Spicy Beef Stew Recipe Without Wine (Instant Pot) (2024)

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This spicy beef stew without wine is a pressure cooker gem. Lots of tender meat, flavorful root vegetables, and a silken sauce makes it the best one-pot dinner there ever was! An easy instant pot recipe.

Spicy Beef Stew Recipe Without Wine (Instant Pot) (1)

I made this spicy beef stew in my instant pot for dinner yesterday and oh, the aroma! While I was sautéing the beef in light olive oil, my twins literally came running down to find out what I was cooking! As I added the vegetables, spices, and thyme, especially the thyme, my whole kitchen was filled with heady smells that lingered long after the stew was gone. It was seriously the best weekend meal after a lot of weekends of blah take-out. And trust me, it's amazingly delicious even without wine!

Besides being totally satisfying, this is a ridiculously easy recipe when made in the instant pot or your regular, stovetop pressure cooker. I won't be surprised if this recipe goes into your weekly rotation!

Spicy Beef Stew Recipe Without Wine (Instant Pot) (2)

Ingredients

Note: exact amounts are given in the recipe card further down.

  • Light olive oil
  • Boneless lean beef, cut into small chunks
  • Bay leaves
  • Fresh garlic, chopped
  • Dried chilli flakes
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Sea salt
  • Root vegetables - carrots, shallots, and turnips cut into chunks
  • Tomato paste
  • Beef broth
  • Water
  • Fresh thyme sprigs
  • All-purpose flour - Mix the flour in a few tablespoons of water to make a thin lump-free slurry. This thickens the stew in the last step.

How to make spicy beef stew

  • Start by sautéing the beef chunks in olive oil in your instant pot (medium heat). Fry the beef until it starts turning brown and shiny. This step will take between eight to ten minutes.
  • Then add the rest of the ingredients except the flour, deglaze the pot, and pressure cook for twelve minutes. Release the steam after five minutes and open the pot. Discard the thyme and bay leaves.
  • Add the flour slurry and stir it into the pot. Cook the stew on sauté until the liquid thickens (about two to three minutes only), and your beautiful, peppery beef stew is ready to be served.
Spicy Beef Stew Recipe Without Wine (Instant Pot) (3)

Why this instant pot beef stew works

  • It's a hearty, flavorful meal that's packed with protein and the goodness of root vegetables.
  • It's really easy to make and there is nothing complicated about it. You'll nail it every time.
  • It makes use of common ingredients that you will already have in your pantry and fridge.
  • The leftovers taste even better the next day!

Top tips

  • This beef stew tastes wonderful all by itself, but you can pair it with some crusty bread if you want to.
  • Do not over-brown the beef while cooking it. As it starts turning brown, add the rest of the ingredients.
  • If you don't have fresh thyme on hand, substitute with parsley. It won't be the same as thyme but parsley goes very well with chunky stews and soups too. Don't skip the herbs altogether though as they do add a pleasing dimension to the stew.
  • Reduce the amount of red chilli flakes according to your preference and especially if you don't want the stew to be spicy.There's black pepper in there too.
  • Don't forget to deglaze the pot before pressure cooking the stew. Deglazing simply means to scrape off the bottom of the pot to release the food stuck to it so you don't end up getting the dreaded burn notice.

Other meat recipes you might like

  • Kofta curry - These meatballs in sauce are the ultimate if you're entertaining. Slow cooked in a dutch oven, they taste awesome with some fresh, hot naan bread.
  • Keema biryani - An interesting twist on the traditional biryani, this one's made with ground lamb or beef.
  • Dal gosht - Another filling stew, this time with lentils to give it a totally different flavor and taste.
  • Instant pot goulash - Fancy your meat with pasta? American goulash is a real crowd-pleaser and kid-friendly to boot.
Spicy Beef Stew Recipe Without Wine (Instant Pot) (4)

📖 Recipe

Spicy Beef Stew Recipe Without Wine (Instant Pot) (5)

Spicy Beef Stew

Saima Zaidi

This spicy beef stew is a pressure cooker gem. Lots of tender meat, flavorful root vegetables, and a silken sauce makes it the best one-pot dinner.

4.47 from 15 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Soups and Stews

Cuisine Indian

Servings 4

Calories 468 kcal

Equipment

  • 6-quart Instant Pot Duo

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon light olive oil
  • 1.2 pounds boneless lean beef chunked
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 8 garlic cloves chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
  • 1.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • sea salt to taste
  • 3 medium carrots chopped thickly
  • 2 medium turnips peeled and quartered
  • 1 cup shallots peeled
  • 3 tablespoon thick tomato paste
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour dissolved in a few tablespoons of water

Instructions

  • Switch on your instant pot to sauté (medium) and add the oil to the inner steel insert. When hot, add the beef and fry until browned. Move around the beef with a fork while frying and be careful not to char it.

  • Add the rest of the ingredients through to the thyme sprigs and cancel sauté. Deglaze the pot, secure the lid and make sure the steam release vent is sealed. Press the pressure cooking button (high) and set the timer to 12 minutes. When the timer beeps, wait for 5 minutes before releasing the steam.

  • Open the pot and and discard the thyme and bay leaves. Turn on sauté again. Add the flour slurry and cook on medium heat until the sauce thickens (2-3 minutes). Serve hot in bowls.

