Name: Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 lb. flank steak (cut into bite-sized cubes); 1 lb broccoli (cut into bite-sized pieces); 2 tbsp olive oil or sesame oil; 2 tsp chopped garlic; 1 cup beef broth; 8 tsp cornstarch + 8 Tbsp water; ¼ cup Soy sauce; 2 tbsp Oyster sauce; Juice of 2 limes; 2/3 tsp Paprika; ¼ cup water; 2 inches ginger (peeled and grated); 4 tsp brown sugar

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This Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli is an awesome take on a Chinese American classic! You can make this recipe on the stovetop, but making it in the Instant Pot is so much better! Every step of this recipe can be made in the Instant Pot from start to finish. Enjoy!

Close up of bowl with beef and broccoli and wooden spoon

I already mentioned once (in my Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice Recipe) that I would be making a few Chinese-American dishes in my Instant Pot these days! I’ve been missing takeout a lot, and decided it was time to try my hand at making these awesome dishes at home.

The Fried Rice was a success, so I wanted to try another! When I lived in Manhattan, I lived pretty close to Chinatown (I know, it’s not the same as going to China, but it’s the closest I’ve gotten so far).

The Chinese restaurant that I loved had some delicious recipes, but my favorite one was their Beef and Broccoli. This wasn’t a dish I had usually ordered when I was home in the midwest, but once I tried it, I was hooked.

This recipe will show you how to make Beef and Broccoli at home easily. We’re going to use the Instant Pot, which makes EVERYTHING easier!

bowl of beef and broccoli with instant pot

What Ingredients are in this Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli Recipe?

Flank steaks
Broccoli
Olive oil
Garlic
Beef broth
Cornstarch + Water
Beef Marinade

For full ingredient measurements and instructions, visit the recipe card at the bottom of this page!

What Ingredients are in the Beef Marinade?

Soy sauce
Oyster sauce
Juice of limes
Paprika
Water
Fresh ginger
Brown sugar

How to Make Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli

Fill the bottom of your Instant Pot with 1 cup of water. Add the trivet (or a steamer basket) into the Instant Pot and pile your broccoli on top. Lock your lid in place.

Press STEAM and adjust the time to one minute. After the cooking cycle has completed, perform a Quick Release. Remove the broccoli from the Instant Pot and set aside.

Combine the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl and whisk together.

In your Instant pot, turn the SAUTE feature on and add the oil to the pot. Add the chopped garlic into the oil and stir until fragrant. Turn off the SAUTE feature.

Add the beef, beef broth, and marinade into the pot.

Set to MANUAL and set the timer for 10 minutes. Once the cooking cycle is complete, allow for a natural release for 10 minutes. Then perform an Instant release for the rest of the pressure.

Leaving the cooked beef inside, turn the Instant Pot to Saute.

In a small bowl, whisk together water and cornstarch. Add into the pot and stir. As the sauce begins to boil, it will thicken! If your sauce has been boiling for a few minutes and isn’t thickening, mix together another tsp of cornstarch and another tbsp of water, and add. Repeat until thick.

Stir the cooked broccoli into the beef mixture and enjoy!

Can I Cook the Broccoli at the Same Time as the Meat?

Though cooking the broccoli at the same time as the meat sounds easier, I wouldn’t recommend it.

Broccoli has a much shorter cooking time than flank steak. Adding the broccoli in with the meat would either undercook the meat or overcook the broccoli. Cooking them together would result in a less-than-desirable dish.

Cooking the ingredients separately and then combining at the end is the best way to go about making this! 🙂

What Kind of Meat Should I Use for this Recipe?

To make my Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli, I used Flank Steak. If you have Beef Stew Meat, that will work as well!

You can choose any kind of cubed, tougher meat. Cooking the meat in the Instant Pot will tenderize it and make it delicious for this dish!

Using the tough meat, however, will allow the cubes to hold up under the pressure and retain their shape.

What Can I Eat as a Side with My Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli?

You, of course, can eat this dish by itself. That’s what I’ve been doing, and it’s delicious! Whether you’re not that hungry or you’re trying to cut down on processed carbs, you can choose to omit any sides.

However, if you do want to add sides to this meal, I would recommend rice! I’ve posted instructions for how to cook White Rice in the Instant Pot, which would be a great base for this dish.

If you don’t want rice, you can also make ramen noodles to go with your dish. Ramen noodles are a great base and something I always look forward to!

two bowls of instant pot beef and broccoli

Can I Make Beef and Broccoli Ahead of Time?

Absolutely! If you’d like to make this Beef and Broccoli ahead of time, you can do so. You can store the recipe for up to 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container.

If you want to heat up the dish, simply put it in a microwave-safe dish and microwave! You can also add it into a pan on the stove and achieve the same result.

If making this dish and freezing, I would recommend avoiding the stop of adding the steamed broccoli until the moment you are going to eat it. You can make the beef and sauce ahead of time and freeze, then add in the broccoli once the meat has thawed.

If your only option is to add the broccoli, you can do that, too!

Did you like this recipe Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli? Leave a comment on this post letting me know what you think! If you take a photo, share it on Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #TheForeignFork and tag @TheForeignFork.

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