Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli–tender pieces of beef are served alongside broccoli and a savory and slightly sweet Asian sauce for a homemade version of your favorite Chinese takeout dish.
Get the SLOW COOKER version of the recipe here
Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli
One of my favorite things to order at a Chinese restaurant is beef and broccoli. The salty sweet sauce and the bright green broccoli steaming on a plate is so good. I’ve made an EASY version of beef and broccoli that you can make at home in your electric pressure cooker.
This recipe has “levels” to it. You can go with the super quick and easy route of not browning the meat. Or if you have a little more time you can add flavor by browning the meat, if you want to get the most flavor possible you can even marinate the meat for an hour. It’s up to you and how much effort you want to put into dinner today.
Beef: I have used beef stew meat when I’ve made this but I actually prefer buying a chuck roast and cutting it into strips. That way I know all the beef is from the same cut of beef and will cook evenly. I like cutting my chuck roast into strips when it is partially frozen. It’s easier to manipulate when it’s just a little frozen.
Broccoli: I used a bag of frozen broccoli when I made this recipe. The reason? It’s already cut up and ready to go. You can use fresh broccoli, if you prefer. The cooking directions will be a little different with fresh broccoli (it is outlined in the recipe below).
Soy sauce: I prefer to use a low sodium soy sauce or a Tamari when I make this instant pot beef and broccoli. Regular soy sauce seems too salty to me.
What to serve it with? When I made this instant pot beef and broccoli I decided to serve it with cooked ramen noodles (unseasoned) instead of rice. The kids really liked that. Really you could do either.
More recipes you’ll love…
Instant Pot Yellow Curry and Jasmine Rice
Slow Cooker Yellow Chicken Curry
Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli Rice Bowl
Instant Pot Korean Beef and Brown Rice or Slow Cooker Cheater Korean Beef
Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken
What Pressure Cooker Did You Use?
For Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. I also own the 6 quart Instant Pot IP-LUX60 V3 Programmable Electric Pressure Cooker.* They are both great pressure cookers! The first one I mentioned has a yogurt making function but other than that they are fairly similar. The price difference between the two is about $20.
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Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes plus 10 minute NPR
- Total Time: 11 minute
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Tender pieces of beef are served alongside broccoli and a savory and slightly sweet Asian sauce for a homemade version of your favorite Chinese takeout dish.
Ingredients
- 2 tsp canola or vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 lbs chuck roast, cut into thin strips or bite size pieces
- 3 garlic cloves, mined
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1 lb bag frozen broccoli florets
- Sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- For ultimate flavor brown the pieces of beef in your Instant Pot. You can do this by using the saute setting. Heat canola/vegetable oil in the pot. Brown one side of each of the beef strips for about one minute.. You may have to do this part in batches. Transfer the meat to a plate. Add the garlic into the pot and quickly saute the garlic for about one minute.
- Add in the beef broth and scrape the bottom of the pot so that nothing is sticking. Add in the sugar, sesame oil and soy sauce. Whisk. Add in the beef. For ultimate flavor you can turn off your pot completely and let it sit there for one hour and let the meat marinate in the sauce. But if you’re in a hurry you can cook right away.
- Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and press the manual or pressure cook button on high pressure. Make sure valve is set to “sealing.” Set the timer to 15 minutes. When the timer beeps indicating that 15 minutes is up, let the pot sit there for 10 minutes and then move the valve to “venting” to remove any pressure that remains.
- Remove the lid. Stir to break up any meat that is sticking together. Turn your Instant Pot to the saute setting. In a small bowl stir together the cornstarch and water until smooth. Stir the mixture into the Instant Pot. Your sauce will start to thicken in a few minutes.
- When sauce is thick, stir in the frozen broccoli. Let the broccoli warm through and get cooked for about 3 minutes.
- Serve beef, broccoli and sauce with rice or noodles. Garnish with sesame seeds.
Notes
Beef: I have used beef stew meat when I’ve made this but I actually prefer buying a chuck roast and cutting it into strips. That way I know all the beef is from the same cut of beef and will cook evenly. I like cutting my chuck roast into strips when it is partially frozen. It’s easier to manipulate when it’s just a little frozen.
