Venison Stew in a Pressure Cooker
Today’s post is a guest post from a Pressure Cooker Today reader. Andrea wrote that she loves food and loves her pressure cooker and often times she will pull out her camera while cooking. Luckily for us she took step by step photos of her Venison Stew recipe and she’s sharing it with us today. I asked Andrea to also share a little bit about herself along with her Venison Stew.
I love cooking, experimenting, and making things from scratch as much as I can. I do home canning/preserving. My husband is a hunter who does all his own butchering and together we package meat and make sausage (Italian, smoked kielbasa, andouille, etc). Canning got me thinking about pressure cooking. In February, 2011 (easy to remember since it was an engagement gift) I received the Cuisinart CPC-600, and have been using it religiously ever since. I live a little outside of Buffalo, NY.
Making Venison Stew in an Instant Pot
An Instant Pot is one of the most popular brands of electric pressure cookers. They are easy to use and your Instant Pot can help you create this delicious Venison Stew!
Laura from Hip Pressure Cooking took my favorite venison stew recipe and converted it for me to a pressure cooker recipe. The big thing for me was layering the veggies (potatoes on top!) and thickening it with butter/flour AFTER it had cooked in the PC. And that’s when I learned that alcohol won’t cook off in the PC so if you use beer or wine, you need to reduce it first.
My skeptical husband was a pressure cooker convert after trying this. The mini onions are from the original recipe and Laura kept them in when she converted it, but I never have them on hand so I just put extra diced onions in the pot instead. I also find that 2 tablespoons of each flour and butter thickens the stew sufficiently. I make this in my electric pressure cooker and it comes out perfectly (I just have to make sure I switch off the “keep warm” after the cooking time has ended).
Pressure Cooker Venison Stew
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 lb Venison or Elk, cubed
- 1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
- 2 ribs celery sliced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 cup of pearl onions
- 1-2 medium carrots, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1 cup dry red wine (pinot noir or cabernet sauvignon)
- 1 cup beef broth
- 3 or 4 Potatoes, large 1" dice
- 1/2 t fresh chopped rosemary or a dash crumbled dry
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Trim stew beef and cut into bite sized pieces (do not coat in flour).
- In the pre-heated pressure cooker, without the lid at high heat, add the oil, and brown the meat until golden on all sides. Remove, and set aside.
- Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, onion powder and seasoned salt and sautee' until the onions begin to soften (about 3-5 minutes).
- Now, deglaze the aromatics with the wine and let it almost completely evaporate (don't worry, you are concentrating the flavor and removing the liquid).
- Add the meat, and beef broth. Stir everything together and add the potatoes on top (do not stir anymore) and sprinkle on rosemary.
- Pressure Cook on HIGH 15-20 minutes, use a natural pressure release (if the pressure has not come down by itself in 10 minutes, you can release the remaining pressure using the quick pressure release).
- In the meantime, in a small pan, melt the butter and stir in the flour. You will get a thick paste, continue cooking it until it turns from white to a light tan. Set aside and wait for pressure cooking to finish.
- When the cooking time has completed, open the pressure cooker, add the butter mixture stir and simmer everything together for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Firmer Vegetables: I prefer to cook my potatoes and carrots after pressure cooking the venison. Pressure cook the cubed venison for 15 minutes, use a natural release for 5 minutes and finish with a quick release. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid. Add the potatoes and carrots. Replace the lid and cook on High Pressure for 2 minutes more. When the cook time ends, turn off the pressure cooker. Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and finish with a quick release.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 570Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 122mgSodium: 565mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 6gSugar: 6gProtein: 48g
My Instant Pot keeps going to “Burn”. I have to turn it off, release the pressure, stir it, and re-set it repeatedly. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Lisa – is this happening on everything you cook or just what you’re cooking now? If you’ve sauteed something, you need to deglaze the pan, remove any browning bits completely from the bottom. Are you using enough thin liquid for what you’re cooking to come to pressure, or are you using ingredients with thickeners or tomato sauce that can cause burning?
