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Instant Pot Swiss Steak — 129 Comments

  1. Where can I find an Instapot to buy . I have not seen any like that with directions on it for what mode you are cooking in. .

    It would help to make cooking much simpler for me since I am an older person
    and can not stand for long periods of time

  2. This was really good and so very simple to put together. I did cheat a bit bc my family does not like the chunks of tomatoes so I added some spaghetti sauce I had on hand. That took care of the seasoning for me as well. Thanks for the recipe!

  3. Making right now. After browning steaks in oil, I used a bit of chicken broth to deglaze the pan. Did you find you needed to do this or pot wouldn’t pressurize? Thanks for recipe! Mom used to make in the electric skillet. Was Dad’s favorite. God rest their souls.

    • I am getting ready to make this for Father’s Day as it is my husband’s favorite. I thought I’d try your recipe; I generally use my mother’s which uses cilli sauce in the sauce. However, we will have 8 adults and a few kids so I am doubling the recipe, using about 4 lbs. of sirloin steak. Will this work in the Instant Pot, or should I go ahead and use the electric frying pan as I have traditionally done. Thanks for help and for the recipe. IMy three daughters and I have loved using the Instant Pot!

  4. I make it all the time in my stainless steel Presto pressure cooker. I also have an electric pressure cooker, but the Presto is fine for me and my hubby for just us. I do everything in the recipe here, but I mix a small can of El Pato in with the tomatoes as it gives it a wonderful spicy flavor. I make stuffed bell peppers the same way.

    • How do you keep from getting a burn notice if you don’t deflate the pot? I didn’t have broth so I put in some of the juice from tomatoes and a small amt of water to deglaze. I didn’t want to take a chance. So happy to find this. Same recipe I usually cook in the oven. Thank you????

      • Hi Peggy, The juice from the tomatoes in the can along with the moisture of the vegetables and the fat from the meat should yield a lot of liquid. I’ve never had a problem with the “burn notice”.

  5. I haven’t had swiss steak in years and never made it but I got an instant pot for my birthday and this is the first time using a pressure cooker as well thanks for the recipe

  6. This recipe is delicious, reminds me of my mother’s swiss steak. Ultimate comfort food! I’m new to instant pot cooking and with this recipe, I’m a convert. I used petite sirloin steaks cut in half and added 1 Tablespoon of worchestershire sauce. Couldn’t be any easier, I’ll be making this again and soon.

  7. This was very good and very easy. I used round bottom because it was cheap but it was still tasty. Sirloin or London Broil would probably be even better.

  8. I used a little bit of beef broth to deglaze after browning meat and I added a can of rotel to add a little bit of a kick to the sauce..it turned out great! Good recipe!

  9. Made this recipe for dinner tonight. I used cube steaks instead of round steak and it came out fantastic. This is only the 3rd meal that I have made in my Instant Pot. I am loving it. Thank you for the recipe Maureen.

  10. Terrific recipe! My hubby grew up eating swiss steak and he LOVED it! He’s finicky about eating meat with fat or gristle so I bought a sirloin roast, trimmed the tiny bit of fat there was and sliced it into small steaks. I sliced (not chopped) the onions and peppers, lightly sauted them before adding the steak and the canned tomatoes on top. The the results were perfect, fork tender and full of flavor. Thanks for the recipe! It’s the very first meal I made in my new instant pot but it sure won’t be the last.

  11. I tried this last night and kept getting a ‘burn’ code on my pot. I checked and, sure enough, there was a burnt layer. Cleaned it and tried again…three times! Gave up and ordered a pizza. I’m going to try it again today. I’m sure it is operator error on my part. Have had my IP less than a week and this is only the second recipe I’ve tried. If you have any suggestions, they would definitely be welcome.

    • Hi Pam, The only suggestion I have is to make sure you have liquid under the meat. I hope it works for you. This is a delicious recipe.

    • Pam, I had the same problem when I started out. It seems to happen more often if you don’t scrape all those little bits of meat on the bottom after you saute. For whatever reason it registers them as burnt. Even with enough liquid.

    • You have to deglaze with broth, juice of tomatoes or even a little water after you sear the meat every time or you will get that burn notice. Just after you have seared the meat, take it out and put on a plate then add whatever liquid you choose and scrape the pot and get all the “bits” off the bottom. If you use a wooden spoon it’s pretty easy. Then just put the meat back in, add the rest of the ingredients and you shouldn’t have any problem! Good luck!

  12. Awesome flavor – very yummy – but next time will maybe go 18-20 minutes. I like my veggies a little crisper than that. I put mine over boiled potatoes and it is just a “feel good” meal! 😀

  13. Really simple, great meal. We loved it. I used cube steaks because that was what I had on hand. I did deglaze the pot with beef stock cause there was some crispy bits…but that was probably because of the cut of meat I used. Anyway, turned out awesome. It has been added to my dinner rotation.

  14. I have had my instant pot since Christmas and had given up on cooking meat in it. This has changed my mind. It’s SO GOOD!

