Easy Crockpot Beef and Broccoli Recipe

On this planet of Chinese-American classics, you possibly can’t beat beef and broccoli. And whilst you can all the time order take-out, right here at Delish we’re so obsessed that we’ve discovered a number of methods to make it at house: in a pan on the range, and now in a slow-cooker. On this simple, hands-off model, we’re cooking thinly-sliced steak low and gradual in a wealthy broth till it’s fall-apart scrumptious, after which throwing within the broccoli close to the top so it cooks simply lengthy sufficient to change into tender. After that, all you want is a pot of rice, and dinner is served! 

Learn on for extra tips about cook dinner this easy dinner. Or, for those who desire a extra hands-on method, strive our Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry.

What beef is in beef and broccoli? 

We advocate sirloin for this recipe, however you could possibly sub in flank, hanger, and even chuck steak for those who wished. No matter you employ, an important factor is to chop your steak thinly in opposition to the grain earlier than cooking it. This helps tenderize the steak. In the event you’re having bother getting skinny slices, strive freezing the steak; it will aid you get these skinny even cuts.

What’s beef and broccoli sauce fabricated from?

Whereas extra conventional variations could embrace oyster and darkish soy sauces, right here we’re choosing beef broth, common soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, sesame oil, and sriracha. These components are simple to search out (you most likely have most of them in your pantry already!) and nonetheless come collectively to create a wealthy, flavorful sauce that satisfies all of your beef and broccoli cravings.

How do I thicken my sauce?

On this recipe we’re utilizing a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch dissolved in a little bit broth separate from the crockpot) to thicken the broth and switch it right into a wealthy gravy. It’s a reasonably easy course of, however there are a pair belongings you’ll need to bear in mind:

1. Be certain that your cornstarch dissolves fully. If the cornstarch isn’t totally dissolved earlier than you stir the slurry again into the remainder of the broth within the crockpot, it’s not going to magically dissolve when it hits that sizzling broth. You probably have cornstarch clumps floating in your crockpot, any thickening energy the cornstarch has can be trapped inside these clumps– it’s not going to thicken something like that!
2. Boil your broth to activate the cornstarch. When you’ve stirred the (totally dissolved cornstarch) slurry into the sauce, you will need to convey the broth to a full boil to activate the cornstarch’s thickening energy. In the event you don’t boil the broth, the cornstarch gained’t be capable of do something. 

Can I take advantage of flour as an alternative of cornstarch to thicken this beef and broccoli?

Positive! You’ll want to make use of about twice as a lot flour as you’d cornstarch to get the identical thickening energy (so for this recipe that may be ¼ cup). We’d nonetheless advocate dissolving the flour individually in a little bit of the broth earlier than stirring it into the slow-cooker, so that you don’t get lumps. 

Made it? Tell us the way it went within the remark part under!

Editor’s notice: This intro was up to date so as to add extra details about the dish on Might 31, 2022.