Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli (Printable Version)

Tender beef and crisp-tender broccoli florets in a savory Asian-style sauce, all cooked quickly in your Instant Pot.

# What You 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

# How-To:

01 - Toss the sliced flank steak with 1 tablespoon cornstarch until evenly coated, ensuring each piece is lightly dusted for tender texture.
02 - Whisk together soy sauce, beef broth, brown sugar, sesame oil, minced garlic, fresh ginger, rice vinegar, and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl until sugar dissolves completely.
03 - Add the cornstarch-coated beef to the Instant Pot insert, then pour the sauce mixture over. Stir thoroughly to coat all beef pieces evenly.
04 - Seal the Instant Pot lid and ensure the steam release valve is set to Sealing. Select high pressure and cook for 10 minutes to tenderize the beef.
05 - Perform a quick pressure release, carefully open the lid, and add the broccoli florets to the pot, distributing them evenly throughout the beef mixture.
06 - Reseal the lid and cook on high pressure for 1 minute to blanch the broccoli to tender-crisp perfection. Quick release the pressure immediately.
07 - Mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl until smooth, then stir the slurry into the Instant Pot.
08 - Select Sauté mode and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Serve immediately topped with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The beef becomes meltingly tender without any long cooking time or complicated techniques
  • You get that restaurant-quality glossy sauce without standing over a hot wok
  • Everything cooks in one pot which means less cleanup and more time to actually eat
02 -
  • Cutting the beef against the grain means shorter muscle fibers and more tender results
  • The second pressure cook time is intentionally short because broccoli turns to mush quickly
  • Your sauce will seem thin after the pressure cooking but the slurry fixes this completely
03 -
  • Partially freeze the beef for 30 minutes before slicing to get thin, even strips
  • Let the finished dish rest for 5 minutes before serving so the sauce clings to everything

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