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5 from 3 votes

Instant Pot Gyudon

Learn how to make Gyudon (牛丼; Japanese Beef Bowl)! Easy to make this popular classic Japanese comfort Beef Rice Bowl. Al dente rice top with tender buttery beef in sweet-savory caramelized gyudon sauce.
Servings 3 - 4
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 350 grams marbled beef (boneless short ribs or chuck roast) , thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil
  • 150 grams Shimeji mushroom (Beech mushrooms) , quartered (optional)
  • 1 (173g) onion , roughly sliced
  • ¾ cup (188ml) cold water
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) Japanese soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) mirin
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) sake
  • teaspoon (0.5g) roasted sesame oil (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon (14g) white sugar
  • ½ teaspoon (1.5g) dashi powder

Pot-in-Pot Rice

Garnish

  • Green onions , finely sliced
  • Pink ginger
  • 2 - 3 (190g) eggs , soft boiled, beaten, or poached (optional)

Instructions

  • Prepare Gyudon Ingredients: Slice up a small onion. Finely slice the green onions. Cut off the mushrooms’ bottom ends, then give them a quick rinse.
  • Lightly Brown Sliced Beef: Press "Saute" button to "Sauté More" function to heat up Instant Pot. Wait until it says "HOT" on the screen.
    Add 2 tbsp (30ml) vegetable oil in the inner pot. Make sure to cover whole bottom with oil.
    Brown sliced beef in Instant Pot to about 70% doneness, then set aside.
    *Pro Tip: Brown the beef in batches to avoid overcooking. We're just enhancing the flavor of the overall dish with a bit of Maillard reaction.
  • Saute Mushrooms & Onions: If necessary, add more vegetable oil in Instant Pot. Add in beech mushrooms, then saute until lightly brown (roughly 6 to 7 minutes). Add in sliced onion, then saute for another 3 minutes.
    *Pro Tip: Most of the onions will melt into the sauce after pressure cooking. If you want to serve the beef with some sliced onion, set aside half of the onion slices, then mix them in after pressure cooking.
  • Deglaze Instant Pot: Pour ¾ cup (188ml) cold water in Instant Pot. Then, deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Give it a quick mix.
  • Pressure Cook Rice & Gyudon Sauce: Add 2 tbsp (30ml) Japanese soy sauce, 2 tbsp (30ml) mirin, 2 tbsp (30ml) sake, ⅛ teaspoon (0.5g) roasted sesame oil, 1 tbsp (14g) white sugar, and ½ tsp (1.5g) dashi powder in Instant Pot. Give it a quick mix.
    Layer a trivet in Instant Pot, then place a bowl with 1 cup (230g) Calrose rice on the rack. Pour 1 cup (250ml) cold water in the rice bowl. Ensure all the rice is soaked in water.
    With Venting Knob in Venting Position. Close the lid. Turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 6 minutes, then Natural Release for 10 minutes. Open the lid carefully.
    Optional Step - Cook Eggs: When Instant Pot is pressure cooking, prepare soft or hard boiled eggs on the stove.
  • Fluff Rice & Thicken Gyudon Sauce: Remove rice bowl and trivet. Fluff rice with a rice paddle, then set aside.
    Bring the gyudon sauce mixture to a simmer with the "Saute" function. Allow the gyudon sauce simmer and thicken to desired thickness. Taste and adjust seasoning by adding more soy sauce or salt if necessary.
  • Fully Cook Sliced Beef: Once the gyudon sauce is thickened to desired thickness, turn off the heat.
    Add the partially cooked beef and its juice in the Instant Pot. Add in the set aside onion slices (if any). Give the beef mixture a quick mix. Allow the residual heat to fully cook the beef. Once the beef is fully cooked, immediately remove them from heat.
  • Serve: Add calrose rice to a serving bowl. Layer the beef on top of the rice. Drizzle the gyudon sauce all over the beef. Garnish with finely sliced green onion, pink ginger (optional), and soft boiled egg (optional). Serve immediately, and enjoy!

Notes

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Author: Amy + Jacky
Calories: 409kcal

Nutrition

Calories: 409kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 667mg | Potassium: 481mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 3mg