Category: Instant Pot

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Instant Pot BBQ Chicken

Round plate with shredded bbq chicken, corn, and broccoli

Making your Instant Pot BBQ Chicken is a cost-effective way to meal prep rather than buying pre-made chicken at a store or getting it from a restaurant.

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Round plate with shredded instant pot bbq chicken, corn, and broccoli

Why Instant Pot BBQ Chicken is Great for Meal Prep

  • By making your own shredded bbq chicken in the Instant Pot, you can control your portion size and can control the ingredients to ensure that they are healthy.
  • Using the Instant Pot to cook your BBQ chicken also saves a lot of time because the pressure cooking feature allows it to cook quickly and thoroughly.
  • You can also make a large batch and freeze them in portioned containers for later use which makes it a convenient option for busy nights when you don’t have time to cook from scratch.
  • The shredded BBQ chicken can be served in a variety of meals. We enjoy eating it with roasted vegetables, in sandwiches or wraps, or even on top of salads. You can use this protein dish in multiple meals throughout the week without getting tired of it.

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Here’s What You Need to Make BBQ Chicken

Making your own shredded BBQ chicken in the Instant Pot allows you to control the ingredients and flavors to your liking.

  • Chicken: We used boneless chicken thighs, but you can also use chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins if you prefer leaner protein.
  • BBQ Sauce: You can make your own BBQ sauce, however, we used a store bought version for the sake of time. Just be sure to read the ingredient labels and pick a BBQ sauce that is less in sugar and sodium.
  • Broth: We used chicken broth, but you can also use water. You just need a little bit of liquid for this recipe
  • Seasonings: To enhance the flavor, we added garlic powder, paprika, and a little bit of liquid smoke to add the “BBQ flavor”
Round plate with shredded instant pot bbq chicken, corn, and broccoli

Easy Steps for Instant Pot BBQ Chicken

  1. Combine the ingredients in the Instant Pot.
  2. Seal the lid and set the timer for 25 minutes on high pressure.
  3. Once the cook time finishes, carefully release the steam and open the lid.
  4. Use two forks to shred the chicken. Then drain the excess liquid.
  5. Add more BBQ sauce to the chicken to your liking.
  6. Enjoy with vegetables or make a sandwich.

Reference the recipe card below for detailed instructions.

glass meal prep container with shredded instant pot bbq chicken, corn, and broccoli

Meal Prep Tips for Instant Pot BBQ Chicken

  • Use boneless chicken beause they cook quickly and are easy to shred. You won’t have to deal with separating the bones.
  • Double the recipe if you want to freeze extra portions for a later time. Just be sure to label and date the containers.
  • Allow the chicken to cool for a fewminutes before shredding to make it easier to handle so that you don’t burn your hands. You can also use a hand mixer on low speed to shred the meat.
glass meal prep container with shredded instant pot bbq chicken, corn, and broccoli
shredded bbq chicken

Shredded BBQ Chicken with Roasted Broccoli and Corn

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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Course lunch, Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4

Equipment

  • knife
  • cutting board
  • mixing bowl
  • Instant Pot
  • sheet pan
  • oven

Ingredients
  

Chicken

  • 1.5 lbs boneless chicken thighs
  • 1.5 cups BBQ sauce
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup red onions (sliced)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Vegetables

  • 4 cups broccoli florets
  • 4 pieces corn on the cob
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat the oven to 400F
  • Meanwhile, place the chicken in the Instant Pot and pour in chicken broth, half of the BBQ sauce, red onions, and seasonings
  • Seal the lid and set the timer for 35 minutes and cook on the medium setting
  • Next, place the broccoli and corn on a sheet pan and sprinkle with garlic powder, paprika, and salt. Coat it with olive oil. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes
  • After the chicken cooks, follow the manufacturer's instructions to carefully release the steam and open the lid
  • Drain the chicken broth and use two forks to shred the chicken. Then, pour over the leftover BBQ sauce and mix it all together
  • Serve the shredded chicken with the roasted broccoli and corn
  • optional: Enjoy with a side salad

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen chicken?

Yes, absolutely, you’ll just have to adjust the cooking time accordingly to make sure it cooks thoroughly, approximately an additional 10 extra minutes per pound when using frozen meats. 

Can I reheat Instant Pot BBQ Chicken in the microwave?

