Slow Cooker Beef & Broccoli

If you love beef and broccoli but don’t feel like standing over a hot stove, this recipe is for you.

The slow cooker does most of the work. You get incredibly tender beef with a thick, flavorful sauce that coats everything perfectly.

It’s a straightforward recipe with simple ingredients you can find at any grocery store. Nothing fancy or complicated.

The sauce has a nice balance of savory, slightly sweet, and just a little bit of heat from the red pepper flakes.

I like to make this on busy days when I want a real, homemade dinner without spending a lot of time in the kitchen. It’s reliable and always turns out great.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

Tastes Like Takeout (But Better) – The combo of soy sauce, oyster sauce, fresh ginger, and garlic creates that rich, savory flavor you crave from a Chinese restaurant, but without the greasy wok or mystery ingredients.

The Beef Gets Incredibly Tender – Slow cooking flank steak for hours breaks down the tough fibers so each strip practically melts in your mouth, which is something you just can’t get from a quick stir-fry.

The Sauce Thickens Up Perfectly – That cornstarch slurry at the end turns the braising liquid into a glossy, thick sauce that clings to every piece of beef and broccoli and tastes amazing over rice.

Ingredients

• 2 lb Flank Steak, sliced against the grain into thin strips
• 1/2 cup Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
• 1/4 cup Oyster Sauce
• 3 tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
• 4 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp Fresh Ginger, grated
• 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/2 cup Beef Broth
• 3 tbsp Cornstarch
• 4 cups Broccoli Florets
• 1 tbsp Sesame Seeds
• Steamed White Rice, for serving

Directions

Step 1

Place the sliced flank steak in the slow cooker.

Step 2

In a bowl, whisk together soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, red pepper flakes, and beef broth. Pour the sauce over the steak and toss to coat.

Step 3

Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or on high for 2 to 3 hours, until the beef is tender.

Step 4

In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of cold water. Stir the slurry into the slow cooker sauce.

Step 5

Place the broccoli florets on top of the beef. Cover and cook on high for 20 to 25 minutes, until the broccoli is bright green and crisp-tender and the sauce has thickened.

Step 6

Gently toss the broccoli with the beef and sauce. Serve over steamed white rice and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Pro Tips

Slice the Steak While It’s Cold

Pop the flank steak in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes before slicing. When it’s partially frozen it firms up just enough that you can cut really thin, even strips without the meat sliding around on you.

Make sure you’re cutting against the grain. Look for the long lines running through the meat and slice perpendicular to them. This is what keeps the beef from being chewy after hours in the slow cooker.

Thin strips – about 1/4 inch thick – are what you want here. They soak up more sauce and get tender much faster than thick chunks would.

Add the Broccoli at the Very End

The broccoli only needs 20-25 minutes on high and that’s it. If you toss it in at the beginning with the beef, it’ll turn into complete mush by the time the meat is done. You’ll end up with a brown, soggy mess instead of bright green florets.

Place the broccoli right on top of the beef and sauce instead of stirring it in. This lets it steam rather than sit submerged in hot liquid, which keeps it crisp-tender with a little bite to it.

Start checking it at the 20-minute mark. You want it bright green and just barely fork-tender. It’ll keep cooking a little from the residual heat even after you open the lid.

Use Cold Water for the Cornstarch Slurry

When you mix the cornstarch with water, it has to be cold water. If you use warm or hot water, the cornstarch clumps up instantly and you’ll get lumpy sauce no matter how much you stir.

Whisk the slurry right before you add it to the slow cooker and pour it in while stirring. Cornstarch settles to the bottom fast, so if you let it sit for a few minutes it separates and won’t thicken the sauce properly.

Related Recipes

• Instant Pot Mongolian Beef
• Instant Pot Beef Stew
• Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast
• Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
• Instant Pot Butter Chicken

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different cut of beef instead of flank steak?

Yes, you can use chuck roast, skirt steak, or even sirloin. Chuck roast is actually a great option for the slow cooker because it has more fat and becomes super tender after hours of cooking.

Just make sure to slice whatever cut you choose into thin strips against the grain so the meat doesn’t end up chewy.