Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli

Name: Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli - Better Than Takeout
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 17 min
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds of boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and sliced (replace with tofu if veggie style); 1 tbsp of fresh ground pepper + more to taste; 2 teaspoons avocado; 1 medium onion, finely chopped; 3 cloves of garlic, minced; 3/4 cup of beef broth (vegetable broth if veggie-style); 1/2 cup of soy sauce*; 1/3 cup of brown sugar; 2 tablespoons of sesame oil; 1/8 teaspoon of red pepper flakes; 1 pound of broccoli florets, diced into bite-size pieces (optional substitute microwave broccoli); 3 tablespoons of water; 3 tablespoons of cornstarch; Cooked rice; Toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Sick of eating takeout? Yeah, me too. Why make takeout when you can make fresh and easy Instant Pot beef and broccoli, also known as pressure cooker beef and broccoli.

You won’t spend nearly as much time or money on this meal as you would on takeout. I call that a win-win.

Making beef and broccoli in the pressure cooker is much better than the stovetop. The pressure cooker tenderizes the beef and broccoli, so it’s not chewy like some recipes can be.

If you’re new to Instant Pot/pressure cooking, or even if you’re just looking for your next recipe, follow along as we make this beef and broccoli in less than a half-hour.

First, let’s get ready to make Instant Pot beef and broccoli:

What Meat to Use for Beef and Broccoli

I’m using a chuck roast for this recipe. However, you can easily use a London broil or flank steak instead. I wouldn’t recommend a skirt steak because it is too chewy.

If you would like to make this a vegetarian dish, you could easily use tofu by dicing it and then pressure cooking for a few minutes on high pressure.

How to Cut Beef

Always go against the grain if you are cutting your own beef. You could alternatively have your butcher cut the beef for you.

A cool, but not frozen beef is easier to cut into uniform slices.

How to Make Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli

To make Instant Pot beef and broccoli, you will need to start off by seasoning the beef. Then, select sauté mode on your pressure cooker.

Once hot, drizzle the avocado oil in the inner pot then brown the meat for a couple of minutes in batches to prevent overcrowding. Move the browned meat to a separate plate.

Next, turn the pot back on sauté and add in the chopped onion to the pot for a couple of minutes or until soft. Add in the garlic for about a minute.

Stir in beef broth (or vegetable broth if making veggie beef and broccoli), scraping the bottom of the pot, and getting all the brown stuck on bits.

Stir in soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes. Make sure you stir until the sugar dissolves.

Add back in the browned beef and secure your Instant Pot or pressure cooker lid. Set on high pressure for 12 minutes.

Steam broccoli in the microwave or stovetop in the meantime.

When the pressure cooker timer goes off, do a natural release of about 10 minutes.

If you’d rather add the broccoli in and let it cook in the pressure cooker (not the stovetop or microwave), then put the lid back on once complete.

Make sure you have the pressure cooker on Keep Warm and let the broccoli cook/steam in the sauce until ready.

Release the rest of the pressure and take the lid off. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water to create a slurry.

Turn on the sauté function and combine the cornstarch, stirring.

Let the sauce come to a boil and thicken. Once thickened, turn the sauté off, add in the broccoli (if you haven’t already), and turn on the keep warm function to serve.

What to Serve with Pressure Cooker Beef and Broccoli

Pressure cooker beef and broccoli, or Instant Pot beef and broccoli, goes great with rice. Alternatively, you could serve with lo mein noodles. Going carb-free? Serve with stir fry veggies instead.

You can follow my rice instructions below:

How to Make Instant Pot Rice

Instant pot rice is pretty simple to make. I like to make sure my rice is fully prepared before going in the Instant Pot pressure cooker by doing the following:

You can use any type of rice you want: brown, white, long-grain, short-grain, jasmine rice, etc.
In a strainer, pour the quantity of rice you want (I usually do about 1-2 cups) and rinse your rice until the water starts running clean. This will ensure the starches come off of your rice, so your end result is fluffier rice.
Sauté your rice in about 2 tbsp of oil (I prefer canola or olive oil) and brown. Once toasted off you can add your water.
I like to do a 1:1 rice to water ratio with my rice. So for 1 cup of rice, I’ll do a cup of water.
Once covered with water, I hit the pressure cook button on high for about 5 minutes. Once the timer goes off I let it do a natural release of about 10-15 minutes before releasing the steam.

After your rice is done cooking, undo the lid and fluff up the rice with a fork.

Freezing Beef and Broccoli

If you plan on freezing your Instant Pot beef and broccoli, make sure you do not add in the broccoli to the pot. Cook the broccoli separately and add in the broccoli to your bowl or plate when you go to serve the meal.

When you freeze the beef and broccoli, freeze the meat and the broccoli separate to avoid any sogginess when you go to reheat the dish.

Want More?

Check out all the other recipes available. Looking for a pressure cooker? Take a look at our reviews and guides.