Instant Pot Asian Beef

This is an absolute favorite of mine! Insta-pot Asian beef is so easy to make and you can have it on the table in under 30 minutes which is a huge win when you have a starving husband and kids.

Why I love my Instant Pot?

1. It’s good for a procrastinator like me.

You may think that because I cooked in my slow cooker I was good about planning meals ahead of time. You’re wrong. I’m so bad at it. I’ve never gotten into a good pattern of meal planning or grocery shopping. I am the kind of person who flies by the seat of her pants most days. This does not bode well for dinner time. Because I have so many slow cooker recipes in my back pocket that I love I am able to transform them into Instant Pot recipes. Instead of waiting for the cooking time of 4-8 hours, I can be eating dinner in less than an hour. That’s good for a person like me who doesn’t think ahead often or getting sidetracked.

2. The saute function.

When I first started using my slow cooker I was totally annoyed when I read a recipe that called for browning or sauteing. Oh, the extra step and the extra pan would just put me over the edge, and not want to make that dish. Consequently, I would usually skip the step and add the raw onion straight to the crock instead of sauteing it first. This sometimes worked out okay but more often than not the meal would be mediocre and not have the depth of flavor that it could have had.

Now with the Instant Pot, I can easily turn on the saute function and melt a little butter and saute some chopped onion without getting an extra pan dirty. It’s so convenient for so many recipes! For example, I used the saute function to brown the ground beef for this recipe.

3. It’s a set-it-and-forget-it method of cooking.

The reason I love my slow cooker so much is that it is an easy, hands-off method of cooking. I am not fond of standing around the stove babysitting a pan or a pot. I am fond of throwing stuff in a pot and walking away. So the Instant Pot can provide that for me. I love putting everything in the pot and then cleaning up dishes, setting the table, throwing some laundry in the washing machine, and then coming back to a cooked dinner. It’s a blessing!

4. You can use it for more than just dinner.

I use my Instant Pot almost weekly to make steel-cut oats or quinoa in just a minute or two.

5. You can cook from frozen.

If you read #1 above you know that I’m a procrastinator/not a planner. Therefore I usually have not thawed my meat. Don’t worry there are many ways you can use meat straight out of your freezer in the Instant Pot.

What ingredients are needed to make Asian Beef?

90/10 ground beef
Coco aminos or soy sauce
Dark brown sugar
White onion
Fresh ginger
Garlic
Garlic chili sauce
Sesame oil
Spring onions
Olive oil
Sesame seeds for topping

How to make Asian Beef in the Insta-Pot?

Place ground beef and olive oil into the pot. Push the saute button on the instant pot. Cook until beef is browned with diced white onion.

Meanwhile in a glass liquid measuring cup add in coco aminos (or soy sauce), brown sugar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and garlic chili sauce. Whisk well. Pour over ground beef and cook until the sauce thickens around the beef.

 

Diced tops of spring onions and save for topping. Cut bottoms into halves and toss into the pot and saute for 2 minutes.

Serve beef over white rice topped with sesame seeds and spring onions.

Bon-appetite

Optional seasonings you can add or exchange with:

• Red pepper flakes
• Instead of using white rice, you can use brown rice.