Try this Ground Beef Stew recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
- 1 tomato (chopped)
- 1 green pepper (chopped)
- 1 red pepper (chopped)
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (tamari if gluten free)
- 1 cup corn (grilled or microwaved optional)
- 2 handfuls cilantro (chopped)
- Carbohydrate 35.8678358623248 g
- Cholesterol 77.1107029 mg
- Fat 31.9979836949936 g
- Fiber 10.3203271042871 g
- Protein 29.8784697778824 g
- Saturated Fat 8.59244883888832 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (832g)
- Sodium 3451.57891056742 mg
- Sugar 25.5475087580378 g
- Trans Fat 3.47680171424833 g
- Calories 525 calories
Step-by-step
- Press the Sauté function on the control panel of the Instant Pot. Click the Adjust key and you can choose less, normal or more- heat setting. I selected the normal, it will start to heat up and you will see ON sign on the LED display. After the pot has turned hot, you will see the HOT sign on the display. Now, you can start sautéing. Important: While sautéing do not close the pot with the instant pot lid.
- Add 1 tablespoon oil , let it turn hot. Add onion, season with salt and sauté for a few minutes till light golden.
- Add ground beef, break the ground beef using an wooden spoon to avoid formation of lumps. Sauté for a few minutes till the pink color has faded.
- Add garlic powder, chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, dried oregano and salt. Combine well. Add green pepper, red pepper and chopped tomato. Combine well.
- Add tomato sauce, soy sauce and water, combine well.
- Close the lid. Click on the Cancel key to cancel the sauté mode. Make sure the pressure release valve on the lid is in the sealing position.
- Click on Manual function first and then click on Pressure, select high pressure. (there are 2 options: low and high pressure). Click the + button and set the time to 15 minutes and walk away. After 15 minutes of pressure cooking, it will beep.
- You can either have the steam release naturally, it will take around 20 minutes. Or after 10 minutes, turn the pressure release valve on the lid to venting and you can see the steam releasing. Be careful as the steam is very hot. After the pressure has released completely, open the lid.
- If the stew is watery, you can cook for a few more minutes by turning on the sauté function. Sauté, Adjust to normal and let cook for a few more minutes.
- Add cilantro and corn if adding at this point, combine well and let cook for a few minutes.
- I served this with pasta, add pasta into a bowl, top with ground beef stew and add cheddar cheese on top and serve. Enjoy!
Why does browning ground meat in a pressure cooker require active separation of the protein clumps before the liquid goes in? Traditional stovetop ragùs and Latin American picadillo variations rely on slow evaporation and pan-contact to build browned fond, but enclosed electric cookers trap moisture rapidly. Ground beef dropped straight into hot oil will steam rather than sear if left undisturbed, resulting in a boiled texture instead of the savory Maillard crust that defines a robust meat base. Breaking the meat apart with a wooden spoon immediately upon contact with the hot insert ensures maximum surface area hits the metal.
Pressure Dynamics and Spice Integration
Dried spices like cumin, coriander, and oregano behave differently under 10 to 12 PSI of pressure compared to open-pot simmering. Enclosed steam forces volatile aromatic compounds into the surrounding liquid rather than releasing them into the kitchen air, intensifying earthy tones. Soy sauce acts as a concentrated source of free glutamates, reinforcing the savory depth provided by the beef without requiring hours of stock reduction. When adjusting ingredients, replacing tamari with standard soy sauce introduces wheat proteins that slightly thicken the final sauce consistency due to starch content, whereas gluten-free tamari leaves the liquid thinner.
- Vent steam carefully after 10 minutes using a towel over the valve to avoid thermal burns from pressurized vapor.
- Reduce excess liquid by switching back to the normal sauté function for 3 to 5 minutes after the pressure drops.
- Stir in fresh cilantro and charred corn at the very end to preserve volatile bright oils that degrade under prolonged heat.
