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This Chinese beef stew (紅燒牛肉) is my Taiwanese-style take on a cozy, soy-braised beef dish. Affordable chuck roast turns fork-tender in a savory-sweet sauce with tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and daikon.
The flavor is warm and homey rather than spicy. I blend the sauce to keep the prep simple and help the garlic, ginger, and sesame season the stew evenly. Choose Instant Pot pressure cooking, the Instant Pot’s Slow Cook function, or a traditional slow cooker.
A savory, home-style Chinese beef stew
紅燒 means red-braised, a style of cooking meat in a soy-based sauce until it becomes rich and deeply seasoned. This version leans Taiwanese: savory, gently sweet, and not spicy or numbing. Tomatoes and daikon balance the richness of the beef, while dried shiitake mushrooms add earthy depth.
This recipe is also different from my Instant Pot Taiwanese beef stew, which uses bone-in beef shank and has a soupier broth inspired by Taiwanese beef noodle soup. This Chinese beef stew uses boneless chuck roast and daikon, with a richer sauce that is especially good over rice.
It serves 4 as the only main course, or 6 as part of a family-style meal with rice, noodles, and vegetable side dishes.
Key ingredients and substitutions
Most of the ingredients are easy to find at a regular grocery store. These are the ones that make the biggest difference:
- Boneless chuck roast: Look for a well-marbled piece with a good balance of fat and lean meat. The collagen softens during cooking and keeps the beef moist. Boneless beef shank is a good substitute. A well-marbled brisket also works, although it may be slightly drier.
- Daikon radish: Daikon becomes mild and juicy as it cooks. It balances the rich beef and absorbs the braising sauce without making the stew feel too heavy.
- Small dried shiitake mushrooms: The small mushrooms can go directly into the pot without soaking. Rehydrate larger dried shiitake first. If using fresh shiitake, use more and slice the caps.
- Tomatoes and ketchup: Fresh tomatoes melt into the cooking liquid, while a small amount of ketchup adds body, tang, and gentle sweetness to the sauce.
- Toasted sesame seeds: The sesame seeds are blended into the sauce for nutty richness. Save a little extra to sprinkle over the finished stew.
- Soy sauce and five spice: Soy sauce forms the savory base of the braising liquid. Coconut aminos also work as a soy-free option. A small amount of five spice adds warmth without overpowering the other flavors.
Why soak the beef first
Soaking beef in water before braising is a common step in Chinese and Taiwanese home cooking. It helps draw out some of the blood and residue from the meat so the finished braising liquid tastes cleaner and looks less cloudy.
For this recipe, cover the beef with room-temperature water for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour. Drain it and give it a quick rinse before adding it to the cooker. This simple step also helps prevent the stew from developing a metallic taste.
How to make Chinese beef stew
The photos below show the Instant Pot pressure cooker method. For the Instant Pot Slow Cook function or a traditional countertop slow cooker, see the recipe card below.
- Prepare the beef: Trim the excess fat and cut the chuck roast into 2.5- to 3-inch chunks. Soak it in room-temperature water, then drain and rinse.
- Blend the sauce: Blend the soy sauce, stock, garlic, ginger, ketchup, sugar, and sesame seeds until smooth.
- Fill the pot: Pour the sauce into the Instant Pot. Add the beef in an even layer, followed by the tomatoes and dried shiitake mushrooms.
- Pressure cook: Cook on High pressure for 40 minutes, followed by a 15-minute natural pressure release.
- Add the vegetables: Skim off the fat. Add the carrots and daikon and cook on Sauté until tender. The daikon should look slightly translucent and pierce easily.
- Season and finish: Stir in the salt and five spice. Add the optional cooking wine and starch slurry, then garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.
What to serve with Chinese beef stew
My mom likes serving this stew with rice or noodles, and I agree—the braising liquid is too good to leave behind. Add my Chinese broccoli stir fry for something green and garlicky, or Chinese smashed cucumber salad when you want a cool, crisp contrast.
The stew tastes even richer the next day. Store it in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. The liquid will turn gelatinous when cold, so add a splash of water when reheating it on the stovetop. If you finish the beef and vegetables first, save the remaining braising liquid. Thin it with hot water to taste, then add noodles for a quick soup.
Chinese beef stew recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs boneless chuck roast or boneless beef shank
- 0.5 cup soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 0.5 cup beef or chicken stock
- 8 medium garlic cloves peeled
- 1.5 oz fresh ginger peeled and roughly chopped (about 4 -inch piece)
- 3 tbsp ketchup
- 3 tbsp coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 2 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds plus more to serve
- 3 whole vine tomatoes sliced
- 10 small dried shiitake mushrooms about 1 oz.
- 2 medium carrot cut into 1-inch cubes, about 8 oz
- 2 medium daikon radish peeled and cut into 1-inch bites, about 15 oz.
