Instant Pot Bò Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew)

5 from 2 votes

Instant Pot Bò Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew) is the ultimate comfort food! Marinated beef, onions, and carrots float in a cozy and fragrant soup flavored with lemongrass, coconut milk, and cinnamon. Serve it your way - with a crusty baguette (bánh mì), rice, or noodles.

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 1

Total Time 2

Servings servings

Calories 385

Author Jessica Kwon

Equipment

Instant Pot pressure cooker

Ingredients

Beef Marinade

2 lb boneless beef shank, chuck roast, or brisket cut into 1½ inch cubes (see notes)
½ shallot minced; about 2 tbsp
2-3 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon Chinese five spice
½ teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon fish sauce
¼ cup ketchup
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Stew

1 tablespoon cooking oil
½ onion sliced; about ¾ cup
½ inch knob ginger grated; about 1 tsp
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
1 lemongrass top ⅓ cut off, smashed, and folded in half
4-5 carrots cut into 1 inch chunks; about 2 cups
1 teaspoon white granulated sugar
½ tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
¼ cup coconut milk
1 cup low sodium or unsalted beef broth
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Cilantro and lime for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Soak the beef. Add cubed beef to a large bowl and cover with cold water. Let soak for 30 minutes-1 hour. Then drain, rinse well, and pat as dry as possible.
Marinade the beef. To a large mixing bowl, add shallot, garlic, Chinese five spice, paprika, fish sauce, ketchup, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Stir well, then add beef cubes and mix until evenly coated. Let marinade for at least 30 minutes while you prep the vegetables. If marinading for more than 2 hours, cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge.
Cook the stew. On your Instant Pot, turn on Sauté (Normal) mode and add oil. When it reads "Hot", add onion and let sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Then add ginger and stir for 30 seconds, making sure to not let it brown.
Add the marinaded beef and stir for another 1-2 minutes. We're not trying to cook or brown the beef, just simply toast the spices. Then turn off Sauté mode.
To the Instant Pot, add cinnamon stick, bay leaves, lemongrass, carrots, white sugar, soy sauce, coconut milk, beef broth, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Mix together, then place the lid on and turn the venting knob to the sealing position. Pressure Cook on High Pressure (Normal) for 35 minutes, then Natural Release for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, release remaining pressure by turning the venting knob to the venting position.
Take off the lid and remove the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and lemongrass. Mix well and season to taste. Let cool slightly before serving, then top with cilantro and lime wedges on the side. Serve with rice, noodles, or a baguette.

Notes

Beef: Traditional Bò Kho uses the working part of the cow that's typically very tough and full of connective tissue. My parents use beef drop flank but it can be difficult to find. The three most common cuts of beef for Bò Kho are beef shank, chuck roast, or oxtail. I recommend using a boneless cut of beef to reduce the cooking time.
- Beef shank: From the leg of the cow. It contains a lot of connective tissue, muscle, tendon, and collagen. When cooked low and slow, it melts to create a rich, beefy, and hearty dish. A boneless cut may not always be available at a conventional grocery store - check specialty butcheries or Asian supermarkets instead.
- Chuck roast: From the shoulder. Commonly used for pot roast and stews, the chuck roast has a good balance of meat and fat. It's easier to find than the shank and is very economical.
- Oxtail: From the tail of the cow. It's fattier and usually contains bone. It contributes a lot of rich, fatty flavor but won't contain a lot of meat. I don't recommend using only oxtail in Vietnamese Beef Stew.
- Brisket: Not very traditional in Bò Kho, but I commonly use it because it's meaty and easy to find. This cut is from the chest of the cow and is made up of the flat and point muscles. The flat is leaner while the point is more marbled and flavorful.
Lemongrass: To prepare, first remove any dry outer layers, saving one, and cut the top ⅓ off. Use a mallet, rolling pin, or back of your knife to pound the lower ⅓ bulb. This opens up the lemongrass bulb to release its oils. Then fold the stalk in half to fit into your Instant Pot. If you'd like, wrap with one of the leaves to create a bundle.
Greens on the side: Vietnamese Beef Stew is commonly served alongside cilantro, Thai basil leaves, lime, green onion, mint, and onion slices. You can also make a mixture of lime juice, salt, and pepper to dip the beef in.
Serve bò kho with egg or yellow noodles (Mì Bò Kho), rice noodles (Phở Bò Kho or Hủ Tiếu Bò Kho), rice (Cơm Bò Kho), or a baguette (Bánh Mi Bò Kho). Vietnamese baguettes are lighter and fluffier, but French baguettes work just as well.
Substitutions:
- Add tendon or honeycomb tripe if you like extra chewiness in your Instant Pot Vietnamese Beef Stew. Just be sure to rinse it in a bowl with salt, and clean and prepare it properly before adding it to the soup. Since it takes longer to cook, I recommend cooking it separately.
- If you prefer to use a pre-made Bò Kho seasoning packet, use 1 tablespoon to replace the Chinese 5 spice and paprika.
- Substitute a whole cinnamon stick with ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon.
- If you can't find fresh lemongrass, use ¼ cup pre-chopped lemongrass from the freezer section or 2 tablespoon stir-in paste in the vegetable section of your local grocery store.
- For a spicy Bò Kho, add a jalapeño, serrano, or Thai chile. Halve the pepper lengthwise and remove some of the seeds before adding into pressure cooker.

Nutrition