If you’re a fan of Japanese Curry, you MUST make this Instant Pot Japanese Beef Curry (Pressure Cooker Japanese Beef Curry)!
Japanese curry is my love at first bite. It’s one of a kind.
Rich, thick, deep, complex flavors of sweet, savory, spicy.
It’s super addictive!
7 months in the making! Recreated one of Tokyo’s most highly rated Japanese Curry Beef Stew with simple everyday ingredients.
Eat this & live with no regrets.
If you have never tried a delicious Japanese Curry, you’re really missing out.
Japanese curry was a definite Must on our To Eat List in our last trip to Japan.
After spending the whole morning (since 3 am!!) in Tsukiji Fish Market 築地市場, we walked over to the Ginza district.
We took this shot in Ginza (銀座) Tokyo, Japan – some say, it’s one of the most luxurious shopping districts in the world.
You can find numerous internationally renowned luxury brands & restaurants plant their flagship buildings & stores here. Including the Michelin 3-star Sukiyabashi Jiro. You may have heard of him from the 2011 documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi.
You really gotta hold on tight to your wallet when you’re in Ginza! 😛
Our bellies were still semi-full from our bucket-list Sushi Breakfast.
But my mind was locked on Baked Japanese Beef Curry from this restaurant in Ginza.
They serve one of Tokyo’s most highly rated Japanese Curry Beef Stew.
Right before their lunch service was over, we ran and found it hidden on a quiet street.
We anxiously walked down a narrow stairway to the basement.
Not exactly sure if it was the right place, or if they were still opened. I was hesitant to open the door.
But the thought of Japanese curry gave me the courage to turn the door knob.
When I was greeted by a warm smile and a funky menu, Jacky & I exchanged a smile and knew we were in the right place.
This piping hot Baked Japanese Beef Curry topped with melted cheese is what we’ve been waiting for!
Look at the luxuriously rich curry. Each mouthful was boldly sweet, savory, and oh-super spicy!!
After the meal, we bought home a bunch of Japanese curry roux.
Ready for our ambitious attempt to recreate this delicious Japanese Beef Curry.
We tried almost all the top store-bought Japanese curry roux. Sadly, they didn’t even come close.
But, wait!
We finally discovered the Secret Ingredient.
By adding excessive amount of our secret ingredient, the flavor profile is bang-on with slightly even more body compared to the restaurant version. YES!! 😀
You’ll Enjoy this Pressure Cooker Japanese Beef Curry Because:
- Indescribable explosion of flavors – intensive depth & balanced savory, sweet, spicy & umami flavors
- Super addictive rich & thick curry sauce full of body, texture & aroma (I couldn’t resist licking the wooden spoon AND silicone spatula 😛 )
- Tender & moist meat full of beefy flavors
- Melted cheese adds extra creaminess & texture
- All of the above, yet made with simple everyday ingredients
*I wish you could smell and taste from your screen, so you know what I mean!!
Ok, there’s a catch:
This recipe requires Time and Love.
But, once you’ve tasted it, there’s no turning back. Everything was worth it.
Tips for Instant Pot Japanese Beef Curry
1. Behold, the Secret Ingredient!
This sweet & savory Caramelized Onion Puree is a blend of heaven.
Onion naturally pairs well with beef. And this Caramelized Onion Puree pairs extremely well with Japanese curry.
2. Can I Use Other Beef Cuts for This Pressure Cooker Beef Curry Recipe?
Chuck roast is one of the most suitable cuts for pressure cookers. For optimal result, choose one that is well marbled!
3. Why Brown the Chuck Steak as a Whole First Before Cutting it Up?
Browning the chuck steak as a whole retains more moisture due to less surface area.
Chuck steak also browns faster and better compare to cubed stew, because maillard reaction excels in dry and high heat environment.
4. Why Add Baking Soda to The Onions?
This idea is actually from J. Kenji López-Alt (his cookbook is a masterpiece). Baking soda raises the pH and speeds up the rate of maillard reaction.
In simple terms: baking soda helps onions caramelize faster.
5. Can I Add Vegetables (such as Carrots & Potatoes) to This Japanese Curry Beef Stew?
Yes, carrots and potatoes are quite common in Japanese curry. Adding carrots increases the sweetness level of the overall flavor profile.
