Instant Pot Beef & Broccoli
Instant Pot beef and broccoli is an easy version of your favorite Chinese takeout right at home. This takeout inspired dish can be on your table faster than delivery can be at your door for a fraction of the cost!
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We love a good Chinese takeout dinner in our house.
But in a family of 6, that gets real expensive real quick.
I mean have you ever tried to feed 4 boys?
They will eat you out of house and home.
So we often make takeout at home.
Fake out if you will.
Beef and broccoli is a favorite takeout order, and let me tell you our Instant Pot fakeout version does not disappoint!
You get all the classic flavors and can feed a crowd- even a crowd made mostly of hungry boys- for a fraction of the cost.
Plus it’s super easy to make thanks to the Instant Pot.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Oil– Go for a mild light oil like canola oil
- Flank steak– Cut into thin, more or less equal sized strips
- Water
- Broccoli– Frozen broccoli, steamed according to package instructions
- Spices– Minced garlic, ginger paste, crushed red pepper flakes
- Soy sauce– Your favorite brand
- Sesame oil– A little goes a long way
- Beef broth– Don’t substitute a different kind of broth
- Brown sugar– A scant half cup
- Slurry ingredients– Cornstarch and more water to thicken the sauce
- Sesame seeds– For garnish
How to Make
This Instant Pot beef and broccoli is almost as easy to make as ordering takeout is!
To do it, whisk the garlic, ginger, red pepper, soy sauce, sesame oil, broth, and brown sugar together in a small mixing bowl until the sauce is evenly combined.
Set it aside.
Then, make sure the liner is in the pot and add the canola oil.
Hit the sauté button on the Instant Pot to heat the oil.
Once the oil’s hot add half the beef.
Let the beef sear, cooking for about two minutes.
Stir, turning the beef and continue cooking on its other side for another two minutes.
Transfer the cooked beef to a waiting plate.
Repeat this with the rest of the steak and cover the plate with foil to keep the beef warm.
Once you’ve seared the beef, pour 1/4 cup of water to the hot pot to deglaze it, using a sturdy wooden spoon to scrape up any browned flavor bits from the pot.
Put the beef back into the pot, and pour the sauce mix over it.
Give everything a good stir.
Secure the lid on the Pot, making sure the vent valve is set to sealing.
Cook on HIGH pressure for 10 minutes, then let it sit for a 10 minute natural release.
After 10 minutes, carefully turn the vent valve to open and release any of the remaining trapped steam.
Once you’ve released the steam, make the slurry by whisking the cornstarch and water together in a small mixing bowl.
Pour the slurry into the pot, stirring to combine.
Hit the saute button again and cook, stirring often, to let the sauce thicken.
Hit the cancel button to turn off the Instant Pot.
Add the steamed broccoli to the pot, stirring to combine.
Serve the beef and broccoli over steamed white rice.
Garnish with sesame seeds and enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
Leftover Instant Pot beef and broccoli store beautifully!
Just transfer the cooled beef and broccoli to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Reheat in the microwave or on saute in the Instant Pot until warmed through.
What size Instant Pot do I need?
You can use almost any sized Instant Pot for this.
But if you are using a 6, 8, or 10 quart Instant Pot, then you can safely double the recipe!
Tips and Tricks
- For those who are spice sensitive, you can halve the red pepper flakes or even leave them out entirely.
- If the sauce is still too thin for you after the slurry has done its thing, you could add more but keep in mind it will continue to thicken as it cools. It is meant to be a thinner sauce, and not a gravy.
- Sesame seeds and thinly sliced green onions make the perfect garnish for this Asian dish.
- For extra crunch, you can also serve it with crispy chow mein noodles.
Other Instant Pot Takeout Inspired Recipes
Instant Pot beef and broccoli is a yummy alternative to ordering in!
Make it the next time you get hit with a craving for Chinese.
Looking for other Instant Pot takeout inspired recipes?
Try these:
- Instant Pot Beijing Beef
- Instant Pot Sweet & Sour Chicken
- Instant Pot Hibachi Style Steak & Zucchini
Don’t have an Instant Pot?
Make sure to try our slow cooker beef and broccoli.
If you’ve tried this easy INSTANT POT BEEF AND BROCCOLI recipe, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Instant Pot Beef & Broccoli
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 2 lbs flank steak cut into thin strips
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 12 oz pkg frozen broccoli steamed according to package instructions
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tbsp ginger paste
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 cup beef broth
- scant 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch + 1/3 cup of water
- sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- To a small mixing bowl add the garlic, ginger, red pepper, soy sauce, sesame oil, broth, and brown sugar. Whisk together until the sauce is evenly combined. Set aside.
- Make sure the liner is in the pot, then add the oil and hit the sauté button. Once the oil's hot add half the beef. Let the beef sear, cooking for about two minutes.
- Stir, turning the beef and continue cooking on its other side for another two minutes. Transfer the cooked beef to a waiting plate. Repeat for the remaining beef, and cover the plate with foil to keep the beef warm.
- Add the 1/4 cup of water to the hot pot to deglaze, and using a sturdy wooden spoon scrape up any browned flavor bits.
- Add the beef back to the pot, and pour the sauce mix over it. Stir just until evenly combined.
- Add the lid to the pot, turning to close and set the vent valve to the sealed position. Cook on HIGH pressure for 10 minutes, then let it sit for a 10 minute natural release.
- Carefully turn the vent valve to open and release any of the remaining trapped steam.
- Add both the cornstarch and water to a small mixing bowl- whisk together until evenly combined. Pour the slurry into the pot, stirring to combine.
- Hit the saute button again and cook, stirring often, for another 5 minutes- just until the sauce has thickened. Hit the cancel button to turn off the Instant Pot.
- Add the steamed broccoli to the pot, stirring to combine.
- Serve the beef & broccoli over steamed white rice & enjoy!
Notes
- For those who are spice sensitive, you can halve the red pepper flakes or even leave them out entirely.
- If the sauce is still too thin for you after the slurry has done its thing, you could add more but keep in mind it will continue to thicken as it cools. It is meant to be a thinner sauce, and not a gravy.
- Sesame seeds and thinly sliced green onions make the perfect garnish for this Asian dish.
- For extra crunch, you can also serve it with crispy chow mein noodles.
Nutrition
This post may contain affiliate links. As an amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full Disclosure Policy for details.
