Slow Cooker Beef And Broccoli Recipe

You know what they say — if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Beef and broccoli is one of the most popular dishes in Asian cuisine, and with a dish so tasty and timeless, it's easy to see why that popularity sticks around. The dish is exactly as the title suggests, combining thinly sliced beef (in this case flank steak) with tender broccoli, giving you the best of both worlds in terms of protein and greens. This recipe features a tasty soy-based sauce that adds so much flavor to the beef. We also love that you make this dish in the slow cooker, especially if you have that "set it and forget it" mentality. This recipe stays true to its roots, but the slow cooker makes it unique. 

Recipe developer Hayley MacLean came up with this slow cooker beef and broccoli recipe that would be great to serve on the weekend or a weeknight. "What I like most about this recipe is the rich, wonderful sauce coating every bit of beef and broccoli," MacLean raves. "It is sweet and savory and has just a bit of heat that permeates throughout the whole dish." Not only is this dish loaded with flavor, but it's also a balanced meal, with plenty of protein from the beef and nutrients from the broccoli.

While the ingredients list for this recipe is pretty extensive, you likely already have many of the ingredients at home, especially if you make Asian cuisine often. You'll need some flank steak, beef broth, low-sodium soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce, minced garlic, yellow onion, cornstarch, broccoli florets, scallions, and sesame seeds. "In place of flank steak, beef chuck roast or sirloin steak can be used," MacLean notes. "They all give super succulent results and will cook in about the same amount of time."

Now, it's time to take out one of the best kitchen gadgets of all time — the slow cooker. MacLean recommends a 6-quart slow cooker for this recipe. Place it in a safe spot on your counter and put the flank steak at the bottom. As a reminder, you should have sliced the steak ahead of time. "I slice the meat anywhere from ⅛-¼ of an inch thick," MacLean explains. "Not too thin that it falls apart, but not to think that it is tough after cooking!"

Take out a small bowl and start adding the ingredients to make the sauce. Toss in beef broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, rice vinegar, chili garlic paste, and garlic. Use a whisk to mix the sauce and pour it over the beef. Give it a good toss to coat the beef. By the way, this sauce is killer. "The sauce is silky and smooth, and has all the wonderful umami flavors found in the soy and oyster sauces," MacLean shares. "The brown sugar gives a hint of sweetness, and the rice vinegar adds a much-needed tang." Of course, there's also a spicy kick thanks to the chili garlic paste.

The last thing you will need to add to the slow cooker are the onions. Simply sprinkle them over the top of the beef and sauce and place the lid back on the crockpot. Unlike most slow cooker recipes, you won't need to cook this one for very long. Simply set your timer for about 1 ½ to 2 hours.

While you wait for the beef to cook, go ahead and make the slurry. Simply add the cornstarch and ¼ cup of water to a small bowl. Using a whisk, mix the two combine. "The cornstarch slurry helps thicken up the sauce during the second cook, so it coats everything evenly," MacLean shares. "Without it, the sauce will stay too runny and will not give that wonderful mouth-feel known to this dish." Once the cooking time is up, add the slurry into the slow cooker. Then, place the broccoli on top.

Once you've added the slurry and broccoli to the crockpot, cook on high for 30 to 40 minutes, until the broccoli gets tender. When complete, toss the ingredients together as desired. This dish is best served warm. You can garnish each plate or bowl with sliced scallions and sesame seeds. The beef and broccoli would be plenty on its own, but MacLean shares a few additional serving suggestions to spice things up a bit. "Serving this dish with some rice or another grain is the perfect combination," she says. "To start, don't forget the miso soup and sesame salad – it will be just like you're at your favorite teriyaki restaurant."

You can store leftovers for five days in the fridge or three months in the freezer. We hope you loved this slow cooker spin on a classic!