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Instant Pot Taiwanese Beef Stew originally is a famous Taiwanese Beef noodle soup recipe. The beef shanks are tender and super flavorful. If you love a good pot of beef soup/stew, definitely don’t miss this Paleo, Whole30, and Keto beef stew recipe!
And if you are looking for a boneless version, check out my Chinese beef stew or Taiwanese braised beef shank.
The most flavorful beef shank stew – Instant Pot Taiwanese Beef Stew
Beef noodle soup is Taiwan’s most iconic dish. Everyone knows this dish and every household in Taiwan has its own method and ingredients when it comes to this national pride dish – beef noodle soup.
A few years ago when I started this blog I shared a stovetop version. This was back then when there was no Instant Pot available. The stovetop method delivers beautiful results however, it takes a lot more care to make the beef fall-of-the bone tender. So today I’m super excited to reveal my take on the iconic dish – Instant Pot Taiwanese Beef Stew.
The most underrated cut – beef shank
There are two types of beef shanks when you shop at specialized Chinese butcher stores – regular beef shanks and golden beef shanks. Now the latter term does not mean that the shank comes in golden color but rather it means the cut is higher end than the regular one.
The shape of the beef shank in Asian markets looks different from Western stores, such as WholeFoods. In Asian stores they are cut in long and lean tube shape and often without the bones whereas in Western stores the shanks are cut horizontally across the shank bone. In the recipe below, I use the Western style cuts.
Beef shanks are cheaper because they are considered ‘tougher meat’ that’s more chewy but if you shop at Asian stores, particularly Chinese stores, they are way more pricey. This is because most Asian recipes call for beef shanks to make beef stews, beef noodle soup, and braised shank appetizer.
I immediately realize that the price per pound is so much cheaper in Western markets so why not use them to make a pot of Instant Pot Taiwanese Beef Stew and share it with my lovely readers. The beef is so fragrant and tender. The broth is out of this world.
Stew or Soup?
The original Taiwanese beef noodle is a soup recipe. I use the same aroma and seasonings and turn the recipe into a beef stew. Be that as it may the stew liquid is on the more soupy side. And since the broth is very fragrant you can easily dilute the broth the next day and add some zoodles or any gluten-free or paleo friendly noodles to the broth. The stew liquid contains a lot of good-for-you beef gelatin so definitely worth saving every single bit!
I love how easy and straightforward it is to make my Instant Pot Taiwanese Beef Stew. My husband loves it over mashed sweet potatoes and I love pairing it with a side salad or cauliflower fried rice. Make a big pot and swap a few sides, you can easily create meal variety! And if you are looking for more ways to enjoy short ribs, you’ll love my Korean short ribs – Kalbi!
So my friends this Instant Pot Taiwanese Beef Stew is –
Tender
Super flavorful
Gorgeous stew
Fast, Easy
No added sugar
Paleo, Whole30, and Keto friendly.
If you make this Instant Pot Taiwanese Beef Stew, be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe. It’ll help my blog tremendously and I thank you in advance.
If sharing on Instagram, be sure to tag @iheartumami.ny. I’d love to see it!
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Instant Pot Taiwanese Beef Stew recipe
Video
Ingredients
Aromatics:
- 1 medium yellow onion , roughly diced
- 10 large garlic cloves , chopped
- 2 tbsp finely chopped ginger
- 1 piece red chili pepper , serrano, fresno, or jalapeno, remove seeds
- One inch cinnamon stick
- 1 piece dry bay leaf
- 4 bulbs scallions , chopped and separate white and green parts
Other:
- 4 large loose carrots , diced to roughly 1 ½ inch chunks
- 3-4 medium size tomatoes , roughly diced
- 3-4 whole pitted dates , roughly break open in half use your hands. Omit for Keto
- 4-5 oz. fresh shiitake , sliced (roughly 4 to 5 whole full size caps)
- Avocado oil saute use
- Cilantro garnish, optional
Beef:
- 2.5 lbs beef shank , bone-in (Alt. short ribs, stew beef, or oxtail)
- Roughly ¼ tsp coarse salt + ¼ tsp ground black pepper per side
Stew seasonings:
- ⅔ cup beef stock
- ⅓ cup coconut aminos
- 1 tsp five spice powder
- 1 tsp coarse salt
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients under ‘Aromatics’ and ‘Other’. Set aside. Season the beef shank with coarse salt and pepper on both sides. Mix well beef stock with coconut aminos, five spice powder, and salt. Set aside in a bowl.
