So, happy fall days guys! As the cold weather digs in and the colourful leaves fall off the trees, cue plenty of fun family moments of leaf catching, I crave plenty of cosy, warm and filling stews.
And this Instant Pot Venison Stew certainly ticks all the boxes.
Nothing gets me more excited than bringing you simple seasonal recipes that are easy to cook too. Less time cooking and more time enjoying all those fall moments.
And this Instant Pot Venison Stew is all about simple quality ingredients with minimal prep that pretty much cook themselves, aka a dump and start recipe.
The secret to this rich venison stew is the caraway seeds. They add a distinctive and aromatic punch to your stews and are worth it. But if you don’t have any or prefer not to, then simply omit them or swap them out for something else. This recipe is very adaptable and is all about the flavours that you like.
Why this Instant Pot Venison Stew is Awesome
- It is super easy to make – more about this below
- It needs only 11 ingredients all of which, you already have in your pantry
- It is great for feeding a crowd – double or triple the recipe and you are good
- Leftovers freeze very well – so that is a few weeknight suppers sorted
- Plus it gives you another reason to use your magic pot right.
Instant Pot Venison Stew Recipe Materials
KITCHEN TOOLS, UTENSILS & APPLIANCES NEEDED
This post contains affiliate links. For more information, check out my disclosure.
Here are some of the items you will need to make this recipe.
- 8 qt Instant Pot.
- I use and love the 8 qt, extra Instant Pot Insert & sealing ring.
- 3 qt Instant Pot or 6 qt Instant Pot depending on family size.
- A sharp knife is essential for all that chopping.
- Cutting board.
- Stir your stew with a spatula.
- You will need these handy measuring jugs or cups.
- Measure out your spices with these measuring teaspoons.
- Bowls with covers.
- For storing your leftover food.
- Use these meal prep bowls for easy dinner
- Freezer for storing leftovers.
Ready to make this Instant Pot Venison Stew recipe? Gather your ingredients and let me show you…
How To Make Instant Venison Stew
Let me tell you a little secret here. This Instant Pot Venison Stew is the easiest to make. Seriously.
Option 1 – DUMP & START aka the super eeeeeeeeeeeeasy way. Take all the ingredients, add them to the Instant Pot, press the stew button, wait till done and hey presto tuck right in. See I told you. Easy.
Option 2 – Brown the venison first aka the slightly less easy way. So you brown the meat first (in the Instant Pot), before frying the veggies for a few minutes. Then add all the rest of the ingredients and cook as per option one.
OK so this only adds about 7 mins of cooking time to your stew but that browning of the meat adds such an amazing extra depth of flavour, so do it if you have time.
Tips for Making the Best Instant Venison Stew
- Please do cut the sweet potato and carrots into large cubes, otherwise, they will turn to mush.
- You can swap the sweet potatoes for regular potatoes if you prefer.
- If you want to thicken the soup then you can mash some of the sweet potatoes after cooking.
- Add various other spices to your taste if you prefer.
- Add an extra 125 (0.5 cups) beef stock for a thinner stew.
- This Venison Stew tastes sooo good served with steamed broccoli. Mashed potatoes will work (see my ‘What to Serve with Instant Pot Venison Stew’ section below).
- Don’t overcook the venison if you are doing the browning option.
What To Serve With Instant Pot Venison Stew
Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes.
More Venison Stew Recipes
For more tasty Venison Stew recipes then try these below.
7 Ingredient Slow Cooker Venison Stew.
Easy Slow Cooker Venison Stew.
How to Freeze Instant Pot Venison Stew
- Let the venison stew cool down then transfer into these very handy Ziploc freezer bags.
- Squeeze out all the extra air and seal the bags.
- Label the bags and then lay them flat in the freezer.
- Store the stew in the freezer for 3 months.
How to Thaw Instant Pot Stew
- Remove the venison stew from the freezer the night before needed and let it thaw in the fridge.
- For a faster thaw, you can add the bagged stew into a microwave and thaw according to the microwave’s instructions.
