Instant Pot Korean Beef Bowls Recipe | Little Spice Jar (2024)

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Instant Pot Korean Beef Bowls are the perfect thing to make when you’re looking for something quick and easy for dinner! Load everything into your favorite bowl or wrap it all up in a tortilla if a burrito is more your thing!

Instant Pot Korean Beef Bowls Recipe | Little Spice Jar (1)

What can I even say, I’m a foodie at heart.

We’re throwing it back to 2016 with Korean beef but we’re bringing it into 2018 because we’re ditching all the hard work and just tossing it all in the instant pot. This is my favorite kind of food. B-I-G in both the flavor and color department!

Guys, I’m comin’ at you today with a stupid simple Instant Pot Korean Beef recipe that’s great to use if you want to make BOWLS or BURRITOS or TACOS on weeknights! We’re talking about a recipe that has just a handful of ingredients. You’ll toss in the pressure cooker and then just sit back for 35 minutes while it all cooks up for you. Take the dog out, go for a run, read a book on the couch or just take a load off while dinner cooks itself for you. I’ve got to tell you. These instant potKorean beef bowls are so easy to make that I’m willing to bet they’re going to become a regular staple around our little nest.

My hope is the same for you.

Instant Pot Korean Beef Bowls Recipe | Little Spice Jar (2)

Just take a closer look at all those tender chunks of beef. Would you believe me if I told you there’s no searing here, just a tossing of ingredients and out comesthis perfectly cooked meat that you can shred if you want to make burritos or leave it as if you’re going to bowl route. There’s no wrong answer here. We’ve had them both ways. Don’t make me choose between the two.

For my rice bowls, I used regular parboiled rice that I cooked up super quickly. You could swap the rice for quinoa, farro, or even serve the beef on a bed of greens if you’ve got that kind of willpower. But seriously, if you serve this with a leafy green salad, I LOVE your dedication and I want to be just like you. ❤️

Instant Pot Korean Beef Bowls Recipe | Little Spice Jar (3)

Instant Pot Korean Beef Bowls Recipe | Little Spice Jar (4)

Instant Pot Korean Beef Bowls Recipe | Little Spice Jar (5)

Instant potKoreanbeef came about after tons of recipe testing. I’ve made bulgogi beef kabobs on the grill, bowls with marinated beef in the skillet, and finally today’s instant pot version. With every recipe, one thing remains constant; we use unripe pears to tenderize the meat and lend it tons of flavor.

It starts with a knob of ginger, a few cloves of garlic, half a small onion, and bosc or Asianpear. At this point, I’m confident that you could even use a Barlett. Can you tell I’ve testedKoreanstyle beef with a variety of pears! Toss it all into a food processor and let it break down into a paste. Once that’s done, add it to the instant pot along with the chunks of beef, soy sauce, brown sugar, water, sesame oil, and gochujang (affiliate link). Gochujang is a fermented hot chili paste that’s commonly used in Korean cuisine. If you can’t find it in your grocery store, I suggest purchasing on Amazon. But if you’re can’t wait that long, you can swap it for sriracha. It’s not the same thing, but it’ll certainly work in a pinch!

If you didn’t want to cook this all up immediately, you can combine everything and pop it into the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. And for a long-term solution, place it in a zip-top bag and just freeze it. I do suggest defrosting the Korean beef marinade before cooking it in the instant pot to make sure that it cooks up in 35 minutes. I’ve never tried adding anything frozen into the pressure cooker so I’m not too sure if that would affect the cooking time.

Instant Pot Korean Beef Bowls Recipe | Little Spice Jar (6)

For serving, I suggest kimchi, sriracha mayo, chopped scallions, peanuts, and fresh cilantro leaves. You can wrap all of that along with cooked rice and beef in a tortilla to make a burrito. Toss it all in a bowl if you’re doing a desk lunch or something.

You could even make instant pot Korean beef for meal prep! Just add the rice and beef to one side of the container, and you know these little condiment containers(affiliate link)? They’d be perfect for storing the herbs, kimchi, and sriracha mayo. Not to mention you can just pop the containers into your meal prep box, so everything stays together. Then just pull them out before reheating.

I’m lovin’ all the possibilities with this one simple Instant Pot Korean Beef recipe!

Instant Pot Korean Beef Bowls Recipe | Little Spice Jar (7)

Yield: 8-10 servings

Prep Time5 minutes

Cook Time35 minutes

Total Time40 minutes

Instant Pot Korean Beef Bowls are the perfect thing to make when you're looking for something quick and easy for dinner! Load everything into your favorite bowl or wrap it all up in a tortilla if a burrito is more your thing!

