If you are looking for a hearty meal on a busy weeknight, this is the one for you! This Easy balsamic beef- Instant Pot is ready to go in just over 30 minutes and is tender and delicious.
What Makes This Beef So Good?
If you have not tried balsamic beef before, you are in for a real treat. The ingredients and the beef are so good together!
The techniques I am using in this recipe produce really tender beef. If you don't like chewy beef, you will love this recipe. It is so tender that no knives are needed for eating!
It makes really great meal prep. Whatever you don't finish in the first sitting will make a really great meal the next few days.
Ingredients
- Beef- I used thick stew meat chunks. If you want a cheaper option, you can always buy a top round roast and cut it into chunks.
- Olive oil- it only takes a touch, but this is what we use to sear the beef.
- Onions- even if you don't like onions, I think you will love them in this recipe.
- Minced Garlic- If you have followed me for a while, you know I add garlic wherever I can!
- Balsamic Vinegar- I use a dark balsamic for this recipe, and will explain more about balsamics below.
- Honey- this is used as the sweetener and also it helps create that delicious sticky texture with the balsamic beef.
- Soy Sauce- I like to use the low sodium soy sauce. We will be doing a reduction in this recipe and it intensifies salt flavors, so it is best to reduce them to begin with.
- Crushed Red Pepper- I like this for a little kick in the recipe.
- Worchestershire Sauce- it only uses a little, but really makes a difference in the flavor.
How To Make
Heat the Instant Pot on saute. Add in your oil and heat that as well. I like to sear the meat, but sometimes don't want to take the time to do it in batches. So, this time I did the beef all at once.
So, cook the beef for about 7-10 minutes, then add in the onions to saute.
Next, add in the remaining ingredients and seal. Pressure cook on high for 8 minutes. Do a quick release and carefully remove the lid.
Turn off the pressure cooker and set to saute again. Now we are going to reduce the sauce. To do this, you let it cook and the sauce will reduce and thicken.
One of the complaints people have with cooking in a pressure cooker is the sauces are always watery. You can combat this by reducing them by setting it to saute.
Once it is reduced, it is ready to go!! Mine usually takes about 8-10 minutes to reduce.
Notes
It is really important to not add ANY SALT to the beef until the sauce has reduced. Trust me on this!!
There are a lot of cuts of beef you can use in this recipe. I used the stew meat for convenience, but you could also use any roast you like or even steak and cut it into chunks.
I served our beef over white rice. Although I love whole grains, my family really loves white rice.
What Is Balsamic Vinegar?
Balsamic vinegar has been around for a long time. It is a process that started in Italy in the middle ages! Whoa.
It is a grape "must" that is boiled to reduce to a concentrate. From here it is fermented and aged for 12-30 years in wooden barrels, cool, right?
I love using it for many dishes and salad dressing for the intense flavor it adds. If you have not tried it before, you really need to give it a go!
FAQ
I cannot speak on this as I have not tried it yet. I personally own a lot of flavored balsamic, but I like this one with a traditional dark balsamic.
It does not matter what type of pressure cooker you use, the process is still the same.
This balsamic beef will hold well for at least 7 days. It can stay good even longer but is best eaten within 7 days.
Other Instant Pot Recipes
- Orange Creme Brulee
- Pumpkin Risotto Instant Pot
- Peanut Butter Cheesecake
- Instant Pot Beef Stew
- Cooking whole grains in the Instant Pot
- Strawberries and Cream Porridge
- Instant Pot Grits
Balsamic Beef- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2-3 pound stew meat You can also use other roasts or steaks and cut them down.
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 cup onion, sliced or chopped, your choice.
- 3 tablespoons minced garlic
- ½ cup dark balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce reduced sodium
- 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper omit if you aren't into spicy foods.
- 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Heat pressure cooker on saute setting. Add oil and let it heat. Next is the beef. Cook this about 3-5 minutes until the beef is browned. The rest of the ingredients go in, mix well. Put lid on and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Do the quick release and remove lid. Now, you will want the sauce to thicken. Turn the setting to saute again. Stir occasionally until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. Mine took about 8 minutes. We served our beef over quinoa, rice or even potatoes is awesome as well. Now, sit back and enjoy. You just made an amazing dinner with little effort!