Pressure Cooker Beef Stew

This is the recipe that turned weeknight beef stew from a Sunday-only project into a Tuesday possibility. The pressure cooker collapses the typical three-hour braise down to around forty minutes, and the meat ends up just as tender as a long, slow stovetop cook.

The onion soup mix is the under-the-radar move here. It packs salt, dehydrated onion, and beefy seasoning into the stew base in one shot, building flavor the way it would take a stocked pantry of bouillon and herbs to match. Add 1½ to 2 cups of water and you have an instant, deeply savory broth.

Stewing beef (or boneless chuck) is the right cut, the connective tissue breaks down under pressure into the gelatin that gives the gravy its body and silky mouthfeel.

Pro Tips

• Brown the meat thoroughly before adding water, this is where the deep, savory base flavor develops, and it’s worth the extra ten minutes.
• Add the potatoes and carrots after the meat finishes cooking, they soften fast and turn to mush if pressure-cooked alongside the beef.
• Release pressure naturally for 10 minutes, then quick-release, this keeps the meat tender instead of seizing it back up.
• Thicken the finished gravy with a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of cold water if you want a thicker pot.

Variations

• Add a tablespoon of tomato paste with the meat for a deeper, slightly sweet base.
• Stir in a cup of frozen peas in the last 5 minutes for color and a touch of sweetness.
• Use baby carrots and small whole new potatoes for a more rustic, no-cut presentation.