Instant Pot Beef And Broccoli Recipe (2024)

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Instant Pot beef and broccoli tastes like Chinese takeout and is ready in 20 minutes!

Instant Pot Beef And Broccoli Recipe (1)

If you like beef and broccoli from a Chinese restaurant, you will go crazy over this homemade Instant Pot beef and broccoli! Tender soft beef and perfect green broccoli swimming in the flavorful garlicky brown sauce – amazing!

Instant Pot Beef And Broccoli Recipe (2)

You’ll be drooling smelling the beef and broccoli while it’s cooking in the Instant Pot. Your own kitchen will be transformed into the best Chinese restaurant ever! When you bite into this beef and broccoli dish, you will marvel how soft and tender the beef is, how perfectly cooked is the broccoli and how well they go with the brown sauce that ties the whole dish together.

Instant Pot Beef And Broccoli Recipe (3)

Making your own beef and broccoli is cheaper and healthier than getting it from the restaurant. Chinese restaurants usually fry beef in a ton of oil and add unhealthy MSG. Homemade beef and broccoli doesn’t contain MSG and no oil is used in this recipe because it’s simply not needed! You know exactly what ingredients go into this meal – what you see is what you get!

Instant Pot Beef And Broccoli Recipe (4)

Instant Pot beef and broccoli is very easy to make. All you need to do is combine the ingredients for the brown sauce (soy sauce, water, minced garlic and minced ginger), add beef and sauce to the Instant Pot and pressure cook for 10 minutes. While the beef is cooking, cook the broccoli in the microwave. When the Instant Pot is done cooking the beef, quick release (QR) the pressure, switch the Instant Pot to the Saute setting and add some cornstarch mixed with water to thicken the sauce. Stir in cooked broccoli and delicious homemade beef and broccoli is ready!

Instant Pot Beef And Broccoli Recipe (5)

You may be wondering – why don’t I cook broccoli together with beef in the Instant Pot? The reason why I cook it separately is because the broccoli cooks much quicker then the beef. If broccoli were pressure cooked for 10 minutes, it would turn into absolute mush.

Can you cook broccoli in the Instant Pot too instead of using a microwave? Yes you can, but it needs to be cooked separately from beef. Instant Pot can make perfect broccoli, check out my Instant Pot broccoli recipe. If you have 2 Instant Pots, you can cook it in the second pot while the first one is cooking the beef, and if you only have one Instant Pot, then cook broccoli first, then remove it and cook the beef.

Instant Pot Beef And Broccoli Recipe (6)

Beef and broccoli is awesome served over rice, and you can cook rice in the Instant Pot too! Second Instant Pot would come in handy here as well :) Check out my recipes for Instant Pot white rice and Instant Pot brown rice. Or you can use the rice cooker or microwave to cook rice at the same time as the beef (see how to cook rice in the microwave).

Instant Pot Beef And Broccoli Recipe (7)

This beef and broccoli portion is quite big (2 lbs of beef) and it makes great leftovers. It tastes great re-heated the next few days, and you can also freeze it too in ziploc bags, and thaw it in a microwave or in refrigerator overnight when ready to eat. If you halve the portion and only cook 1 lb of beef, you still need to use the same quantity of sauce as for 2 lbs (1 cup of sauce), otherwise the Instant Pot might not come to pressure.

You can use any cut of beef to make Instant Pot beef and broccoli. The classic version useschuck roast or flank steak thinly sliced against the grain, but I’ve also made this successfully with pre-cut beef stew meat (I just had to halve the pieces to make them smaller) and pre-cut beef taco meat! Instant Pot makes beef so tender, so use whatever beef cut is on sale – it’s going to turn out awesome!

Instant Pot Beef And Broccoli Recipe (8)

If you like Instant Pot beef and broccoli, you will also like these easy recipes:

Instant Pot Egg Roll In A Bowl – another Chinese takeout-fakeout! This is a low-carb version of eggroll, tastes like the eggroll without a wrapper :) The whole dinner cooks in one Instant Pot and ready in 10 minutes!

