Instant Pot Korean Beef and Brown Rice
Published Jan 23, 2019•Updated Jul 25, 2024
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This Instant Pot Korean Beef and Brown Rice is served in a rich Korean-inspired sweet and savory sauce. Cook brown rice at the same time – all in the pressure cooker / Instant Pot!
If you ask my husband about our current use of our Instant Pot, the first thing he would tell you about is this recipe. We’ve been keeping beef stew meat in the freezer just so that we always have an excuse to make it. Beef stew meat can take a long time to turn tender simmering on the stove, but the Instant Pot does it in about the amount of time it takes to give the kids a bath and set the table. As for me, the discovery that you can cook brown rice in a bowl on a rack above the beef at exactly the same time is just another bit of Instant Pot magic.
Korean Beef and Brown Rice Ingredients
- Beef – For this recipe you need beef that is cut into approximately 2-inch cubes (no need to be super precise). Cubed beef labeled as beef stew meat works great for this and is usually super affordable. Any other cut of beef will work, just slice it into cubes. If using beef from the freezer, defrost it in the fridge about 24 hours ahead of time.
- Soy sauce – Standard run-of-the-mill soy sauce or Tamari (for a gluten-free version). I tested this recipe using the Trader Joe’s brand of low-sodium soy sauce.
- Gochujang – This Korean chili sauce is moderately spicy, but is also smoky and a little bit sweet. It has a lot of flavor and is available in most grocery stores in the Asian / international section. This recipe uses a small amount, but add more if you like spice or you can omit it if you don’t want any spice at all. If you really like this flavor, try Gochujang Chicken Rice Bowls.
- Brown rice – You have to use brown rice in this recipe. The recommended cook time insures that the beef will be tender, but will be too long for white rice.
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How to Make Korean Beef and Brown Rice
- Make the sauce – Stir together the sauce ingredients. You can make the sauce up to 3 days ahead of time and store it in the fridge. The amount of gochujang (Korean chili sauce) listed will result in a dish with a mild level of spice. If you like spice, you can double it. Either way, serve some extra at the table and add more as you like.
- Fill Instant Pot – Combine sauce and beef in the base of the Instant Pot. Place a metal rack on top of the beef. Add a bowl that is approved for use under pressure. Fill it with rice and water.
- Pressure cook – Put the lid on the Instant Pot and set it to cook at high pressure for 22 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes and then manually release.
- Thicken sauce – Carefully remove rice and set it aside. Put the Instant Pot on the simmer setting. Whisk together cornstarch and water. Slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the Instant Pot, while stirring, until the sauce thickens slightly, ~2 minutes.
- Serve the beef and sauce over rice!
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Instant Pot Korean Beef and Brown Rice
Equipment
- 6-quart Instant Pot / pressure cooker
- Mixing Bowl
- Instant Pot Rack
Ingredients
- 4 cloves Garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup Beef Stock (substitute any type of stock or water)
- 1/2 cup Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
- 3 1/2 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Gochujang, plus more for serving (see note)
- 1 teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil
- 1 pound Beef Stew Meat (or use any cut of beef, cut into cubes)
- 2 cups Long Grain Brown Rice
- 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons White Sesame Seeds
- Chopped Green Onions, for serving
Instructions
- To make sauce, stir together garlic, stock, soy sauce, light brown sugar, rice vinegar, Gochujang, and toasted sesame oil.
- Combine sauce and beef in the base of the Instant Pot / pressure cooker.
- Place a metal rack on top of the beef.
- Combine rice and 2 1/2 cups water in a bowl that is approved for use in the Instant Pot / pressure cooker. (Make sure that all grains of rice are submerged in water.) Place the bowl on top of the rack.
- Close and lock the lid.
- Set the pressure cook / manual setting on high for 22 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes and then manually release.
- Carefully (it’s hot!) remove the rack and bowl of rice and set them aside.
- Put the Instant Pot on the simmer setting.
- Whisk together cornstarch and 2 Tbsp of water. Slowly pour cornstarch / water mixture over beef. Simmer, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens slightly, ~2 minutes.
- Serve the beef and sauce over rice with sesame seeds and green onions on top. Serve extra gochujang on the side
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
June is a rolling / drooling almost 6-month-old! Can’t eat Korean Beef yet, but we started giving her vegetable purees – hooray for the fun of solid foods!
This one goes through my instant pot at least every two weeks. Wife, 14yo, 12yo, 8yo all clear plates aevery time. Jus made it again with 12 learning it.
I LOVE to hear this!
If I want to cook the rice separately, do I need to adjust the cook time for the beef?
No need to adjust the cook time for the beef. It will cook as written without the rice.
Hi – can I double the recipe and just do the rice separately? thanks.
Absolutely – cook time for the beef should be the same even if doubled.
This recipe is a true game changer! It comes out perfect every time and we love it! Thank you for blessing our family with this meal!
very very amazing recipe of korean beef with brown rice. i like brown rice and the beef to added to it. it will be more tasty for me. thanks for sharing this amazing one recipe.
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nice work , i love it
This was so good. I am new to instapot and over all my years of cooking never used a pressure cooker but I really like it. And LOVED this recipe.
So glad you liked it!!!!