Crockpot Beef and Broccoli

Why This Works in a Slow Cooker

Beef and broccoli can go wrong in a slow cooker in two ways: tough, stringy beef or gray, mushy broccoli. The fixes are simple. Slicing the steak thin and across the grain keeps each piece tender, and a flank steak cooked 4–5 hours on LOW is soft without shredding. The broccoli waits until the very end, so it only spends 20–30 minutes in the pot.

What You'll Need

• Flank steak. Lean, beefy, and easy to slice thin. Sirloin is a good swap. Chuck roast works but needs longer.
• Low-sodium beef broth and soy sauce. Regular versions of both get very salty as the sauce cooks down.
• Brown sugar. The sweet balance takeout beef and broccoli is known for.
• Toasted sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Fresh garlic and ginger make a real difference here.
• Cornstarch. Mixed with cold water, it thickens the thin cooking liquid into a glossy sauce.
• Broccoli florets. Fresh, cut bite-size.

How to Make It

For cleaner slices, chill the steak in the freezer for 15–20 minutes, just until the edges are firm, then slice it ¼ inch thick across the grain. Start with fresh or fully thawed beef; never put frozen meat in a slow cooker.

Whisk the broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes right in the slow cooker. Stir in the beef, cover, and cook on LOW 4–5 hours or HIGH 2–2½ hours, until a slice is fork-tender.

Whisk the cornstarch slurry again (it settles fast) and stir it in. Add the broccoli, cover, and cook on HIGH 20–30 minutes, until the sauce is thick and the broccoli is crisp-tender. Start the rice when the broccoli goes in, and everything finishes together. Serve topped with sesame seeds and green onions.

Slicing Against the Grain

Look closely at the steak and you'll see thin lines running in one direction. Those are the muscle fibers. Cut across them, not along them. Every slice then has short fibers that are easy to chew. Slices cut with the grain stay long and stringy no matter how long they cook. Flank steak's grain is easy to see, which is one reason it's the best cut for this.

Troubleshooting

• Too salty. Regular soy sauce plus regular broth concentrate as they cook. Use low-sodium versions of both.
• Too sweet. Start with ¼ cup brown sugar, or add a tablespoon of rice vinegar at the end.
• Thin sauce. The lid traps moisture. Give the slurry the full 20–30 minutes on HIGH. If it's still loose, stir in another tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with cold water.
• Tough beef. Either it was sliced with the grain, or thin slices went well past 5 hours on LOW. Check it at 4 hours.
• Flat flavor. Taste at the end and add a splash of soy sauce or rice vinegar.

Variations

• Mushrooms. Add 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms at the start.
• Spicy. Stir in a tablespoon of chili garlic sauce.
• More vegetables. Add snap peas and sliced bell pepper with the broccoli.
• Instant Pot. Pressure cook the beef and sauce 10 minutes, natural release 10 minutes, then thicken on SAUTÉ and stir in steamed broccoli.
• Ground beef. Don't use it in the slow cooker, since it breaks apart and turns greasy. The stovetop ground beef and broccoli is the better fit.

What to Serve With It

Steamed jasmine or brown rice is classic, and lo mein noodles are great too. For a takeout-night spread, add hibachi chicken fried rice and egg rolls. If you want a similar sauce with no slow cooker, sheet pan teriyaki chicken is done in about 40 minutes, and ground turkey egg roll in a bowl takes 25. For more hands-off dinners, see these easy slow cooker recipes or try crockpot honey garlic chicken.

Storing and Freezing

Refrigerate within 2 hours in shallow containers. It keeps 3–4 days. Reheat in a skillet with a splash of water, or in the microwave, until steaming hot (165°F). The beef and sauce freeze well for up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers. The broccoli goes soft after freezing, so if you're cooking for the freezer, freeze the beef and sauce alone and add fresh broccoli when you reheat.

Cook's Tips

• Don't start with frozen beef. A short chill to firm the edges for slicing is fine, but beef that's frozen solid spends too long warming up in a slow cooker. Thaw frozen steak in the fridge overnight before slicing.
• Grate the ginger on a microplane. It melts into the sauce with no stringy bits.
• Keep the lid on. Each peek adds cooking time, especially while the slurry is thickening.
• Double the broccoli if you like. A 6-quart slow cooker holds up to 6 cups of florets; cook them the full 30 minutes.