- ½ tsp coarse sea salt or more to taste
- ¼ tsp five spice powder
- Splash Chinese cooking wine optional
- 2 tsp starch to thicken, optional
- 4 bulb scallions thinly sliced on the diagonal, or cilantro/parsley
Instructions
Prepare the beef:
- Trim away excess fats and dice into roughly 2.5 to 3 inch chunks.
- In a large bowl, cover the beef with room temperature water. Set aside for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour. This helps remove impurities so the braising liquid becomes shiny and glossy.
- In a blender, combine the soy sauce, stock, garlic, ginger, ketchup, sugar, and sesame seeds. Puree them until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Pour the mixture into a 6-quart Instant Pot. Drain the beef and briefly rinse under running water, then arrange them in an even layer in the pot and add the tomatoes and mushrooms.
Instant Pot Pressure Cook:
- Lock the lid and move the valve to Sealing. Select Pressure Cook or Manual on High for 40 minutes.
- When the cooking is complete, let the pressure reduce naturally for 15 minutes, then release the remaining steam by switching the valve to Venting. Press Cancel, then carefully open the pot.
Instant Pot Slow Cooker Function:
- Select More/High Saute and bring the mixture to a boil. Press Cancel. Lock the lid and switch the valve to Venting. Select Slow Cook and set the temperature to More/High. Set the cook time for 7 to 8 hours; the beef is done when a skewer inserted into the meat meets no resistance.
- For a traditional countertop slow cooker, see the conversion in the Notes section.
Season and Finish:
- Using a large spoon, skim off and discard the fat from the surface of the cooking liquid. Select Normal/Medium Saute, then add the carrots and daikon. Cook and stir occasionally until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the salt and five spice powder.
Optional wine:
- Add a splash of Chinese cooking wine and cook for 30 seconds to allow the alcohol to evaporate.
Optional thickening:
- To thicken the broth, pour in the slurry – starch mixed with 2 tbsp water – and stir the pot for 30 seconds to thicken.
Serve:
- Press Cancel. Transfer the beef to a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with scallions and extra sesame seeds to garnish.
Notes
- Chuck Roast Alternative: You can use boneless beef shank or a well-marbled brisket instead of chuck roast. In the U.S., stew meat is often the same as sliced chuck roast. Confirm with your butcher before buying.
- Shiitake Mushrooms: I use small dried shiitake mushrooms in this recipe, which don’t need to be rehydrated. If using larger dried shiitake, rehydrate them first. You can also use fresh shiitake—just increase the amount and slice the caps before adding to the pot.
- How to Tell When Daikon Is Cooked: Daikon is done when you can easily pierce it with little resistance, and it turns from pale white to slightly translucent.
- Balancing the Stew: Daikon helps cleanse and balance the richness of the beef, preventing the stew from becoming too heavy or greasy.
- Cutting Vegetables: Dice the daikon and carrots into smaller, evenly sized chunks to ensure they cook quickly and evenly.
- Store and Reheat: Let the stew cool to room temperature before storing it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–4 days. When reheating, take out the portion you need. The stew will gelatinize, so thin it with a little water and reheat on the stovetop until warmed through.
- Freeze: Store in a freezer-friendly container or bag for up to 3 months.
- Leftover Stew Liquid: The leftover liquid is packed with flavor. Thin it out and turn it into a noodle soup!
- Traditional Slow Cooker: Bring the blended sauce to a boil in a large saucepan, then transfer it to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the beef, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Cover and cook on Low for 7 to 8 hours or High for 4 to 5 hours, until a skewer slides into the beef without resistance. Transfer the beef to a bowl. Pour the cooking liquid into the same saucepan, skim off the fat, and simmer the carrots and daikon for about 15 minutes. Finish with the salt, five spice, and optional wine or starch slurry, then combine everything before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Asian beef stews and braises
If you enjoy tender, slow-cooked beef with deep savory flavor, here are a few more recipes to try:
- My Vietnamese beef stew, Bò Kho, combines tender beef with tomatoes, carrots, and warm aromatic spices.
- This Taiwanese beef noodle soup features braised beef shank in a rich, deeply seasoned broth.
- My miso ginger braised short ribs are tender and savory with a rich miso-ginger sauce.
Made a dish and loved it? Please rate the recipe and leave a comment in the section below! It helps my blog grow organically, allowing me to continue sharing free and awesome content with you. Thank you!
Loved this! I shared with two friends and they both asked for recipe! Perfect for chilly weather!
That’s wonderful. Thank you so much
Loved this! I shared with two friends and they both asked for recipe!
Massive Hit. The broth is intensely flavorful which is a nice bump for usually limpy stews. Note that I would not say the serving size is 6 but 4 We had a couple of men that didn’t feel like they received enough. Nonetheless, this stew is delightful. PS I didn’t have access to daikon so I subbed red radish and it was a nice way to lower the carb content. No one noticed.
Thank you for sharing, Janet! Love to hear that red radish worked well. To feed hungry boys :). you can increase the recipe quantity adjustments (inside of the recipe card) or add another half to 1 pound of beef! My husband loves this dish very much, too. He said it reminded him of Taiwan! :))