Instant Pot Korean Beef
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The best and easiest Korean beef you will ever make in the pressure cooker. 10 min prep or less! And the meat comes out amazingly flavorful and melt-in-your-mouth tender!
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why i love this recipe
- Quick prep. All you need is 10 min of prep time. There’s no searing, no sautéing, no nothing.
- Tender beef. Thanks to the Instant Pot®, the beef comes out so tender and juicy, simply melt-in-your-mouth perfection, infusing the meat with so much flavor (as if it’s been simmering for hours on end!).
- The sauce. The sauce is simply the best part about this recipe. Serve it over rice, serve it over noodles, serve it over all the things.
tips and tricks for success
- Use reduced sodium soy sauce. Reduced sodium has less sodium and less salt without compromising flavor.
- Add vegetables. Mushrooms, carrots, bell peppers or snow peas can be added for a more heartier meal.
- Add some heat. For a spicy kick, add gochujang (Korean red chili paste), contributing a slightly savory, spicy, sweet taste to the dish.
- Make a cornstarch slurry. Adding cornstarch directly into the pressure cooker can cause lumps. Always use a mixture of cornstarch and cold liquid (aka cornstarch slurry) to thicken the sauce, yielding a smoother, gravy-like consistency.
- More protein. In need of more protein? Top your Korean beef bowls with a fried egg.
- Serve with your favorite grains. White rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice, quinoa or farro are all great options.
- Freeze as needed. Korean beef freezes like a dream! Label, date and freeze up to 2 months, great for meal prep and making weeknight (and weekend) meals even easier and quicker.
freezing and storage
Storage
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Reheating
Let the meat sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. Reheat over low heat, stirring frequently, until heated through.
Freeze after cooking
Let cool completely. Transfer the meat into individual servings in plastic freezer bags. Label, date and freeze up to 2 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, reheating over low heat, stirring frequently, until heated through.
more favorited korean recipes
Tools For This Recipe
6-qt Instant Pot®
Instant Pot Korean Beef: Frequently Asked Questions
Black pepper can be substituted but because black pepper has a stronger, spicier flavor than white pepper, start with a smaller amount and adding more, to taste.
Gochujang is a red chili paste, a pantry staple in Korean cooking. It can be found in most grocery stores in a red, rectangular tub.
A cornstarch slurry is a mixture of cornstarch and cold liquid (such as water or stock) used as a thickening agent. To avoid over thickening, always add the cornstarch slurry towards the end of cooking time.
Korean beef can be served over a bed of white rice (or your favorite grains) with a side of kimchi, cucumbers, perilla leaves and ssamjang.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Yes! Let cool completely; portion into plastic freezer bags in individual servings, squeezing out any excess air before sealing. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, reheating over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
100%! This is one of our favorite crockpot recipes, perfect for those chilly months.
Instant Pot Korean Beef
Ingredients
- ½ cup beef broth
- ⅓ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha, or more, to taste
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
Equipment
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, ginger, Sriracha, onion powder and white pepper.
- Place chuck roast into a 6-qt Instant Pot®. Stir in beef broth mixture until well combined.
- Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 15 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions.
- In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 3 tablespoons water; set aside.
- Select high sauté setting. Stir in cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
- Serve immediately, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.
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Really tasty recipe! Served with rice and broccoli. Just the right amount of spice that my kids (10 & 7) didn’t mind but added more flavor for the adults. LOVING the instant pot! I’ve had it for over a year now and never really knew what to do with it. I’m finding so many awesome recipes that are easy to make in it. I commented to my husband that I could cook a chuck roast in the slow cooker all day and it never turns out as tender and delicious as in this recipe. It’s a keeper!
Happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipes!
I’m so sad…. I used stew beef and it took at least 30 min to cook. So I guess boneless beef chuck roast isn’t the same as stew beef?
…and I didn’t mention – this was my first instant pot meal and I was very excited. Taste was good, but beef was chewy and grisly, not melt in your mouth. Give me some good news on a fix, please! 🙂
Hi Polly! Unfortunately, this recipe is best when using boneless beef chuck roast. Stew meat is a completely different cut of meat and will yield chewy results.
