Instant Pot Curry Beef Stew

I have to admit that in the past I had my doubts about beef stew made in an Instant Pot. Because I’ve sometimes found that the flavor falls flat compared to stew cooked on the stovetop. 

I discovered that the biggest mistake that I used to make was – using the same amount of liquid when converting a braising recipe to the pressure cooker version. This is a big no-no. Since the pressure cooker seals so well and very little liquid evaporates during cooking, using too much liquid results in watery food that is not well seasoned.

If used properly, a pressure cooker can tremendously reduce your prep and cooking time, and also generate a super flavorful beef stew with a thick sauce.

Why pressure cooker curry?

(1) You don’t need to pre-boil or brown the beef

When I make braised meat or stew on the stovetop, I usually brown the meat to seal the juices in and make the meat taste richer. This is not the case when using the pressure cooker. 

The pressure cooker raises the boiling point of the water in the pot. The extra-high heat not only speeds up the cooking process, but also promotes caramelization and browning in a different way. Yes! Your beef will be caramelized in the liquid. Your beef curry will have a deep and complex flavor without you actually browning the meat.

(2) Creating tenderer and juicier meat

The increased pressure forces the cooking liquid and moisture to enter into the food. It turns tough cuts of meat very tender and juicy, very quickly. 

(3) Shortened prep time and cooking time.

You only need 10 minutes of prep time. Remember how we don’t need to brown the meat? Yep! Simply dump everything into your pressure cooker and that’s it.

You might argue that a pressure cooker requires time to release the pressure, so the cooking time does not indicate the real time needed to get your meal ready. This is correct. However, even if we add 15 minutes for natural release of pressure, the total cooking time for a perfect beef stew is still as low as 45 minutes. And the 45 minutes is 100% inactive cooking time. A stovetop stew requires 2 hours to simmer the meat. And you probably need another 15 minutes to brown the beef, which is active cooking time. The pressure cooker still wins by cutting cooking time to one-third and cutting active cooking time to basically zero.

Instant Pot curry beef stew ingredients

What cut of beef to use

There are a few types of cuts you can use to make Instant Pot curry beef Stew.

• Chuck roast is tender and cooks the fastest. (30 min cooking time)
• Short ribs are some of the best because they’re better marbled and can produce very tender and juicy results. (45 min cooking time)
• Beef neck bones and shin bones are super flavorful and produce juicy results as well. (50 min cooking time)
• Brisket is another great choice, but it requires a long cooking time. (60 mins)

In this recipe, I used a cut from a Chinese butcher. It is called 牛腩 (Niu Nan), which is close to skirt steak, but fattier, untrimmed, and cheaper than the trimmed type. The silver skin membrane and the extra fat protects the beef during the cooking, which yields a very tender and juicy result. 

What type of curry powder to use

My favorite curry powder for Instant Pot curry beef stew is S&B curry powder, a well rounded Japanese brand. It works very well with the tomato base and does not have any sharp flavor notes. You can also use a mild curry powder such as Madras curry.  

Layered seasonings

To create the best result, I group the seasonings into three layers. 

Since we are using a combination of canned tomatoes, liquid seasonings, and onions as a bed, the meat won’t scorch on the bottom. Plus, the beef will release juice during the cooking process. At the end of cooking, there will be just enough sauce that is thick enough so you don’t need to further reduce it. 

By adding the seasonings in this order, the beef will be properly submerged in the sauce and seasoned evenly. 

The first layer (on the bottom):

• Diced tomato
• Liquid seasoning: Shaoxing wine, soy sauce
• Aromatics: ginger, garlic
• Dried seasoning: chili pepper and bay leaves

Second layer

• Onion
• Beef
• Tomato paste

Third layer

• Spices: curry powder, sugar, salt, pepper

The seasonings in this dish might look different from those commonly found in an Indian or Japanese curry dish. It is adapted from a family recipe that I ate growing up. Yes, Chinese cooking uses curry powder too, but in a different way.