Instant Pot Korean Beef Bowls Recipe | Little Spice Jar (8)

Ingredients

Blend:

  • 1/2 an Asianpear or 1 bosc pear
  • 8 cloves garlic
  • 2-inch knob of ginger, sliced
  • 1/2 small yellow onion, cut into quarters

Instant Pot:

  • 2- 2 1/2 pounds lean stew meat, cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 6 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons gochujang or sriracha
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  1. Blend: Combine the ingredients listed in the 'blend' section in a food processor or blender until a smooth paste forms. If you do this in a blender, use the 1/4 cup of water listed under 'instant pot' also.
  2. Instant Pot: Add the prepared mixture to the IP along with the all the remaining listed ingredients. Cover the IP make sure it is sealed. Cook the Korean Beef on manual, high pressure for 35 minutes. When it'sdone, do a quick pressure release. Shred the meat if desired to use in burritos, I leave it as is for bowls!
  3. Burrito:to make a burrito, spread sriracha mayo on a warm flour tortilla, top with cooked rice, shredded meat, lettuce leaves, kimchi, chopped peanuts, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
  4. Bowls: to make a bowl, add cooked rice to your bowl, along with the prepared meat, kimchi, chopped peanuts, cilantro, a fried or half boiled egg. Sprinkled with scallions or toasted sesame seeds!

Notes

  • The stew meat can also be replaced with a trimmed chuck roast or top sirloin cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes. Keep in mind, using a different it of meat may change the cooking time slightly.
  • To make your own sriracha mayo: combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2-3 tablespoons sriracha sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon soy sauce in a bowl and stir until completely mixed. Use immediately or refrigerate until needed. Will last about 5 days in the refrigerator.

Have you made this recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LITTLESPICEJAR, I'd love to see what you made!

Instant Pot Korean Beef Bowls Recipe | Little Spice Jar (9)

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Instant Pot Korean Beef Bowls Recipe | Little Spice Jar (2024)

FAQs

Does instant pot tenderize meat? ›

When you cook via a pressure cooker, moisture is required. Combine that with a sealed lid, the steam can't escape. This is a moist cooking method and will breakdown a lot of the connective tissue, tenderizing the tough cuts.

What is the best meat to pressure cook? ›

You can still pressure cook leaner pieces – like eye of round and top sirloin – but these work best if they've been stuffed, shredded or rolled (with other ingredients). Best cuts of beef to use: Chuck steak, Round Roast, Shoulder, Pot roast, Ribs, Brisket, Oxtail.

Why is my beef tough in Instant Pot? ›

To prevent a chewy beef steak, you need to avoid using too much high-pressure heat. Of course, start with pressure cooking your roast (that's why you're using the Instant Pot anyway), but keep that high-pressured phase to a few minutes only.

What foods should not be cooked in an Instant Pot? ›

6 Things You Should Never Cook in an Instant Pot
  1. Creamy Sauces. If there's one food group you should avoid in the Instant Pot, it's dairy. ...
  2. Fried Chicken. The best fried chicken is crisp on the outside, juicy on the inside and perfectly golden brown. ...
  3. Cookies. ...
  4. Burgers. ...
  5. Pie. ...
  6. Steak.

Do you cover meat with liquid in pressure cooker? ›

While you may cover meat almost completely for a conventional braise, use just enough liquid for the cooker to reach pressure – during pressure cooking the meat will release it's own juice and braise in that flavorful liquid, instead.

Is it better to slow cook or pressure cook beef? ›

This completely depends on the type of meat you are planning on cooking. Because slow cookers take longer to cook, they are better suited to breaking down fat in meat while adding moisture. So if you are planning on cooking a whole rump beef, then a slow cooker is a better choice.

How long to tenderize beef in pressure cooker? ›

To this day, it reminds me of home. The pressure cooker makes the meat fall apart tender and cooks up in 20 minutes.

Can you soften tough meat in Instant Pot? ›

Instant Pot: If you have an Instant Pot, you can use it to soften beef very quickly and easily. Simply add some beef broth or water to the pot with the beef, and put the cooker on high pressure for 30 minutes.

Does quick release make meat tough? ›

Quick release does not necessarily make your meat tough. There are many recipes that have a longer cook time, so doing a quick release is better. It really just depends on what you are making. However, if the recipe calls for a natural release and you do a quick release, then yes your meat could come out tough.

Will pressure cooking cooked meat make it tender? ›

This technique also forces moisture into the food quickly. That's why things like meaty stews and curries are so perfect in a pressure cooker — all of the moisture makes for saucy, extra-tender, succulent results.

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