Rich and tender Easy Instant Pot Venison Stew comes together quickly for the perfect rustic, comforting dinner to use up your harvest in the freezer.
I honestly don’t know how to fully describe how impressed I was with this instant pot venison stew the first time I made it. J was away for the weekend and I wanted to test something in the Instant Pot for the blog. I happened to have some beef broth laying around, and there was venison defrosted in the fridge. So, to the kitchen, I went.
Sometimes, I like to make venison stew on the stovetop. But when I’m in a pinch and don’t have 2 hours to wait for the meat to get tender, this is the trick.
I quickly diced up a mirepoix, or onions celery and carrots. That’s the base of any good French soup or stew. I kept the rest of the ingredients simple because I didn’t want anything fancy. I added a French spice blend called herbs de Provence. It’s lovely and Wal Mart actually has a great organic variety for under $3. So sorry, no substitutions there. So, get you some herbs de Provence, friends.
I sauteed in the IP, added my liquid ingredients and went along on my merry way. When I made this soup the first time, we were packing to move into our first home, so time was scarce.
I let the cycle finish, waited 10 minutes and I did a manual release because I wanted the stew to stop cooking. Then I casually scooped myself a bowl. I sat down on the couch to take a packing break and BAM.
The most tender piece of venison I’ve ever had in maaahhhh life, friends, because of the Instant Pot. I KID YOU NOT. This stew is honestly beautiful. It’s rustic, simple and even the most staunch venison opposer would probably fall in love with it. Instant Pot:1 Allie: 1 (I call this a win win situation).
I’ve found that the Instant Pot is perfect for cooking tender venison, you have to try my Instant Pot Red Wine Venison Pot Roast and my Instant Pot Venison Shepherd’s Pie.
Print
Easy Instant Pot Venison Stew (slow cooker friendly)
Rich and tender Easy Instant Pot Venison Stew comes together quickly for the perfect rustic, comforting dinner to use up your harvest in the freezer.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes + heating and release time
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 lb. venison, diced with all sinew removed – I used leg meat*
- 2 tsp. herbs de Provence
- 1 tsp. salt
- 3/4 tsp. black pepper
- 4 cups diced potatoes, I left the skin on
- 2 cups diced carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 15 0z. can diced tomatoes
- 4 cups unsalted beef stock or venison stock
- 3–4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Dice the potatoes, carrots, celery and onion. Mince the garlic. Set aside in a bowl.
- Dice the venison into bite-sized chunks, being sure to remove any of the silvery sinew tissue. Leaving this on makes the meat tough.
- Add the olive oil to the base of the Instant Pot and add the cubed venison. Add the spices and seasoning.
- Turn the Instant Pot to “Saute” for 10 minutes.
- Allow the venison to saute for 5 minutes and add the bowl of vegetables. Saute until the cycle ends with the lid off.
- Add the tomatoes, broth and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well and secure the lid.
- Select “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” on high pressure and adjust the time to 30 minutes. Allow the Instant Pot to do its thang. Go pour some wine, do your nails, whatever.
- When the cycle finishes, allow it to naturally release for 10 minutes before turning the knob to venting according to manufacturer’s instructions.
- Allow the Instant Pot to vent fully, remove the lid and serve!
Notes
- beef would work well, too! You can use any cut of venison, backstrap would be lovely. Leg meat is tough, so this recipe helps it to be tender and delish!
- If you want to make this in the slow cooker, saute the venison in a pan and add it to the slow cooker with all of the other ingredients. Let it cook for 4-5 hours on high or 8 hours on low.
- herbs de Provence is a French spice blend. It’s lovely and Wal Mart actually has a great organic variety for under $3. If you have to substitute, use Italian seasoning.
Post contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase from one of the links, your price remains the same but I receive a small commission.
