Chickpeas love to hang out with Moroccan spices. Add umami-rich beef chuck to the party and you get Beef and Chickpea Stew. It tastes like restaurant fare and yet, thanks to the miracle of the pressure cooker or Instant Pot, cooks up fast for an easy, impressive dinner-in-a-bowl.
Beef may get top billing, but the heart of this stew lies in the chickpeas—those little balls of high-protein goodness with nutty flavor and tender chew. We could go on and on about the virtues of chickpeas, but we’ve already done that in our Chickpea and Vegetable Tagine (a vegetarian cousin) and Pasta e Ceci posts.
If you’re into substitutions, you can make this stew with lamb. But please think twice before substituting other beans for the chickpeas. We won’t be responsible for the consequences.
Beef and Chickpea Stew in the Pressure Cooker
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 8 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 4 cups water
- Beef flavored bouillon to taste (optional)
- 1½ – 2 pounds beef chuck roast or chuck steak, trimmed and cut into ¾-inch pieces
- 2 (15½-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained, with liquid reserved
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 2 cups lightly packed cilantro leaves and stems, chopped
- In a 6 quart or larger pressure cooker or Instant Pot, melt butter. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, tomato paste, paprika, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook until fragrant, about a minute. Stir in water (and beef bouillon if you want), then add beef. Cover and pressure cook for 30 minutes.
- Quick-release steam to reduce pressure. Remove cover and skim off fat. Stir in chickpeas, as much reserved chickpea liquid as you want, and carrots. Bring to a simmer over medium, and cook uncovered until carrots are tender, about 10 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper, adding more bouillon if you want. Stir in cilantro before serving.