Broccoli: I used a bag of frozen broccoli when I made this recipe. The reason? It’s already cut up and ready to go. You can use fresh broccoli, if you prefer. You’ll need to lightly steam the broccoli before adding into your instant pot at the end of the cooking time. I do this by placing it in a bowl with a cup of water and microwaving for 3 minutes.
Soy sauce: I prefer to use a low sodium soy sauce or a Tamari when I make this instant pot beef and broccoli. Regular soy sauce seems too salty to me.
What to serve it with? When I made this instant pot beef and broccoli I decided to serve it with cooked ramen noodles (unseasoned) instead of rice. The kids really liked that. Really you could do either.
- Category: Beef
- Method: Instant Pot
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I made this tonight the meat was so tender I used beef stew meat and cut the cubes in half. Served it over cauliflower rice I steamed in the microwave along with Asian vegetables I steamed in the microwave. Once again Karen your recipes are the best
★★★★★
Sounds like a perfect dinner!
My 7 year old son asks for this every single week. So easy and flavorful!
★★★★★
Thanks so much for the 5 stars!
Sooooo easy and so yummy. My family of 5 ate it all Barry any left overs. Thank you!
★★★★★
Thanks so much for the 5 stars Kendra!
I’ve made this probably 5 or 6 times since January and it’s become one of my go-to recipes. It is great as written, however I’ve started reducing the amount of sugar by half and same with the soy sauce (even though I already use low sodium), as I feed this to my 1 year old and I try to minimize her sugar and salt.
I use fresh broccoli and I stir it in right before serving as it tends to get mushy otherwise and I like it to be fairly crisp just as personal preference.
★★★★
Thanks for sharing your ideas Shari!
Made this last night, it was excellent and so easy! I used a ribeye steak that had been languishing in my freezer and I did the one hour marinate as well. Used frozen broccoli that I steamed first in the micro. I also mixed beef broth with the cornstarch since I had it left from my can of broth. Served over left over jasmine rice I had made the night before (in the IP!). Will definitely make again!
★★★★★
Yum! And a great way to use up that rib eye!
This may be the best instantpot recipe I’ve ever made. I sliced the Chuck roast into 1/8” thick pieces and they nearly fell apart after cooking. I steamed fresh broccoli florets on the side and simply stirred them in at the end. I served over rice but am going to try the ramen noodles next time. Thanks for this recipe!
★★★★★
So glad you liked it Beth!!
The best beef and broccoli iv, e ever had….will definitely make again
Oh that’s a nice compliment! So glad you enjoyed it!
There are very good alternatives available these days for Soy Sauce and sugars. I have used them all and can say that you can use the alternatives on a one to one basis in most recipes…at least all the ones that I have tried.
Coconut Aminos works best for Soy Sauce (better than Braggs IMHO) and Erythritol makes good sugar substitutes for granulated, baking and brown sugars.
All are available on Amazon.
I would have added photos by can seem to do it.
Good tips! Thanks Ken!
I’m new to the IP world, my husband gifted me with the 8qt Duo Crisp, 11 in 1… I’m a crock-pot kind of gal, and was super reluctant to use this fancy gizmo. That said, I am SO happy I came across this recipe today – you saved my dinner! I will surely be trying the others you offer! I love that you have a realistic style, so thanks, Karen! This was easy and delicious, my boys inhaled it, and my husband was scooping the sauce up to add to the rice. I added sliced fresh carrots (thin) and frozen chopped onions with the broccoli in the last step, and they were perfect. I also used stew meat (with the browning step) and the 15min was still right. I am not likely to make stir fry the same way ever again! Thank you for helping me overcome my IP anxiety!!! 🙂
★★★★★
Awesome! I’m so glad you used the IP! It is an amazing kitchen tool
This was absolutely delicious. The only thing I changed was a bit less soy sauce as I struggled to get low sodium soy sauce. This is now my husbands favourite instant pot dinner, my 9 year old loved it to. Win win all round. Thank you for the recipe.
★★★★★
So happy to hear it! Thanks Sarah!
This was delicious but the calorie information is way off. I calculated the calories separately and one serving has 571 calories without rice, 150 more than the 420 listed. This was really disappointing for me as I ate everything before I figured this out and I am counting calories.
