Instant Pot Homemade Korean Beef Curry

Homemade Korean curry is the best comfort food. This curry is filled with beef, potatoes, carrots, and onions. This recipe is even easier in the instant pot! We also make our own curry powder mix for this recipe so you don’t need the premix/instant curry packet which means healthier ingredients.

Our homemade Korean beef curry recipe

Korean curry is the ultimate comfort food. Our recipe is made with chunks of beef, potatoes, carrots, onions, and our very own curry seasoning mix. No premix curry packet in this recipe! I grew up eating this a lot, however, mom would always use the instant curry mix ready-to-go packets that are made by Ottogi (registered mark). Our recipe provides the same great flavor as the easy-to-use premix, however, you know every ingredient that’s in it. 

What is Korean curry?

Korean curry is a curry sauce that resembles a stew and is eaten with rice. It’s one of those foods that the Japanese brought to Korea and have since become a household staple. The sauce is lighter in the Korean version, which is why it goes so well with kimchi. 

Typically, Korean curry rice is cooked with meat and a variety of veggies. We love using beef. Of course, you can use any meat you choose or just use vegetables. This meal is typically made with onions, potatoes, and carrots as we have used in our recipe. However, feel free to add in any vegetables you’d prefer. 

Homemade Korean curry seasoning mix

We are so proud of this one. We wanted to make Korean curry without having to use the instant curry mix packets. So we did! As delicious as the instant curry mix is, our homemade version is better (in our humble opinion) because you know exactly every single ingredient in this curry. Don’t get us wrong though, we love the ease and simplicity of the premade/instant curry packets. They do make it easier to get a delicious meal that is much better for you and the family than say…takeout. However, with a few ingredients, you can make your own Korean curry mix for this dish without buying the premade/instant curry packets. 

Ingredients needed for this homemade Korean curry

• Beef stew meat
• Gold potatoes
• Carrots
• Onion
• Water

For the homemade curry mix:

• S&B Curry Powder
• Potato starch
• Himalayan pink salt 
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Mushroom umami powder 
• Coconut aminos
• Cayenne pepper powder (optional)
• Water

A Whole30 and Paleo compliant recipe

In this recipe, we used ingredients that comply with Whole30 standards, as well as Paleo standards. Did you know that potatoes are considered to be Paleo compliant according to the Paleo Foundation? Welp, they are! Hooray!

How to serve Korean curry

Korean curry is typically served over a bowl of freshly steamed rice. This is the best way to serve Korean curry. However, if you’re doing a Whole30, then try serving it over cauliflower rice. Or you could also add in more beef and potatoes and eat this curry more like a stew. Even without the rice, you’ll have a whole array of vegetables, carbs, and protein in one bowl. We also really love pairing fresh or aged kimchi with curry.

More recipes to try

• Easy Beef Stir-fry
• Asian-style Stir-fried Sesame (Perilla) Leaves
• Soy Sauce Braised Beef with Green Peppers (Jangjorim)
• Easy and Quick Kimchi Fried Rice
• Best and Easiest Beef Bulgogi

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Instant Pot Homemade Korean Beef Curry

Yield: 6 Servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 19 minutes

Total Time: 29 minutes

Homemade Korean beef curry is filled with beef, potatoes, carrots, and onions. This beef curry is easy to make with our recipe.

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Ingredients

• 1lb beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 4-5 medium gold potatoes, cubed (about 2 cups)
• 2-3 carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1.5 cups)
• 3 cups water
• 2 Tablespoons avocado oil

For the homemade curry mix:

• 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon S&B Curry Powder
• 2 Tablespoons potato starch
• 1 1/4 teaspoons Himalayan pink salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon mushroom umami powder
• 2 teaspoons coconut aminos
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper powder (optional)
• 2 Tablespoons cold water

Instructions

1. Turn the Instant Pot on saute mode. Once the pot is hot, add in the avocado oil and beef. Stir fry the beef until browned, about 7-10 minutes.
2. Next, add the potatoes, carrots, and onions to the pot with the beef. Stir fry for about 5 minutes. We just want a little bit of color on the vegetables. Turn off saute mode.
3. Add the water to the pot. Close the lid and set the valve to sealing. Select Manual/Pressure Cook and set the timer to 4 minutes.
4. While the Instant Pot is doing its thing, mix together all of the ingredients to make the homemade Korean curry mix in a small bowl. Set aside.
5. When the timer is up, wait 5 minutes for the valve to naturally release before turning it to the venting position. Quick-release all remaining pressure. Once all the pressure has been released, open the pot.
6. Add in all of the homemade curry mix that was set aside earlier into the Instant Pot with the cooked beef, potatoes, carrots, onion, and water. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté for 5-minute increments until the curry is thickened to your liking. Stir regularly until it starts to thicken up. If you want the curry thicker, see Notes below. Turn off Instant Pot once curry has reached desired thickness.
7. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

If you want the curry to be thicker than directed in the recipe above, add in a slurry of 1 Tablespoon potato starch plus 1 teaspoon of cold water. Pour it into the Instant Pot and allow it to thicken on saute mode for about 5 minutes. If it’s still not reached your desired consistency, then repeat adding in a slurry of a tablespoon potato starch plus a teaspoon of cold water.

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