One of our go to dishes in the Instant Pot is Mongolian Beef or Chicken. It is an easy dish that is perfect for those long days at work when you get home and do not feel like cooking. It is great for a summer dinner on the patio as it does not heat up the kitchen or for those cold winter nights where something warm is required.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs flank steak or 6 pieces boneless skinless chicken thighs (see instruction notes for best way to prepare)
• 4 cups fresh Broccoli chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp canola oil (if browning beef/chicken)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 3/4 cup beef or chicken stock
• 1-2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: sesame seeds and scallions for garnish

Instructions:

1. Heat up your pressure cooker, press Sauté and wait for the Instant Pot indicator to read hot.
2. Adding the meat
   • If you are using flank steak its best to slice it when it is still a little frozen and make sure to slice against the gratin. Add sliced beef or chicken thighs to a ziplock bag and add 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Shake to coat evenly.
     • Add the oil to the hot Instant Pot, once the oil is hot, brown the beef/chicken in small batches so you don’t overcrowd the pot and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring a few times. (this step can be skipped if you want and just add to pot.
     • Add add 1/4 cup beef or chicken stock and deglaze the pot, scraping with a wooden spoon.
   • Note: you can skip browning and add straight to pot if you are short on time
3. Add the following ingredients to the pot: remaining beef or chicken stock, minced garlic, minced ginger, low sodium soy sauce, brown sugar and red pepper flakes.
4. Stir well until all the ingredients are combined and coated in sauce.
5. How long to cook
   • For flank steakclose lid and pressure cook at High Pressure for 8 minutes + 10 minutes Natural Release. Turn off the heat. Release the remaining pressure after the 10 mins and open lid.
   • For chicken thighsclose lid and use the poultry function and cook for 20 minutes if frozen or 13 minutes if fresh and then quick release and open lid.
     • Tip: you can place the lid in the small holder on the side of the pot.
6. In a small bowl mix 2 T cornstarch with lukewarm water until fully combined. With the Instant Pot on the Sauté function, add  to the pot, stir to combine and cook for 2-3 minutes on Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
7. Turn Instant Pot to keep warm and let the sit for 5 minutes for the sauce to thicken a little bit more. Add the broccoli and fold into beef/chicken sauce.
8. Garnish with sesame seeds. You can also add scallions (but as most of you know by now that I do not like onions).  We eat as is but you can serve over rice.

Serving Size Information: Serves 6, 229 calories per serving of flank steak version or 214 calories per serving of chicken version