Yes, you can reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Can I use any type of BBQ Sauce?

Yes, you can use any type of BBQ Sauce. There are many different flavors such as the traditional tangy flavors that is tomato based, smoky bbq sauce that comes from smoked paprika or liquid smoke, spicy bbq sauce that has a kick to it from cayenne pepper, or honey bbq sauce that is sweet from the addition of honey. 

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Instant Pot Recipe for Beef Udon Noodles

Round bowl with beef soup and udon noodles.

Enjoy udon noodles served in this savory soup by using your chopsticks while making a slurping sound. Slurping enhances the flavors of this dish 🙂

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Round bowl with beef soup and udon noodles.

Cooking for two can be a challege, but with a little planning and creativity, it can be enjoyable. One of our tips is to embrace conveience. Sometimes, convenience foods can be a lifesaver when cooking for two.

You can buy pre-cut vegetales or pre-cooked grains to save time. For this recipe, we are incorporating pre-cooked udon noodles, and we are letting the Instant Pot do all the heavy lifting of this meal prep process.

What is udon noodles?

If you’re looking for a new side dish to accompany your meal prep, give udon noodles a try. Udon noodles are chewy Japanese noodles made from wheat flour, water, and salt. They are thicker than ramen and soba noodles that you often find in Asian recipes.

They are often served in a simple broth or used in stir fry recipes. The great thing about this ingredient is that you can often find them already packaged and pre-cooked in the international aisles of the grocery store. This means no cooking is required! When it comes to meal prep, you definitely want to incorporate ready to eat ingredients to cut down on prep time.

Not only are udon noodles a great alternate to rice, udon noodles can be a healthy addition to your meal prep as long as they are portioned right and portioned with a fair amount of protein and fiber.

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Ingredients for Instant Pot Beef Udon Soup

  • Beef: We used lean beef stew meat, but you can use cubed pork or chicken for this recipe

  • Bell Peppers: This adds a sweetness to the broth and also vibrant colors. If you don’t have bell peppers, you can also use carrots or butternut squash

  • Aromatics: Green onions, onions and garlic cloves add a ton of flavor to your cooking

  • Herbs: We used green onions, but you can easily use fresh cilantro or basil

  • Udon Noodles: You can use dried udon noodles or soft udon noodles that are pre-cooked. For the ease of meal prep, we opted for the soft udon noodels so that there is no pre-cooking required. All you have to do is heat them up.

Instant Pot with raw beef and vegetables

How to Make Beef Udon Soup Using Instant Pot

  1. Add the beef, vegetables, broth, and seasonings to the pot.

  2. Add the broth and seal the lid.

  3. Cook on medium setting for 25 minutes.

  4. After the beef cooks, carefully release the steam and remove the lid.

  5. Ladle the soup over udon noodles.

Reference the recipe card below for detailed instructions.

Round bowl with beef soup and udon noodles.

Meal Prep Tips for Instant Pot Beef Udon

  • Additional ingredients: For extra seasoning, you can add 1/2 tsp of star anise seeds. This is a great seasoning that can add a sweet-licorice-peppery flavor often found in Asian dishes. To add extra flavor, you can also drizzle chili oil as a garnish for a little bit of heat.

  • What to serve with beef udon: You can also add cubes of fried tofu or a boiled egg. Pickled veggies such as radish brined in vinegar and seasonings gives a sour and crunchy texture that is delicious with udon noodles.

  • Large Batches: Increase the serving size of the recipe and make a large batch that you can freeze. Store it in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze it for up to 3 months for the best quality.

  • Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days for the best quality.

Glass meal prep containers with beef soup and udon noodles.

Round bowl with beef soup and udon noodles.

Instant Pot Recipe for Beef Udon Noodle Soup

Enjoy this simple and delicious recipe for Beef Udon Noodle Soup that you can make in your Instant Pot.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Servings 2

Equipment

  • knife
  • cutting board
  • Instant Pot

Ingredients
  

  • 12 oz lean beef stew meat
  • 1/2 each white onions (sliced)
  • 1/2 cup green onions (sliced)
  • 1 each red bell pepper (cubed)
  • 1 cup mushrooms (sliced)
  • 2 each garlic cloves (peeled)
  • 1 tablespoon ginger (grated)
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 2 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teasponn garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon star anise
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cups udon noodles

Instructions
 

  • Add the beef, onions, half of the green onions, garlic, bell peppers, mushrooms, broth, honey, soy sauce, salt, and pepper to the pot.
  • Close the lid of the Instant Pot and set the valve to "sealing". Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes
  • Once the cooking cycle is complete, allow the pressure to naturally release for 5 to 10 minutes before manually releasing any remaining pressure.
  • Open the lid and ladle the soup over a bowl of udon noodles. Garnish with sliced green onions.

