Description
This Instant Pot Mongolian Beef recipe delivers tender, flavorful beef strips cooked in a savory and sweet sauce made with soy sauce, hoisin, and brown sugar. With the convenience of an Instant Pot, you can enjoy this restaurant-style dish at home in under 40 minutes. Fresh ginger, garlic, and green onions enhance the flavor, while cilantro adds a bright garnish perfect for pairing with steamed rice.
Ingredients
Beef and Marinade
- 1 ½ lb top round beef, sliced into thin strips
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon fresh ginger, chopped
- ½ cup Hoisin sauce
Sauté Base
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Garnishes
- ½ cup green onion, chopped
- Cilantro for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the Instant Pot: Press the ‘saute’ function on your Instant Pot and add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the pot.
- Sauté aromatics: Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes until fragrant and slightly softened.
- Brown the beef: Add the thinly sliced beef strips to the pot and sauté for an additional 3 minutes, allowing the beef to brown slightly on all sides.
- Add the sauce ingredients: Pour in the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, chopped fresh ginger, and water. Stir everything together thoroughly to combine the flavors.
- Pressure cook: Close the Instant Pot lid securely and set it to cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Ensure the pressure valve is set to sealing.
- Natural release: When the cooking time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 20 minutes before carefully opening the lid.
- Finish with green onions: Stir in the chopped green onions and cook on ‘saute’ mode for 1 minute to meld flavors.
- Garnish and serve: Remove from heat, garnish with fresh cilantro, and serve immediately, ideally with steamed rice or your favorite side.
Notes
- For extra tenderness, slice the beef thinly against the grain before cooking.
- You can adjust the sweetness by varying the amount of brown sugar to your taste.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, after pressure cooking, switch to ‘saute’ and simmer for a few minutes to reduce.
- Use gluten-free soy sauce to make this recipe gluten free.
- Natural pressure release is important to keep the beef tender and juicy.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes (3 min saute onion & garlic + 3 min saute beef + 10 min pressure cook + 1 min finishing)
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Asian, Chinese