Instant Pot Chicken Adobo – authentic Filippino chicken Adobe recipe made simple in the Instant Pot! Super flavorful!

Instant Pot Beef Chili– another comfort one-pot meal, mouthwatering! Just dump all ingredients in the pot and get a steaming hot bowl of chili!

Instant Pot Lazy Cabbage Rolls – “unstuffed” cabbage rolls with beef, cabbage and rice, simmered together in Instant Pot to perfection! So filling and comforting!

Instant Pot Beef Meatballs With Rice – also called “porcupine meatballs” because the rice sticks out of meatballs like porcupine needles :) So tender and mouthwatering!

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Instant Pot Beef And Broccoli Recipe (10)

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4.95 from 19 votes

This is the best and easiest Instant Pot beef and broccoli recipe ever! Ready on the table in 20 minutes and tastes like Chinese takeout! Instant Pot is a game changer!

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: beef, broccoli

Cooking Method: Instant Pot

Diet: Gluten-Free, Keto / Low-Carb, Paleo

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 452kcal

Author: MelanieCooks.com

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs beef chuck roast or flank steak, cut into small pieces or thin strips
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar (or sugar-free sweetener for keto option)
  • 1 lb broccoli florets fresh or frozen
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 inch piece of fresh ginger or 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch (or 1 tbsp xanthan gum for keto option)
  • 1/4 cup hot water
  • Sesame seeds for garnish optional

Recommended Kitchen Tools (click the links below to see the items used to make this recipe)

  • Instant Pot

Instructions

  • Put soy sauce, 2/3 cup water, brown sugar, garlic and ginger in a food processor or blender and process until smooth (if you'd like to make it without a food processor, mince garlic and ginger by hand and combine with soy sauce, water and sugar in a cup).

  • Put sliced beef in the Instant Pot and pour soy sauce mixture over it. Toss with your hands to make sure all the beef is coated with soy sauce mixture.

  • Close the lid of the Instant Pot and set the valve to a Sealing position. Press the "Pressure Cook" or "Manual" button and set the time to 10 minutes on High pressure.

  • While the beef is cooking, put the broccoli in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on High for 4 minutes if fresh (or 5 minutes if frozen).

  • When the beef is done cooking, quick release (QR) the steam and open the Instant Pot lid.

  • On the Instant Pot, press the Saute button and set the time to 15 minutes.

  • In a cup, mix the cornstarch with 1/4 cup of hot water. Add the cornstarch mixture to the Instant Pot and mix until incorporated. The beef mixture will come to a boil and the sauce will gradually thicken (in about 3 minutes).

  • Stir the cooked broccoli into the beef mixture and serve.

  • Sprinkle with sesame seeds for garnish (if using).

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Nutrition

Calories: 452kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 850mg | Potassium: 682mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 471IU | Vitamin C: 68mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 4mg

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Instant Pot Beef And Broccoli Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What sauce is beef and broccoli made of? ›

Beef and Broccoli Ingredients

Sauces and oils: This beef and broccoli recipe calls for oyster sauce, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Sherry: Cooking sherry adds a sweet, nutty flavor to the beef and broccoli. Sugar: White sugar lends a hint of sweetness. Cornstarch: A teaspoon of cornstarch thickens the sauce.

What is the best cut of meat for a pressure cooker? ›

Chuck roast, brisket and short ribs are the best cut because they contain a lot of connective tissue. During both slow & pressure cooking, that connective tissue breaks down and turns into gelatin giving the beef a rich, meaty flavour and a tender, juicy texture.

How do you soften beef for beef and broccoli? ›

đź“ş Watch how to make it
  1. Place the steak strips in a bowl.
  2. Sprinkle over 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda and rub it into the meat with your hands.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  4. Rinse the beef in cold water to remove the bicarb.
  5. Pat dry with paper towels and use as per your recipe.
Jul 11, 2023

How much liquid do you need for Instant Pot beef? ›

The Instant Pot won't come to pressure without a bit of liquid. We found 1 cup was just enough to avoid stewing the beef. Don't throw out the sauce at the end. It's amped up with flavor from cooking with the beef and is absolutely decadent spooned over medium-rare slices.

