Kitchen notes · a little help before you start

Beef and Butternut Squash Stew (Instant Pot)

Name: Beef and Butternut Squash Stew (Instant Pot)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 1 each large onion (chopped); 2 cloves garlic (minced); 2 each celery stalks (chopped); 2 each carrots (chopped); 2 Tablespoon tomato paste; 1 each tomato (peeled and chopped); 2 lbs beef stew (cut in 1" pieces); 4 Tablespoon arrowroot starch; 6 cups peeled and chopped butternut squash (cut in 1" cubes); 1/2 cup Marsala wine; 2 1/2 cup beef broth; 3 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; 2 each bay leaves; 1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika; 1 teaspoon thyme; 1 teaspoon rosemary; As Needed Salt; As Needed Black pepper

Butternut squash brings a mellow sweetness to this savory beef stew, with Marsala and herbs deepening the broth around it. The tender vegetables make each spoonful feel generous. It's a bowl to linger over when a substantial, warming dinner sounds especially appealing.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 45 min
Original yield: Serves 10
Ingredients: 18 listed

Make it part of your week

Estimating…

Main courseAmericanBeefPrep: 15 minutes or lessTotal: 31–60 minutesPressure cookerStewsSoups & stews

Recipe categories & planning details

Meal type: Main course
Primary protein: Beef
Cuisine: American
Cooking method: Pressure cooker
Preparation & total time: Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 31–60 minutes
Dish type: Stews · Soups & stews

A few quick notes

1. Season in layers

Salt and pepper show up more than once here for a reason. The vegetables, beef, and squash each get seasoned as they go into the pot, which helps the whole stew taste rounded instead of flat at the end.

2. Stir before sealing

Once the paprika, herbs, bay leaves, wine, broth, and oil are in, give everything a good stir. You want the tomato paste, starch-coated beef, squash, and liquid evenly mixed before the pressure cooking starts.

3. Set the valve to sealing

Before you press Meat/Stew, make sure the lid is closed and the valve is turned to sealing. That little valve position is what lets the pot build pressure for the full cook time.

Get to know the ingredients

Arrowroot coats the beef

The beef is tossed with arrowroot starch before it goes into the pot. Coat the pieces along with the salt and pepper so the starch is on the meat, not dumped in as a dry clump.

Use cubed squash

The butternut squash is peeled, chopped, and cut into 1-inch cubes before cooking. Keeping the pieces in cubes helps them cook along with the beef instead of disappearing immediately into the liquid.

Marsala goes in with the broth

The Marsala wine is added before pressure cooking, along with the beef broth. Pour both in after the seasonings are stirred through so the pot has its cooking liquid in place.

The last little job

Release the steam

After the 30-minute pressure cook, press Keep Warm/Cancel, then turn the steam release to venting. Let the pot release its steam before you open the lid, and remember there are bay leaves in the stew.

A little more help as you go

About stovetop cooking

Follow the pressure-cooker steps for this Instant Pot version. Stovetop cooking requires a separate method.

Add the remaining oil at the end of the pot setup

Only part of the olive oil goes in with the vegetables at the start. The rest is poured in with the wine and beef broth before the lid goes on.

A few questions you might have

Do I brown the beef first?

No browning step is given here. The beef is seasoned with salt, pepper, and arrowroot starch, then added to the pot with the butternut squash before the liquids go in.

Does the butternut squash cook at the same time as the beef?

Yes. The squash goes into the pot before pressure cooking, right along with the seasoned beef, then everything cooks on the Meat/Stew setting for 30 minutes.

When do the herbs and bay leaves go in?

Add the sweet Hungarian paprika, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves after the beef and squash are in the pot. Stir them through before adding the Marsala, broth, and remaining olive oil.

Can I leave the valve on venting while it cooks?

No. For the cooking step, close the lid and turn the valve to sealing. Venting comes after the stew has cooked and you've pressed Keep Warm/Cancel.

Is cornstarch part of this recipe too?

The ingredient list uses arrowroot starch, and the directions mention arrowroot starch or cornstarch when seasoning the beef. Follow the listed arrowroot amount unless you're using the alternate named in the step.

Any more cooking tips?

Making this on the stovetop? You’ll find the stovetop instructions in the post above.

Storage & reheating safety

For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.

These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures

Recipe source: deliciousmeetshealthy.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.

Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.

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