Instant Pot Beef Stew with Red Wine

Nothing is better than a giant bowl of beef stew on a cold night. Now there’s no denying that slow cooking in a Dutch oven makes the house smell delicious; however, when you’re short on time you can create a flavorful beef stew in the Instant Pot in just over an hour! This recipe calls for Beef Eye of Round, which is a fairly lean roast with a more mild beef flavor compared to our traditional roasts. In this recipe, layers of flavor are built into the stew by using fresh vegetables, herbs, spices, wine and bone broth.

Shop 100% Pasture-Raised, Grass Fed & Finished Beef Eye of Round 

What to make with Eye of Round

Beef eye of round is cut from the round primal. This roast really shines as roast beef or can be cut into thin steaks when marinated or tenderized. Create a flavorful stew by cutting this roast into chunks and throwing into a slow cooker or Instant Pot. Eye of round is also our go-to choice for making beef jerky.

How to prepare in a slow cooker

The first step is optional to brown the eye of round in a cast iron skillet before adding it into the slow cooker. The vegetables can also be browned as well. To get any browned bites off the cast iron skillet deglaze with the red wine. This will create a deep, rich flavor that you can’t get any other way. Then add the eye of round pieces, vegetables, spices and broth into the slow cooker and cover. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours. When the beef falls apart easily it’s ready!

Cooking tip: For this recipe we use Eye of Round, which is a fairly lean cut, but has just enough fine marbling to keep it moist and flavorful. To get the most tender meat it’s best if the meat is mostly covered in the liquid. We have also tried to cook the whole roast in the Instant Pot and it does shred; however, the meat above the liquid does dry out a bit. To get tender meat in every bite cut into ½ inch x 2 inch rectangles. Due to the nature of this leaner roast the stew meat soaks up more bone broth than our fattier roasts (beef chuck roast and cross rib roast).

Instant Pot Beef Stew with Red Wine

Ingredients
2- 2 ½ pounds Beef Eye of Round (cut into ½ inch x 2 inch rectangles)
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp avocado oil or tallow
2 medium russet potatoes, cut in half & quartered
4 medium carrots, quartered & cut 1-inch in length)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 yellow onion, quartered
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ cup red wine (or use more bone broth)
3 ½ cups beef or chicken bone broth
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Optional to thicken stew:
2 tbsp arrowroot powder
¼ cup warm water or use stew juices

Instructions

1. Open and remove the roast from the packaging. Place on a large plate, pat dry with paper towels and sprinkle salt over the roast. Let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before cutting.
2. On a cutting board cut and discard any silverskin from the roast. Cut the roast into ½ inch x 2 inch rectangles.
3. On the Instant Pot select the ‘Saute’ function. When the pot gets hot, add the avocado oil or tallow. Then add the roast pieces and sear for about 5 to 8 minutes or until browned. In a medium bowl remove the browned beef and set aside.
4. Add in the onions, carrots and minced garlic into the Instant Pot. Saute for a few minutes until the onions are golden brown. Additional oil may be needed to keep the bottom of the pot from burning.
5. Deglaze the pot by pouring in red wine and scraping the bottom to remove any browned bits. Bring to a simmer for a couple of minutes or until the wine has reduced by about half. Press the ‘Cancel’ function and then pour in the beef bone broth.
6. Add the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, bay leaf, thyme sprigs and ground black pepper into the Instant Pot and stir to combine. Then add the browned beef back into the pot, along with the juices from the bowl. Mix the beef until fully coated in the liquid. Make sure the meat is covered by the liquid. Place the potatoes on top of the beef.
7. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and lock the lid. Turn the vent valve to seal and cook on manual high pressure for 45 minutes.
8. When the 45 minutes are up, let the Instant Pot naturally release pressure for 10 minutes before opening the steam valve and removing the lid.
9. Press the “Cancel” button on the Instant Pot. In a large bowl remove the meat, vegetables and potatoes. Set aside.
10. Optional: To create a thicker stew, in a small bowl mix together arrowroot powder and warm water (you can use stew juices instead). Press the “Saute” function and add the mixture into the Instant Pot. Let the juices simmer until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally for about 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
11. In warm bowls serve beef stew topped with fresh parsley.
12. Store stew leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Cooking tip: For this recipe we use Eye of Round, which is a fairly lean cut, but has just enough fine marbling to keep it moist and flavorful. To get the most tender meat it’s best if the meat is mostly covered in the liquid. We have also tried to cook the whole roast in the Instant Pot and it does shred; however, the meat above the liquid does dry out a bit. To get tender meat in every bite cut into ½ inch x 2 inch rectangles. Due to the nature of this leaner roast the stew meat soaks up more bone broth than our fattier roasts (beef chuck roast and cross rib roast).