Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli (Printable view)

Tender beef and crisp broccoli in savory Asian-style sauce, made quickly in the Instant Pot.

# What You'll Need:

→ Beef

01 - 1.5 lbs flank steak or sirloin, thinly sliced against the grain
02 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch

→ Sauce

03 - 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
04 - 1/2 cup beef broth
05 - 1/4 cup brown sugar
06 - 1 tablespoon sesame oil
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
09 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
10 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

→ Vegetables

11 - 4 cups broccoli florets

→ Thickener

12 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch
13 - 2 tablespoons cold water

→ Garnish

14 - 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
15 - 2 green onions, sliced

# Steps:

01 - Toss the sliced beef with 1 tablespoon cornstarch until evenly coated.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, beef broth, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, and red pepper flakes.
03 - Add the beef to the Instant Pot, then pour the sauce mixture over the beef. Stir to combine. Seal the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to Sealing. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
04 - Quick release the pressure. Open the lid and add the broccoli florets. Reseal the lid and cook on high pressure for 1 additional minute. Quickly release the pressure again.
05 - In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water to create a slurry. Stir the slurry into the beef and broccoli mixture.
06 - Turn on the Sauté mode and cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes until the sauce thickens and broccoli is tender-crisp. Serve hot, garnished with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The beef turns impossibly tender without hours of simmering, thanks to the pressure cookers magic
  • You get that perfect restaurant-quality sauce without constantly stirring at the stove
  • Everything happens in one pot, which means less cleanup and more time for actually eating dinner
02 -
  • The beef needs to be sliced thinly against the grain, which means cutting perpendicular to the long muscle fibers, not parallel to them
  • Do not skip that initial cornstarch coating on the beef because it is what keeps the meat silky instead of tough
  • The sauce might look thin after adding the slurry, but it will thicken dramatically within a minute or two on Sauté mode
03 -
  • Marinate the beef in half the sauce for 30 minutes before pressure cooking for even deeper flavor penetration
  • Double the sauce recipe if you love lots of sauce over your rice, because this recipe makes just enough to coat everything nicely

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