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Home » Blog » Recipes » Instant Pot Thai Beef Curry (Whole30, Low Carb)

Instant Pot Thai Beef Curry (Whole30, Low Carb)

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This tasty and simple Whole30-friendly Thai beef curry recipe can be made quickly in an Instant Pot!

An overhead shot of Instant Pot Thai Beef Curry in a red bowl.

As I mentioned before, I’m on a mission to convert some of my most popular slow cooker recipes into pressure cooker ones—mostly ’cause the Instant Pot rocks my socks off. Yeah—I know I sound like a broken record, but an electric pressure cooker really is a joy-sparking, life-changing, time-saving kitchen appliance. I’m not the only one who thinks so; many of you have also jumped on the pressure cooker bandwagon, and asked me to make more recipes for the Instant Pot. There’s nothing like peer pressure to keep me motivated, so without further ado, here’s a revamp of my classic recipe for Slow Cooker Thai Yellow Curry with Beef Brisket!

A closeup shot of Instant Pot Thai Beef Curry topped with cilantro.

Did I mention that this recipe works with whatever Paleo-friendly curry paste you have on hand? Just read the labels carefully to make sure there aren’t any weird preservatives or sugar. These are two commercially available Paleo-friendly curry pastes I picked up at my local Asian supermarket and they’re just as tasty as Thai yellow curry paste:

Two containers of Thai curry pastes on the counter, Aroy-D's Massaman Curry Paste and Mae Ploy's Green Curry Paste.

Ready or not, here’s the recipe!

Time to make Instant Pot Thai Beef Curry!

Serves 8

Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds grass fed beef brisket, chuck roast, or boneless short ribs, cut in 1½-inch cubes
  • 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons Thai curry paste
  • 1½ cup full-fat coconut milk, plus ½ cup (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
  • 2 tablespoons apple juice (I like Martinelli’s brand)
  • 1 tablespoon Red Boat fish sauce
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in large cubes
  • 2 small onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and cut in 2-inch pieces
  • Handful of chopped mixed herbs, like cilantro and scallions

Equipment:

  • Instant Pot or stovetop pressure cooker
  • Cutting board
  • Chef’s knife
  • Large bowl
  • Measuring spoons
  • Measuring cups
  • Silicone spatula
  • Blender or food processor (optional)

Method:

In a large bowl, toss the cubed beef with the salt.

Salt is sprinkled on cubed beef in a silver bowl.

Use your hands to distribute the salt evenly.

The beef and salt are tossed by hand to distribute the seasoning.

Press the “Sauté” button on the Instant Pot and add the coconut oil. (No Instant Pot? Simply heat the oil in your stovetop pressure cooker over medium heat.)

When the oil is hot, add the curry paste and stir until fragrant.

Curry paste is added to the hot Instant Pot insert.

Pour in the coconut milk, coconut aminos, apple juice, and fish sauce.

Coconut milk and fish sauce are added to the Instant Pot Thai Beef Curry

Stir the sauce to combine.

An overhead shot of the sauce for Instant Pot Thai Beef Curry in an open Instant Pot.

Add the beef cubes…

The salted beef cubes are added to the sauce in the Instant Pot

…and sweet potatoes, onions, and carrots.

Cubed sweet potato is added to the Instant Pot

Stir everything well.

The ingredients for Instant Pot Thai Beef Curry are stirred well before the Instant Pot is programmed to cook under high pressure

Press the “Cancel/Warm” button on the Instant Pot and lock the lid with the top dial pointed towards the sealed position.

The lid is put on the Instant Pot Thai Beef Curry.

Press the “Meat” button to cook the stew for 35 minutes under high pressure. (If you’re using a stovetop pressure cooker, lock the lid and crank the heat to high to bring the contents to high pressure. Once high pressure is reached, decrease the heat to low, or just enough to maintain high pressure. Set a timer for 35 minutes as your stew cooks under high pressure.)

A display on the Instant Pot shows 35 minutes under high pressure.

When the stew is finished cooking, unplug the electric pressure cooker and let the pressure drop naturally. If it’s still pressurized after 10 minutes, turn the knob at the top to release the pressure manually. (For stovetop pressure cookers, turn off the burner and let the pressure drop naturally.)

Once the pressure is released, take off the lid and taste the stew. Adjust the seasoning with additional salt or fish sauce to taste.

An overhead shot of Instant Pot Thai Beef Curry after it is finished cooking.

Don’t worry if the sauce looks kind of curdled—it’ll still be delicious. For those of you who want a creamier sauce, you can transfer the meat to a serving platter with a slotted spoon. Pour the sauce and vegetables into a blender or food processor and add the optional ½ cup of coconut milk. Purée the sauce until smooth, and combine it back with the beef before serving.

I’m too lazy to wash a blender so I don’t bother with this extra step. I simply ladle the yummy stew on top of a bowl of cauliflower rice, hide the stew under a pile of fresh herbs, and dig in!

An overhead shot of a bowl of Instant Pot Thai Beef Curry topped with cilantro leaves.

Hungry for more pressure cooker recipes? Check out My Top Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot Recipes!


Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013) and Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017)!


PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD

Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot) Thai Beef Curry by Michelle Tam / Nom Nom Paleo https://nomnompaleo.com
Print Recipe
5 from 6 votes

Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot) Thai Beef Curry

Here's my tasty and simple Whole30-friendly pressure cooker Thai beef curry recipe that you can make in your Instant Pot!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time35 mins
Total Time1 hr 15 mins
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Thai
Keyword: gluten-free, Instant Pot, paleo, Pressure Cooker, Whole30
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 418kcal
Author: Michelle Tam

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds grass fed beef brisket chuck roast, or boneless short ribs, cut in 1½-inch cubes
  • 2 teaspoons  Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons Thai curry paste
  • 1½ cup full-fat coconut milk plus ½ cup (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons  coconut aminos
  • 2 tablespoons apple juice I like Martinelli’s brand
  • 1 tablespoon  Red Boat fish sauce
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cut in large cubes
  • 2 small onions peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 2 large carrots peeled and cut in 2-inch pieces
  • Handful of chopped mixed herbs like cilantro and scallions

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, toss the cubed beef with the salt.
  • Use your hands to distribute the salt evenly.
  • Press the “Sauté” button on the Instant Pot and add the coconut oil. (No Instant Pot? Simply heat the oil in your stovetop pressure cooker over medium heat.)
  • When the oil is hot, add the curry paste and stir until fragrant.
  • Pour in the coconut milk, coconut aminos, apple juice, and fish sauce.
  • Stir the sauce to combine.
  • Add the beef cubes, sweet potatoes, onions, and carrots. Stir everything well.
  • Press the “Cancel/Warm” button on the Instant Pot and lock the lid with the top dial pointed towards the sealed position.
  • Program the Instant Pot to  cook the stew for 35 minutes under high pressure. (If you’re using a stovetop pressure cooker, lock the lid and crank the heat to high to bring the contents to high pressure. Once high pressure is reached, decrease the heat to low, or just enough to maintain high pressure. Set a timer for 35 minutes as your stew cooks under high pressure.)
  • When the stew is finished cooking, unplug the electric pressure cooker and let the pressure drop naturally. If it’s still pressurized after 10 minutes, turn the knob at the top to release the pressure manually. (For stovetop pressure cookers, turn off the burner and let the pressure drop naturally.)
  • Once the pressure is released, take off the lid and taste the stew. Adjust the seasoning with additional salt or fish sauce to taste.
  • Don’t worry if the sauce looks kind of curdled—it’ll still be delicious. For those of you who want a creamier sauce, you can transfer the meat to a serving platter with a slotted spoon. Pour the sauce and vegetables into a blender or food processor and add the optional ½ cup of coconut milk. Purée the sauce until smooth, and combine it back with the beef before serving.
  • I’m too lazy to wash a blender so I don’t bother with this extra step. I simply ladle the yummy stew on top of a bowl of cauliflower rice, hide the stew under a pile of fresh herbs, and dig in!

Notes

This stew freezes and reheats really well! If you want a creamier sauce, follow step 12 after you heat it up.
Tried this recipe?Mention @nomnompaleo or tag #nomnompaleo!

Nutrition

Calories: 418kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 24g | Fiber: 2g

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. LucyDC says

    August 16, 2020 at 12:37 am

    5 stars
    This recipe is INCREDIBLE. I’ve made it twice with beef brisket and Maesri-brand yellow curry, and the sweet potatoes make this dish so creamy and memorable. The last time I made it, I cooked up a big batch and immediately froze half for a future weeknight when I wouldn’t have time to cook. It reheated wonderfully; topped with fresh cilantro, it was every bit as good.

    Reply
  2. Serena says

    October 23, 2020 at 12:38 am

    Has anyone added extra green veggies to beef up this recipe? It’s delicious but I have a lot of people to feed, and would like to add veggies to make it a one dish meal.

    Reply
    • Michelle Tam says

      October 23, 2020 at 11:05 pm

      You can stir in baby spinach at the end and cook until wilted!

      Reply
  3. Rebekah says

    January 3, 2021 at 6:40 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe! I made this using red curry paste and some cubed goose breasts my husband brought home from a successful hunt. I also tossed in some sliced mushrooms that were about to go bad and I did the blender part at the end. Really easy and delicious! Will make again!

    Reply
  4. Jfree says

    January 19, 2021 at 1:14 am

    5 stars
    One of my favorite recipes. I usually partially blend the sauce at the end with an immersion blender (after removing most of the meat. Also steam some green beans while it’s cooking and mix those in just before serving. And when I don’t have apple juice, apple sauce works well too.

    Reply
  5. Christie Thomson says

    February 25, 2021 at 3:58 am

    5 stars
    This recipe is amazing! We truly enjoyed this as a family. 1/2 way through the dinner, we decided to complete step 12 and cream the sauce. We thought that this recipe went from a 5 to a 10 just completing that step! I was concerned also that 2 TBS of Red Curry might be too spicy for my kids and realized that it wasn’t. When we blended up the sauce, we added more curry. Great recipe and thank you! Will continue to try more recipes from you! We have loved everything we have eaten so far! Thank you!

    Reply

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