Before summer comes and while you’re still craving something heartwarming, make this Instant Pot Korean Beef. You’re gonna love everything about it. Your family is gonna love it. Your friends are gonna love it. And you’re gonna feel like a veritable god or goddess of the Instant Pot.
Instant Pot Korean Beef, so simple and so good!
Fair warning, tho, if you make Instant Pot Korean Beef: the succulent beef coated in that caramelized sauce is going to be your undoing. You’re gonna want to serve it in bowls over rice, maybe with some steamed veggies. Maybe you’ll want to add to a ramen bowl like this Spicy Steak Ramen Bowl (just sub in the Korean Beef) or serve it in oh so messy but oh so wonderful lettuce wraps.
About Instant Pot Korean Beef:
You’re probably going to want to make fusion-y tacos like those pictured here. And picture them with Pickled Daikon & Carrots (or maybe these super easy Vietnamese Pickled Carrots) for some cool crunchiness, a little Chipotle Yum Yum Sauce (it’s the simplest mix-together sauce in the world), and maybe some Kimchee if you’d like. Or not. Then toss a little cheese over those tacos. Not regular cheese. Maybe some bright Feta or Queso Fresco.
And you might even find yourself in front of the fridge at two a.m. answering the siren’s call. Alone, with only the refrigerator light for ambiance and your cat for company since Chance (my labrador-able) has more sense. Or maybe that’s just me? And all this explains why out of a huge pot of Instant Pot Korean Beef, I only have photos of a few tacos and a small bowlful that was left. No worries, tho, a little can go pretty far in tacos!
Gochuchang
Recipe Notes:
One of the things that makes this Instant Pot Korean Beef recipe so great is that, instead of thickening the sauce at the end with cornstarch (whoever heard of Korean Beef with cornstarch?!) like a lot of recipes I’ve seen, I give it time to cook down to caramelized perfection.
It takes some time, true, about 10 to 15 minutes at the end of the recipe, but Korean Beef SHOULD be caramelized goodness. If you’re really in a rush and want to use cornstarch (about a tablespoon mixed with 1/4 cup water) to thicken the sauce, it’s your call, but I beg you not to! No judgment from me. Well, not much anyway!
Heat: There’s no spicy heat to speak of in this recipe. If you’d like, add a tablespoon or two of Gochuchang, a funky fermented chili paste, to the marinade. It comes in a red tub, or more recently, in a red squeeze bottle. I use it in my Spicy Korean Meatballs, too. A little Sriracha, Garlic Chili Paste, or Sambal Oelek will work, too. You’ll see those on my post for Coconut Lime Chicken. Or just serve with Yum Yum sauce!
No Instant Pot for the Instant Pot Korean Beef? No Problem:
This Instant Pot Korean Beef is super simple, but if you don’t have an Instant Pot, I’ve got you covered in another post on Bulgogi (Korean Beef – the link is at the bottom of this page, just click on the photo) that you can do on the stove or grill.
I adapted that recipe when I came up with this one, staying as true as possible to the Korean roots, so you know it’s just as good.
Bulgogi Korean Beef
Saving Time & Money on Instant Pot Korean Beef:
And I made sure to use enough beef (it’s a good-sized pot full) so you’d have a meal and some leftovers. Coz this is one of those meals that just gets better and better. Don’t let my photos of the leftover bit fool you…I just couldn’t get it together to get photos when this was first served. But as you can see, a couple of days in the fridge did no harm. Let’s hear it for umami goodness!
Cheaper Roasts:
While sales on inexpensive beef roasts sometimes happen sporadically, there are times of the year when you might expect to find some great sales. And FYI, that is generally NOT going to be in the summer months when the more inexpensive areas of the beef that would normally be cut into roasts are often used to meet the summertime’s increased demand for ground beef.
- Look for good pricing in the fall, after the cattle go to market. Beef is seasonal, and the fall pricing reflects that.
- The other great time to look for these cheaper roasts is after holidays when ‘fancy” roasts are featured. Check around January after the Christmas and New Year’s Eve holidays and after Valentine’s Day. They have to do something else with the rest of the beef.
- Bottom line: to save money, pay attention to sales cycles. Stock up at a low. When at rock bottom stock up and toss in your deep freeze. Don’t have one? Get one!
Asian Pear:
Asian pears are green, round, and firm; sometimes they are called apple pears.
- If you can’t find Asian pear, use whatever pear the store has at a reasonable price. All pears contain protease, an enzyme that will help break down and soften the beef.
- If out of season, don’t look good, or too pricy, sub in an apple or about 2 or three tablespoons of applesauce. Apples contain the same enzyme, just not as much.
Asian Condiments and Ingredients:
- Sales are usually unadvertised and often happen before the Chinese New Year. If your store has them, check the American/Asian and International aisles.
- Asian markets will usually carry Asian and Asian/American items. While there, check around. Pricing on chicken and other proteins are often outstanding.
- Some basic items, like Soy Sauce, are now carried at the discount groceries.
Ginger:
- Ginger can vary wildly in price. Pick up at an Asian market if possible. You never have to buy a whole “hand” just break off a reasonable amount (don’t try to buy an inch!) if they’re huge.
- It doesn’t freeze totally hard and can be grated straight from the freezer; it’s not necessary to peel.
Instant Pot Korean Beef in tacos
Instant Pot Korean Beef
This Korean Beef rivals any made at home Korean Beef, ever! The secret to this Instant Pot recipe is to use a beef that’s leaner so it is less prone to shredding so you’ll have beautiful bite-sized pieces coated in that caramelized sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x
- Category: main dish beef
- Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds lean roast, sirloin, or another cut from the loin, rump, or round
- 1 onion, cut in half; cut one of the halves into half moons, the other half in chunks
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon roughly chopped ginger
- 1/2 Asian pear, in chunks
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- cooking spray
Instructions
Slice roast into 1 1/2″ chunks
Place the beef and sliced onion in a gallon freezer bag or a large bowl and set aside.
In a food processor, combine the chunked onion, garlic, Asian pear, and grated ginger and process until it’s broken down. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar and pulse until combined. Pour over steak and onions and mix to combine. Add the sliced green onion and pepper and mix again. Refrigerate for 30 minutes up to overnight.
When ready to cook, lightly spray the inside of the Instant Pot with cooking spray. Add the marinated beef and sauce to the Instant Pot. Using the manual setting, adjust for 30 minutes, high pressure. Quick release when time is up.
Using a slotted spoon, remove beef, leaving the liquid behind, and set aside, lightly covered. Set Instant Pot to Saute, high, and reduce the juices, stirring now and then, until thick to your liking and beginning to take on a little caramelized color, 10-15 minutes. Turn off pot, add beef back to pot, and stir gently to coat the beef with the sauce.
Notes
If you don’t have Asian pear, use whatever pear is available and reasonable.
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I’ll be sharing Instant Pot Korean Beef at Fiesta Friday # 218 hosted this week by Ginger @ Ginger & Bread and Julianna @ Foodie on Board
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