Orange Beef | Instant Pot recipe by Pressure Cooking Today™ (2024)

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This is a super quick one-pot beef recipe that’s full of flavor from fresh ingredients but comes together in just a few minutes on a weeknight.

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED

Here’s what you need to make this easy Instant Pot spicy beef:

• Flank steak. Be sure to cut the steak into equal pieces for even cooking.
• Garlic. This is a must for the classic flavor of orange beef!
• Orange juice. We always use freshly squeezed orange juice, but store-bought will work in a pinch.
• Soy sauce. You can use regular or low-sodium soy sauce.
• Sesame oil. This has a strong flavor, so if you’re sensitive to sesame oil, you can use slightly less.
• Red pepper flakes. Feel free to omit these if you don’t want your orange beef to have a kick.
• Orange zest. This adds to the fresh citrus flavor.
• Cornstarch. You’ll need this to thicken up the sauce so it coats the beef.
• Green onions. Use these to add a pop of color as garnish on the dish.

How to Make Spicy Orange Beef in an Instant Pot

✅ This easy recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.

Start by seasoning your beef with plenty of salt and pepper. Next, you’ll brown the beef using the Saute function on the Instant Pot. add the vegetable oil, and once it’s hot, add the beef in batches and sear on both sides until nicely browned. Transfer all of the meat to a plate.

Leave the drippings in the pressure cooking pot, then add the garlic and give it a good stir for a minute, until it’s fragrant. Next add your orange juice, red pepper flakes, and soy sauce and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Return the beef to the pot, along with any juices on the plate.

Now you’re ready to pressure cook. Lock the lid on and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. When the cooking time ends, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release.

Remove the lid, and now it’s time to thicken up the sauce. Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl into a smooth paste. Push the beef to one side of the pressure cooking pot and add the cornstarch slurry to the sauce, stirring constantly. Select Saute and bring the sauce to a boil until it’s nice and thick.

Finally, stir in your green onions. Serve the spicy beef over rice or noodles and top it with orange zest, more green onions, and more red pepper flakes if you like. Enjoy!

Important Tips for Making Spicy Orange Beef

• Seasoning the steak before you brown it will help season the entire dish, so don’t be shy!
• Browning the beef is an important first step to building rich, deep flavors in this dish. We don’t recommend skipping it, but if you’re crunched for time, you can simply go straight to the pressure cooking step.
• Be sure to use a non-metal spoon, such as a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, to stir your sauce while it thickens.
• When you add the cornstarch to the sauce after pressure cooking, make sure to bring the sauce to a full boil so it thickens and to ensure that the cornstarch is fully cooked. If your sauce still looks thin, remember it will continue to thicken as it cools.

Frequently Asked Questions about Instant Pot Orange Beef

MORE Quick Instant Pot Beef Recipes

Here are our other favorite fast weeknight recipes made with beef in the Instant Pot:

• Beef and Broccoli Recipe has a thick slightly sweet sauce and crisp-tender broccoli
• Mongolian Beef Recipe is a savory and super tender beef dish served over fluffy white rice.
• Beef and Cheddar is a delicious sandwich-for-dinner recipe topped with a gooey, melty cheese sauce.