Flavorful and super tender Instant Pot Korean beef couldn’t be easier to make! You can serve it in Bibimbap for something a little more traditional or take the fusion route and go with tacos, lettuce wraps, or burritos!
Flavorful shredded beef with crispy edges made really easy in the Instant Pot is a new favorite in our house! This Korean inspired beef is delicious as is with some rice and kimchi, or use it in bibimbap (a mixed rice bowl). Or, you can go the fusion route and make tacos or burritos.
I may have mentioned before that I resisted jumping on the Instant Pot (affiliate link) train for a long time. However, I have to admit I’m really happy to have it! Especially now with a new baby. I love being able to dump a bunch of stuff in, push a button, and walk away. Before I know it dinner is ready!
That’s basically how this Instant Pot Korean beef works. Combine a bunch of ingredients, let the beef marinate, and pop it into the Instant Pot. In under an hour you’ve got the most tender, flavorful Korean style beef!
The inspiration for this recipe came from me wanting to make bibimbap. If you’ve never heard of bibimbap, it’s basically just a mixed rice bowl common in Korean cuisine.
As per usual when I want to make a recipe from a cuisine I’m not familiar with, I do a ton of research. My research led me to bulgogi, which is simply marinated barbecued beef. I decided to make my own version of bulgogi and then use it to make bibimbap and tacos. Yum!
Traditional bulgogi is made with thinly sliced beef (usually a tender cut like a ribeye) and grilled, but since I wanted to make this in the Instant Pot, I used chuck. I sliced it into thick slices and marinated it in a flavorful mix of gochuchang (Korean chili paste), soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, sesame seeds, sugar, and a grated Asian pear.
The pear helps to tenderize the meat and adds a hint of sweetness. If you can’t find an Asian variety, you can just whatever variety of pear you can find. The gochuchang is a delicious Korean chili paste that is fairly easy to find in most larger grocery stores. If you can’t find it, you can use Sriracha in a pinch.
The beef comes out so tender that you’ll be able to shred it easily and if you want to get some crispy edges, pop it under the broiler for a few minutes. This step is optional, but I love crispy pieces so I always do it!
A simple way to serve this beef is in the traditional manner with rice and some Korean side dishes like kimchi and other vegetables. I never had kimchi until I made this and let me tell you, it’s one of my new favorite things! It’s a mix of picked fermented vegetables and it’s such a great accompaniment here.
I should also mention that you can freeze the marinated beef. When I made this, I did 2 batches and froze one. Perfect for when you need a meal in a pinch! Which is pretty much all the time for me. 😉
- ½ Asian Pear* grated
- 4 Cloves Garlic finely minced
- 1 Teaspoon Ginger Paste
- ¼ Cup Soy Sauce use gluten-free if needed!
- 2 Tablespoons Gochujang* Korean Chili Paste
- 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Black Sesame Seeds
- ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Medium Onion sliced
- 2 lbs. Beef Chuck thickly sliced or cubed*
- Bibimbap
- Tacos
- Lettuce Wraps
- Burritos
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In a large bowl whisk together the grated pear, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, gochujang, sugar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and pepper until well combined. Toss in the onion and beef and coat well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, but up to 24 hours.
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Place the beef along with the marinade into the Instant Pot and set the pressure to high for 20 minutes. Allow for a 15 minute natural release.
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Preheat the broiler.
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Shred the cooked beef onto a baking sheet or baking dish and place it under the broiler to get some crispy edges. (This step is completely optional!)
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Serve the beef however you like!
*If you can’t find Asian pear simply substitute whatever variety you can find.
*This will work with thick slices or medium-large sized cubes. I sliced my chuck roast into 1-inch thick slices.
Inspired by these recipes from:
Savory Sweet Life & Just One Cookbook
I made this tonight – it’s only my second time using an Instant Pot – the beef was super tasty. thanks for the recipe
I’m so glad to hear this, Georgia! Thanks for sharing.
This was a huge hit!!! I served it over sauteed leafy greens and rice, also didn’t broil it.
Saving and sharing!
Hi Keri
This is such an easy dish to prep – it’s cold and raining today so I’ve made this and put it in the fridge to marinate overnight. It’s going to be warmer tomorrow so we’ll go for a trip to the beach, then have this!
One question – why mix everything in a bowl and transfer the next day? Why not just do it in the IP bowl? That’s what we’re doing. Less washing up and even quicker.
It already looks fantastic!
Excited!
Tony
I made this over the weekend. Turned out great. I omitted sugar and used the whole pear. I didn’t strictly like the pear to eat, so couldn’t think of anything to do with the other half. That made the gravy a bit thin, but still super tasty. We actually preferred it that way. So great. Thank you for the recipe.
Wow dilicious i like it. Keep it up.
Regards:
Snacks Near Me
I see an asterisk next to the gochujang sauce but I don’t see a recipe note added. I am wondering about a less spicy replacement as I will feed some small children that don’t yet appreciate this condiment. And I really want to try your recipe Thanks!
If you’re worried about the heat, I’d just omit it or you could use tomato paste! However, I don’t find the finished dish to be spicy since the gochujang is balanced by all of the other ingredients in the marinade. Hope you enjoy!
Amazing recipe. I’ll definitely use it as well in a tacos 🙂
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Nice instant pot beef recipe. Yummy Korean-style dish.
Palash recently posted…Spicy Chicken Kosha Recipe
How does one grate a pear?
Thank you for this recipe. I made it this evening and it was FABULOUS! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes. 🙂
I’m in the middle of making this and I’m worried about the thickness of the marinade. I’m concerned that it won’t have enough liquid to create pressure and avoid the burn warning in the Instant Pot. Do you use the trivet or just put the marinated beef into the pot? Thanks!
Hi Amy, I’ve never had an issue with the burn warning! I just put the beef right in the pot. Hope this helps!
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It cooked up just great! The meat itself released a lot of juice that kept enough moisture in the pot. Also, just to be safe, I used a little trick I read about — I heated the mixture to boiling on saute before putting the lid on and starting the pressure cook.
Thanks for this recipe! My house smells like heaven. 🙂
What is an Asian pear and where do you get it? I’ve only seen the Bosc pear and I forget the name of the other, but the traditional ones in the Supermarket.
Thanks, fran
Sorry, just read your note about the Asian pear, so please disregard..
Fran
thank you for sharing this amazing information.
Fantastic recipe. I’ll probably use it in tacos as well.
I was sceptical there wasn’t enough liquid. I was sceptical 20 minutes(+15 NPR) wasn’t long enough to cook the beef. I was sceptical about the faff putting the meat under the grill.
I cooked this expecting to be writing note towards an improved version.
I was wrong on all counts.
There was plenty of sauce, the meat was really soft and the 5 minutes under the grill really helped the texture.
I put in a little more gochujang but it was more Tasty than Spicy.
20 minutes prep Saturday afternoon(straight into the IP bowl) and then straight into the machine Sunday afternoon.
Served with short grain brown rice(from our Galicia holiday) and broccoli.
Thank Keri – this is going to be a Regular.
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