Notes

  1. This beef stew tastes wonderful all by itself, but you can pair it with some crusty bread if you want to.
  2. If you don't have fresh thyme on hand, substitute with parsley. It won't be the same as thyme but parsley goes very well with chunky stews and soups too.
  3. Don't over brown the beef while frying it. Add the rest of the ingredients as it starts turning brown.
  4. Reduce the amount of red chilli flakes according to your preference and especially if you don't want the stew to be spicy.
  5. Don't forget to deglaze the pot before pressure cooking the stew.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 468kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 33gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 704mgPotassium: 1064mgFiber: 5gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 8040IUVitamin C: 26mgCalcium: 98mgIron: 5mg

Keyword beef stew, instant pot stew, meat recipes

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Spicy Beef Stew Recipe Without Wine (Instant Pot) (2024)

FAQs

What can I use in place of wine in beef stew? ›

If you're seeking a substitute for red wine, consider replacing one-for-one with:
  • Alcohol-free red wine.
  • Beef broth.
  • Chicken broth.
  • Red wine vinegar (use ½ vinegar and ½ water for similar flavor results)
  • Cranberry juice*
  • Pomegranate juice*
Aug 8, 2023

Why is my stew meat tough in Instant Pot? ›

Why is stew meat tough in instant pot? Stew meat can become tough in the instant pot if you cook it too quickly.

What does wine do to stew? ›

When you slow-cook tough cuts of meat like beef chuck, the acid present in the wine eventually helps to break the meat down, making it more tender. Red wine in beef stew also adds depth of flavor — some of the liquid evaporates in the oven, which concentrates the flavors going on in the pot.

Is stew better in the slow cooker or Instant Pot? ›

Taste: For overall taste, the pressure cooker was the hands-down winner. Beef, carrots, and potatoes all retained their rich flavors. After 8 hours in the slow cooker, they emerged bland and seemed to need salt.

Can I skip red wine in beef stew? ›

If using vegetable broth, I recommend adding ¼ cup of coconut aminos when adding the broth for a greater depth of flavor. Tart cherry juice can also be used as a "red wine" replacement.

Is red wine necessary in beef stew? ›

Wine of any type is not a required ingredient in beef stew. When it is used, it's usually red (Pinot Noir / Burgundy). But you can use anything you want. There are no food police, nobody is going to give you a ticket for using a different ingredient.

Can you overcook stew in a pressure cooker? ›

Unfortunately, once you overcook a piece of meat in the pressure cooker, there's no going back. You'll be left with a pile of dry, crunchy, tasteless fibers and no amount of additional pressure cooking is going to put that moisture back into the meat.

Does beef get more tender the longer you stew it? ›

Chuck meat is your best bet for beef stew, but it's also a pretty tough cut so it needs time to break down and become tender. Rush the cooking process and the beef will be tough and chewy. Follow this tip: For really tender meat, cook the stew low and slow, for approximately two hours.

Does pressure cooking longer make meat more tender? ›

Pressure cooking, like slow cooking, will tenderize tough cuts of meat like beef brisket, beef chuck, pork shoulder and lots of other cheaper, tougher cuts. Pressure cooking (or slow cooking) is not the best approach for cooking expensive, tender steaks or rib roasts.

When should I add wine to stew? ›

Adding wine to stews is not unknown. Here's the standard operating procedure used happily for many generations: fry red meat (beef or pork) until the surface is golden; add wine (red or white will do) to the ingredients, close the lid and cook on low heat for a few hours; wait, wait, wait (check your phones); finish!

Which wine is best for stew? ›

Go for a pinot noir if you like your stews light and fruity, cabernet sauvignon if you like it strong and rustic, and a merlot if you fall somewhere in between. But most importantly, use a wine that you're also happy to drink.

Why do you put red wine vinegar in beef stew? ›

The vinegar will loosen all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan and add flavor. Cook until the vegetables are softened, then add the tomato paste and cook for a minute more. Add the beef back into the pan and sprinkle with the flour.

What is the best meat for stew? ›

Go for the chuck

The most common beef used for stew is chuck steak, also known as gravy beef or braising steak. Beef chuck comes from the forequarter of the animal consisting of parts of the neck, shoulder blade and upper arm. It is easy to find and it's affordable, making it a great choice for your stew.

Is corned beef better in slow cooker or pressure cooker? ›

If you want your corned beef in a fraction of the time it normally takes, I highly recommend cooking it in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker. A 3 1/2 – 4 1/2 corned beef will be perfectly tender in just 60 – 90 minutes as opposed to several hours in the slow cooker or on the stove top.

Can you overcook stewing beef in a slow cooker? ›

Can you overcook stew in a slow cooker? A slow-cooked stew is pretty forgiving, but cooking beyond the point of tenderness can dry out the meat as well as the cooking juices and sauce. If serving is delayed, switch your slow cooker to warm until you're ready to eat.

Can I use balsamic vinegar instead of red wine in stew? ›

Use balsamic vinegar as a 1:1 substitute for red wine vinegar in most recipes. You can also dilute it with white vinegar or red wine. Because of its thicker, sweeter properties, you may need to reduce the sweetness in the recipe you're following.

What is a non alcoholic substitute for cooking wine? ›

White grape juice: Use white grape juice as a substitute when you want to add sweetness, or deglaze the pan. For a punchier substitute, try mixing a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice per cup of grape juice. Chicken or vegetable stock: Substitute stock for white wine when you want to add depth of flavor to a dish.

What is a good alternative to wine? ›

Pomegranate juice, tomato juice, and grape juice are just a few wine alternatives for both drinking and cooking.
  • Wine is a popular alcoholic beverage made from fermented grape juice. ...
  • Red and White Wine Vinegar. ...
  • Pomegranate Juice. ...
  • Cranberry Juice. ...
  • Ginger Ale. ...
  • Red or White Grape Juice. ...
  • Chicken, Beef or Vegetable Stock.
Nov 22, 2017

What is a substitute for wine in beef bourguignon? ›

In today's recipe for a French-style beef stew that I adapted from one I had for beef bourguignon, I substituted unsweetened concord grape juice for some of the two cups of wine used in the original recipe. I only used one cup of the grape juice, since it has a pretty intense flavour and natural sweetness.

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