This Cantonese staple includes melt-in-your-mouth beef and perfectly cooked daikon. The best part? It's all cooked and braised in an Instant Pot for an easy, delicious, and unforgettable meal.
Many of our favorite recipes require some form of braising - browning the meats to get a good sear and then simmering in a delicious concoction of our favorite Asian sauces (e.g. soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and more). Every time my brother is in town, he adamantly requests my Instant Pot Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice Bowl. My childhood favorite has always been this Instant Pot Braised Pork Belly, Shanghai-Style - this was always a must-order dish at any family dinner celebration. With this braising theme, it's not surprising that one of my most popular braised recipes here is this Chinese Braised Soy Sauce Chicken.
This braised beef and daikon dish is no different. The soft pieces of daikon provide a great textural contrast to the hearty pieces of meat. When served over a bowl of rice, you have yourself the perfect meal.
Ingredients
- Beef rough flank: This cut might have different names at different stores such as beef drop flank. This tough cut of meat becomes amazingly tender when cooked for a longer period of time
- Chinese daikon radish: Slice these into 1 inch thick circular disks and then halve.
- Garlic
- Scallion
- Shallots
- Ginger
- Shaoxing wine
- Light soy sauce
- Dark soy sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Sugar
- Bay leaves
- Star anise
- Dried orange peel
- Low sodium chicken stock: It's ideal to use low sodium chicken stock so you have better control of the salt levels
- Cornstarch (mixed with water): This will be added at the very end to thicken the sauce.
- Salt
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Pat the beef dry. Set the Instant Pot to 'Sauté' and wait for the pot screen to read 'Hot'. This can take a couple minutes. Add a neutral oil and then the meat. Sear both sides - this will take a couple batches. Even with the oil, you may find that the meat will stick a bit to the pot. Let it sear undisturbed and the meat will release much more easily.
- Remove the meat from the Instant Pot and slice into bite-sized chunks (about 1.5 inch cubes). Set the meat aside. Add the aromatics to the pot with some oil. Stir-fry until fragrant which should take about 2 minutes.
- Add the meat back into the pot with light and dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, and oyster sauce. Stir to evenly distribute the sauce. Add the bay leaves, star anise, and dried orange peel.
- Add daikon to the IP. Use a spatula to move the daikon towards the bottom of the pot so there's a better chance for the daikon to soak up the sauce. Finally, add the chicken stock.
- Secure the lid on the IP. Set IP to Pressure Cook for 10 minutes. Let pot Natural Release.
- Once you can remove the lid safely, set the pot back into Sauté mode. Add cornstarch mixture and allow the ingredients to simmer until the sauce thickens. Let simmer for another 5 minutes to slightly reduce the sauce.
- Taste and add salt to your preference.
- Serve over rice!
Equipment
Use a pressure cooker for this recipe. I use a 6QT Instant Pot. If you have a smaller IP, make sure to adjust ingredients accordingly.
Storage
Store in an air-tight tupperware in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Re-heat in the microwave and on the stove in a pan.
FAQ
Shaoxing wine is a Chinese rice wine that adds a nice depth of flavor. If you can't find it, you can substitute with dry sherry or mirin. If you prefer a non-alcoholic substitute, use apple or grape juice mixed with a bit of vinegar for tang.
Yes, for this recipe, we recommend beef flank as it's a tougher cut that becomes tender and flavorful after pressure cooking. You can also use chuck roast or short ribs as an alternative.
Make sure the Instant Pot is properly heated before adding the meat. Also, avoid moving the meat immediately after adding it, let it sear undisturbed for a few minutes. It will release easily once it's properly browned.
If the sauce is still thin after adding the cornstarch mixture, let it simmer a bit longer in 'Sauté' mode. Remember to stir occasionally to prevent sticking. You can also mix a bit more cornstarch with cold water and add it in.
Absolutely! You can also make this in a regular pot or a slow cooker. Just adjust the cooking time accordingly. Typically, slow cooking the beef over the stove or in a slow cooker would take about 2-3 hours on a low simmer.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Chinese Braised Beef and Daikon
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 lbs beef rough flank
- 2 lbs Chinese daikon radish (sliced into half circles)
- 6 cloves garlic (smashed)
- 2 stalks scallion (cut into 3 inch pieces)
- 3 small shallots (quartered)
- 1 inch ginger (sliced into thin pieces)
- ½ cup Shaoxing wine
- 3 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 5 bay leaves
- 4 star anise
- 1 dried orange peel
- 1 cup low sodium chicken stock
- 3 tablespoon cornstarch (mixed with 4 tablespoon of water)
- Salt (to taste)
Instructions
- Pat the beef dry. Set the Instant Pot to 'Sauté' and wait for the pot screen to read 'Hot'. This can take a couple minutes. Add a neutral oil and then the meat. Sear both sides - this will take a couple batches. Even with the oil, you may find that the meat may stick a bit to the pot. Let it sear undisturbed and it will release much more easily.
- Remove the meat from the Instant Pot and slice into bite-sized chunks (about 1.5 inch cubes). Set the meat aside. Add the aromatics to the pot with some oil. Stir-fry until fragrant which should take about 2 minutes.
- Add the meat back into the pot with light and dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine sugar, and oyster sauce. Stir to evenly distribute the sauce. Then add bay leaves, star anise, and dried orange peel.
- Add daikon to the IP. Use a spatula to move the daikon towards the bottom of the pot so there's a better chance for the daikon to soak up the sauce. Finally, add the chicken stock.
- Secure the lid on the IP. Set IP to Pressure Cook for 10 minutes. Let pot Natural Release.
- Once you can remove the lid safely, set the pot back into Sauté mode. Add cornstarch mixture (pre-mix this in a separate bowl before adding into the IP) and allow the ingredients to simmer until the sauce thickens. Let simmer for another 5 minutes to slightly reduce the sauce.
- Taste and add salt to your preference.
- Serve over rice!
Nora says
I'm always on the lookout for wonderfully delicious Instant Pot recipes. They make life so much easier. Thank you for another wonderful recipe!
Andrea says
Love that is made in the IP! So easy to make and it was so flavorful too!
Swathi says
Chinese braised beef and daikon looks delicious perfect meal with a bowl of rice.