Instant Pot Swiss Steak with mushrooms and a richly flavorful tomato sauce. Low carb, keto, and gluten free.

Stovetop vs pressure cooker

I recently posted a stovetop recipe for Swiss Steak, and while I love its sharp flavors, the two hours of simmering required were too time-consuming for weeknight dinners. I wanted a faster version of the same dish, so it wasn’t hard to convince myself to make it in the Instant Pot.

The only downside with using a pressure cooker is just my usual complaint that there’s too much liquid. In the past, I have used corn starch or xanthan gum to thicken sauces and stews (like Instant Pot Chicken Marsala or Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon) but recently I’ve preferred to just boil it down. This means more intense flavors and one less ingredient. In this recipe, you need to boil for quite a while to get the sauce to thicken, about 20 minutes. Even so, it still takes far less time to cook than the stovetop version.

To learn more about Swiss steak, such as where its name comes from (and no, it doesn’t originate from Switzerland) and how I’ve adapted from the traditional version, read this post for stovetop Swiss Steak.

Common cooking questions

Why isn’t there any liquid added to the Instant Pot so that it can pressurize? There is plenty of liquid exuded by the vegetables and beef as it starts to cook, and it’s more than enough to pressurize your pot. The canned diced tomatoes also contain liquid that aids in pressurizing.

How do I store and reheat leftovers? Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator up to a few days. They reheat well in the microwave.

How many beef slices should I brown at a time? It’s important not to crowd the beef slices as they brown. Don’t brown more than 3 pieces at a time, or 2 if they’re very large. It usually takes me about 3 batches total to brown them all. When done correctly, you should see lots of nice browning action on the beef as well as glorious flavorful brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot (these will get automatically scraped up as you deglaze with the diced tomatoes).

Simple tip to reduce carbs

Each serving has 9.5g net carbs, which is a bit on the high side. I usually try to keep my dinner recipes under 10g net carbs per serving so that they’re suitable for a keto diet. The majority of the carbs come from the vegetables, especially the tomatoes, carrots, and mushrooms.

The tomatoes and carrots are essential to the flavor of the resulting sauce, so the mushrooms are the most dispensable. To make this dish without mushrooms, skip the instruction where you add the mushrooms and reduce the simmering time at the end of the recipe by about 5 minutes.

By removing the mushrooms, this reduces each serving to 7.5g net carbs without a significant loss in flavor. I’ve made this dish both ways, and I like them both!

5 from 5 votes

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Instant Pot Swiss Steak

Instant Pot Swiss Steak with mushrooms and a rich tomato sauce. Low carb, keto, and gluten free.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Natural Release 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 400 kcal

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef eye of round, bottom round, or top round
• 1/2 cup diced onions (1/4-1/2 onion)
• 1/2 cup diced carrots (1-2 carrots)
• 1/2 cup diced celery (1-2 stalks)
• 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Dry seasonings:

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Instructions

1. Trim the beef of any excess fat, and cut into 8 to 10 slices about 1/2 inch thick. Pat dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine all dry seasonings and stir to mix well. Add sliced beef and all seasonings to a resealable bag. Toss until the beef is well-coated.
2. Select the saute mode on the pressure cooker for medium heat. Add olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot. When the display reads HOT, working in multiple batches, add beef in a single layer and brown for about a minute, flip to brown the other side for another minute, then transfer to a large bowl.
3. Add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic to the pot. Cook for a few minutes to soften, stirring frequently. Turn off the saute mode.

4. Add diced tomatoes (including liquid in the can) and Worcestershire sauce. Stir together until well-mixed, scraping up flavorful brown bits stuck to the pot. Return the beef slices sans drippings to the pot, snugly arranging the beef on top of the vegetables. Evenly distribute mushrooms on top.

5. Secure and seal the lid. Cook for 30 minutes at high pressure, followed by a 10 minute natural release. Manually release remaining pressure.
6. Uncover and transfer only the beef slices onto serving plates. Turn on the saute mode. Boil for about 20 minutes or until the remaining liquid thickens into a sauce, stirring occasionally. Turn off the saute mode.
7. Pour the sauce over the beef slices. Top with parsley and serve.

Nutrition Info

This recipe yields 9.5 g net carbs per serving.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving

Calories 400
Total Fat 14g	22%
Saturated Fat 3g	17%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 150mg	50%
Sodium 1120mg	47%
Potassium 210mg	6%
Total Carb 11.5g	4%
Dietary Fiber 2g	9%
Sugars 5.5g
Protein 52g

Vitamin A 94% · Vitamin C 33% · Calcium 12% · Iron 33%

MORE DELICIOUS INSTANT POT BEEF RECIPES:

Instant Pot beef and broccoli

instant pot short ribs

Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon

instant pot meatballs