It only happened with this recipe. I did deglaze before I started the pressure cooking process. The stew was the liquid the recipe calls for and wasn’t very thick. I have made taco soup many times prior with no issue, and I think it is thicker than the stew was. I scraped the bottom each time it went to burn, and then reset the pressure cooker.
Are you using an 8 quart pressure cooker?
Yes, I am.
That’s helpful to know. All the recipes create on my site (and most sites and cookbooks) are created for 6 quart electric pressure cookers, so when you make a recipe in an 8 quart pressure cooker, you need to increase the liquid you use if the recipe contains less than 1 1/2 to 2 cups of liquid. So for this recipe, I recommend you add 2 cups of beef broth when using your 8 quart pressure cooker.
Great to know! Thank you for your input!
5 ☆☆☆☆☆ Delicious! Going to try with dark beer next time (& maybe Lamb, add a few peas). Thanks for sharing!!!!
Great – thanks for sharing Wanda!
Amazing recipe. I used elk stew meat and doubled the beef broth instead of adding wine. Also added some mushrooms. Loved the butter and flour roux thickened it just perfect! Thanks for the quick supper!
Sounds like delicious changes. Thanks for sharing Christina!
I’ve made this twice and am making again tonight. It’s so delicious! I did use the pearl onions the first time and didn’t the second. IMO, it’s not worth the effort to peel them, so I’ll keep skipping that step. I also left the potatoes out the second time and instead served the stew over mashed potatoes. It was amazing! Thank you for such a wonderful recipe!
Thanks Jenny – Sounds like a great way to serve it.
I usually make a great stovetop beef stew with about 2 TBL tomato paste instead of red wine for the acid component. . DO you think I could do the same with your recipe? I’ve never made a stew in the pressure cooker before but I need help to tenderize This venison we have.
Hi Alana – yes, you can use 2 tablespoons of tomato paste instead of the red wine. Just add an additional cup of beef broth. Enjoy!
I have a venison tenderloin probably 3-4 pounds. I am having trouble finding a time to put it on in my instant pot. Ideas?
Hi Mary – I would cook it similarly to pork tenderloin. https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/pressure-cooker-pork-tenderloin-marsala/
Can you do this recipe with venison cube steaks?
Hi Ginger – you could. I would reduce the time, try cutting it in half and the steaks may fall apart a bit, but that shouldn’t be a problem.
Thank you for this lovely recipe. It is the first I haveI made with my new pot, and it was heavenly. Got full marks by everyone in the family. so flavoursome and tender.
I was just wondering if I could substitute beer for wine in this recipe. I have a venison roast I was going to use, but my boyfriend is not a fan of wine, but definitely likes beer. I am a vegetarian and have no idea what beer would do to the flavor profile, and don’t want to ruin a perfectly good roast. Any suggestion would be welcomed! Thank you
A dark beer like a guiness should work beautifully, that’s what I usually do with venison stew though haven’t tried it with the instant pot yet
This recipe was so good! I had a 2 lb deer roast that I was nervous to cook because of the “gamey” taste. My boyfriend is very quick to call the taste out. I just got my IP for xmas and have used it a few times prior. I followed the directions exactly and with the exception of my carrots dissolving (I just steamed carrots and peas that I had and threw them in the leftovers) it was easy and delicious. I also only put the potatoes in for 5 mins and they did not come out mushy. There was no gamey taste what so ever! The wine was a good touch, and don’t skip the last step to thicken. I believe that seriously enhances the stews flavor and texture. Great recipe, will try again 🙂
Thanks for sharing your changes Julie! Glad it was a hit 🙂
A little (quite) late to this party but my stepson got a white tail deer for the first time last month and it’s all processed and hanging out in our freezer now. I want to make this stew for our family but I’ve never cooked venison before. Thankful for your recipe but can you tell me if you quick release pressure or allow it to naturally release?