Notes

If you don’t have an instant pot, you can use a slow cooker and cook it on high for 4 to 6 hours

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this beef udon noodle soup with my slow cooker?

Yes, you can cook the beef and vegetables on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours. After the beef cooks, ladle the soup over the udon noodles.

Are udon noodles gluten free?

Udon noodles are not gluten free. Their primary ingredient is wheat flour, which contains gluten. If you have a gluten allergy, you can substitute with rice noodles.

What is the difference between udon noodles and ramen noodles?

Udon noodles are thicker than ramen noodles. The main big difference is that ramen is made with egg while udon is vegan.

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Instant Pot Pork Carnitas Tostadas

pork carnitas

This Instant Pot Pork Carnitas is a game changer for your weekly dinner meal prep! It tastes as if it came from a restaurant, but you don’t have to break the budget by making it yourself at home.

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Plate with pork carnitas on tostada shells topped with fresh pico de gallo and served with a side salad.

What Are Pork Carnitas?

Carnitas is a Mexican pork dish that usually uses inexpensive cuts of pork which uses inexpensive cuts of pork, making it an ideal ingredient for weekly meal prep.

The pork is then braised or simmered for hours with seasonings until it is so tender that you can shred it with a fork.

Since we want to keep meal prep quick and easy, we are going to skip the long hours of cooking the pork and take advantage of our Instant Pot and pressure cook it so that it can be ready in just a little over an hour.

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Here’s What You Need to Make Pork Carnitas

  • Pork: We used a skinless, boneless pork shoulder

  • Citrus Fruits: We added lime and orange to brighten up the dish with citrus flavors

  • Aromatics: Onions and garlic cloves add a ton of flavor to your cooking

  • Herbs: We used cilantro for a fresh herb flavor

  • Tostada shells: After cooking the pork we are going to serve it on top of a tostada shell

Ingredients for pork carnitas that include red onions, seasonings, cilantro, green onion, lime, orange, and pork.

Ingredients for pork carnitas that include red onions, seasonings, cilantro, green onion, lime, orange, and pork.

How to Make Instant Pot Carnitas

  1. Place the pork in the bottom of the instant pot.

  2. Sprinkle in the seasonings and add the red onions, garlic cloves, and chopped cilantro.

  3. Squeeze in the juice of the lime and oranges and leave the peels in the pot.

  4. Add a little bit of water and seal the lid.

  5. Cook on medium setting for 45 minutes.

  6. After the pork cooks, carefully release the steam and remove the lid.

  7. Remove the pork from the pot and shred the meat with two forks.

  8. Serve on top of tostadas with additional toppings.

Reference the recipe card below for detailed instructions.

Plate with pork carnitas on tostada shells topped with fresh pico de gallo and served with a side salad.

Meal Prep Tips for Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

  • Optional cook tip: In traditional carnitas recipes, the last step is to crisp up the shredded pork by sauteeing it in a pan. You can also place the shredded pork on a sheet pan and roast them in the oven until it is crispy before serving it.

  • What to serve with pork carnitas: You can serve it in a soft tortilla with shredded cabbage and top it off with sour cream, cheese, or avocado slices.

  • Large Batches: Increase the serving size of the recipe and make a large batch that you can freeze. Store it in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze it for up to 3 months for the best quality.

  • Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days for the best quality.

