Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli
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This Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli meal is easy to make with simple ingredients. Tender beef and crisp broccoli are cooked to perfection in a savory Asian-inspired sauce. It’s perfect for busy nights and will become a family favorite.
This post was originally created in September 2018 and updated in June 2024 with new images and more information for the reader.
We tend to go to our favorite Chinese restaurant a couple times a month for a change of pace and typically we order the same thing. Hubby will get the General Tso’s Chicken and I will get either sesame chicken or beef and broccoli. If I go the beef and broccoli route, we will share meals and while it’s super good, it’s not so cheap!
Making this slow cooker meal at home was the perfect solution to saving a bit of money and still getting a delicious meal. Depending on who the chef would be, sometimes the beef and broccoli would be too salty but making it at home, you can control the salt and all of the flavors.
We also enjoy this Instant Pot Pork Lo Mein and this teriyaki chicken on a stick. I no longer order this Sweet and Sour Pork in restaurants as my homemade version is so much better and a family favorite. Recently, I tried Black Pepper Chicken and loved it! Creating our favorite take-out meals at home is not only healthier but it’s fun!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Slow Cooker Beef and broccoli
Forget takeout menus from the Chinese restaurants! This slow cooker beef and broccoli recipe is here to save your weeknight dinners. Just toss a few ingredients into your slow cooker and walk away – a flavorful, family-friendly meal awaits!
Using the slow cooker for this recipe is such a timesaver and you will get great results each time you make it plus you control the ingredients. I chose to go the low sodium route with the recipe but adding salt is easier than taking it out. A cheaper cut of beef can be used to keep the cost down since the crock pot will slow-cook the meat to melt-in-your-mouth perfection. I used frozen broccoli as that is what I had but I also have used fresh broccoli and it’s great with both.
It’s also the perfect meal to use if you meal prep. Cook once, eat twice or more. In my house, there usually aren’t leftovers unless I make a double batch of beef and broccoli. It’s that good.
What cut of beef to use for this beef and broccoli meal?
I like to use the beef that is already thinly sliced for stir fry. You can find it in the beef section of the grocery store. Or you can ask the butcher to cut a flank steak thinly across the grain to keep it tender when cooking. A beef chuck roast cut into thin strips works well with this recipe, too.
Can you use Fresh broccoli florets instead of frozen?
Yes, you can use fresh broccoli in this beef and broccoli recipe. You can add the florets in at the same time as you add the cornstarch mixture. Since you cook an additional 30 minutes, this will give the fresh broccoli enough time to be cooked.
Time-Saving Tips and Variations
- Partially freeze your beef if you need to slice it. Partially frozen will make it so much easier to slice.
- While this recipe is called beef and broccoli, you can use other vegetables like cauliflower or zucchini.
- I used low-sodium soy sauce, but regular soy sauce or even liquid coconut aminos can be used.
- Same goes for the unsalted beef broth or stock I used, low sodium or regular works great.
- This dish is usually served over rice but it’s delicious over noodles, too.
🥣Equipment
- slow cooker
- small bowl
- whisk
📃Ingredients
- 2 pounds thinly sliced beef 2-inch strips – I like to buy the sliced beef used for stir-fry as it’s already sliced for me.
- 1 15-ounce can of unsalted beef broth
- 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ⅔ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- ¼ cup corn starch
- 4-5 cups frozen broccoli florets, do not thaw
- Black pepper to taste
- Cooked white rice
Directions
Place beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and garlic into slow cooker and combine well. Add meat and give it all a good mix. Cook on low for 3 hours (or high for 1 1/2 hours).
In a small bowl, combine ½ cup of the liquid from the slow cooker with the cornstarch. Whisk until smooth. Pour cornstarch mixture back into the slow cooker and stir. Add frozen broccoli. Cook for another 30 minutes. The sauce will thicken during this time.
Serve over rice and enjoy.
Other Slow Cooker Beef Recipes
- Slow Cooker Everything Seasoning Pot Roast
- Crock Pot Shredded Beef Fajitas
- Slow Cooker BBQ Beef Sandwiches
Printable Recipe Card
Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli
Equipment
- slow cooker
- small bowl
- whisk
Ingredients
- 2 pounds thinly sliced beef 2 inch strips – I like to buy the sliced beef used for stir-fry as it’s already sliced for me.
- 1 15 ounce can unsalted beef broth
- 1 cup low sodium soy sauce
- ⅔ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- ¼ cup corn starch
- 4 – 5 cups broccoli florets fresh or frozen
- Black pepper to taste
- Cooked white rice
Instructions
- If you can’t find the pre-sliced stir-fry beef strips, you can buy a 2 pound chuck roast or flank steak and slice it yourself into the thin strips. *Tip – if you partially freeze the beef it will be easier to thinly slice.
- Place beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and garlic into slow cooker and combine well. Add meat and give it all a good mix.
- Cook on low for 3 hours (or high for 1 ½ hours).
- In a small bowl, combine ½ cup of the liquid from the slow cooker with the cornstarch. Whisk until smooth.
- Pour cornstarch mixture back into the slow cooker and stir. Cook for another 30 minutes. The sauce will thicken during this time.
- At this point you can add your frozen broccoli to the slow cooker (at the same time you add the cornstarch) or you can cook your broccoli separately. If you cook the broccoli separately, simply add the it into the sauce before serving so they’re covered in that saucy goodness.
- Serve over rice.
Nutritional Disclaimer
“Blogghetti” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
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Enjoy!
