This Instant Pot Beef Gravy recipe is how I make gravy from homemade (pressure cooked) beef broth. It's a simple recipe, and if you make the broth ahead of time, you can whisk up the gravy in about half an hour.
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I'm sharing this recipe as a lead-in to my Dutch stamppot recipe (coming soon), since a good beef gravy is one of the keys to stamppot. That said, this gravy is an excellent addition to all sorts of beef roasts, pot roasts, and beef sandwiches.
Ingredients notes
Meaty Beef Bones
Any cut of beef on the bone will work in this recipe, and it's best when it's not all bones. Beef neck bones, oxtail, beef shank (my favorite), short ribs...all will work. Just make sure it's at least as much beef as it is bones, or the broth will be thin.
Tomato paste
I get complaints about how little tomato paste this uses. I can see the comments already: "I'm wasting the rest of the can of tomato paste!" Yes, this is a small amount of tomato paste. But, tomato has a lot of umami in it, and it adds essential depth and color to this broth.
I plastic-wrap the leftover can of tomato paste and stick it in my fridge, but if I don't get around to using it, I'm OK with that; it sacrificed itself for better broth.
Or, you can get the expensive tomato paste that comes in tubes. That way, you'll only use the paste that you need. I love tomato paste in tubes, but it's hard to find in my local grocery stores.
(Of course, the other solution is to make more broth to use up more of the tomato paste - see my "Make More Broth" section, below.)
Step-by-step pictures of Instant Pot Beef Gravy
Make the beef broth
TKIMAGE
Put all the broth ingredients in the pot, cover with 1 quart of water, and pressure cook for 90 minutes with a natural release. Scoop out as much of the solids as you can, and then pour the rest through a fine mesh strainer.
Whisk the Roux
Melt the butter in a small pot on the stovetop, then whisk in the flour, and keep whisking until the roux is a tan to peanut-butter color
Whisk in the broth and simmer until the gravy thickens
Pour the broth in slowly, whisking as you go, and keep whisking until all the broth is smooth. Simmer the gravy until it thickens, stirring often to make sure it is not sticking to the bottom of the pot. Serve and enjoy!
Beef Broth Notes
This recipe is a quickie version of my Pressure Cooker Browned Beef Stock, taking some tips from Michael Ruhlman's Instant Pot Beef Stock. Mainly - don't brown the beef, but pressure cook the broth longer to make up for it. If I'm making a small batch of broth, a quick "dump and cook" recipe is what I want.
That said, I have two beef broth notes:
- Make more broth: Make extra broth! While this recipe has just enough broth for the gravy, I ALWAYS triple the broth ingredients and use my 8-quart pressure cooker to make a big pot full of beef broth. (Or, double it in my 6-quart pressure cooker). It doesn't take more time - it's slightly longer, just the time for the extra water to come up to pressure. Broth freezes beautifully, and homemade broth is so much better than store-bought broth. I use 1 quart of the broth for this gravy recipe, then freeze the rest for the future. (It's great in recipes like Instant Pot Beef Stew, Instant Pot Beef Brisket Soup, Instant Pot Beef and Barley, or Instant Pot Beef Tips. And especially my favorite, Instant Pot Texas Red Chili. It adds body and depth to any beef stew, braise, or soup.
- Make the broth ahead of time: If you want quick gravy, make the broth ahead of time, and refrigerate it for a few days, or freeze it for up to 6 months. This also means that if you took my advice and made extra broth, you can make more gravy whenever you want it. I freeze my broth in 1-quart or 2-cup canning jars. Then I can thaw the broth in the microwave and be ready to make gravy at a moment's notice.
Tips and Tricks
- Use a saucepan to make the gravy instead of the Instant Pot: While you can certainly make the gravy in your Instant Pot (after wiping out the pot and using Sauté mode), I use the Pot for pressure cooking the broth, then switch to a small saucepan for the gravy. It's much easier to whisk the roux and the gravy - I don't have to deal with trying to whisk in the tall pot, and get into the tight corners.
- Making a roux: A roux sounds fancy, but it's just flour cooked in butter. It's the key to thickening the broth into gravy. Without the roux, it's a pan sauce at best.
Storing gravy
Gravy is a good make-ahead part of a meal. This gravy will last for a few days in the refrigerator or in a sealed container in the freezer for up to six months. To reheat, bring the gravy to a simmer and whisk it to pull it back together if it has separated.
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Instant Pot Beef Gravy
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 3 cups of gravy
Description
This Instant Pot Beef Gravy recipe is how I make gravy from homemade (pressure cooked) beef broth. It's a simple recipe, and if you make the broth ahead of time, you can whisk up the gravy in about half an hour.
Ingredients
Simple Beef Broth
- 1.5 pounds meaty beef shank (or oxtails, or short ribs, or chuck roast - you want cheap and meaty beef on the bone)
- 1 carrot, peeled or scrubbed
- 1 large onion, halved
- 2 sprigs of thyme (or parsley, or both)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 quart of water
Gravy
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Pressure cook the beef broth for 90 minutes with a natural release: Put the beef shank, carrot, onion, thyme, bay leaf, tomato paste, and salt into an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker. Pour in the water. Lock the lid and cook on high pressure for 90 minutes. If you are using a stovetop PC, pressure cook for 75 minutes. (In an Instant Pot, use Manual, Pressure Cook, or Pressure Cook - Custom mode set to 90 minutes.) Let the pressure come down naturally, about 30 more minutes. (You can quick release any remaining pressure after 15 minutes if you are in a hurry). Unlock the lid, scoop out as much of the solids as you can with a slotted spoon, then strain the rest of the broth through a fine mesh strainer.
- Make the roux: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat on the stovetop. (Or wipe out your pot liner and use the Instant Pot set to Sauté mode - high). Whisk the flour into the melted butter. Cook the flour in the butter, whisking constantly, until the flour is the color of peanut butter, about 5 minutes.
- Make the gravy: Whisking constantly, slowly pour the strained broth into the roux. Bring the pot to a boil, then turn the heat down to low (or set your Instant Pot to Sauté mode- Low) and simmer the gravy, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced by a third, about 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste; the gravy will need both. Serve and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: American
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: ½ cup
- Calories: 48
- Sugar: 0.2 g
- Sodium: 231.7 mg
- Fat: 3.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 2.3 g
- Fiber: 0.1 g
- Protein: 1.2 g
- Cholesterol: 10.2 mg
Related Posts
For other gravy recipes, check out my Pressure Cooker Turkey Giblet Gravy or Sausage Gravy (In a Cast Iron Skillet). Looking for something to go with this beef gravy? My Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes are a great choice. Or for some beef to cover with gravy, try my Instant Pot Sirloin Tip Roast, Instant Pot Shredded Beef, or Instant Pot Beef Tips (Pressure Cooker Beef Tips).
If you're looking for something else, here is my index of Instant Pot and Pressure Cooker Recipes.
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