I just made this tonight in my Instant Pot. Great recipe! Thank you! I’ll be making this again & again. Fyi, I let the pressure release naturally. Then I added the butter/flour roux. As it started to thicken, I added a bit more wine. So good!
I cooked this tonight-first try with an Instant Pot. My veggies were mushy. It took almost 20 minutes for the natural release pressure which I think caused the veggies to overcook. Help?
Hi Jen – I prefer my potatoes firm too. When I’m making stew – I’ll pressure cook the meat first for 10 minutes, then natural release for 5 minutes, add the potatoes and pressure cooker for 2 minutes, then a second natural pressure release for 5 minutes and then thicken the broth.
I am really pleased! I had these bits of deer meat that needed to get used and a nice stew was the only option. Since I am new to my pressure cooker, I wasn’t sure which setting would be like a stove top so used the stove instead for the first couple of steps. Glad that it all turned out and the venison was the most tender, non game flavor ever!
This recipe has saved my life! I am now no longer afraid to cook venison any other way besides chili and chicken frying steaks! I helped process 2 deer last winter and had the venison stew meat all ready to go but hated to make a stew of tough chewy meat as I had with slow cooking. The meat was very tender in my new pressure cooker! The flavor of the wine (I used only a 1/4 cup and increased the beef broth accordingly) and the fresh rosemary really created a nice palette of flavor that complemented the venison. My husband and sons LOVED it! The adding of the roux at the end was a great idea. This makes more of a gravy than a stew. I will definitely make this again but to stretch it a bit I will add more beef broth. This recipe was a big GAME changer! Pun intended. Thank you!
Hi Jonette – love the pun 🙂 So glad this recipe was a hit!
Imagine my surprise when i looked up how long to cook my stew in the pressure cooker and found your recipe which was almost exactly what i had cooked up! There were a few differences tho. I just had to cook up 3 thick slices of bacon to use, i just had to! Used that as my oil and kept the bacon in for the added fat. Then I added duck as well and you added rosemary to yours! So I threw in some rosemary and sealed it up! I also only had sweet red wine so I added a little balsamic vinegar. Thanks for the finishing touches as i love rosemary! By the way the cook time was spot on, it was amazingly tender!!!! You have to make this people and its so quick!
Hi Jacki – thanks for sharing your changes. Sounds delicious!
Would I need to double time if the meat is still froze? Thanks for this recipe. We can’t wait to try it!
Hi Jess – if the meat is cubed you do not need to add more time. For larger, thicker cuts of meat add 5 minutes per inch. Enjoy!
We are GF here, do you think I could use a corn starch slurry to thicken instead? Thanks! It sounds delicious!!
Hi Sarah – definitely, corn starch will work great.
But then you miss browning your roux! I needed but a little of my mixture so you may risk getting that congealed texture. Flour is the way to go because you will use so little of it.
I wish non-GF people would understand that those of with true issues cannot use even “so little of it”. We learn that missing some things is better than dealing with the issues that go along with using even small amounts of them. Corn starch or xanthum gum make acceptable substitutes, and some people think xanthum gum is better because the flavors of the meat and veggies are more prominent while flour roux mutes them.
Thanks for the recipe. How much would you need to increase the time when the recipe was doubled?
Hi Sam – no need to increase the time when pressure cooking unless the thickness of the meat is doubled. In fact, sometimes you need to decrease the time when doubling because it will take longer to come to pressure and it will take longer to naturally release the pressure. Enjoy!
Thanks Barbara. Appreciate the quick response
My husband has been hinting about how much he wants venison stew. I was a bit anxious about making this as the first time I cooked venison, it was overdone and I have always thought venison stew would taste the same. I followed this recipe, cooking it for 17 minutes and using a parsnip because we had no celery handy. It was absolutely perfect! Other than the parsnips, I used this blend instead of her suggestions:
http://www.auntiearwenspices.com/store/p132/Moose_%26_Goose_wild_game_mix.html
Thanks Kate! Glad it was a hit 🙂
Barbara, thanks for promoting a recipe which makes use of wild game. It is a vast and healthy resource all around us, and my family has relied upon venison as our sole red meat since 1985. I am the amateur chef in the family, so you can imagine i am pretty experienced with preparing it.