How to make Instant Pot curry beef stew

1. Layer the liquid ingredients and diced tomato
2. Add the onion, beef and tomato paste, as spread out as possible
3. Sprinkle all the dry spices over the beef
4. Cook in Instant Pot for 30 minutes (if using chuck roast)
5. Natural release, then add frozen peas (if using)
6. Turn on saute function and cook for 2 minutes

That’s it!

When you’ve just finished cooking, you might notice the sauce is still a bit thin. You should stir in the tomato paste, which thickens the sauce quite a bit.

Make sure you use the natural release method when cooking curry or any starchy dishes, such as congee. Fast release might cause splatter, and the starch in the hot liquid could clog the pressure cooker valve.The natural release process will also cook the meat a bit more, resulting in a tenderer texture. 

Afterthoughts

Try out this Instant Pot beef curry and be surprised at how good the results are. The buttery beef is so juicy and tender, smothered in a rich, complex tomato curry sauce. Simply top it with steamed rice, and your dinner will be delicious, nutritious, and healthy. Store any leftovers in the fridge. The curry flavors will continue to develop more overnight, and the dish will taste even better the next day!

More Instant Pot recipes

• Instant Pot Chinese Sausage Rice (腊肠饭) 
• Chicken Congee (Instant Pot Version Included) 鸡粥
• Korean Instant Pot Short Ribs (Galbi Jjim)
• Instant Pot Whole Chicken
• Instant Pot Meatballs (Chinese Style)
• Instant Pot Butter Chicken

Instant Pot Curry Beef Stew

By Maggie Zhu

4.93 from 14 votes

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

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The easiest and quickest Instant Pot curry beef stew recipe that yields melt-in-your-mouth beef smothered in a rich, thick tomato curry sauce. Simply dump everything into the pot – no browning or sauce reducing required. {Gluten-Free Adaptable}

To make the dish gluten free, replace the soy sauce with tamari and use dry sherry instead of Shaoxing wine.

Ingredients 

Bottom layer

• 1 can (14.5 oz / 411g) tomatoes , diced
• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce (or soy sauce)
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 3 cloves garlic , minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 dried chili peppers

Middle layer

• 1/2 medium-sized yellow onion , sliced
• 1 to 1.5 lbs (450 to 600 g) beef chuck roast , cut into 1” (2 cm) cubes (*Footnote 1)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

Top layer

• 3 tablespoons curry powder (I used S&B curry powder)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt

Serving

• 1 cup frozen green peas (or chopped green beans) (Optional)
• Cilantro , Chopped (or green onion for garnish (Optional)

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Instructions

• Add all the ingredients listed under “Bottom layer” above into the Instant Pot. Stir to mix well.
• Spread the onion into a single layer on top of the Bottom layer. Add the beef chunks on top of the onion without overlapping. Smear tomato paste onto the beef as evenly as possible.
• Sprinkle all the “top layer” ingredients onto the beef as evenly as possible.
• Seal the Instant Pot. Cook on Manual at high pressure for 30 minutes. Use natural release when done. (*Footnote 1)
• (Optional) Add the green peas. Turn on the saute function and let simmer for 2 minutes (your Instant Pot will probably display “pre-heating”, but it’s OK as long as the green peas are heated through). You will need a longer cooking time if using fresh peas or fresh green beans.
• Taste the beef and adjust seasoning by adding more salt if needed. Remove the bay leaves and the chili peppers and discard them. Stir everything to mix well. You can store the beef curry in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or serve directly. (*Footnote 3)
• Add the garnish if using. Serve hot over steamed rice as a main dish.

Video

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Notes

1. Do not cut off and discard the fatty bits from the beef. Fat keeps the meat juicy while cooking and will melt into the sauce to create that velvety texture.
2. Do not use quick release because it might cause splatter. The natural release process will also continue to cook the meat.
3. The dish tastes wonderful when it’s fresh, but it tastes even better the day after, once the spices are incorporated further into the sauce. It’d be a great idea to cook it on the weekend and use it as meal prep for the following week.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 420kcal, Carbohydrates: 23.7g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 24.8g, Saturated Fat: 9.6g, Cholesterol: 88mg, Sodium: 823mg, Potassium: 746mg, Fiber: 5.6g, Sugar: 11.7g, Calcium: 67mg, Iron: 5mg

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