Thanks Chungah, the package was deceptive… it said stew beef, and there was also a sticker that said “pot roast,” so I got sucked in… 🙁 i’ll try again and let you know.
Bummer! I hope you get to give it another try. You won’t be sorry! 🙂
Awesome recipe. My entire family loved it. Thanks.
Thank you, Adrienne!
Tried this, it was excellent. One of those keeper recipes
It’s really the best, glad you enjoyed it!
Hi! Have you cooked rice pot-in-pot with this?
I actually haven’t!
Can I add vegetables to instant pot for an additional few minutes? I’ve got sugar snaps peas, carrots, bok choy, broccoli, and onions on hand. Was planning on a stir fry…so maybe continue and just add as side? But was wondering if I could add any veg to this instant pot recipe?
Anne, adding veggies to this dish sounds amazing! But unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
I am struggling with which Instant Pot to purchase. There’s 6 at. 6, 7, 10 function pots….I don’t want to spend more unnecessarily. What do you recommend?
I personally love my 6-qt Instant Pot, but that’s only because there’s the 2 of us and there’s lots of leftovers!
Looks delicious. I don’t have an Instant Pot, and I’m reading so much about them these days – maybe I need to get one. Meantime – I’m thinking I can maybe do this is in the slow cooker. I’ll have a go!
Bec, you can try this slow cooker version in the meantime! 🙂
https://damndelicious.net/2015/02/21/slow-cooker-korean-beef/
Thank you for the awesome recipes! Do you see any problems with cooking these in a 8 qrt instant pot?
Not at all! 🙂
Made this tonight and tasted sooo awesome! Very easy too! Looking forward to trying your other recipes!
Could this be done pot in pot with rice? If so time an recommendation.
Hi Pierre! Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
I received an instant pot for Mother’s Day, and tried it out for the first time with this dish! It was super simple to make, and oh my gosh was it delicious!! Thank you so much!!
How exciting! Thanks for sharing.
Most instant pot recipes I read say natural pressure release helps the beef to be more tender, but this is quick release. Do you find a difference when using one or the other? Thanks!
I personally prefer to do a quick-release to avoid any type of overcooking.
I served this along with two other Asian dishes to friends visiting from Korea. He said , “This beef taste like food from my country!” I was happy! Thank you so much for the recipe!
What a huge compliment! Thanks for sharing Sophia!
Came our great! Thank you for the recipe. So glad to find another meat recipe where the meat does not have to be browned. So easy and so delicious!
Thank you Sophia! We’re happy to liked it 🙂
This was delicious, approved by a multi-cultural, multi-generational family! It was so easy that my 13 year old made the whole thing. The only mod we made was to continue cooking on the saute setting, lid off, for an additional 15 mins. It gave the meat a little more time to tenderize, but more importantly the sauce reduced to a beautifully intense glaze.
That’s so great to hear Anya! We are really happy this turned out so well for you and your family!
Could this be made without the brown sugar?
Hi Erin! Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
Do you think I could use frozen meat for this and just increase the cooking time?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
I have made this twice and my family loves it! I am considering making it with 3 lbs of chicken breast cubed. Would you recommend making any other adjustments?
Rachella, that sounds like a great idea! But without further recipe testing, it’s hard to say what other adjustments are needed. But please do let me know how it turns out if you give it a try!
Making this recipe as I write this and we’re so excited, my kids especially! Just bought the IP-Lux80 and it looks as though you can’t put it on Manual AND adjust for “Less (Lo?)-Normal-More (High?)” unless you choose the Meat/Stew setting rather than Manual. Not sure how long this is going to take but we’ll soon see! Thanks for the awesome recipes!
Success!!! And even eaten with 3in. of freezing rain pellets falling! Everyone really enjoyed it! IP-Lux80 on Meat/Stew Setting with the “More” Adjustment for 15min. worked perfectly! Chungah, you are awesome!!! Thanks again!