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This slow cooker beef and broccoli recipe is the ultimate takeout fake-out—and trust me, it’s even better homemade! Tender slices of beef, crisp-tender broccoli, and a rich, savory-sweet Asian-inspired sauce come together effortlessly in your Crockpot. We’re talking soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic… all the good stuff. It’s low effort, high reward, and perfect with rice or noodles—whatever your heart (or pantry) desires. So skip the delivery and let your slow cooker do the heavy lifting for a cozy, flavor-packed dinner you’ll want on repeat.
Slow cooker beef and broccoli is a flavorful Crockpot dish that offers juicy beef, crisp-tender broccoli and the most delicious, rich sauce with sesame, soy and garlic.
You might also like to try this crispy ginger beef, spicy firecracker beef, Szechuan beef, or slow cooker beef and noodles.
Why You’ll Love It
Easy to make: There’s not much more to do that add your ingredients to a Crockpot and leave it alone to cook low and slow until the aroma in your kitchen is making everyone’s mouth water!
Delicious flavors: Soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, brown sugar, and green onions are just some of the tasty flavors in this dish.
A great weeknight meal option: Add your ingredients before going out for the day and come home to a delicious meal that’s already cooked.
Crockpot Beef and Broccoli Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Sirloin steak: The star of the dish. Cut it into strips against the grain.
Toasted sesame oil: Adds a lovely nutty flavor.
Beef broth: Beef consommé or beef stock are other options. (Or try my homemade beef bone broth!)
Soy sauce: I used low sodium soy sauce but you might not need to, if your beef broth isn’t very salty. If using low sodium beef broth, you can use regular soy sauce.
Broccoli florets: Using fresh broccoli florets is recommended, as it has a better flavor and firmer texture.
Cornstarch: For thickening the sauce.
Brown sugar: For sweetness. I used light brown sugar but dark brown sugar is also fine.
Green onions: To garnish the dish and add another pop of color.
How to Make Crockpot Beef and Broccoli
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Add the ingredients to your Crockpot: Add the beef strips to the slow cooker. Whisk the beef broth, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, minced garlic, sesame oil, and onion powder in a small bowl, and pour over the steak.
Cook it: Cover and cook until the beef is tender, adding the broccoli for the final half hour.
Garnish and serve: Serve the beef and broccoli hot, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds.
Substitutions and Variations
Sirloin steak: You can use skirt steak, flank steak, beef chuck roast, or flat iron steak instead.
Make it sweeter: Add ½ cup of brown sugar instead of ⅓ cup. You can taste the sauce before adding the cornstarch.
Optional add-ins: Feel free to include a splash of oyster sauce or hoisin sauce, more vegetables or other seasonings like Szechuan pink pepper.
Make it less sweet: Add less brown sugar or add a splash of rice vinegar for a contrasting tang.
Broccoli: Substitute a different vegetable, perhaps mushrooms, snow peas or water chestnuts.
Make it spicy: Add red pepper flakes, minced chilies or some hot sauce to the dish.
Low carb version: Substitute brown Swerve for the brown sugar and serve the dish over cauliflower rice.
Serving Suggestions
Appetizers: Begin your meal with Asian chicken salad or some turkey potstickers.
Side dishes: Pair your beef and broccoli with plain white rice or hibachi fried rice. Hibachi noodles are another idea.
Dessert: Finish off with this light lemon tart.
How to Store Beef and Broccoli
Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 3 or 4 days.
Freeze: You can freeze it in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Thaw: Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheat: You can warm it back up in a pan on the stove or in the microwave.
Top Tips
Slicing the steak: Slice against the grain for maximum tenderness and ensure the strips are no wider than ½-inch thick.
Use a large Crockpot: Use a 7-quart Crockpot (I love this one!) or a smaller one if you’re halving the recipe.
Cook low and slow: If you have time, cook this dish on low and not high. It comes out more tender that way. If you’re cooking it on high, check the slow cooker often to ensure the sauce isn’t thickening too much and burning around the edges.
Toast the sesame seeds: Although optional, it’s worth toasting them for a bolder nutty flavor. To do this, cook them in a dry skillet over a low to medium heat, tossing often. Once the toasted sesame seeds are golden brown and fragrant, they’re done.
Beef with Broccoli FAQs
Crockpots vary. If your sauce hasn’t thickened up by the end of the cooking time, ladle some into a small saucepan and simmer until thickened. Return it to the slow cooker and stir. If it’s too thick, add a little more beef broth.
You could, but I really recommend using fresh broccoli for the best flavor and texture. Frozen broccoli can make the sauce thin, releasing water into it, and it can also go mushy.
Easy Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli Recipe
Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli
Equipment
- Slow Cooker 7-Quart
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds sirloin steak, cut against the grain into thin strips
- 2 Tablespoons sesame oil
- ¼ Teaspoon onion powder
- 1 Cup beef broth, or beef consommé
- ¼ Teaspoon black pepper
- ½ Cup soy sauce, low sodium
- 3 to 4 Cups broccoli florets, fresh
- ⅓ Cup brown sugar
- 4 Cloves garlic, minced
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
For Garnish:
- green onions, sliced
- sesame seeds, toasted
Instructions
- Add the steak strips to your slow cooker.
- Whisk together the beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, garlic, sesame oil, and onion powder.
- Pour this mixture over the steak.
- Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the beef is tender, stirring in the broccoli florets during the last half hour of cooking time and cooking on high for another 30 minutes or until tender.
- Serve hot over white rice (or with your preferred sides) and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.
Notes
Use a large Crockpot: Use a 7-quart Crockpot or a smaller one if you’re halving the recipe.
Cook low and slow: If you have time, cook this dish on low and not high. It comes out more tender that way. If you’re cooking it on high, check the slow cooker often to ensure the sauce isn’t thickening too much and burning around the edges.
Toast the sesame seeds: Although optional, it’s worth toasting them for a bolder nutty flavor. To do this, cook them in a dry skillet over a low to medium heat, tossing often. Once the toasted sesame seeds are golden brown and fragrant, they’re done.
Nutrition
If you’re a Chinese food fan, you’re going to love this slow cooker beef and broccoli recipe. It’s so simple to prepare and just as good as (I would say even better than!) Chinese takeout. Served over white or brown rice, or noodles if you prefer, this hearty dish of sliced beef, vibrant broccoli and a sweet and savory sauce is a winning choice.
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
