This Instant Pot Korean Beef and rice is the perfect weeknight dinner. It's simple, flavorful, and great for picky eaters.
A delicious blend of ingredients are used to make this easy ground Korean beef recipe that is ready in less than 30 minutes and a great addition to your quick weeknight dinners.
Instant Pot Korean Beef Bowls
This easy family-friendly dinner is made all at the same time in the Instant Pot using the pot in pot method. It's perfect for a quick weeknight meal that is flavorful and filling.
Once the ground beef is browned, the ingredients are mixed into the beef, and then it is pressure cooked with the rice. It takes less than 30 minutes to make and serve this family-friendly recipe! This Korean beef is topped with toasted sesame and seeds and chopped scallions.
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Ingredients in Instant Pot Korean Beef
The ingredients for these Korean Beef bowls are simple but they are flavorful. The ingredients are easy to find and the majority of them are used in everyday recipes.
- Ground Beef - lean is best because there is usually not a need to drain the grease out of the Instant Pot
- Garlic - minced (fresh garlic prepared in a garlic press) or jarred prepared garlic
- Soy Sauce - I like to use reduced-sodium
- Brown Sugar - I use light brown sugar
- Ginger - either fresh ginger grated or ground ginger
- Sesame Oil
- White Pepper
- Cayenne - add more if you want more heat
- Red Pepper Flakes - adjust the amount based on the spice level you want
- Water - a thin liquid is needed when pressure cooking to create steam and for cooking the rice
- Toasted sesame seeds - for garnish
- Chopped scallions - for garnish
- Jasmine Rice - white long grain rice works great, too
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How to Make Instant Pot Korean Beef Bowls
The first step in making these Korean beef bowls with ground beef is to set the Instant Pot to Sauté and add the ground beef. I like to use lean ground beef when cooking in my Instant Pot because there usually isn't any fat to drain from the pot once the ground beef has been browned.
If you do have grease in the liner once the beef has been browned, drain it and add the beef back into the pot.
Combine the garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, water, ginger, red pepper flakes, sesame oil, white pepper, and cayenne together in a bowl and the pour it over the ground beef.
In a pressure-cooker-approved pot-in-pot insert, add the rinsed jasmine rice and pour the water over the top of it. Set the trivet down into the pot on top of the beef and then use a silicone sling to lower the bowl of rice down into the pot.
TIP: Rinsing the rice helps prevent the rice from being too sticky and gummy.
The lid is then closed on the pot and the timer is set to 4 minutes on High Pressure/Manual.
Always refer to your pressure cooker’s manual for how to safely use its functions and for directions for releasing pressure.
Once the four minutes is up, allow ten minutes of natural release time before removing the lid.
Carefully remove the sling from the inner liner and fluff the rice.
If the beef is too watery, return the Instant Pot to sauté and allow the liquid to cook off before serving. A cornstarch slurry is also great for thickening sauces, especially when cooking in an Instant Pot.
Serve with toasted sesame seeds and chopped scallions.
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📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Korean Beef
This Instant Pot Korean Beef and rice is the perfect weeknight dinner. This simple, flavorful, and great for picky eaters meal is ready in less than 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef, lean
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- ⅓ cup soy sauce, reduced sodium
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger root (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, (or more to taste)
- ¼ red pepper flakes (add more for more heat)
- ⅓ cup water
- Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
- Chopped Scallions
Rice
- 1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed (or white long grain rice)
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to saute and add the ground beef.
- Cook the beef until no longer pink. Press Cancel.
- Drain if necessary and return the beef to the pot.
- Combine the garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, sesame oil, white pepper, cayenne, red pepper flakes, and pour over the beef.
- In a pressure cooker safe insert, add the rinsed rice and pour the 1 cup of water on top.
- Place a trivet in the pot and carefully lower the pot of uncooked rice into the inner liner using a silicone sling.
- Close the lid and vent and set the pressure cooker to 4 minutes on High Pressure/Manual.
- Allow a 10 minute natural release time before removing the lid.
- Carefully remove the lid and rice from the pot. Fluff the rice and set aside.
- Remove the beef and serve with the rice.
- Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and scallions.
If the beef is too watery, return the Instant Pot to Saute and allow some of the liquid to cook off. You can also create a cornstarch slurry by combining 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water together to thicken the sauce.
Notes
*Always refer to your pressure cooker’s manual for how to safely use its functions and for directions for releasing pressure.
Dana is an experienced recipe creator who crafts easy and delicious recipes for all levels of home cooks.
Her recipes range from classic comfort foods to healthy and nutritious meals, and she is always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to bring flavor and variety to the table.