★★★★
I made this using stir fry beef from my local grocery store. The only other change I made was I added some ginger to the recipe and it was really good. My family really enjoyed dinner last night. This was excellent.
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed it Jennifer!
I made this recipe tonight. I was impressed by the way you can create the first part of it and then let the meat sit for an hour. After I took the meat out I sautéed Some sliced celery, then some sliced mushrooms, Just because I was light on the broccoli. I did add a little bit of ginger liquid from sushi ginger. The whole meal was fantastic and I love the process all in one pan. Thank you very much!
★★★★★
I like the sound of this Tamara! 👏
This recipe looks like it is worth a shot! I do have a question-when you used stew meat, did you increase the time, I’m worried 12 minutes will leave it tough. Thank you.
20 minutes should work great for stew meat!
Can I make this with chicken?
Sure!
Is it the same cooking time for chicken?
★★★★
Are you using full chicken breasts or sliced up pieces of chicken. If the chicken is sliced then use 5 minutes if not then use 15 minutes.
★★★★★
I’m using full chicken thighs.
Then I’d use the 15 minutes.
2nd time to make it, delicious both times. Very easy to make, and the house smelled sooooo good! Added mushrooms which pressure cooked with the meat. Yummy, thanks!
★★★★★
I love the idea of mushrooms yum yum!
Good flavor but the broccoli was mush, even though I reduced the pressure time to 12 minutes. I used frozen broccoli, maybe it would be better with fresh.
★★★
Hi Bri the broccoli doesn’t get added in until the food has pressure cooked for that reason. See step 5: When sauce is thick, stir in the frozen broccoli. Let the broccoli warm through and get cooked for about 3 minutes.
That’s what multitasking will get you. I’ll have to try it again.
Lol been there done that!
I used microwave steam in bag brocolli and just added it at the end. Worked perfectly
Thanks for the tip Jennifer!
LOVE this recipe! I currently have a cold so I’m not up to standing over a stove. This recipe was a perfect solution. Hearty and hit the spot. I doubled the garlic and I didn’t have broccoli, so I used fresh green beans instead. Let them pressure cook with the beef and they came out perfect.
Awesome! So glad I helped somehow when you were sick. get better soon.
Excellent !!! It turned out perfect and tasted better than most restaurant food! I haven’t much experience with my Instapot but your directions were so easy to follow! I will be making this again very soon! Thank you!
★★★★★
Great Teresa! I’m glad that it worked will for you!
I just received my 6qt. IP and this is my first recipe. It was FABULOUS! I used fresh broccoli and steamed it for only a minute so it would stay crunchy and bright. I could not believe how tender the chuck roast turned out – I’m so use to having to cook it a very long time in the crockpot to get it this tender. I can’t wait to try more recipes – I already love my IP and love this website!
★★★★★
YAYYYYY!!!!! So glad to hear this Carol.
This was my first instant pot dish I made and tonight my daughter (16) did her first try of this same recipe that is how much we loved it the first time…we use fresh broccoli..I am not the usual cook in our house because I never learned growing up..but now my daughter and I fight my husband the cook to do the cooking. Our daughter is good she learned from him and his aunt over last several years..but with our new pot we are making things ourselves that we used to buy frozen or take out..broccoli beef was one that we wanted to make at home to save money but this recipe tastes better than take out or frozen! Soo ty!
★★★★★
Good job!!
This recipe is awesome!!! My whole family loved it… It hit the spot after a long day. My husband and I both work… Before this website the extent of my cooking skills was throwing something frozen in oven and if that wasn’t an option it was take out…. When my husband found this website… He was like ” sweety you should try cooking one of these recipes!!! There so simple..there is no way it can go wrong.” I was skeptical about it… But I tried… This is the third recipe I’ve cooked and came out great!!! I use to hate to try and cook cause I would burn it Everytime… And now I look forward to going home, finding a recipe and making it!!!
★★★★★
This is so very nice to read. Thank you so much for sharing your experience!
BEST THING I’VE EVER MADE IN MY IP!! Maybe the best thing I’ve ever made, period!
