Instant Pot Chicken Stew Recipe with Farro {+ Stovetop Directions} (2024)

FAQs

How to use the stew setting on Instant Pot? ›

Pour in the beef broth and stir to combine. Secure the lid and select the stew setting, adjusting the cooking time to 35 minutes. Once the cooking is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes before using the quick release. Serve the stew hot and enjoy!

You'll program your Instant Pot and wait a few seconds in order for the pressure cooking process to begin. To start your Instant Pot, plug it in, add ingredients, and select the desired cooking program or manual setting with the cooking time and pressure level, then press the "Start" button.

Season your meat as you normally would. Heat a little oil using the Sauté function and sear the meat. Add 1 1/2 cups of liquid (water, stock, etc.). Cook for 20 minutes (per pound of meat) at high pressure for large chunks and 15 minutes (per pound of meat) for small chunks.

Keep in mind that after pressure cooking the meat, you can leave the Instant Pot on the "Keep Warm" setting for up to 10 hours and continue with the recipe when you're ready. The beef will become more tender the longer it sits.

Saute Setting

The sauté function works like a burner on your stove, heating the inner pot from the bottom up, and allowing you to brown meats and vegetables, and to simmer sauces to reduce them. The sauté function on most cookers has several levels, from low to high, allowing you to adjust the heat.

That depends on what's being cooked, and how much water is in the food/s that gets released quickly when they're heated, and some other things. For the electric pressure cookers called Instant Pots, the minimum amt for most foods is 1/2 cup in a 6 qt unit, and 1 cup in an 8 qt though.

Layer Your Ingredients – The best way to avoid the burn with an Instant Pot is to layer your ingredients properly. Add in all the liquid ingredients first and the more dense ingredients to the top. This allows steam to build without scorching things on the bottom. We know it sounds crazy, but never ever stir!

The Instant Pot will still take several minutes to come to pressure (up to 10 minutes), and then as soon as the cooking cycle beeps to signal that it's complete, you'll quickly release the pressure right away so that the vegetables don't over-cook.

Instant Pot Duo Plus 8-Quart Multi-Use Pressure Cooker

Easy to clean and super straightforward, this appliance is suitable for beginners and pros.

While you may cover meat almost completely for a conventional braise, use just enough liquid for the cooker to reach pressure – during pressure cooking the meat will release it's own juice and braise in that flavorful liquid, instead. DO use fresh herbs.

Can you put raw meat in an Instant Pot? ›

Add in trivet and place frozen or fresh ground meat directly on trivet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper as desired. Put the lid on the Pressure Cooker and turn valve to seal. Set to High Pressure for 20 minutes if frozen, 6 minutes if fresh.

Simply adding butter or oil to a recipe may help more than a spray. Other things you can try to prevent sticking: cook with more fluids. Sticking indicates the contents of the pot are turning dry at the bottom.

Meat/Stew Setting: The Meat/Stew setting is specifically designed for cooking large or tough cuts of meat and stews [2]. It is ideal for dishes that require longer cooking times to achieve tender and flavorful results [2].

The Secret to Super Tender Beef

The best way to ensure your beef is tender in your Instant Pot stew is to braise it (aka pan sear it first, then let it stew). Braising turns tough cuts of beef into tender, fall-apart bites. But skip the pre-cut stew beef.

The Instant Pot is a fantastic tool because it cooks even frozen meats to tender perfection. Pressure cooking beef stew is much faster than cooking beef stew in the slow cooker. Also, to get the beef, potatoes and carrots really tender, you have to cook it longer in the slow cooker.