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4.97 from 62 votes

Instant Pot Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

Learn how to make Instant Pot Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup (台灣牛肉面 or 紅燒牛肉麵). The soul is the comforting beef broth with rich layers of flavors bursting with spices & aromatics. Serve with tender beef & satisfying al-dente noodles.
Servings 4 - 6
Total Time 2 hours

Ingredients

Broth:

  • 2 pounds (908g) beef shank
  • 1 pound (454g) beef chuck steak
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil
  • 1 (220g) large onion , sliced
  • 3 stalks (36g) green onions , separate white part, green part cut in half
  • 3 (290g) roma tomatoes , halved
  • 1 (56g) shallot , sliced
  • 2 tablespoons (28g) ginger , sliced
  • 8 cloves (34g) garlic , crushed
  • 2 tablespoons (30g) doubanjiang (chili bean paste; Chinese: 豆瓣醬)
  • 1 teaspoon (5g) tomato paste
  • 3 - 6 (3g) dried red chilies (adjust the amount according to the dried chili type)
  • ¼ cup (63ml) rice wine (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons (45ml) regular soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) fish sauce (can substitute with regular soy sauce)
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) dark soy sauce (optional)
  • ½ teaspoon (1.6g) ground white pepper
  • 15 grams rock sugar (or 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon (20g) granulated sugar)
  • cups (1625ml) cold water

Spices:

Noodles & Garnishes:

  • Cooked thin or thick noodles (such as knife-cut noodles) , 100g - 120g per person
  • 20 grams fresh cilantro , finely chopped
  • 1 - 2 stalks green onions , finely sliced
  • 80 grams vegetables (Shanghai Bok choy or spinach) (optional)
  • Spicy or non-spicy pickled green mustard (酸菜) (optional)

Instructions

  • Optional - Parboil Beef Meat: Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Boil the beef for 5 minutes to clean and remove excess fat. Remove the beef, then rinse them in cold water.
    *Note: We usually skip this step when making beef noodle soups, and remove the fat/scums with a fat separator at the end.
  • Toast Spices in Instant Pot: Put all the spice ingredients in Instant Pot. Press “Saute” button to “Sauté More” to heat up Instant Pot. When the spices release their fragrance (~2.5 mins), remove and set aside the toasted spices.
    toast spices
  • Brown Beef in Instant Pot: Wait until the Instant Pot says "HOT". Pat dry the beef shanks and chuck roast steak, then lightly season one side of beef with salt. Drizzle 1 tbsp (15ml) vegetable oil in the inner pot, then ensure to coat the oil over the whole bottom of the pot.
    Carefully place the seasoned side of beef in Instant Pot. Lightly season the other side of beef with salt. Brown one side of the beef for 5 minutes before flipping over, then brown the other side for another 5 minutes. Set aside the browned beef.
    brown beef in Instant Pot
  • Saute Onions and Tomatoes: Add 1 tbsp (15ml) vegetable oil in Instant Pot. Add in sliced onions, white parts of green onions, halved roma tomatoes, sliced shallot, and 2 tbsp (28g) ginger slices, then saute for 5 minutes. Add in 8 crushed garlic cloves, green parts of green onions, 2 tbsp (30g) Doubanjiang, 1 tsp (5g) tomato paste, 3 - 6 dried red chilies, and all the toasted spices, then saute for another minute.
    While the tomatoes and onions are sauteing, cut beef shanks in halves and beef chuck roast into 1.5" - 2" cubes.
    cut beef
  • Deglaze Instant Pot: Pour ¼ cup (63ml) rice wine in Instant Pot, then deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon. Give it a quick mix.
    deglaze
  • Pressure Cook Beef Broth: Add in browned beef, 3 tbsp (45ml) regular soy sauce, 2 tbsp (30ml) fish sauce, 1 tbsp (15ml) dark soy sauce, ½ tsp (1.6g) ground white pepper, and 15g rock sugar, then give it a quick mix.
    Pour 6.5 cups (1625ml) cold water into the Instant Pot. Make sure the water level is right at or below the inner pot’s Maximum Fill Line.
    With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 42 minutes, then 30 minutes Natural Release. Remove the lid carefully.
    max fill line
  • Cook Vegetables and Noodles: When there are 10 minutes left on the Natural Release, start boiling water on the stovetop. Once the water starts boiling, season water with salt and 1 teaspoon of oil. Cook vegetables and noodles according to your preferences, then drain and set them aside.
    chinese noodles
  • Strain Beef Broth: Transfer the beef to a large mixing bowl or plate. Strain the beef broth through a fine-mesh strainer. Remove the fat with a Fat Separator or skim them off with a ladle if desired.
    strain beef broth
  • Season Beef Broth and Cut Beef Shanks: Cut the beef shanks into 1" - 1.5" cubes. Bring the tasty beef broth to a boil with the "Saute More" function. Taste and adjust the seasoning by adding more salt (we added roughly 2 - 3 large pinches of salt).
    season beef noodle soup
  • Garnish & Serve: Assemble the dish by placing the cooked noodles, beef cubes, and vegetables in large serving bowls. Pour in the piping hot rich & tasty beef broth. Garnish with finely sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, and pickled green mustard. Serve immediately & enjoy~
    Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup garnishes

Notes

1) Parboiling Beef:
  • Advantage: Have a cleaner beef broth in the end.
  • Disadvantage: Lose a bit of the beef flavors during this meat “cleaning” step.
2) Parboiling with Stovetop vs Instant Pot: It’s faster to parboil the beef on the stovetop instead of using the Instant Pot.
3) Rice Wine Substitute: If you're not using rice wine to deglaze, substitute with ¼ cup (63 ml) cold water.
4) Cooking Vegetables: Cook Shanghai Bokchoy under boiling water for roughly 2 minutes. Spinach takes roughly 1 minute under boiling water.
5) Garnishes: Beef broth's flavor profile should taste even better with the extra garnishes.
*Rate Recipe: If you've tried the recipe, don't forget to Rate the Recipe in the Comments Section. Thank you!
Author: Amy + Jacky
Calories: 420kcal

Nutrition

Calories: 420kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 1169mg | Potassium: 939mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 685IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 5mg