pot of beef stew made sense. You don’t have to use V8; tomato juice will also work, but V8 is a compliant whole30 add-in, so you can use it. Just remember, no need to snack on the Whole30, so if you’re using V8 to get in vitamins…there’s no need to. But as a base for a batch of Instant Pot Beef Stew? Let’s do itttt.
This beef stew would simmer for hours on the stove [a slow-cooker would have probably been more efficient?] to get the beef nice and tender – like fall apart tender, and it was amazing. But! Do you know what’s even more amazing? Achieving the same tender beef with the help of an Instant Pot! Or any electric pressure cooker, really.
How long to pressure cook beef stew in your Instant Pot:
- Similar recipes suggest 45 minutes of high pressure before allowing the Instant Pot to naturally release. I found the veggies to be too soft + mushy for my liking. So, after a second attempt, I found that 30 minutes at high pressure followed by releasing the steam naturally for 15 minutes worked best for me. This cooking time allows the beef to tenderize and the vegetables to become more tender but not mushy.
I love to add diced potatoes like the classic recipe calls for, but if you’re watching your carbs, feel free to omit, and serve over mashed cauliflower!
whole30 instant pot beef stew
Ingredients
- 1 lb beef, chuck roast, fat trimmed, cut into 1-2-inch chunks
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil - or olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon pepper
- 1 cup beef broth - or stock, or bone broth
- 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
- 2 1/2 cups red potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 cups carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 cup sliced celery, roughly chopped
- 3 cups tomato juice - such as V8
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried basil spice
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons tapioca starch
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- To your instant pot/electric pressure cooker, add oil and turn on the saute function. Allow pot to heat (will indicate "hot" when ready).
- Season beef with salt and pepper. Once hot, add beef (may need to do this in batches) and saute until all sides are browned.
- Add beef broth to deglaze the bottom of the pot for 3 minutes; stir and scrape the bottom to remove any browned bits.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, tomato juice, garlic and spices - stir to combine. Make sure that the release valve is in the sealing position. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, turn and lock the lid.
- Using the stew/meat setting, set timer for 30 minutes. then allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes before doing a quick release.
- Mix together tapioca starch and cold water in a small bowl and stir into the stew pot, until thickened, 2-3 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
What is Tapioca Starch?
- Tapioca Starch, also called flour is derived from the cassava root and is an effective thickening agent used to add texture and structure in cooking and baking. Like other starches, tapioca starch is a very fine, white powder. It can replace cornstarch and flour as a thickener for pies and sauces.
- It’s gluten-free and vegan. It’s a common thickening agent to have on hand for paleo and whole30 recipes.
- Overall, it’s less processed than other starches.
It’s becoming more common to find Tapioca Starch (or flour – same thing) at your local grocery, or Sprouts, Whole Foods, etc. You can also find online via Amazon and Thrive Market and it’s about the same price as cornstarch, so in my opinion it’s an inexpensive swap for a less processed, clean pantry staple!
Other Instant Pot recipes on the blog:
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This is just the dinner I need! It’s so cold here! This looks so cozy and delicious!
This will quickly become a favorite in my house!
Looks like a new favorite in my house!
What a clever use of V8!! Great idea!
Beef stew is one of my absolute favorite meals! Yum!