Glass meal prep containers with pork carnitas on tostada shells topped with fresh pico de gallo.

pork carnitas

Instant Pot Pork Carnitas Tostadas with Pico de Gallo

Savory and tendor pork carnitas cooked in the Instant Pot served on top of crispy tostada shells and a fresh side salad.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Course lunch, Main Course
Cuisine American, Mexican
Servings 2

Equipment

  • knife
  • cutting board
  • Instant Pot

Ingredients
  

Pork Carnitas and Tostadas

  • 12 oz boneless pork shoulder
  • 1 lime
  • 2 oranges
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cup red onions (sliced)
  • 2 garlic cloves (peeled)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)

Pico de Gallo

  • 2 roma tomatoes (diced)
  • 1/4 cup red onions (diced)
  • 1/2 cup cilantro (chopped)
  • 1 each lime (juiced)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Other Ingredients

  • 4 cups spring mix
  • 4 tostada shells

Instructions
 

  • Place the pork shoulder in the bottom of the instant pot. Sprinkle in the seasonings and add the red onions, garlic cloves, and chopped cilantro. Squeeze in the orange juice and lime juice. Leave the peels in the pot and pour in the water.
  • Cover the instant pot with the lid making sure it is in the sealed position. Cook on medium setting for 45 minutes (Note: if you do not have an instant pot, you can use a slow cooker on high for 4 to 6 hours)
  • Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for the pico de gallo.
  • After the pork cooks, carefully release the steam. Separate the pork from the excess liquid. Use two forks to shred the pork into small pieces. Serve the pork carnitas on top of tostada shells with pico de gallo and a side salad.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make slow cooker carnitas?

Yes, you can cook it on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 6 to 7 hours.

What are other ways to use carnitas?

You can serve them in burritos, in quesadillas, or make sliders with them. They are also a delicious filling for scrambled eggs or omelettes.

What is the difference between carnitas and barbacoa?

Carnitas is made with pork while barbacoa is normally made with beef cheek.

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How to Make Instant Pot Beef Ragu

Beef Ragu

Tender, melt in your mouth, shredded beef that is comfortingly satisfying for the cooler weather. Make this instant pot beef ragu recipe to warm the body and soul.

Ease of Making: Easy

Here’s a savory and rich beef ragu simmered in diced tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasonings, and fresh herbs that is perfect for the fall comfort meal. Enjoy it over a bed of pasta or mashed potatoes.

This is the perfect dish to batch cook for the colder weather. It is quick and easy to make but tastes like it’s been simmering all day long. Make it a weekly staple for your family dinners or bring it to holiday gatherings and make it the new family favorite.

How to Cook Beef Ragu in the Instant Pot

It’s easy to make a tender roast in the Instant Pot, all you need to do is follow a few simple steps:

  1. Turn on the Saute Setting and start browning your meat followed by adding the aromatics such as onions and garlic.

  2. Sprinkle in the seasonings.

  3. Add any liquid. In this recipe we used diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and dry red wine.

  4. Close the Instant Pot and seal it.

  5. Press the meat/stew setting and set your timer.

  6. After it finishes cooking, carefully release the quick release for the steam (following the manufacturer’s instructions).

Meal prep tips for Instant Pot Beef Ragu

How much meat can you cook at one time?

For a 6 quart size, you can fit 4-6 lbs of meat. However, you will need to take into consideration the other ingredients such as the cooking liquids and additional veggies. For this recipe, we kept it around 2 to 3 lbs.

Does the meat need to be completely covered in liquid?

You normally will need at least one cup of liquid. The protein itself already contains water that will sweat out, and there is additional moisture from the vegetables.

What can you serve with Beef Ragu?

We love to eat it with egg noodles, but you can also serve it with veggie noodles such as spiralized zucchini or spaghetti squash for a low-carb spin on this recipe. Creamy polenta is also a nice change from pasta or you can serve it on top of mashed potatoes or fluffy rice pilaf.

What to do with leftover beef ragu?

This Instant Pot beef ragu freezes really well and can keep up in the freezer for up to three months. However, you can also make sandwiches with the leftovers or add them as a topping to your baked potatoes.

Beef Ragu

Instant Pot Beef Ragu

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes

Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 6

Equipment

  • knife
  • cutting board
  • spatula
  • Instant Pot

Ingredients

  

  • 2.5 lbs boneless beef chuck roast (cut into 2 inch chunks)
  • 4 each garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup white onion (diced)
  • 1 each small carrot (diced)
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 28 oz canned diced tomatoes
  • 8 oz tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 1 tsp italian seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 each bay leaves
  • 2 tbsp fresh basil (chopped)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

 

