Beef with Broccoli is one of my favorite quick weeknight dinners! Tender beef in an irresistible sauce packed with garlic and ginger. A sweet and savory dinner the whole family will love. With this simple recipe you can forget take out! This is so much better than any take out and you get to control exactly what goes into the dish you are eating. Tender strips of beef are served with broccoli in a sweet and savory sauce. I've included both Instant Pot and Slow cooker instructions for this versatile dish.
Add the cooking oil to the Instant Pot and turn on "Sauté” mode by clicking the sauté button. When the oil is heated, brown the meat in batches.
Add the beef broth and deglaze the bottom to pick up any brown bits. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pot.
Add in oyster sauce (optional), chili flakes, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar and sesame oil. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Add the lid onto the pot and lock the lid. Ensure the pressure valve is set to SEALING. Cook at high pressure for 10 minutes.
When the cooking time ends, do a quick pressure release. Carefully turn the pressure valve to the VENTING position. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid.
In a small bowl mix together the cornstarch and water until evenly combined and no lumps remain. Add the mixture to the pot and stir until evenly combined.
Add the broccoli on top of the meat. Close the Instant Pot and let the broccoli steam for 3 minutes (fresh) or 5 minutes (frozen). You do not need to turn on the pressure cook mode as there is enough heat in the pot to steam the broccoli.
Note: Frozen broccoli may release some additional water while it steams. To thicken the sauce, add more slurry (cornstarch mixed with water in equal amounts). You might need a little bit more slurry than the amount indicated in the recipe. Start with an additional 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water then decide if you need to add more or not until your desired consistency is reached. The sauce will become thick and glossy as it continues to cook.
Remove the lid from the instant pot and stir the broccoli into the meat.
Serve with rice, garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
In a slow cooker, place all ingredients together (except for the broccoli, water and cornstarch).
Make sure that the sauce is covering the steak slices.
Cover with lid and cook on low for 5 hours.
After the 5 hour cooking time, in a small bowl whisk the corn starch with water, add to the slow cooker along with the broccoli.
Cook on low for 30 more minutes, adjust thickness of sauce as desired.
Serve over rice, garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Cooking Tips
For this recipe you can use chuck roast, flank steak, skirt steak or sirloin steak. They all work great. Make sure to cut against the grain. This cuts the muscle fibers and makes the meat less chewy. If you feel your slices won’t be even or that the cut won’t be as clean as you want it to be, place the meat in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes. Cold meat cuts better than meat at room temperature.
Cornstarch is a key ingredient here, do not try to replace it with flour, the results will not be the same.
Using fresh ginger and garlic will add amazing flavor to the sauce, so don’t skip these two.
Do I need to clean the instant pot after browning the beef? No. Always keep the brown bits that stick to the pot while you’re browning the meat. These will release when you deglaze the pot with the broth and add incredible flavors to the entire dish.
Can I add mushrooms? Yes you can! Sometimes I like to diversify and add 1 pack of mushrooms (around 1 cup) to the recipe. Cooking time and all the other ingredients and instructions stay the same. Add in with the broccoli.
Can I replace the brown sugar? Yes, you can replace it with honey or white sugar.