Instant Pot Korean Beef is tender, flavorful Korean beef made in a pressure cooker. Recipe includes explanation of gochujang and gochujang substitution.
This Instant Pot Korean Beef recipe is a variation on my slow cooker Korean beef recipe, which is one of my favorite crock pot recipes.
The Korean beef is super tender and packed with flavor. The recipe makes plenty of sauce, and I love to serve it spooned over the beef.
Rather than having to slow cook it all day, the Instant Pot cuts the total time cooking from 6-8 hours to just over an hour. Most of that time is hands-off, which makes this a pretty easy dinner recipe.
How to make Korean beef in the Instant Pot
This is a really easy dinner recipe! Simply mix the first ten ingredients together for the sauce.
Place the cubed meat in the inner pot, and pour the sauce over the meat. Close and lock the lid.
Turn the pressure release valve to SEALING. Press the MEAT button and adjust the time to 40 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 25 minutes, and then turn the pressure release valve to VENTING.
What is gochujang?
Gochujang is a key ingredient in this Korean beef. It’s a sweet and spicy red chili paste that’s commonly used in Korean cooking.
Not to be confused with Thai sweet chili sauce or a spicy chili sauce like Sriracha, gochujang sauce adds unique flavor to this dish.
There are several different brands of gochujang sauce available, and I’ve seen it everywhere from my local supermarket to Walmart, Target, and Amazon.
We prefer it to Sriracha. Even my kids love the flavor of the sweet and spicy sauce.
**Note – be sure to get gochujang sauce, not paste. The paste is more concentrated and will give you a much spicier result.**
What can you substitute for gochujang?
I highly recommend buying a bottle of gochujang sauce.
If you can’t gochujang sauce (or just don’t want to purchase it), you can substitute a mixture that consists of a little Sriracha, a dash of additional soy sauce, and a little additional brown sugar to taste instead.
What to serve with this dish
I usually serve this beef over rice with steamed broccoli on the side. It goes well with any number of steamed veggies (snow peas are also really good with this). I’ve also used this beef to make Korean tacos.
More Instant Pot recipes!
- Instant Pot Indian Butter Chicken
- Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
- Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Bowls
If you’ve tried this Instant Pot Korean Beef recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!
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Instant Pot Korean Beef
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1/3 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1/4 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
- 2-4 tablespoons Gochujang sauce1 (depending on desired heat)
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3-4 pound boneless beef chuck roast cut into 1-inch cubes
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together first 10 ingredients (up to roast).
- Place cubed roast into Instant Pot.
- Pour sauce over cubed meat.
- Close the lid, and make sure the pressure release valve is turned to "SEALING".
- Press the MEAT program button, and adjust time to 40 minutes. The pot should reach pressure within 10-15 minutes.
- Once the pot reaches pressure, it will begin counting down.
- Once it has finished cooking, it will beep and switch to keep warm.
- Allow beef to remain in pot for 25 minutes NPR (natural pressure release).
- Carefully release any pressure left at that time by turning the pressure release valve to "VENTING".
Video
Notes
- See notes above recipe for an explanation and substitute. Also, be sure to get gochujang sauce, not paste.
- Nutrition facts are estimates.
Nutrition Information
Rose says
I got a burn notice halfway through the cook time and had to turn it off. Meat was cooked but really tough. :( I’m suspecting that this isn’t enough liquid and will add more broth next time.
Kate says
I’ve never experienced anything like that, nor had anyone else report that. The meat was tough because it wasn’t finished cooking, and that type of meat has to break down as it cooks. Feel free to add more liquid if you prefer, but I would also check other things like your sealing ring.
May says
This did take quite a while, start to finish. So plan accordingly. Great beef recipe to serve with rice & veggie. Trying it in tacos next. Used coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, and 1 T Gochujang paste rather than sauce. It had just a bit of heat. I might throw in extra ginger next time.
Kate says
Glad you liked it! =)
barbara c says
can I cook broccoli and carrots in the pot at the same time am cooking the beef?
Kate says
You can stir them in at the end, but I wouldn’t recommend cooking them for the entire time as they would end up quite mushy.
Rhonda Laking says
Just to clarify the soy sauce. Do you use the dark (heavier) sauce such as a China Lily or do you use a lighter sauce such as the Kikkoman? I find it can make such a difference and want the correct flavor.
Kate says
Of course! I use the lighter Kikkoman-type soy sauce.
Cheri says
This was so simple and delicious! We tossed it into tortillas but would be so delicious over some rice. We tossed some shrimp in the leftover sauce for lunch the next day!
Kate says
Thank you so much! I’m glad that you liked it! =)
Jen says
This looks amazing! Can I do this in a crock pot? Don’t have a pressure cooker
Kate says
You can! Here are the slow cooker directions.
Deb M says
The meat was tender with a bit of a kick; we love it.
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that you liked it. =)
Erin says
Made this tonight. It was fantastic! It was so flavorful. Thank you for a great, new recipe to go into the rotation.
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad it was a hit! =)
James Jones says
Sounds good I’ll have to try it soon
Kate says
Great! Hope you enjoy it!
Jessica says
Hi, Kate! I recently developed an adult onset allergy to capsaicin (essentially anything spicy/with peppers). I love Asian cuisine, specifically Korean. I’m looking for a non spicy way to mimic the flavors of gochujang in my Korean dishes. I feel like when I leave it out something is still missing flavor wise. Any advice would be much appreciated. Looking forward to trying this recipe tomorrow :)
Kate says
Hi! A mix of soy sauce, brown sugar, and Sriracha is a sub for the gochujang. Since it sounds like the spice from the Sriracha would be an issue, you could just add a bit more soy and brown sugar to give you the sweet/salty without the spicy. Hope that helps!
Julie says
Hi! I want to try this recipe but with beef loin tri tip. (Currently that’s what I have in the fridge) Wondering how long would this cook in IP for ~1.5lb?
Kate says
Hi! I’ve never tried this recipe with beef loin tri tip, but the recommendations I found were for 35 minutes. I hope that helps!
Elissa Crigger says
I’m using venison roast any suggestion on making any changes?
Kate says
Hi! I’m not sure what the cooking time would need to be for a venison roast. I looked at some suggestions online, but they seem really high, and I would hate to recommend a cooking time without having tried it first.
Erin says
I don’t have that gochujang sauce. Is there anything I could substitute with? Maybe red curry paste? Or leave it out? We are trying to quarantine so I can’t leave for the store
Kate says
Hi! There’s a section in the post that talks about making a homemade substitute. It’s about two scrolls up from the recipe card under the heading “what can you substitute for gochujang”. I wouldn’t recommend red curry paste because gochujang is a mix of sweet and heat and curry paste won’t give you that same flavor. You can leave it out if you don’t have the ingredients to make the substitute, but it won’t have quite as much flavor.
Shirley says
Hi ! I only have gochujang paste ( in the red tub ) Should I use less ? I adore the flavour btw….
Thank you !
Kate says
Hi! You can use the paste. It’s concentrated, so I would just recommend using less unless you want more heat.
Amber says
Social isolating and I don’t have roast, but I do have ground sirloin. Could I possibly substitute?
Kate says
I get it! I have a skillet Korean beef recipe that uses ground beef instead.
SJ says
Quick Q, if I have halved this recipe, how long do I cook it in the instant pot?
Kate says
Hi! For a 2-pound roast, it should take 20 minutes. Hope that helps!
Terri Giles says
My stars won’t work – definitely 5 stars, maybe 6
Terri Giles says
Fabulous recipe! I made rice and I roasted broccoli tossed with sesame oil and salt.
Kate says
Thank you!! I’m glad you liked it! =)