The Easiest Instant Pot Beef and Noodles
This is the quickest and easiest Instant Pot Beef and Noodles recipe you’ll ever try. Traditional hearty beef and noodles in a fraction of the time and work of most beef and noodle recipes, but still yields the same tender seasoned bites of beef and tons of creamy noodles in under an hour!
Beef and noodles is known for being easy comfort food, but it’s usually comfort food that takes a good long while to cook. This method of cooking beef and noodles is the ultimate shortcut method because we’ll utilize not one easy shortcut to lessen prep and cook time, but 2!
Most instant pot beef and noodles recipes call for chuck roast and that requires quite a bit of prep work. First the roast has to be trimmed and cut into small pieces or completely cooked and then shredded.
For this recipe we’re going to use store bought cubed stew beef. Most packaged stew beef you buy at the grocery store is odds and ends of chuck roast and round. There can be other cuts of meat included as well. Because the store bought stew beef is already cut into bite sized pieces, all you’ll need to do is throw it in the bottom of the instant pot!
Here’s a beginners’s guide to using the Instant Pot in case you need one before we start.
Step 1:
Open your package of stew beef and throw it in the bottom of an instant pot that’s at least 6 quarts or larger. Toss the butter in on top of the meat.
Step 2:
Add the seasonings: garlic powder, salt, onion powder, pepper and browning sauce. Now I realize that probably not everyone has browning sauce in their pantry, but I think it’s absolutely critical for this recipe.
What is browning sauce? A highly concentrated blend of vegetable stock, spices, and herbs with caramel coloring added. It makes anything beefy just taste a little richer and gives it a great color. I always add it to my beef stews and gravy.
Step 3:
Add the frozen noodles, broth and consomme.
Do you have to use frozen noodles?
Yes, indeedy. Frozen noodles are the only noodles that can hold up to the cook time it will take for the meat to get tender. Dried noodles or fresh noodles would be mush at the end of 28 minutes in the Instant Pot. Pour the beef consomme and beef broth over the top of the frozen noodles.
And that’s it! Put the lid on the instant pot, seal it up and cook on manual for 28 minutes. Do a quick steam release. Stir it all together really well and then serve!
You’ll notice at the end of the cook time that the beef will still be in chunks, but it will be fork tender and easily shred!
How can you quickly and easily make this without an Instant Pot? I’m sorry, but you just can’t. The Instant Pot makes tough cuts of meat cook up tender in a flash and I don’t know of anything else does the same thing. If you don’t have an Instant Pot yet, you need to get yourself one! I use this 6 quart model because it’s big enough for my family of 6. You can find them for under $80 on Amazon.
More Easy Instant Pot Recipes:
Instant Pot Turkey and Noodles
Big Batch Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
The Easiest Instant Pot Beef and Noodles
Ingredients
- 1 to 1 1/2 pound package of precut stew beef
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp browning sauce
- 1 10.5 ounce can beef consomme
- 1 quart 32ounces beef broth
- 1 24 ounce bag frozen noodles *
Instructions
- Place the stew beef in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Then put in the butter.
- Add the garlic powder, salt, onion powder, black pepper, and browning sauce.
- Add the frozen noodles to the Instant Pot. Pour the consomme and broth over the noodles and beef. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to seal. Cook on manual high heat for 28 minutes. When the timer goes off do a quick steam release. Give the beef and noodles a generous stir and serve!
Video
Notes
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I only have chicken broth can I use this instead of beef
Sure! It just won’t look or taste quite the same. But it will work in a pinch.
If you have a Walmart close by, they all sell Reames Homestyle Frozen Egg Noodles (sold in 12 oz & 24 oz bags). They are usually located in between the frozen microwaveable meals and frozen appetizers.
I am so excited to try this recipe but absolutely cannot find frozen egg noodles in any of the stores around me. Would I be able to use another type of frozen pasta?
Megan,
Man, it’s so hard for me to answer this question because frozen egg noodles are the only type of frozen pasta we have here in our grocery stores. So I have no knowledge of any other suitable products that might be available. What I can tell you is frozen egg noodles have a manufacturer cook time of 20-30 minutes in boiling water. So if you’re substituting with a different frozen pasta it should probably require a similar suggested cook time.
I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful with my answer and I hope you are able to find a way to make the recipe!!
Amy D.
@Megan Hutchinson,
@Amy D, maybe frozen Ramen or Soba noodles could possibly work. If you have an Asian grocery store close by.
What would be the best way to add carrots and broccoli or potatoes??
Hi Vincent, thanks for the question. Honestly, I think it would be really hard to get the timing right so the vegetables weren’t over cooked and falling apart. I would just cook them separately and add it at the end of cooking, right before serving.
Amy D.
Im tellin you what im a cooking husband and father and I couldnt have been more impressed with this recipe under 20 dollars and only 30 min wow the taste so good thanks
So glad your family enjoyed it David!
“Browning sauce” in the USA is most traditionally Kitchen Bouquet. It’s been around for decades. Flavor+color for beef dishes.
This was amazing!! I didn’t have beef consommé on hand, so I tried an onion soup packet mixed in 10 oz of water. Came out great!!
Glad your substitute worked out so well! I’m sure that feedback will be helpful for other people who have a hard time finding the consomme! Thanks for the comment, Chrissie.
Amy D.
This was absolutely delicious, and definitely the easiest beef and noodles I have ever made! I didn’t use the browning sauce, as I didn’t have any, but I substituted Better than Bouillon beef. Thank you for a wonderful recipe, I will be following your site for other wonderful dishes.
Made this the other night. It’s a keeper!! I did as another commenter suggested and added sour cream and heavy cream to create a creamy texture.
That sounds yummy Kim, thanks for sharing!
Wow! So good! I’ve been trying to find a good Beef and Noodles recipe and I couldn’t find one that I wanted to try. I actually found the Beef Consommé and Browning sauce at my local Kroger (I was very surprised) Threw it all in the Instant Pot, pressed start, and crossed my fingers.
So happy I gave this a whirl. Delicious!
I’m not even upset with the “extra” liquid!
I can’t wait to make this again 🙂
Same amount of cooked time in a ninja foodie
I’m making this right now! I sauteed some onions while searing the beef and then threw it in the crock pot! I’m hoping it’s delicious! I’ll let you know!
Would frozen spaghetti work, can’t find frozen egg noodles. If not can I use egg noodles cooked on the stove and throw in at the end?
Beth,
If you can’t find frozen egg noodles then your best best is to use egg noodles cooked in lightly salted water on the stovetop. Then drain them and stir them end at the end of the cooking time. Hope that you are able to find a way to enjoy the recipe with what you have on hand.
Amy
I made this with 1.5 lbs of beef and the sauce ratio was perfect! I couldn’t find the browning sauce, so I shook in a little soy sauce and called it good. Super easy yummy comfort food. I had never used Beef Consumme before and wasn’t super thrilled with the ingredients, so you might want to take a look at them before you just dump it in like I did!
Can you use frozen stewed meat???
Hi Beth,
That’s a great question. But, unfortunately, no, you can’t use frozen stew meat. The timing of this recipe is pretty crucial to the finished outcome. Frozen stew beef just can’t be cooked tender in the same amount of time that the frozen noodles can.
Amy D.