- In a 6-quart Instant Pot, press Saute. When the panel shows Hot, add 2 tbsp avocado oil, sear the beef about 3 minutes per side. Set them aside. If not enough oil in the pot add 1 to 1 ½ tbsp oil. Saute onion, garlic, ginger, chili pepper, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and white scallion parts. Season with a pinch of salt and saute until fragrant (about 15 seconds). Press cancel/keep warm.
- Add Stew seasonings. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the pot so nothing is stick to the bottom. Place beef on top of the aromatics. Add diced carrots, tomatoes, dates, and shiitake. Seal the lid and valve – Manual – High pressure – for 45 mins. Wait for 15 minutes before quick release.
- Carefully remove the beef shanks. Debone then add them back to the pot. Garnish with green scallion parts and cilantro, if using. Serve with a side of simple salad, mashed potatoes, or cauliflower/broccoli fried rice!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love Instant Pot Recipes? Also check out my Instant Pot Vietnamese Brisket Pho, Instant Pot Vietnamese Beef Stew, Chinese Chicken Bone Broth, Instant Pot Butter Chicken, Pumpkin Chicken Korma, 1-minute Strawberry Compote, and Best Whole30 Instant Pot Recipes.
I love all the fat in beef shank! This looks SO good, and then those beautiful, bright veggies. How appetizing!
Thanks, Megan!
These flavors sound so amazing! Never made any kind of Taiwanese food at home so this is a must try.
It’s like a Chinese 5-spice beef stew with cinnamon, clove, and little star anise flavor. Often it’s made with tomatoes to add some acidity to balance the rich flavor of the beef. So good!
Oh YES! I am definitely making this soon – I love this kind of meal! Thank you!
All of those beautiful aromatics make this so special! Love all those flavors plus the shiitakes in the stew – my favorites. Love this beautiful, hearty stew.
Thank you, Emily! So wonderful for fall and winter months!
So many great flavors….and a great spin off the traditional beef stews! I am betting I will like this one even more!
Thank you, Tessa. Love how easy it is to make this beef stew with Instant Pot!
Hii! This recipe looks delicious!! I really want to try this! If I don’t have an instant pot, would a crock pot work? If so, what adjustments would I need to do? Thank you again for sharing so many yummy recipes!
Looks so delicious!!!
Hi, sounds delicious. Could I just throw all this in a slow cooker? For 6-8hrs.
Hi Kylie, I haven’t tried in a slow cooker. My guess is brown the beef shank and dice to smaller chunks (about 1.5 to 2 inch cubes). Cook for 6-8 hours and it should work. Let me know how it goes. When I find a time, I’ll try it too!
Sounds yummy! I love all your recipes! What would you recommend for a substitute for avocado oil? Thanks!
Hi Rebecca, I recommend using olive oil or ghee. Ghee will give a richer flavor taste whereas avocado and olive oil will give a more neutral flavor taste.
Sounds great. I only have a stove top pressure cooker. How long do you think I would have to cook it for?
Hi Renee! Great to hear from you. I’ve never tried using a stove top pressure cooker. My guess is about 40 minutes. If you use a regular large soup pot, it will take about 90 minutes the first time and you’ll need to reheat the entire pot the day after to make sure the beef is tender. Let me know how it goes. I’d love to know too !
If I want a soupier consistency the first time around can I just add more water to the pot initially
Hi Devora, yes. Originally this is a Beef Noodle Soup recipe. Add a bit more beef stock to the pot and adjust seasonings after it’s done cooking – more salt or more coconut aminos. Alternatively and this is what we do – the stew liquid will gel after refrigerated overnight. Dilute with more water, beef stock, or a combination and it will become beef soup! Happy cooking!
I used a stovetop too…generally the time is 5-10 minutes less!
That’s awesome. Thanks so much for sharing here with us, Tessa ! XOXO