Instant Pot Hibachi Steak Bites
My Instant Pot hibachi steak bites combine bite-sized flank steak, mushrooms, and onions in a savory sauce made with soy sauce, fresh ginger, garlic, and a little sesame oil. You put the zucchini in at the end so it can soften in the sauce without spending the whole cooking time under pressure and turning into mush. Spoon everything over rice, including that sauce.
This is a saucy, hibachi-inspired dinner with fully cooked beef and tender vegetables. Searing the steak first builds flavor, while the pressure-cooking step brings the beef, mushrooms, and onions together in the sauce. If you’re after steak bites with a skillet finish, my Garlic Butter Steak Bites are an awesome soul nourishing comfort food for the heart!
About This Recipe
The steak only pressure cooks for 4 minutes at high pressure, followed by a quick release. Expect your Instant Pot to take about 10 minutes to come up to pressure, which is included in the total time. The zucchini goes in after the pressure cycle so it stays tender-crisp, and the cornstarch slurry goes in after pressure cooking too. Starch added before pressure can scorch on the bottom and trigger a burn notice.
Recipe Snapshot
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: About 12 minutes of cooking, including 4 minutes at high pressure; searing and finishing can vary
Total Time: About 32 minutes, including an estimated 10 minutes for pressure buildup and release; allow extra time as needed
Servings: 4–6 with rice and sides; 6 portions will be smaller
Difficulty: Easy
Perfect For: Weeknight rice bowls and a hibachi-inspired dinner at home
Main Ingredients: Flank steak, mushrooms, onion, zucchini, soy sauce, beef broth, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil
The Ingredient Breakdown
How to Make Instant Pot Hibachi Steak Bites
Step 1: Season and Sear the Steak
Toss the steak bites with the cracked black pepper. Press SAUTÉ and let the pot get hot, then add the vegetable oil. Sear half the steak until it’s well browned on two sides, about 2 to 3 minutes, and move it to a plate. Repeat with the rest. The steak doesn’t need to be cooked through yet.
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Step 2: Bloom the Aromatics
Return all the steak to the pot. Add the sesame oil, ginger, and garlic and stir for about 1 minute, until it smells fragrant. Watch the garlic closely. It should look soft and pale golden, never dark brown.
Step 3: Add the Liquid and Scrape the Bottom
Press CANCEL. Add the onion, mushrooms, beef broth, soy sauce, and apple cider vinegar. Stir gently and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon until no browned bits are stuck to it. This step is the best insurance against a burn notice.
Step 4: Pressure Cook
Lock the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Press PRESSURE COOK (or MANUAL) and set it for 4 minutes at high pressure. It’ll take about 10 minutes to come up to pressure before the timer starts.
Step 5: Quick Release
When the timer beeps, carefully turn the valve to Venting to quick release the pressure. Keep your hands and face away from the steam. Open the lid once the float valve drops.
Step 6: Thicken the Sauce and Add the Zucchini
Stir the cornstarch and cold water together in a small bowl until smooth. Press SAUTÉ, and once the liquid is bubbling, stir in the slurry. Keep stirring for about 1 minute, until the sauce turns glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon. Press CANCEL, stir in the zucchini, and set the lid on top without locking it. Let it steam for 4 to 5 minutes, until the zucchini is tender-crisp and bright green around the edges.
Step 7: Serve
Spoon the steak, vegetables, and sauce over steamed rice. Finish with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions.
Troubleshooting Hibachi Steak Bites
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers in a shallow, airtight container within 2 hours and use them within 3–4 days. Store the rice separately when practical so you can add the amount you want when reheating.
Reheat the steak and vegetables with their sauce in a skillet over gentle heat or in the microwave, stirring for even heating, until the leftovers reach 165°F. Add a small splash of broth or water if the sauce has become too thick. Avoid simmering longer than needed, since the steak and zucchini are already cooked.
More Delicious Recipes to Enjoy
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Best Instant Pot Egg Bites
Instant Pot Firecracker Chicken
Slow Cooker Korean Beef
These Instant Pot hibachi steak bites give you seared steak, savory mushrooms, and tender-crisp zucchini in a garlicky ginger soy sauce, all from one pot. Sear hard, keep the pressure time short, and save the zucchini for the end, and you’ll have a weeknight dinner that tastes like you went out.
If you make it, leave a rating and a comment below and let me know what you served it with. And follow FoodnService on Pinterest and Facebook for more easy Instant Pot dinners to add to your weekly meal plan.
Instant Pot Hibachi Steak Bites
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 pound flank steak cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1/2 cup low sodium beef broth
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 cup mushrooms sliced
- 1 yellow onion cut into chunks
- 1 medium sized zucchini cut into chunks
Instructions
- Cut the flank steak across the grain into roughly 1-inch pieces. Pat dry and season with the black pepper.
- Select Sauté. Once the pot is hot, add the vegetable oil and sear the beef on two sides. Work in batches if needed, then return all the beef to the pot.
- Add the sesame oil, ginger, and garlic. Cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes, watching closely to prevent scorching. Press Cancel.
- Add the onion, mushrooms, broth, soy sauce, and vinegar. Scrape the bottom until all stuck-on browned bits are loosened. Do not add the zucchini or slurry yet.
- Secure the lid and set the valve to Sealing as required by your model. Cook on High Pressure for 4 minutes. Allow additional time for the pot to reach pressure.
- When the cycle ends, quick-release the pressure according to the manufacturer's instructions. Open the lid once fully depressurized.
- Mix the cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Select Sauté and bring the cooking liquid to a simmer. Stir the slurry again, add it to the pot, and stir until the sauce thickens. Press Cancel.
- Stir in the zucchini. Cover with a suitable nonpressurizing lid and let it cook in the hot sauce for approximately 4–5 minutes, until tender to your liking. Do not pressure cook again. If needed, briefly use Sauté while stirring to finish softening the zucchini.
- Serve over separately cooked rice with optional toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onion.
Nutrition
Notes
Recipe Notes
- Sirloin may replace flank steak, as specified in the original recipe. Chuck roast and unspecified stew meat are not equivalent substitutions for this short cooking cycle.
- Deglaze thoroughly before pressure cooking. Add cornstarch only after the pressure cycle.
- Refrigerate leftovers in a shallow, airtight container within 2 hours. Use within 3–4 days and reheat to 165°F.
- Timing excludes preparing rice. Pressure buildup, searing in batches, and vegetable finishing time can vary.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Questions About This Recipe
Can I use sirloin instead of flank steak?
Yes, sirloin is the alternative listed in the original recipe notes. Cut it into evenly sized pieces. Don’t substitute chuck roast or packaged stew meat and expect the same result from this short pressure-cooking cycle; those cuts generally need a different approach to become tender.
Will the steak be medium-rare?
This method produces fully cooked steak bites in sauce. Pressure cooking doesn’t give you the same control over the center of each piece that cooking steak in a skillet does. Choose the skillet recipe linked above if controlling steak doneness is your priority.
Can I put the rice in the pot with the steak?
Cook the rice separately for this recipe. Adding dry rice would change the liquid needs and cooking behavior, and the recipe hasn’t been written or tested as a combined steak-and-rice dish. For a recipe designed around that combination, try my Instant Pot Beef and Rice.
