Instant Pot Broccoli Beef is everything you love about my Slow Cooker Broccoli Beef but much faster and with double the sauce — because who doesn’t love this delicious, tangy, sweet, garlicky sauce over a bed of rice or noodles?
Want all the best saucy, delectable Instant Pot dishes? Then you’ll definitely want to make these ASAP: Instant Pot Chili, Instant Pot Beef Tips, and Instant Pot Chicken Breast and Gravy.
Your response from the Slow Cooker Broccoli Beef is one such recipe. You all enjoyed the dish so much (especially the sauce!) that I decided it was worth a repeat, except this time I made it even faster by cooking it in the Instant Pot and doubling the sauce because that was your favorite part! Take, for example, Kelly’s comment: “Tried this recipe tonight and it was AMAZING! The sauce is to die for. Everything came out perfectly!”
It’s comments like this that I take into account when creating new recipes like this Instant Pot Broccoli Beef version!
How To Make Broccoli Beef in an Instant Pot
First of all, you need to have an Instant Pot. Don’t have that appliance? No worries because this recipe originated as a slow cooker recipe (as mentioned above) and making that version is easy and delicious too!
In your Instant Pot, combine the beef, broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes and stir it all together. Next, put the lid on the pot and lock it down, then make sure you’ve turned the vent knob to the “sealed” position so the pressure can begin to build.
Set the Instant Pot to “pressure cook” or “manual” for 8 minutes. It takes a few minutes for the pot to build up enough pressure to cook, so it will start counting down the 8 minutes after it’s pressurized.
Once the timer has counted down, vent the Instant Pot (be careful, steam will shoot out the top). Once it’s depressurized and the float valve (if your model has one) has dropped down, take the lid off.
Almost done! One more step: Change the setting to “soup.” Mix together cold water and cornstarch in a small bowl and then pour that into the Instant Pot when the liquid in it has come to a boil. Stir this slurry into the sauce. “Cancel” the Instant Pot’s settings and unplug it. Let the sauce sit for a couple of minutes to thicken. Serve over rice or noodles and devour!
Can You Overcook Meat in a Pressure Cooker?
The short answer is yes, you can overcook meat in a pressure cooker. And there’s nothing that can be done once it’s overcooked. That’s why it’s always a good idea to follow directions for Instant Pot (and all, really) recipes.
One thing to keep in mind is that (like most cooking methods) the bigger the piece of meat, the longer it will need to cook in a pressure cooker. In this case, we are using beef that’s already been sliced thin, hence the 8-minute cooking time.
Expert Tips and Tricks
When creating this recipe for Broccoli Beef, I thought of a few pointers I wanted you all to keep in mind to make this recipe go more smoothly for you.
- Make sure you add liquid to the pressure cooker, in this and every recipe you make in the Instant Pot. In order to cook, the appliance has to build up pressure in the form of steam, and to make steam you need liquid. This step is imperative.
- Feel free to play around with the settings of your Instant Pot. If you want to brown meat first, then you can do that right in the bottom of the pot by using the “saute” setting. Then, when your meat is browned, change to “manual” and lock the lid down to finish cooking.
- Don’t forget when using an Instant Pot that you have to account for time for the pressure to build up and sometimes to decompress, which adds time on both the front and back end of using Instant Pot recipes. Be sure to read the directions in full so you are aware of the full time frame needed to cook your recipe.
- When the pressure is releasing (and for safety reasons in general) steer clear of the machine while the pressure is building up, it’s cooking, and when the steam is releasing (either naturally or manually). It will burn you!
- Buy extra accessories for your Instant Pot if you use it frequently. Just think, one pot to cook in and dirty up and another to use right away if you’re batch cooking or waiting on the dishwasher to run.
More Amazing Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Pot Roast and Potatoes
- Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff
- Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon
- Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork
Did you make this easy broccoli beef recipe? YAY! Please rate the recipe below!
Instant Pot Broccoli Beef
Ingredients
- 1 ½-2 pounds thin-sliced stir-fry steak - cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 ⅓ cups low sodium soy sauce
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1-2 tablespoons minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes - optional
- 4-6 cups frozen broccoli florets - see note for fresh broccoli
- 4-5 tablespoons corn starch + 1/3 cup cold water
Instructions
- In your pot, combine meat, beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes and give it a good stir.
- Place the lid on the pot and slide into the lock position. Turn the vent knob to the SEALED position.
- Set to PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL for 8 minutes. (remember that it will take a few minutes for the pot to pressurize before it starts counting down)
- When the cook time is up, turn knob to the VENTING position. Once float valve drops down, remove the lid.
- Set the pot to the SOUP setting. In a small bowl stir together cold water and corn starch. When liquid comes to a boil in the pot, stir in corn starch slurry. Turn the pot off (hit CANCEL or unplug it) and allow the sauce to thicken for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in broccoli florets until heated through, 3-5 minutes. Serve over rice or noodles.
Came out perfect. I subtracted a small amount of soy sauce and added hoisin with oyster sauce. I also added a touch of minced ginger and served this recipe over rice noodles garnished with sesame seeds. Fantastic!
Can I use thin slices of ribeye steak?
I haven’t tried using ribeye in the instant pot, so I can’t guarantee the results. But sounds like it might be worth a shot!
This was outstanding! I used round steak and marinated it in some of the sauce for about an hour. I used fresh broccoli cooked to crisp-tender and added after the sauce thickening stage. My Instant Pot has both High Pressure and Low Pressure settings. I used High and the meat was perfect – tender but not mushy. My (super-picky) fiancée loved it too!
Does it matter if you use light or dark brown sugar?
I used light brown.
This dish is a staple in our household. We are making it for Christmas dinner this year. I would like to double the recipe. Would I need to change the time for the instant pot cooking?