Couple comments. First, you mention “venison or elk” in your ingredients. Technically speaking, It would be more correct to say something like ‘white-tail or elk venison’, since venison is the meat of any of the cervidae family (ruminants that shed their antlers annually, which in North America includes white-tailed deer, mule deer, caribou, elk, and moose).
Second, i am wondering what makes you say “alcohol won’t cook off in the PC”. Since the PC achieves well over 212F and the boiling point of the ethanol in wine etc is about 173F, i would say the ethanol will definitely evaporate from the broth of the stew. Some will get out through the vent, and all or most of the rest will exit the pot as soon as the pressure allows you to remove the lid. My assumption is lid will come off at a broth temp of >173F. Ethanol stil la gas at 174F at ambient pressure. I mention this since my belief is cooking off the wine after deglazing is probably an unnecessary investment of time. I would recommend deglaze, immediately add remaining ingredients and cover the PC. You will find other stew recipes for PC (usually beef) from credible sources which do not concern themselves with reducing the wine before covering the PC.
Here’s to good eating. All the best.
Hi Randy – thanks for sharing. I think part of the reason for cooking off the alcohol dates back to stove top pressure cookers and tales of fire from the alcohol and open flame.
I made this & It was wonderful! It’s very forgiving & I did substitute some ingredients. I also added about a 1/4 can of tomato paste, which I sautéed with veggies. It had great depth of flavor- thank you- it’s a keeper would work well w beef too!
Bea, any other suggestions? This will be my second meal made in my IP. I have my venison all cut up and its marinating… I am nervous about ruining this beautiful gift.
AMAZING RECIPE!
I’m a novice cook at best with little to no pressure cooker experience. This recipe made my friends think I was a pro! I actually got asked to thaw more venison and make another batch.
Thanks Ed! Glad I could help you look good 🙂
I made this for the first time tonight and enjoyed the result enough that it’s now part of my venison repertoire.
I started sautéing the cubed venison in my Instant Pot, but found it just wasn’t hot enough. The cubes were steaming rather than searing, turning gray rather than brown. So I quickly put a heavy pan on my stovetop with the burner on high and transferred the meat to it, where it browned in a couple of minutes.
I used the white baking potatoes I had on hand, and of course they were mushy when the stew was done. Next time I’ll use red potatoes, as I prefer their soft-but-firm texture.
I very much enjoy the aromatic notes that rosemary gives, so I used a whole teaspoon, dried and crumbled.
I want to note a humorous typo: The first line of the Directions begins, “Trim stew beef…” For this insult, the deer tribe sentence you to 20 kicks from a cloven hoof.
I am new to pressure cooking, and this sounds Delicious!! Is there a way to make it with frozen venison? We have a crazy busy schedule, and I’m always forgetting to get meat out of the freezer.
Hi Kris – yes, you can cook a roast from frozen. The thickener the roast the longer it will take to cook – start by adding 5 minutes to the cooking time for each inch of thickness. https://web.archive.org/web/20160417162654/http://missvickie.com/howto/meat/frozenmeats.htm. If you cut your meat in to smaller pieces before freezing, then it will cook fast. Have fun!
The stew was a hit with the whole family. I didn’t thicken and it was still great. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I do not normally take the time to leave comments on recipes, but I cannot let this one go. First, I just got an instant pressure cooker and this recipe was the first one I made it in. The recipe was easy to follow, with staple ingredients. I have a freezer full of venison (thanks to my husband) and I’m always looking for new ways to cook it. The aroma coming from the dish as I was first cooking it was delicious. I could only image what it would be like after I removed the lid after the final cook. The end result, DELICIOUS. My husband has not stopped commenting on it. You would think he found a new love. All I hear is “Oh my gosh,” “Mmmmm,” “Ohh,” etc. Unfortunately, the dish was so good we had no left overs. I have already bookmarked this recipe and can’t wait to make it again. My husband said he will be making it on his next hunting trip for the guys too.
