Kid-Friendly Beef Stew Recipe Without Wine or Tomatoes
This family-friendly Beef Stew Recipe without wine or tomatoes is always a hit with my kids! Full of tender beef, simple veggies, and seasonings it’s a complete meal in one pot. Use your Instant Pot or Slow Cooker for a no-fuss, easy meal!
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This kid-friendly version of a classic beef stew recipe keeps the pinot noir in my glass and not my dinner plate. 🙂 You’ll also notice that this version doesn’t contain tomato paste, another ingredient kids can turn their noses up at. This hearty beef stew is an absolutely delish dish of comfort food and I promise you won’t miss either ingredient.
I love taking classic recipes and converting them for my electric pressure cooker.
This easy Beef Stew is one of the many reasons I LOVE my Instant Pot. It’s a one-pot meal chock full of tender chunks of beef and cozy veggies without the long cooking time of a slow cooker. (Good news though – if a crockpot is your preferred method, I’ve got the directions for a slow cooker version towards the end of this post!)
What You’ll Need to Make the BEST Beef Stew Recipe
- 2 pounds beef stew meat
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups beef stock
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 carrots cut into 1-inch pieces (or two cups baby carrots)
- 4 medium-sized russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- Salt
- Black Pepper
How to Make This Easy Homemade Beef Stew Recipe Without Wine
Step One
Begin by turning on the saute mode on your Instant Pot and heating one tablespoon of olive oil.
When the pot is hot, add half the beef cubes in a single layer, and a dash of salt & pepper, and let it brown for a few minutes (until it releases easily from the pan). Flip the meat and allow it to form a nice brown crust on the other side.
Once all sides are browned, remove the beef to a holding bowl or plate.
Add the other tablespoon of oil and repeat the process with the second half of the beef stew meat.
Next, add the chopped onion to the bottom of the pot and saute for 2-3 minutes, until it begins to soften. Next, add the minced garlic to the pot, press cancel to turn off the heat, and stir the onions and garlic together.
Step Two
Next, pour in 1 cup of beef broth, scraping any brown bits that are stuck to the pot. Once you’ve removed as much of the browned bits as possible, pour in the remaining 2 cups of broth.
Add the Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, and bay leaf to the Instant Pot and stir with a wooden spoon to combine.
Next, add the beef stew meat back into the Instant Pot. Place the carrots and potatoes on top of the beef.
Close the Instant Pot lid and turn the steam release valve to the sealing position.
Press the Manual/Pressure Cook button and set the cook time to 35 minutes. (The Instant Pot will take 10-15 minutes to reach pressure before the cook time will appear and start counting down.)
While the Beef Stew is cooking, mix together the cornstarch and water in a small mason jar. Make sure the jar is closed tightly and give it a good shake to fully combine the cornstarch and water. (If you do not have a small jar, you can mix them together in a bowl, but the jar method produces a much smoother mixture.)
When the Beef Stew is done cooking, allow the Instant Pot to naturally release for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes have passed, you can carefully quick-release any of the remaining steam.
Finally, remove the bay leaf and stir in your cornstarch mixture. Turn the saute mode back on and allow the stew to simmer, carefully stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
Serve with a side of crusty french bread and you’ve got a meal that is PERFECT for a cozy night in.
Slow Cooker Beef Stew Instructions
If you’d rather make this old fashioned beef stew without wind or tomatoes in your crockpot, you can with just a few simple steps:
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Season your beef stew meat with salt and pepper and saute until lightly browned.
- Add the Beef and remaining ingredients to your slow cooker and stir until combined.
- Cover and cook on high heat for 3-4 hours or low heat for 7-8 hours.
You can store any leftover in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This is one of those recipes that tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had time to meld and the gravy has thickened.
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Kid-Friendly Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe Without Red Wine
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef stew meat
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 carrots cut into 1-inch pieces or two cups baby carrots
- 4 medium sized potatoes cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
Instant Pot Directions
- Begin by turning on the saute mode on your Instant Pot and heating one tbsp of olive oil.
- When the pot is hot, add half the beef stew meat, add a dash of salt and pepper, and let it brown for a few minutes (until it releases easily from the pan). Flip the meat and allow it to brown on the other side.
- Once all sides are browned, remove the beef to a holding bowl or plate.
- Add the other tablespoon of oil and repeat the process with the second half of the beef stew meat.
- Next, add the chopped onion to the Instant Pot and saute for 2-3 minutes, until it begins to soften. Next, add the minced garlic to the pot, press cancel to turn off the heat, and stir the onions and garlic together.
- Next, pour in 1 cup of beef broth, scraping any browned bits that are stuck to the pot. Once you’ve removed as much of the browned bits as possible, pour in the remaining 2 cups of broth.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, and bay leaf to the Instant Pot and stir to combine.
- Next, add the beef stew meat back into the Instant Pot. Place the carrots and potatoes on top of the beef.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and turn the steam release valve to the sealing position.
- Press the Manual/Pressure Cook button and set the cook time to 35 minutes. (The Instant Pot will take 10-15 minutes to reach pressure before the cook time will appear and start counting down.)
- While the Beef Stew is cooking, mix together the cornstarch and water in a small mason jar. Make sure the jar is closed tightly and give it a good shake to fully combine the cornstarch and water. (If you do not have a small jar, you can mix them together in a bowl, but the jar method produces a much smoother mixture.)
- When the Beef Stew is done cooking, allow the Instant Pot to naturally release for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes has passed, you can carefully quick release any of the remaining steam.
- Finally, remove the bay leaf and stir in your cornstarch mixture. Turn the saute mode back on and allow the stew to simmer, carefully stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
Slow Cooker Directions
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Season your beef stew meat with salt and pepper and saute until lightly browned.
- Add the Beef and remaining ingredients to your slow cooker and stir until combined.
- Cover and cook on high heat for 3-4 hours or low heat for 7-8 hours.