What is the brown sauce in Chinese restaurants made of? ›

Broth: Many versions of this dish use beef broth, but you can also find it made with chicken or vegetable broth. Soy Sauce: Soy sauce is one of the main ingredients that you'll find in nearly every version of Chinese brown sauce.

How do Chinese get beef so tender? ›

How is it that these restaurants can get the meat to be so soft and moist no matter how much they are cooking and for different recipes? It all starts with tenderizing the meat with baking soda and water that is massaged into the thinly sliced meat. It is then left to marinate for about an hour or two before cooking.

Is beef more tender in a pressure cooker or slow cooker? ›

Slow cooking breaks down the connective collagen in meat, which turns into unctuous gelatine. This creates that soft and tender mouth feel we all crave.

How do you keep meat moist in a pressure cooker? ›

The tightly sealed cooker creates a high-pressure environment that quickly and efficiently steams whatever is inside of it at an extra-high heat. This technique also forces moisture into the food quickly.

How do you make meat tender in a pressure cooker? ›

Bring up to full pressure over medium-high heat, and cook for 20 minutes. Carefully release pressure according to the manufacturer's instructions. Check to make sure meat is fork tender. Let the meat rest for 15 minutes.

Why is my beef and broccoli chewy? ›

Buy the right cut of meat.

Since stir fries cook quickly, you have to use a tender cut of meat. No, cheap stew meat will not work here! You'll end up with tough chewy pieces of meat that no one will enjoy. My personal faves are flank steak & skirt steak.

Why are beef and broccoli so tender? ›

The slices of beef are so juicy and tender thanks to slicing thinly, not overcooking and a marinade with tenderizing properties. FLAVORFUL BEEF. The beef soaks up the savory essence of the marinade infused with soy, hoisin, chili sauce, ginger and garlic.

Do you need to rinse baking soda off meat? ›

Just as you would with dry brining, rinse your meat until it's (mostly) free of all the baking soda.

Why is my beef tough in Instant Pot? ›

The moist heat in a pressure cooker tends to turn connective tissue into gelatin. You need to let the meat cool down for a few minutes after cooking, to give time for moisture to be reabsorbed, before releasing the pressure. Otherwise, the meat will likely be tough.

Should meat be submerged in an Instant Pot? ›

While you may cover meat almost completely for a conventional braise, use just enough liquid for the cooker to reach pressure – during pressure cooking the meat will release it's own juice and braise in that flavorful liquid, instead.

Can you overcook beef in Instant Pot? ›

In a few words, yes! You can also undercook it, too. Overcooking the meat would result in a very dry tasting pot roast.

What is beef sauce made of? ›

Instructions. Pour sesame oil into a pan over medium heat, then add beef fillet and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add crushed garlic, ginger, beef seasoning, stir and let simmer for a minute. Add carrots, green bell pepper, stir, then add onion, red chilli, soy sauce and stir.

What does beef and broccoli contain? ›

Beef and Broccoli has easily become one of the dishes in the weekly rotation! It's really a simple combination of the tender marinated flank steak, crisp broccoli, aromatics, and savory umami rich sauce that really brings it all together!

What to use instead of oyster sauce? ›

  • Fish sauce. Although it's not a perfect substitute, you can use fish sauce in place of oyster sauce in some recipes. ...
  • Soy sauce. Soy sauce is an easy substitute for oyster sauce since it's a common pantry staple. ...
  • Hoisin sauce. ...
  • Worcestershire sauce with soy sauce. ...
  • Teriyaki sauce. ...
  • Vegan mushroom sauce.
Jul 12, 2021

What is sauce made from meat juices? ›

Pan sauces and gravies are delicious concoctions that use the pan drippings from roasted meats to make a silky sauce that can accompany the meat. It's usually, and delectably, poured on top of side dishes like mashed potatoes or roasted vegetables.

References

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