- Transfer the thawed stew into a bowl and reheat in a microwave.
- Or transfer the thawed soup into a saucepan and reheat over low to medium heat.
What is Venison?
So venison is deer meat, but I find there is a bit of confusion about what is venison exactly. A particular part of the deer? A particular cut of deer meat?
Venison is ANY part of the deer that can be consumed. Even deer liver would be considered venison. But for this venison stew recipe, you’ll use venison shoulder or venison leg cubes.
I love cooking with venison because it’s leaner than beef and also has more vitamins and minerals. (Ticking off all the ‘healthy eating’ boxes right there.) It also can’t be intensively farmed, and most deer have lived a natural life until just before you get it from the butcher.
Lots of people talk about eating ‘pasture-raised’ (not factory-farmed) meat these days, and most venison is that way naturally.
Weight Watchers Points in Instant Pot Venison Stew
There are just 4 Freestyle Points in a serving of Instant Pot Venison Stew.
Thank you for reading my Pressure Cooker Venison Stew recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue dreaming up recipes, traditional African recipes, African fusion recipes, Sierra Leone recipes, travel plans and much more for you. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, UK food blog.
Instant Pot Venison Stew Video
Get the Instant Pot Venison Stew Recipe:
Don't forget to tag #recipesfromapantry on Instagram or Twitter if you try Instant Pot Venison Stew! It is really, really awesome for me when you make one of my recipes and I'd love to see it. You can also share it on my Facebook page. Please pin this recipe to Pinterest too! Thank you for reading Recipes from a Pantry.
Instant Pot Venison Stew
Ingredients
Instructions
Dump and Start Method
- Add all the ingredients to the Instant Pot insert starting with the Venison and ending with the
- sieved tomatoes. Don't mix.
- Cover the pot and set the valve to seal, choose the stew setting and allow to cook till done.
- Let the steam release naturally about 10-15 mins before opening.
Video
Notes
- Cut the sweet potato and carrots into large cubes, otherwise, they will turn to mush.
- You can swap the sweet potatoes for regular potatoes if you prefer.
- If you want to thicken the soup then you can mash some of the sweet potatoes after cooking.
- Add various other spices to your taste if you prefer.
- Add an extra 125 (0.5 cups) beef stock for a thinner stew.
- Don’t overcook the venison if you are doing the browning option.
Nutrition
.
Oh wow Bintu! This does indeed look so comforting and heart warming! Whilst you are experiencing cold weather we are approaching summer and hot days. I am going to give this one a go on a cool night, yum and thanks!
I wanted to give you 5/5 for this recipe as it has all of the elements that a great recipe should! Cheers
Great fall comfort food. So hearty and flavorful.
That stew looks delicious, and I really want an Instant Pot 🙂
A woman I knew years ago made delicious venison stew – but I’ve never cooked with the meat. I’m going to have to see if I can find a source now that I have moved! Because that just looks too good…
This is PERFECT during the winter months! This looks so cozy and comforting. My husband loves venison so he will be begging for this!
I’m sure this stew is so flavorful! I’ve actually never tried venison – I just don’t have a source for it. Can I substitute beef? Great recipe!
This looks delightful! I am wondering if you have a suggestion for a substitute for the anchovies- my husband is allergic to fish
This is an incredibly sweet stew if you make it with real sweet potatoes, not yams, plus the honey. If you prefer a more savory stew, use white potatoes.
This stew came out delicious!!! I added 1/2 teaspoon of salt to taste due to the broth and tomato sauce I had on hand had no salt. I doubled the herb de Provence just because we like herbs. I followed the quick dump and cook method due to time and it was perfect. I usually brown my meat before using the instant pot but no need with this recipe. The caraway seeds add a really unique flavor. I’m sure this would work for any stew meat you choose especially venison.
How disappointing. Having fought may way through all the adverts to get to the ingredients and method to be told “allow to cook till done” is very annoying. Is that 10 minutes, 2 hours 3 hours ??? I have no idea.