Instant Pot Goulash

Step 1

Brown Ground Beef in Instant Pot: Press “Saute” button to “Sauté More” function to heat up Instant Pot. Wait until the indicator says “HOT” (~8mins). Season the ground beef generously with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Add 1 tbsp (15ml) olive oil in Instant Pot, and make sure the oil is coated over the whole bottom of the pot. Add in ground beef. After 5 minutes of browning, remove the ground beef juice. *Pro Tip: The ground beef juice is fatty, but it contains a lot of flavor. It's up to you to discard or reserve it for later. Continue to brown the ground beef, and stir occasionally until they are slightly crisped and browned (~5 – 7 mins). Taste and adjust the seasoning with more kosher salt and ground black pepper.

Step 2

Sauté Onion and Green Pepper: If your ground beef is very lean, you may need to add in 1 extra tbsp oil at this point. Add diced onions & green pepper in Instant Pot, then saute for 3 minutes.

Step 3

Sauté Garlic and Spices: Add in 1.5 tsp (1.8g) dried basil, 1.5 tsp (1.2g) dried oregano, minced garlic cloves, and 3 tbsp (45g) tomato paste, then saute for another minute.

Step 4

Deglaze Instant Pot: Pour ½ cup (125ml) unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot, then deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot. *Pro Tip: Make sure to deglaze really well for this goulash recipe!

Step 5

Pressure Cook Goulash: Add in 1 tbsp (15ml) fish sauce, 2 tbsp (30ml) regular soy sauce, 1 tbsp (15ml) Worcestershire sauce, and the previously reserved beef juice (optional). Give it a quick mix. Add in 1lb (454g) elbow macaroni or ditali. Pour in 1½ cup (375ml) unsalted chicken stock and 2 cups (500ml) cold water. *Pro Tip: Make sure all the pasta are fully submerged in the liquid. Pour in 1 can of crushed tomatoes with all the juice on top. Do not mix! With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure cook at High Pressure for 4 minutes + Gradual Quick Release. When the floating valve drops, turn the Venting Knob to the Venting position. Open the lid carefully.*Pro Tip - Gradual Quick Release: Use a wooden spoon to turn the venting knob just a bit so the steam starts to come out gently. This pressure release method prevents splatter, and it'll take longer than a normal Quick Release.

Step 6

Stir and Season: It will look a bit too saucy at first, that’s normal! Once you start stirring, it'll all come together nicely & tasty. Taste and season with more salt if necessary (for reference: we added roughly 1 – 2 pinches of salt to season the dish properly).

Step 7

Serve Goulash: If you have some parsley on hand, finely slice them, then garnish the Goulash. Serve & enjoy~