Wow Wendi! Thanks! So glad you liked it 🙂
I am already rating this recipe on the scale of 5 because from what I read you took the time to consider many things to include in it including the preparation and the instructions and also the nutritional value of the whole recipe. I have not made this one yet but I copied the recipe and your notes which I will print soon and will be our dinner for tonight, just for my husband and me. I am using beef heel muscle which I purchase from an Asian store a few days ago. As long as it will be pressure cooked, I am sure any kind of meat will do here. I kinda prefer meat that are nearer the bones as they are more tastier, hence my choice of meat. My one pot multi cooker is a Ninja brand and I am very happy with it.
★★★★★
I have 5 lbs of stew meat and I’m new to the IP. Not sure what I need to adjust. I have the 8qt Ultra. I look for recipes that appear doable so …here goes. 🙏🏻
Did you make it? How did it go? That’s a lot of meat!!
I had this recipe nailed for the slow cooker but it didn’t translate well to the IP. I tried a few combos but they all fell a bit flat. Until this one. Now, I think part of my mistake was buying stew meet and not slicing it a bit thinner, which I did this time, and I don’t think I browned the meat before. I also think the step of sauteeing the garlic on its own enhanced flavors. I was surprised the beef was so tender with such short cook times! I used to use the stew setting (35 min) and it wasn’t this tender. I add a can of baby corn chunks for more color and bc my little guy loves it. This thickened perfectly, which is also a bit of a struggle. This is a keeper!
★★★★★
Sorry but not a fan of this recipe. Needs more seasoning. We all thought it was a little bland. Threw left overs away.
This is my second time making this one because MY WHOLE FAMILY LOVES IT. Tripled recipe as there was literally not a bite left for our lunches next day, not making that mistake again. I garnish w chopped sweet peppers and roasted sesame seeds – I LOVE THIS RECIPE! THANK YOU!
★★★★★
Nice!! So happy to hear this.
I have tried doubling recipes and never quite know how much extra time or liquid I need to add. Did you adjust anything when tripling this recipe?
My family also likes left overs for lunch!
This may help you Tami: https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/how-to-double-instant-pot-recipes/
Thank You So Much for this awesome sharing! Exited to try this Tonight
Delicious! If made accordingly to receipe how many calories is this dish?
Thank you.
★★★★★
Hi, I just added in the nutrition info for you.
Like most Instapot recipes, this one looks very easy to make. As far as fresh broccoli vs. frozen broccoli goes, does anyone know if there’s much of a nutrition difference? I’ve heard people claim fresh broccoli has more nutrients, but I’ve also heard the frozen stuff is processed right away so the nutrient loss is minimal. I also like the convenience (as you mentioned) of it being sliced up.
A new favorite for our weeknight meals!
So delicious! Just a suggestion… use the IP’s timer feature to marinate the meat for one hour (or however long you want) before it automatically starts pressure-cooking. Works great and is one less thing to remember later 😉 I use the timer feature all the time to soak the kids’ oatmeal overnight and have it ready-cooked when they get up In the morning. Game changer!!
★★★★★
BRILLIANT!
Very new to Instapot, could you explain how you did this? Want to give it a try.
This was delicious and simple! Thank you!
you’re welcome! glad you liked it 🙂
Can I make this without the sugar?
yes, but it might taste unbalanced a bit.
This is my second time making this one because MY WHOLE FAMILY LOVES IT. Tripled recipe as there was literally not a bite left for our lunches next day, not making that mistake again. I garnish w chopped sweet peppers and roasted sesame seeds – I LOVE THIS RECIPE! THANK YOU!
What a fun comment to read. Thanks!!
Excellent recipe! Leftovers are great too. I added extra garlic and some chili sauce, and also decreased the sugar, just for my family’s tastes. We loved it. I think I will also add more broccoli next time.
★★★★★
I just made this and oh my gosh…so good! I doubled the broccoli amount (because, health haha) and served over quinoa. So so so tasty! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
★★★★★
Karen, Thank you for another delicious recipe! This would be great to double for a crowd.
you’re welcome!
Made this the other day doubled the recipe and made rice. Had leftovers for work. Very tasty!!
★★★★★
Awesome! So fun to take something yummy to work. Killing two birds with one stone!