  • Place the Instant Pot on the saute setting on high heat
  • Season the beef with salt and pepper and add oil to the Instant Pot
  • In small batches, add the beef and cook on all sides until evenly browned (about 3 to 4 minutes). After each batch has browned, remove it from the pot and set it aside for later.
  • Next, add the onions, carrots, and garlic. Stir it all around for 2 minutes
  • Then, add the tomato paste and stir for another minute. Afterwards, pour in the wine and scrape any of the browned bits from the bottom of the pot
  • Finally, add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasonings, ground cinnamon, and bay leaves
  • Carefully add the beef chunks back into the liquid
  • Turn off the saute setting and select the manual setting to adjust the pressure to high and set the time for 30 minutes. Make sure the valve is in the sealed position
  • After it has finished cooking, follow the manufacturer's directions for quick-release of the pressure
  • Remove the beef from the Instant Pot and use two forks to shred the meat. Place it in a deep serving dish and pour the remaining sauce on top. Season with salt and pepper to taste
  • Serve with fresh pasta, rice pilaf, or mashed potatoes. Garnish with additional freshly chopped basil

If you love this recipe, check out these other recipes we know you’ll love too:

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Homemade Short Rib Noodle Soup Recipe

Pho, pronounced ‘fuh’,  is a hearty and comforting soup full of goodness and also has an array of health benefits. It originated in the early 20th century in Vietnam and has become a popular meal in America. The two most commonly known types are beef and chicken and served with hot broth and noodles.

Ease of Making: Easy

Traditionally, pho is cooked with lots of beef bones, extra veggies,  and cooks for a long period of time in order to create the rich broth and cozy blend of flavors that we all love.

For most of us cooking at home, we may not always have the time to make it all from scratch. So here is a version using the Instant Pot as a shortcut for your short rib noodle soup. 

The great thing about making pho at home is that you can really make it your own with your choice of noodles, choice of proteins, and pile it on with lots of fresh garnishes such as basil, green onions, freshly sliced white onions, bean sprouts, and lime. 

Meal Prep Tips for Instant Pot Short Rib Noodle Soup

Traditionally, pho is served with super-thinly sliced meat that is placed in the boiling hot broth right before you eat the meal. If you decide to go with this route, it will be easier to thinly slice the protein if you freeze the protein for about 45 minutes in the freezer and then slice it. However, for this recipe, we will be cooking the meat and bones in the Instant Pot with the broth. The bones and flavors from the meat will add to that rich flavor broth that we enjoy from traditional pho.

Pho is traditionally made with thin rice noodles, but if you’re looking for a pantry friendly ingredient, then you can use spaghetti just like in this recipe.

Now the important part of getting the “pho” broth flavor is making sure you use the spices normally used in pho. Star anise, cloves, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, and coriander seeds. Now if you don’t normally use all these ingredients in all your daily cooking and don’t want to waste money on ingredients for a one time use, then be sure to at least have cloves and cardamom in the recipe. 

Lastly, the garnish toppings are what make the soup and make it feel and taste fresh against all the richness from the broth, meat, and noodles. 

Instant Pot Short Rib Noodle Soup

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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes

Course Main Course
Cuisine Vietnamese

Servings 4

Equipment

  • knife
  • cutting board
  • mallett
  • Instant Pot

Ingredients

  

  • 4-6 pieces short ribs
  • 1/4 cup green onions (diced)
  • 1/2 each white onions (sliced)
  • 3 each whole garlic cloves (peeled)
  • 1 each lemongrass stick
  • 4 oz shiitake mushrooms (sliced)
  • 2 cups bok choy (cut into chunks)
  • 2 each whole fresh basil leaves
  • 1.5 cups water
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
  • 1 each whole clove
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 oz dry spaghetti pasta

Instructions

 

  • Place all the ingredients in the instant pot (but not the pasta). (Note: Crush the lemongrass with a mallett prior to placing in the pot. )
  • Close the lid and place the valve in the sealing position. Cook on high pressure setting for 35 minutes
  • Meanwhile, boil pasta according to package instructions. Once cooked, drain and set aside
  • When th beef has finished cooking, let it do a natural release for about 10 minutes before carefully switching the valve to a quick release. Carefully remove the lid.
  • Serve the soup on top of the noodles. Garnish with more fresh basil and other fresh veggies such as bell peppers.

