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    Home » By Cooking Method » Instant Pot

    Instant Pot Korean Beef Tacos

    Published: May 5, 2020 · Modified: Oct 17, 2020 by Andrea Howe · This post may contain affiliate links.

    131 shares
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    Korean beef tacos in the Instant Pot is a really flavorful dish that will give your taco game a fun new twist. It also uses ingredients that you probably have in your pantry, and since it’s made in the pressure cooker, you’ll have this dinner on the table in a flash.

    close up picture of a man holding a korean beef taco over a wooden board

    Another great thing about this recipe is that it truly has a unique flavor and you can vary the options for the coleslaw topping. Heck, you can even ditch the tacos if you really didn’t have any tortillas, and use the meat as a great bowl topping with rice and salad. As I often say, the possibilities are endless! Let’s get started shall we?

    ingredients

    • Boneless Beef Chuck – go for a 3-4 lb cut, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 4 large chunks
    • Flavor Enhancers – sesame oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic are the simple & common ingredients that give this dish its unique flavor. If you also happen to have some chili oil on hand, you’ll also add it for an extra punch.
    • Fish sauce (optional but recommended) – fish sauce is now quite easy to find; Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods often carry Red Boat brand, but a lot of other markets routinely carry the brand Thai Kitchen. The fish sauce adds another level of umami, but don’t sweat it if you can’t find it.

    soy sauce, sesame oil, fish sauce, brown sugar and chili oil in little bowls next to a piece of chuck roast and a plate of garlic

    preparation

    • Season – Begin by seasoning your beef with salt and pepper and set aside while you make the sauce. Combine the minced garlic, sesame oil, brown sugar, soy sauce, chili oil or cayenne pepper, and optional fish sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.
    • Saute – Heat up your Instant Pot on saute mode, and add about 2 tablespoon of canola oil. Add your beef to the Instant Pot and saute until brown. Flip and saute on the other side, then press Cancel on your Instant Pot.
    • Close and cook – Pour the sauce over the beef, and secure the lid, making sure the pressure release valve is closed. Set on Manual High and cook for 45 minutes. When done cooking, allow a natural release for 5-10 minutes, then do a quick release as to avoid over-cooking the meat.

    Sauteed beef chuck roast in an Instant Potbeef chuck roast in instant pot with sauce poured on top

    Remove the beef from the pot and allow to slightly cool before shredding. You can return the shredded beef back to the pot, but I recommend placing in a serving bowl and putting the IP to soak while you eat your dinner. This will make for easier washing in the end!

    Making Your Coleslaw Topping

    Serving something crunchy on top of these yummy Korean beef tacos is a definite must! You just need to decide if you’re in the mood for a creamy or light, tangy topping. What ingredients you have on hand may also determine it for you ha! At any rate, read below for 2 different options.

    • Creamy Version – combine 2-3 tablespoon of mayonnaise with 1 teaspoon of sriracha, and mix with ½ bag of coleslaw mix. Easy peasy
    • Light & Tangy Version – combine 2 tablespoon sesame oil (or a olive oil), 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sriracha and1 tablespoon lime juice (rice or apple cider vinegar also works),and mix well with ½ bag of coleslaw. If you happen to have a pear or apple on hand, add a ½ cup of the shredded fruit to the slaw mix.

    Coleslaw ingredients in round bowls on a gray background

    What’s The Difference Between manual release & Natural Release?

    • A quick pressure release is when you turn the pressure release switch to the Venting position and let the steam release quickly when the cooking time is complete. You will want to make sure you use a oven mitt or dish towel when releasing the valve, as steam escapes quite rapidly and vigorously.
    • A natural pressure release is when you leave the pressure release switch in the sealed position when the cook time is complete. This lets the pressure release slowly over time. When the pressure is fully released, you’ll be able to unlock and release your lid. Either way though, your lid will not unlock until all the pressure has subsided, either via manual or natural release.

    close up shot of beef tacos with shredded cabbage on top, on a wooden board

    Why Do You use both natural and Manual quick release in this recipe?

    With a manual release, the cooking time immediately ends. This is really important for foods you don’t want overcooked, like veggies, potatoes and seafood. Natural release is great for large cuts of meat, stews and soups, because the food essentially continues to cook, but at a much gentler pace. For meats, think of this natural release time as a resting period. For soups, it’s like a gentle warming simmer.

