Instant Pot Korean Beef Tacos

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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

korean Beef tacos in the instant pot

More Instant Pot Dinner Recipes

• General Tso’s Chicken
• 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!