Instant Pot Frozen Beef Stew
You can make a hearty, healthy, and delicious beef stew in your Instant Pot in under an hour…using frozen stew meat and fresh vegetables. This recipe is so easy to make and perfect for a weeknight meal.
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Ingredients Needed to Make Beef Stew in under an Hour
- beef stew meat
- beef broth
- Knorr vegetable recipe mix packet
- carrots, peeled and cubed
- celery, diced
- medium onion, diced
- red potatoes, cubed
- fresh ground pepper
How to make Instant Pot Stew from Frozen Beef
- Place the frozen stew meat and 1 cup of beef stock in the Instant Pot and pressure cook on HIGH for 28 minutes. Allow the steam to release naturally.
- Remove the lid and add the Knorr Vegetable Mix, the prepared vegetables, and 1 more cup of beef stock. Pressure cook on HIGH for 4 minutes. When done, you can quick-release the steam.
- Season with pepper and serve.
What is Knorr Vegetable Recipe Mix?
Knorr Vegetable Recipe Mix is a premade mix usually found in the soup or dip aisle in your grocery store. It has a ton of vegetables like carrots, onions, tomatoes, celery root, leeks, cabbage, cauliflower, green peas, and potatoes. It pretty much has all of the seasoning and flavor you need to make a delicious and healthy stew. I always have a packet or two in my pantry for emergency dinners or a quick sip to take to a gathering.
Vegetable Mix Substitution
The vegetable mix mentioned above is very convenient but sometimes it can be hard to find or you may just not have it on hand. If that’s the case try this mix instead:
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried minced onion
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon ground (dried) turmeric
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 tsp celery seeds
1 tablespoon salt
If you don’t have everything on the list, that’s ok. Use what you have and what you like. Your beef stew will still turn out great!
Can I Make This Stew if my Beef is not Frozen?
Yes! You can make this stew with unfrozen meat. All you need to do is cut down the meat pressure cooking time to 20 minutes instead of 28 minutes. Follow the rest of the recipe as written and you will have a delicious stew in no time!
Can this Beef Stew Recipe be Made in the Slow Cooker?
Yes! You can make this beef stew in the slow cooker. That’s how I used to make this stew before I got my Instant Pot! There are a few small changes to the recipe below:
- Use meat that has been completely thawed before cooking.
- You do not need to add beef stock to the slow cooker because the water from the beef and the vegetables will cook out and create a nice broth.
- You can always add stock at the end of cooking if you want more broth but I would wait until the stew has fully cooked.
- Place all of the ingredients (minus the beef stock) in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
What Vegetables to Use for this Beef Stew
I used carrots, celery, onion, and potatoes because that was what I had on hand. Here are some other ideas for vegetables that would also work in this Instant Pot Beef Stew.
- turnips
- parsnips
- mushrooms
- rutabagas
- garlic
- kale
What Garnishes work well with Beef Stew?
This Instant Pot Beef Stew is really good right out of the Instant Pot or slow cooker. However, you could add some fresh herbs to the top like parsley, oregano, or chives. I also like to serve mine with a dollop of sour cream. It adds a nice creaminess to the stew and also helps cool the stew off a bit since it’s nice and hot when served.
More Quick and Easy Recipes
- Easy Ramen Noodle Recipe
- Gluten-Free Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Bake
- Carrot Greens Pesto Chicken and Roasted Vegetables
- Instant Pot Korean Burritos
- Air Fryer Taquitos
Instant Pot Frozen Beef Stew
Equipment
- Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 1 pound stew meat
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 packet Knorr vegetable recipe mix
- ¾ cup carrots, peeled and cubed
- ¾ cup celery, diced
- ½ medium onion, diced
- ¾ cup red potatoes, cubed
- freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Place the frozen stew meat and 1 cup of beef stock in the Instant Pot and pressure cook on HIGH for 28 minutes. Allow the steam to release naturally, mine took 18 minutes (don't skip this step or your meat will be tough).
- Once the pi drops, carefully remove the lid and put in the Knorr Vegetable Mix.
- Add the prepared vegetables and 1 more cup of beef stock. Place the lid back on the pressure cooker and ensure the steam valve is closed. Pressure cook on HIGH again for 4 minutes. This time you can carefully quick-release the steam. Add pepper if you would like, there is no need to add additional salt since it's in the broth and vegetable dip mix.
- Add any toppings of choice and serve immediately.
Notes
- Always read the instruction manual that came with your Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker and follow all safety guidelines.
Nutrition
Any nutrition calculations are only estimates using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Did you make this Instant Pot Frozen Beef Stew?
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Do you have any substitutes for the Knorr seasoning mix?
Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Leigh, I think you could make a mix similar to the Knorr version by using a combination of these spices:
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried minced onion
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon ground (dried) turmeric
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 tsp celery seeds
1 tablespoon salt
You may not have all of them (or like all of them) so you can decide what works for you. Start small since you can always add more but you can’t take it out. Enjoy!
Such a hearty looking meal, perfect for an easy dinner! I haven’t made one in ages, thanks for reminding me:))
I love easy meals that fill you up! I hope you try this one!
Seeing all the instant pot recipes lately and now your delicious stew, makes me want to go out and buy one! Yum!!!
I resisted for a while but now I don’t know how I would live without it!!😁
I love that I can make this with frozen stew meat – no more waiting for it to thaw!
Nope, the Instant Pot is a total game-changer for weekday dinners!! Enjoy.
Awesome tips for a quick and easy meal! I haven’t had beef stew in so long. Yours looks so good!
Thanks, Arica! Beef stew is always a good staple recipe to have on hand, you never know when you need it.
thanks for sharing meal ideas that are easy to prepare and can be meal prep in advance.
Everyone is busy these days so I totally get the need to plan ahead and have a meal ready to go. The easier the better!😀
I think the Instant pot is one of the best inventions ever! 😁 It’s amazing how fast you can cook frozen meat in it. I love stews; we make them a lot at our house. I’m so in love with your instant pot recipes. I’ve never used the Knorr vegetable mix before in stews, but I bet it’s delicious! I’m writing it down to my grocery list right now. Thanks for sharing your recipe; I’m going to make it tonight.
I totally agree, Colette! I don’t know what I did before I got my Instant Pot. The vegetable mix is so yummy and has everything you need to season this stew. I can’t wait to hear how it turns out!
I don’t use much instant pot and l was looking for new ideas to make, this fast recipe is perfect, looks very good
The Instant Pot can come in handy when you need a quick meal. I hope you get a chance to try this stew, you will love it!
Perfect dinner for tonight! I happen to have all the ingredients on hand and did not know what to make for dinner.
Thank you for sharing your recipe.
That’s the best when that happens, enjoy!
Perfect, hearty, beef stew recipe!
love that this is such an easy meal in the instant pot!
It’s so easy and so yummy!
Your recipe came out perfectly and everyone loved the beef stew!
So happy to hear it was a success!
Very tasty instapot recipe!
This recipe was delicious! Gosh I love my instant pot!
I agree, the Instant Pot is so amazing!
This makes for such an easy and delicious dinner! We all enjoyed it!
I’m so glad to hear it!
Such a great recipe for a hearty family meal! Thanks for the recipe!
You are welcome, it’s a perfect family meal.