Instant Pot Korean Beef

Tips

Tougher cuts of meats work best in the Instant Pot (stew meat, rump roast, shoulder, chuck).  To save time, I like to use pre-cut stew meat and further cut each piece into 2 or 3 thin slices.  One trick I use is to stick the meat in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes and that makes it easier to cut the meat thinly.

Bulgogi marinade is traditionally made with Asian pears.  If you can find them in your grocery store in season, feel free to use them instead of the apples.  I find that the Fuji apples are a fine substitute and readily available.

Mirin is another ingredient that you may not have on hand.  It’s a Japanese rice wine that adds a sweet and tangy flavor.  Many grocery stores sell ‘Aji Mirin’ which is close to Mirin, but if you can’t find Mirin, you can substitute a sweet marsala wine or dry sherry.

After cooking is complete, you’ll be left with a fair amount of sauce/liquid.  The quickest way to thicken the sauce is with corn starch mixed with water, added directly to the beef and sauce, and that’s the method I’ve detailed in this recipe.  However, if you wanted a drier beef with sauce to serve on the side, you can use this alternate method:

• Transfer the cooked beef bulgogi from the inner pot to a large frying pan with a slotted spoon.
• Saute the beef over medium heat, adding 2 tablespoons of the sauce until evaporated.
• Keep adding more sauce, two tablespoons at a time, and continue sauteing the beef until lightly caramelized.  You’ll add up to 8 tablespoons total.
• Thicken the remaining sauce with cornstarch mixed with water and heat through.  You can do this on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot on ‘Saute’ mode.
• Serve the sauce on the side.

To assemble the Bibimbap, layer Instant Pot Jasmine Rice in a single-serving bowl, and top with Instant Pot Korean Beef and your choice of:

• Vegetables sauteed with a dash of soy sauce and garlic (e.g. baby bok choy, broccoli, spinach)
• Kimchi *
• Pickled thinly-sliced daikon and carrots or pickled cucumbers
• Sunny-side-up fried egg or soft boiled egg
• Sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds for sprinkling on top
• Reserved sauce for drizzling over the top

No added liquid is necessary for the beef marinade because the marinade releases enough liquid to bring the Instant Pot to pressure.

If you have the time to marinate the beef overnight, you’ll have excellent flavor.

Note: to make this recipe gluten-free, please use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce and choose a gluten-free gochujang paste.

Instant Pot Korean Beef

This streamlined recipe for Instant Pot Korean Beef makes for a quick weeknight dinner that tastes great on a bed of rice or ramen noodles, accompanied by pickled carrots, Kimchi, and a fried egg on top.  

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: Asian, Korean

Keyword: bibimbap, bulgogi, instant pot, korean beef

Main Ingredient: beef

Prep Time: 2 hours 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 326kcal

Author: Paint the Kitchen Red

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp ginger coarsely chopped
• 2 Tbsp garlic coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup Fuji apple or Asian pear peeled and chopped
• 2 Tbsp Gochujang paste
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1/4 cup  soy sauce substitute coconut aminos for gluten free
• 1 Tbsp mirin
• 2 lbs Beef chuck or stew meat, cut into thin strips, 1-1/2 inches long
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup onion chopped or thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp water

Your choice of sides:

• Baby bok choy or other vegetable, sauteed with soy sauce and garlic
• Pickled julienned carrots
• Bean sprouts
• Pickled daikon and carrots julienned
• Cucumber thinly sliced
• Kimchi
• Korean seaweed
• Eggs sunny side up or soft boiled
• Green onions thinly sliced 
• Sesame seeds toasted

Instructions

• In a mini blender or mini food processor, blend the ginger, garlic, apple, gochujang, brown sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce and Mirin into a smooth paste.  Marinate the beef in the sauce for 2 hours or preferably overnight.
• Select 'Saute' and when Instant Pot has heated, add oil to inner pot of Instant Pot.
• Add onions and stir till golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add marinated beef to the onions and stir well.  
• Close the Instant Pot and cook in ‘Manual’ or ‘Pressure Cook’ mode for 10 minutes.
• Allow the pressure to release naturally (NPR).
• Open the Instant Pot.
• Whisk together cornstarch and water to form a smooth mixture. 
• In  ‘Saute’ mode, bring the beef and sauce to a boil. *
• Add the cornstarch mixture, and stir constantly, until sauce has thickened.

To Serve:

• Place 1 cup (or more) cooked Instant Pot Jasmine rice in a single-serving bowl.
• Carefully arrange beef and sides (side-by-side) in the bowl.
• Sprinkle with thinly sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

Notes

• Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. chopped onions, minced garlic, diced chicken, etc.
• * For a drier beef dish with sauce on the side, remove the cooked beef and saute in a non-stick frying pan, adding a few tablespoons of the sauce at time, till beef is caramelized but not dried out.  Thicken remaining sauce with the cornstarch and drizzle on top of the dish or serve on the side.
• Reduce quantity of Gochujang for a milder dish.
• Optional: drizzle spicy mayo over the top.
• See the blog post for more detailed recipe tips

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 326kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 242mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g

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I am not a certified nutritionist.  I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers.  If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons,  I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.

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