      • Tasted delicious but rather sauce is not thick like the pictures. Followed all the ingredient and the recipe but wish the sauce was thick!er. May try it again but with some thickening in the sauce

        • Hi Mary, No, the sauce is not thick. What you’re seeing in the picture are the vegetables, the sauce ran down into the rice. If you want a thicker sauce, mix together 1 tablespoon of flour to 3 tablespoons of cold water, take the meat out of the pot, turn the pot to saute, pour the flour mixture into the pot and whisk together. Let the sauce come to a boil and let it cook until the sauce thickens. Return the meat back into the pot to warm up. NOTE: If that’s not thick enough for you, you might want to double to flour and add more water.

  15. Forgot all about Swiss steak. My mom used to cook it in her old timey pressure cooker which scared her to death – lol – but we loved her recipe so much she bravely cooked this favorite. It’s been probably 40 years since I had it and your recipe is spot on! My family loves it. Thank you so much!

  16. Mine is currently in the pot. My house smells wonderful. I added a stalk of celery but otherwise went by the recipe. Can’t wait to taste it! Thanks for the share.

  17. Made this tonight for my daughter and her crew using a pressure cooker ( just like mom used to do) and they loved it!

  18. This is a classic dish from my childhood that my mom used to make. I used to cook it in my electric frying pan, which took forever, but tried it in the instant pot and it came out perfect! I used round steak, as that is the traditional meat used, hence the “Swiss” in the name. Swissing is the process of taking a tough cut of meat, and pounding it with a meat mallet to tenderize it. (I’m sure you already knew that though, Sheryl) I sprinkle flour, salt and pepper over the round steak after I’ve trimmed it, and cut it into pieces, then pound both sides with the mallet. The rest is just as your recipe says – brown it and add the sauce. I cooked it on high for 35 minutes in the instant pot, and it was fork tender and delicious! I serve it over No Yolks dumpling egg noodles, it’s a family favorite. Thank you for sharing your recipe 🙂 I was so happy to find it for my instant pot!

  19. Thank you for the recipe. I bought an Instant Pot Duo 6 on Amazon Prime Day. I went out and bought chuck steaks, chuck roasts, and chicken parts. Then I went in search of Instant Pot recipes. I liked this one best for its simplicity and and the plausibility of the directions, for example, brown the meat first. I cut up two pounds of chuck steaks in portion size pieces. I only had one can of stewed tomatoes so I made up the difference with water. I deglazed the sauté pan with white wine. The result was very good, as good as French home-style cooking. We decided that one can of tomatoes was just right for two pounds of meat. The dish provided the two of us two dinners and a lunch. The second night I boiled up some carrots and cubed baking potatoes and added them to the stewpot, simmered the contents for 15 minutes or so, and had beef stew.

    We were so pleased with the result that I made it again the following week, this time as a stew with cubed chuck roast and vegetables, which I cook on the stove to keep them firm. Thank you again.

    Now I am in search of something as good for boneless chicken parts.

  20. I bought an instant pot about a year ago because my husband was having trouble chewing beef even though I bought the best, no matter how I cooked it. The instant pot has really helped however I still have to slice the meat pretty small for cooking and I’m still learning the trick of getting the meat tender enough for him while not overcooking the vegetables. It seems I have to saute them separately, cook the meat for a while (after sauteing) and then about 1/2 way or more through cooking the meat, then add the sauteed vegetables. Do you know a better way? It’s somewhat of a bother having to release the steam and them start again, but it’s worth it if he can eat it. We liked this recipe but I did make some changes. First I used tomato sauce instead of the canned tomatoes as we don’t care for them I have to use much less pepper as my husband can’t take the hotness. I also (this is for me), about 1/2 way through the cooking of the meat and sauce, I added some of those little (mini) potatoes. I peeled them and sliced them in half to make sure they cooked through…they were perfect and so good! This was the first time for me to put them in swiss steak but I will definitely do it again. My husband eats his with rice but doesn’t mind a few potatoes in the mix.

    • Hi Mary, Yes, using an instant pot is the way to go if you need to cook meat until it’s tender. It does sound like a pain to add something during the mid way of cooking. My only solution is to cook the vegetables separately in the oven and then add them to your meat after it has finished cooking in the instant pot.

  21. Could I use cubed steaks and add sliced mushrooms instead of peppers(I don’t like them). Should I cut the time to back and use quick release of pressure. I’m new to Instant Pot but love it for eggs and dried beans.

    Thanks

    • Hi Faith, Cubed steak is typically a tough cut. I would leave the time the same (at least for your first try). I never use that cut of meat so this is just a guess on my part. Adding mushrooms will work, but keep in mind by omitting the bell pepper, it will completely change the flavor of your dish.

  22. I do not have the actual instant pot brand I have the power xl. I made this and if came out wonderful . I did can this after eating one piece so I can now have it whenever the family feels in the mood. Also I purchased Eye of Round steaks so I did not have to worry about the cutting them. Great short cut. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.

  23. I was in the mood to make this recipe but didn’t want to go to the store to get some steak since I already had some pork chops thawed out. I thought, why not! So I made the recipe using pork chops and it was awesome. Family liked it just as much as when I use steak. Swiss chops will now be on my menu list!!!