I recommend cooking this recipe once without any adjustments to see how you like it first.
6. Optional Step: Baking with Cheese
Baking this Japanese pressure cooker beef curry topped with cheese is optional.
We couldn’t resist and indulged in a couple of bites before we put it into the oven. Boy, it was delicious!
But wait, if you could hold back your urge just a teeny bit more…
THIS will be your reward…
Pressure Cooker Japanese Beef Curry
Ingredients
- ~2 pounds (937g) chuck steak (blade steak) , 1.5 inch in thickness
- 6 medium garlic cloves , chopped
- ¾ cup (190ml) unsalted chicken stock
- 2 - 3 (74g – 110g) Japanese curry roux cube or homemade Japanese curry roux
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) Japanese soy sauce
Caramelized Onion Purée
- 1.5 pound (680g) yellow onions and shallots , thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons (45g) unsalted butter
- ⅓ teaspoon (1.3g) baking soda
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
Equipment
♥ Share this Recipe so We can create more yummy recipes for you. Thank you 🙂
Instructions
- Prepare Pressure Cooker: Heat up your pressure cooker (Instant Pot: press Sauté button) over medium heat. Ensure your pot is as hot as it can be (Instant Pot: wait until indicator says HOT).
- Pressure Cook Caramelized Onion Purée: Melt 3 tbsp (45g) unsalted butter in pressure cooker. Add in sliced onions, shallots, ⅓ tsp (1.3g) baking soda. Sauté until moisture starts to come out of the onions (~5 mins). Close lid and pressure cook at High Pressure for 20 minutes, then Quick Release. Open lid.
- Reduce until Caramelized (takes roughly 16 – 17 mins): There will be lots of moisture from the onions. Reduce until most moisture has evaporated over medium high heat (Instant Pot: press cancel, Sauté button and Adjust once to Sauté More function). Stir constantly with a silicone spatula. Once most moisture has evaporated, adjust to medium heat (Instant Pot: press cancel and Sauté). Stir until onions are deep golden brown and all moisture has evaporated. Season with kosher salt & ground black pepper to taste. Remove caramelized onion purée and set aside.
- Brown Chuck Steak: Adjust to medium high heat (Instant Pot: press cancel, Sauté button and Adjust once to Sauté More function. Wait until indicator says HOT). Lightly season chuck steak with kosher salt & black pepper. Add 1 tbsp (15ml) of olive oil in the pot. Ensure to coat oil over whole bottom of the pot. Add seasoned chuck roast in the pot. Brown for 6 – 8 mins on each side without flipping. Remove and set aside on a chopping board.
- Sauté Garlic: Add in chopped garlic and stir until fragrant (about 30 secs).
- Deglaze: Pour in roughly ½ cup (100 ml) of unsalted chicken stock and completely deglaze the pot by scrubbing all flavorful brown bits with a wooden spoon.
- Pressure Cook Chuck Roast: Cut chuck steak into 1.5 – 2 inches stew cubes, and place them along with its meat juice back to the pot. Add remaining unsalted chicken stock, 1 tbsp (15ml) Japanese soy sauce and caramelized onion purée. Mix well. Close lid and pressure cook at High Pressure for 32 minutes + 10 minutes Natural Release. Release remaining pressure. Open lid.
- Make Japanese Curry: Taste the caramelized onion beef stew. Mix in the Japanese curry roux cubes one by one while tasting for the right balance of flavors. Taste and add more curry roux or Japanese soy sauce if necessary. We used roughly 2.5 (95g) Japanese curry roux.
- Serve: Serve over Calrose rice. We sprinkled some mozzarella cheese on top and baked it in the oven until the cheese melted and browned. Just like how the restaurant served it.
- Take a photo & Enjoy: Pat yourself on the back! One of Tokyo’s most highly rated Japanese curry beef stew dishes is recreated in front of your eyes. Take a picture to share on social media!
Notes
Nutrition
Want More Japanese Curry Recipes?
All Our Pressure Cooker Recipes
*Disclosure: We are an Amazon Influencer/Amazon Associate. This means that if you decide to purchase items or services on Amazon through our links on Pressure Cook Recipes to Amazon, Amazon will send a small commission to us at no additional costs to you. Thank you!