    Typically you would use a slow natural release on a large cut of meat like a chuck roast, but since we cut this roast into quarters, we don’t want it to get overcooked and tough. So let it “rest” for a few minutes, then manually release the rest of the pressure to stop the cooking.

    Korean Beef Tacos on 4 flour tortillas and sauce on a wooden board set against a gray background

    Other Helpful Tips For making korean beef tacos

    • If you have a smaller chuck roast, say about 2-2.5 lbs, cut your cooking time down by 5 minutes.
    • If your roast still seems too tough when the cooking cycle is complete, you can cook it for another 5-10 minutes and it should be good after that.
    • You can alternately cook your meat in the slow cooker, or using the slow cooker function on your Instant Pot, for 6-7 hours. But isn’t the beauty of having an Instant Pot to get dinner done quicker? 😉 Still, the option is available!

    beef tacos with korean coleslaw topped on flour tortillas on a wooden board

    korean Beef tacos in the instant pot

    close up picture of a man holding a korean beef taco over a wooden board

    Instant Pot Korean Beef Tacos

    Korean Flavored Instant Pot Beef Tacos are an easy and delicious way to put a fun new twist on Taco Tuesday. Ready in about an hours time, this is a fast & easy recipe to serve any night of the week!
    4.50 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour
    Servings: 4
    Author:Andrea

    Equipment

    • Pressure Cooker

    Ingredients

    • 3 lb Boneless Beef Chuck Roast
    • 2 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
    • ¼ cup Soy Sauce
    • 3 tablespoon Brown Sugar
    • 4 garlic cloves minced
    • 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
    • 1 tbsp Chili oil or 2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • 2 teaspoon Fish Sauce optional
    • 8 Street Style Flour Tortillas

    For Coleslaw

    • 2 cups Coleslaw Mix
    • ½ cup Shredded Pear optional
    • 2 tbsp Sesame Oil
    • 1 tsp Sriracha
    • 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
    • 1 tablespoon Lime Juice rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar would also work if you don't have fresh limes
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Cut up beef chuck roast into quarters. Season with salt & pepper.
    • Heat vegetable oil in your Instant Pot on Saute mode.
    • Saute beef on all sides for about 3-5 minutes each, until a nice brown sear is achieved
    • Meanwhile mix the remaining sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, and chili oil or cayenne in a bowl
    • When the meat is done searing, press CANCEl on the Instant Pot and pour the sauce over the beef.
    • Close and seal lid, set timer on Manual High pressure to 45 minutes.
    • When meat is done cooking, allow to release naturally for 5-10 minutes, then do a manual quick release for remaining pressure. Remove beef from the pot and allow to cool slightly until you can shred it.
    • To make slow, combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well.
    • Top warm tortillas with beef and coleslaw mix and serve immediately.

    Notes

    If you are using a 2-2.5 lb cut of meat, reduce your cooking time by 5 minutes.
    If you would like to cook in the slow cooker or use the slow cooker function on the Instant Pot, cook for 6-7 hours. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2tacos | Calories: 1049kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 73g | Fat: 64g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Cholesterol: 235mg | Sodium: 2020mg | Potassium: 1368mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 79IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 151mg | Iron: 10mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @Howe.We.Live or tag #HoweWeLiveRecipes!

    More Instant Pot Dinner Recipes

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    • Pot Roast With Chipotle Cocoa Gravy
    • Chicken Alfredo With a Dairy Free Sauce (also Gluten Free!)
    • Whole 30 Pulled Pork in Instant Pot

    Let’s Connect!

    Follow along with me on Instagram! And if you make this recipe be sure to use the tag #howeweliverecipes so I can check it out! I love seeing what you’re making!

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    About Andrea Howe

    Andrea Howe is a Certified Nutrition Coach (CNC PN-L1) and the founder of Howe We Live. As a seasoned home cook of over 20 years, developing and photographing recipes is her passion. Andrea has spent over 10 years in the health & nutrition industry, writing for various publications including Babble and Disney. Her work has appeared in Real Simple, Taste of Home, Yahoo, Buzzfeed and ABC News.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Debi says

      September 18, 2020 at 3:30 pm

      4 stars
      Made these last night and they were delicious. I didn’t have pear so I added diced pineapple to the coleslaw. I also added sliced scallions. Might try the creamy version next time.

      Reply
    2. Y the Wait says

      July 10, 2020 at 12:43 am

      It looks yummy I love it

      Reply

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    close up of a man's hand holding a beef taco with coleslaw