  24. I made this tonight with cubed steak and it turned out great! It was my first time to use my new Instant Pot. My husband and son loved it. I will be making it again very soon. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.

  25. Ok, my mom made this the whole time that I was growing up with a round steak that she had the butcher run through the tenderizer. It made it like a cubed steak but thicker. It took about 4 hours and I hadn’t had it in years! I went for a quick visit and my dad made it for her birthday in an electric skillet. It was so amazing and I vowed to do it when I got back home for my family. I had the butcher help me pick out some lean round steaks that were thicker and run them through the tenderizer last night. My mom uses a minimum of 16 ounces of whole peeled tomatoes that she breaks apart with a wooden spoon and she adds some ribs of celery cut into about fourths. No bell peppers, which is good because they make me sick. I knew about how I wanted to make in the instant pot, but was going to guess on the timing. I’m pretty adventurous with my IP (I have a duo plus 6 and a duo 8) so I have jumped in with both feet for the past year with pressure cooking. I am still deciding if I want to serve this with rice, boiled and buttered potatoes (like my mom) or with egg noodles. I’m excited to see how they like this dish and to tell my two older kids about it as I have purchased an IP for each. Thank you for keeping an old traditional dish alive for families that may have forgotten it. The IP has made so many old classics available for busy families again!

  26. Looks like a great recipe. Will be trying it out in a few days. I haven’t had my pot very long but enjoy using it. I do have a question regarding the use of little potatoes. Can I put them in the pot at the same time as the meat, and if I can, do I put them on the bottom and put the rack over the potatoes and then the meat and sauce on top or the other way around. Silly question I know, but it will make a difference. Thanks for your reply.

    • Hi Easter, I have never cooked potatoes in my instant pot. I would say no because the meat takes a lot longer to cook then the potatoes. You would need to cook them separately on the stove top and then add them to your dish.

  27. Just like moms. Being a firehouse chef, I changed a couple things. I had everything except only some cube steaks in the freezer so that was one change. After browning and removing the meat, I dumped the peppers, and onions and continued the saute with a bit of garlic, change 2. After they softened, didn’t want to open a bottle of red so deglazed the pan with a few splashes of Courvousier, change 3. Then added the cans of tomatoes, brought the sauce to temp, and added the meat into the mix making sure all covered and followed the rest. My God! So yummy and savory. Next time will be with round steak like mom used.

  28. I tried your Swiss Steak recipe and made a couple of changes. I compared your recipe to the one I have used on the stove top. First, I used Round Steak instead of Sirloin. Second, I added 1 tsp of ground mustard to the flour. Third, I added a tsp of minced garlic from a jar to the sauce. Followed your directions. Loved it! Thanks for the recipe.

  29. Do you have to add more time to the cook if you are doubling the recipe?

    My kids and I love your Instant pot recipe.. and we are looking to share with friends this weekend to show them how good it is.. hence the reason for doubling the recipe.

    Cheers

    • Hi Steve, That’s a tough one…I’ve never doubled the recipe before. If I had to guess I would say yes. I wouldn’t double the time just add more time…maybe 15 minutes?

  30. Made this with cubed steak and put over a bed of riced cauliflower since we are diabetic and have to cut out the carbs from rice or pasta. Also used low carb flour.

  31. Thank you for the recipe, it was delicious! I used tenderized round steak and the meat was for tender. The meat pieces shrunk more than I expected, so next time I’ll leave them bigger.

  32. Turned out wonderful. I used one can of Rotel and one can of tomatoes. Great flavor. Thank you for an amazing recipe. Haven’t had this recipe since I was a kid.

  33. I made this recipe I added mushrooms and I used my homemade tomatoes it turned out excellent. I will make this again.

  34. Made this for dinner tonight. Came out so good and flavorful. Definitely a keeper for future meals. Thanks for sharing with all of us.💖🥘💖

  35. I don’t know how to avoid getting the burn notice with this dish. While you’re right there is lots of liquid from the tomatoes, it still burned… not once, but three times with different arrangements of the meat and sauce in the pot (meat on bottom, sauce on bottom, even adding more liquid). I’ve cooked all sorts of food in my Instant Pot and never had one burn like this. I ended up finishing it on the stove in a skillet. It has a great flavor, but the meat was not as tender.

    • Hi Michael, That is so weird. I make it all the time ( in fact I’m making it tonight for dinner) and I’ve never had a problem. Maybe if you skipped doing the browning step in the pot and did it in a skillet? I’m just guessing but maybe it’s registering the flour on the bottom.

    • Awww…Jeannine, I’m so glad you like the recipe. Not only is it simple to put together and tastes good but it’s versatile too!

  36. I have been looking for a recipe like this one. My mother used to make something like this. I have been trying to figure out what it could be. I am sure this is it. Thank you for posting.

  37. The newer Instant Pot Duo Crisp (with the air fryer lid) does not have the meat/stew button option mentioned for your recipe, any idea which button I would use? Slow cook?

  38. Looking at your recipe do you saute any of the vegetables and should yhe onion and peppers be larger to withstand 30 min pressure

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