This Instant Pot beef & broccoli features a healthy sweet and savoury sauce with a bite of ginger. A healthy dinner that requires minimal effort; you can have this on the table in under 40 minutes.
You may be surprised to find out that the Instant Pot is great for cooking up stir fry in a flash! Even better than takeout, this Instant Pot beef & broccoli is another great stir fry to add into your meal prep rotation, along with this coconut sweet chili chicken stir fry, and this Instant Pot fried rice.
This Instant Pot beef & broccoli is a staple weeknight meal to add into your recipe rotation. The flavor of the homemade sweet and savoury sauce is infused into the beef and broccoli - making it so tender and packed with flavor. With some sweetness from the honey, warmth from the ginger, and umami flavors from the soy sauce and sesame seeds - this meal is sure to be your new favorite "homemade takeout".
Best of all, you can portion out leftovers for meal prep lunches or dinners, or prep freezer packs to cook at a later date. The whole family is going to love this classic recipe. Serve over rice with sesame seeds and green onions!
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Reasons you'll ♡ this recipe
- the homemade sauce is made with simple, healthy ingredients that pack a lot of flavor (and infuse into the ingredients as they pressure cook)
- it cooks up in under 40 minutes, and requires very little clean up
- you can assemble it ahead as a freezer meal, or store leftovers for reheat meals
Recipe video
Watch the video below to see how to cook Instant Pot beef & broccoli! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Ingredient notes
- Boneless beef roast - we have used stewing beef cubes, inside and outside round roasts, but chuck roast would also work well; this recipe works well to tenderize the cheaper cuts of beef. Slice off any visible fat, and slice into 2-inch long thin strips.
- Honey - adds some sweetness to the sauce; you may swap it for brown sugar or maple syrup (equal volumes). Alternative sweeteners have not been tested.
- Soy sauce - we are using reduced sodium soy sauce for this recipe; you can swap for tamari or coconut aminos if you are following a gluten-free diet
- Veggies - we love broccoli with this recipe, but you can use your favorite veggie such as a stir fry blend, cauliflower, green beans or bok choy!
Step by step directions
1. Sauté - Select the 'sauté' function of the Instant Pot. Add the olive oil to the stainless steel inner pot of the Instant Pot, and heat for a minute. Add beef strips to cover the bottom of the pot (not overlapping), and season with salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, transferring to a clean plate. Work in batches until all beef strips are seared; add more oil if needed.
2. Combine - Add beef stock to the pan, using a spatula to scrape bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, and ginger, then stir to combine. Return the beef to the pot.
TIP- it's a good idea to deglaze the bottom of your Instant Pot after sautéing to avoid triggering the burn warning.
3. Pressure cook - Place the lid on the Instant Pot, set the valve to 'sealing' and pressure cook on high for 12 minutes. When the cooking cycle has completed, perform a quick pressure release- carefully transition the valve to the 'venting' position until the pin drops.
4. Add broccoli - Carefully remove the lid from the Instant Pot, then add the broccoli to the pot, mixing it in with the sauce. Select the 'sauté' function, and simmer for 3-5 minutes, until broccoli is softened to your liking.
5. Thicken sauce - Stir together the cornstarch and water, adding to the pot. Heat until the sauce is thick and bubbly. Use oven mitts to remove the inner pot from the Instant Pot so that the sauce doesn't over-reduce, and serve over rice with sesame seeds or green onions.
FAQ
we found the beef and broccoli to be substantially more flavorful when we took the time to saute and season the strips of beef first
Tough cuts such as stewing beef work well for this recipe. Ground beef could even work well!
Yes, you could swap the beef for chicken! Use 8 min + quick pressure release for boneless breast (left whole), 10 min for thighs. Cube after cooking.
Storage + reheating
This Instant Pot beef & broccoli stores well and works great for meal prep.
- Fridge - cool completely, then portion out with rice. Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days
- Freezer - cool completely, then portion out with rice. Store in a sturdy air tight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Cooked broccoli will freeze/ thaw well, but if swapping for a different vegetable you could also use snap peas or green beans.
- Thawing - thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheating - heat in the microwave until steaming hot, or reheat the beef & broccoli with sauce in a frying pan until warmed through.
More easy dinner recipes
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Instant Pot Beef & Broccoli
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lbs boneless beef roast sliced into 2-inch long thin strips long; see note 1
- salt
- ½ cup beef stock
- ⅓ cup soy sauce reduced sodium
- ⅓ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons ginger minced; or ½ teaspoon powdered
After cooking
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot starch
- 4 cups broccoli florets see note 2
To serve
- sesame seeds
- green onions
- rice
Instructions
- Sauté - Select the 'sauté' function of the Instant Pot. Add the olive oil to the stainless steel inner pot of the Instant Pot, and heat for a minute. Add beef strips to cover the bottom of the pot (not overlapping), and season with salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, transferring to a clean plate. Work in batches until all beef strips are seared; add more oil if needed.
- Combine - Add beef stock to the pan, using a spatula to scrape bits stuck to the bottom of the pan see note 3. Add the soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, and ginger, then stir to combine. Return the beef to the pot.
- Pressure cook - Place the lid on the Instant Pot, set the valve to 'sealing' and pressure cook on high for 12 minutes. When the cooking cycle has completed, perform a quick pressure release- carefully transition the valve to the 'venting' position until the pin drops.
- Add broccoli - Carefully remove the lid from the Instant Pot, then add the broccoli to the pot, mixing it in with the sauce. Select the 'sauté' function, and simmer for 3-5 minutes, until broccoli is softened to your liking.
- Thicken sauce - Stir together the cornstarch and water, adding to the pot. Heat until the sauce is thick and bubbly. Use oven mitts to remove the inner pot from the Instant Pot so that the sauce doesn't over-reduce, and serve over rice with sesame seeds or green onions.
Tips:
Video
Nutrition Information
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Katie says
Very good and easy to prepare! My husband loves beef and broccoli from take out and he was very happy. It has a fresher taste, obviously, so not exactly like fast food, but we think this is better. I used a 2 lb london broil that had a large section of fat and there was plenty of sauce to accommodate the little extra meat. Thanks for the recipe!