If you love this recipe, check out these other recipes we know you’ll love too:

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Homemade Lemongrass Beef Stew Recipe

beef stew

Instant Pot’s can be a lifesaver when you’re short on time but want to pack big flavors into a meal. It does just that with this Vietnamese inspired lemongrass beef stew. This quick to prepare and painless to cook meal is vibrating with the flavors of lemongrass (obviously), garlic, anise, clove and bay leaves and other spices. Arguably, the instant pot is the best way to make beef stew from scratch, but if you have more time, you can make this in a clay pot or a dutch oven and let it slow cook as well. 

Ease of Making: Easy

How to Make Lemongrass Beef Stew

A take on a Vietnamese classic, Bo Kho (Vietnamese beef stew), this instant pot stew may just become an instant pot classic in your kitchen. Beef stews are known for their deeply braised beef and aromatic flavors. Traditionally they would be prepared in a clay pot that helps enrich the soup with the savory and sweet flavors. However, we will use an instant pot in this recipe. Instant pots cut the cooking time for beef from hours to under an hour. 

How to Cook Lemongrass Beef Stew

There’s not a whole lot you have to do to cook this lemongrass stew with the exception of layering in the beef, seasonings, and water. Close the lid and turn your sealing knob to the locked position. Let the soup cook for 35 minutes before turning off the heat and giving your instant pot time to release, about 10 more minutes. Add in your bok choy and other veggies or toppings you might like and serve or portion in containers to use throughout the week, 

How can I make my stew more flavorful?

Bland stew got you down? We use the Instant Pot to enrich deep flavor into our soup. Using a pressure cooker helps speed up the process of building depth. 

Meal Prep Tips for Lemongrass Beef Stew Recipe

  • Serve over noodles or rice for added heartiness or carbs needed to reach your goals. 
  • Use the beef to make a sort of beef banh mi sandwich with some pickled veggies like cucumber and carrots. 
  • Serve over a salad for a lighter variation of the meal. 
beef stew

Instant Pot Lemongrass Beef Stew

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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes

Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian, Vietnamese

Servings 4

Equipment

  • knife
  • cutting board
  • mallet
  • Instant Pot

Ingredients

  

  • 1.5 lbs chuck roast chunks
  • 8 oz mushrooms (sliced)
  • 1 bunch fresh basil leaves
  • 1 bunch bok choy (rinsed, cut into chunks)
  • 1.5 cups water
  • 3 each garlic cloves (peeled)
  • 1-2 sticks lemongrass (4 inch length)
  • 1 each onion (sliced)
  • 1 each clove
  • 1 each star anise
  • 2 each bay leaves
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 2 tsp salt or fish sauce

Instructions

 

  • Place the beef at the bottom of the pan. Use a mallet to crush the lemon grass stick and place it in the pan
  • Next, add the bay leaves, seasonings, onions, garlic, mushrooms, and fresh basil leaves.
  • Then, pour over the water.
  • Close the lid, turning the venting knob to the sealing position. Cook on high pressure for 35 minutes.
  • After it has cooked, allow 10 minutes for natural release before doing a quick release. Carefully remove the lid.
  • Then, add the bok choy into the stew. Stir until it has wilted. Top it off with any other fresh veggies and sauces such as sriracha or hoisin sauce. Eat and enjoy!

If you love this recipe, check out these other recipes we know you’ll love too:

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Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef

beef barbacoa
beef barbacoa

Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef

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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour

Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American, Latin

Servings 4

Equipment

  • knife
  • cutting board
  • Instant Pot

Ingredients

  

  • 1.5 lbs chuck roast
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 can (3.5 oz) chipotles in adobo sauce
  • 1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
  • 1 small red onion (sliced)
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 2 tbsp vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 each bay leaf
  • 1/2 cup cilantro (chopped)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 cup water

Instructions

 

  • Add chipotle peppers, diced green chiles, onions, garlic, lime juice, vinegar, and water in a blender. Blend until smooth
  • Place chuck roast at the bottom of the Instant Pot
  • Pour in the blended sauce
  • Add seasonings and cilantro. Mix well
  • Securely close the lid and set vent to "sealing". Press "Manual", then press "pressure" until it says "high pressure". Then adjust the timer to 50 minutes. Let it cook, and then follow the manual instructions to turn the vent to "venting" and wait until all the steam has released and the valve drops.
  • Remove the lid. Shred the beef using two forks. Serve with a bowl of rice, on top of nachos, or with salad.