Thanks Kristina for taking the time to let me know how much you loved the recipe. I’m so glad your first recipe in the Instant Pot was such a big hit. I’m sure it’s just the start of many great meals. Have fun!
Oh my gosh. This stew is amazing. Thank you.
Hi Elizabeth – Thanks for taking the time to let me know how much you enjoyed it.
Thanks I will give this one try….new to butchering Venison so interested to see how it comes out.
I have TEFAL 8 ltre …love it …when you tell people who are so sceptical of PC’s that you can make cheesecake they cannot believe you .
Beats using slow cookers
From Australia
The cheesecake always hooks them in 🙂 Let me know how it goes.
And thanks for tip about wine. I did as you said. Reduced quickly, added nice flavor nuance.
Just made this tonight. Absolutely stunning. I didn’t thicken…wanted it more soupy. Wonderful flavor. Added fresh green beans and turnips too. Will use recipe for beef stew too. Gave some meat to our cat. He’s driving me crazy now! Begging for more! Thanks for posting!
Just made it. Nice! Hunting season is approaching and using what’s left from last year. This was delicious.
I love my PC.
Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks Dave! Good luck with the hunt.
Hi Barbara,
My name is Josef, I am retired and love to cook.
Just a comment on your recipe. I am going to try i to be used as a pie filling, but I seem to not find any potatoes in your recipe, is that correct?
Also, do you use bay leaves in your stews?
Thanking you
Regards
Josef
Apology, must be the age, I found the potatoes! But just a Q, would the amount of the venison be +-700 grams?
Thank you
Yes, 700 grams sounds right to me.
Hi Josef – I think bay leaves are a good addition to stews. Enjoy!
Made this after work, didn’t have everything, but it came out great. Added some mixed veggies, and didn’t have onion powder or rosemary, but used a bit extra seasoned salt to make up for it. With some home made biscuits it made a good dinner and enough leftovers for my son to take to work. Yes, this is a “keeper”!
Great! Love that you made it your own with what you had on hand.
I’ve made this several times for fiancé family and friends, everyone loves it. My fiancé took a double batch to deer camp last year and the guys all loved it, now their wives are making it. The wine and rosemary make it a spectacular meal, instead of a boring stew.
Thanks Dawn for taking the time to share how much you enjoy it! So great that the guys told their wives how much they liked it too.
Made this minus the wine. It was yummy. My husband said it was a ‘do again’ recipe. What exactly does the wine do for the recipe? I skipped because the last recipe I tried was a rabbit stew that included wine and it gave it a color that my family disliked enough I had leftovers to freeze.
Hi Pamela – so glad your family enjoyed the stew. There’s no problem leaving out the wine if your family doesn’t enjoy it. It does add a richer flavor and shouldn’t make it an odd color because the gravy is dark already. But definitely change any recipe to suit your own tastes. Thanks!
Absolutely amazing recipe! Adjust the spiciness to your liking!
Thanks Greg – so glad you enjoyed it!
Perfect! We had a small venison steak we cut up and made a delicious stew. Thank you!
Thanks Erin! Glad you enjoyed it.
I use venison because my freezer is loaded with it. I suspect this would be great with beef as well.
Thanks again Andrea for sharing the recipe! I especially love the tips about layering the veggies, thickening it after cooking, and reducing the alcohol before cooking. Great tips for so many recipes.
I would totally eat that! Although, different meats kind of scare me for some reason lately! 🙂
I love a good stew. This looks tasty.
My mother used to make something similar to this, and venison is perfect to use in the pressure cooker!
I love venison but have never thought of using my pressure cooker to make stew with it. I love this idea. Thanks for sharing it and for the tip about the alcohol!