This beef & broccoli recipe is low-carb, paleo, and whole30 compliant. Make this easy beef dish in your slow cooker or Instant Pot.
PIN FOR LATER
Updated 2020 with Instant Pot instructions
I love Chinese food but I rarely eat it because a lot of the dishes contain MSG. I’ve found that even though restaurants claim to be MSG free, sometimes they are not. Rather than chance it, I prefer to recreate my favorite Chinese take-out items at home. Which is what I did here.
No Added Sugar Beef & Broccoli
Most beef & broccoli recipes include sugar, brown sugar or some sort of sweetener. This slow cooker or Instant Pot version is what I call the trifecta: it’s low-carb, paleo, AND whole30 compliant. Whole30 and paleo means there is no added sugar. I promise you, you won’t miss it. I almost added honey (paleo) but after tasting the sauce I decided it didn’t need it. As always, I encourage you to taste your sauce before adding it in to the appliance and tweak as needed.
before (slow cooker)
Broccoli Added Last
The broccoli is added to the dish towards the end of the cooking period. This is the case whether you’re using the slow cooker or Instant Pot. I prefer to use fresh broccoli however frozen can be used in a pinch. The instructions stay the same whether you use fresh or frozen.
Thicken The Sauce
While recommended thickening the sauce, you do not have to. I have made this plenty of times without adding a slurry thickener. Having said that, if you do thicken the sauce, it can be done directly in the slow cooker or electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot). I almost always use a slurry of arrowroot starch and water as my thickener. You can make your slurry as thick as you want. I use a a 1:1 water/starch ratio, usually 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch mixed with 2 tablespoons of water.
thicken the sauce (slow cooker)
How To Serve Beef & Broccoli
Cauliflower rice is the obvious choice to keep this beef & broccoli recipe low-carb, paleo, and whole30. If you’re not worried about that, then I suggest regular brown or white rice.
Other Chinese take-out inspired recipes you might enjoy:
Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Beef Stir-Fry (Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30)
Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Cashew Chicken (Paleo, Whole30)
Slow Cooker Chicken Stir-Fry (Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30)
Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Pepper Steak (Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30)
I used a 6-quart slow cooker or Instant Pot.
PIN FOR LATER
Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Beef & Broccoli (Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30)
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 5 mins
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef sirloin, sliced into strips
- 2 cups fresh broccoli, chopped
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
Sauce:
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 1/2 cup coconut aminos (or low-sodium soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- Pinch salt & pepper
- Optional slurry thickener: 2 tbsp arrowroot powder mixed with 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Add beef and onion to the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl mix together sauce ingredients. Pour sauce into the slow cooker. Stir to mix well.
- Cook HIGH 2-3 hours or LOW 4-6.
- Stir in fresh broccoli. Cook an additional 30 minutes or until soft.
Optional Step: Pour slurry thickener into the slow cooker. Stir gently. Cook 10-15 minutes or until thickened.
Electric Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot)
- Turn on the IP and select sauté. Once hot add oil to the pot. Add the beef and sear until browned, 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove beef from and set aside.
- Add onion and cook for a 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and cook an additional minute.
- Pour in broth and deglaze the bottom of the pressure cooker by scraping all the bits off with a wooden spoon. Add coconut aminos, salt, pepper, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Stir to mix well. Add beef back to the pressure cooker. Stir gently.
- Close lid and seal valve. Set high pressure and cook for 10 minutes. When done, quick release pressure.
- Stir in broccoli & thickening agent (if using). Turn pressure cooker to saute and cook a few minutes until sauce has thickened and broccoli is tender.
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This looks like it came out of a restaurant. I am making this tonight!
★★★★★
This smells good and taste fine, but everything – including all the broccoli, turned an unappetiszng brown. If I make it again I’m going to add the broccoli during the last hour or so of cooking.
What cut of beef did you use?
I used pre-cut beef stroganoff stew meat strips but you can use any cut of meat as long as you cut it down into appropriate sizes.
I just made this! It’s cooking now and the whole house smells so good it’s making my tummy hurt lol! It’s 5 am here and it’s waking the whole house up 🙂 I shared this link with my parents, my sister, and on my twitter page! I hope it taste as good as it smells 🙂
Let me know how it turns out!
This is one of my favourite meals and the meat goes so tender when done in a slow cooker.
This is a super easy recipe. I will share it with my boys. Looks good too.
My son would love this dinner. He always gets beef and broccoli when we get Chinese food.
ooo nomomnom I love the look of this because beef is one of the husbands fav! I love quick and easy meals in the slow cooker! It can save a ton of time and are nice and healthy
I love broccoli beef. I didn’t know that you could make it in a slow cooker, but this looks amazing. I am going to have to give it a try.
Your post is making my tummy shouting in hunger 🙂 i couls smell its deliciousness all the way here
I hardly ever use my slow cooker. Lol. It seems to just be Decoration for the kitchen these days.
This looks great and healthy
It kinda looks like pepper steak, without the peppers of course. But a healthier option!
I haven’t had beef and broccoli in a while. I love how simple your recipe is and I love cooking in the crock pot.
That looks incredible! I’ve never thought about making my own beef and broccoli at home, but now I want to!
That looks so delicious! I want to attempt making it right away 🙂
I love this dish! I would serve it with mashed potatoes since I love that combo! 🙂
This looks amazing! I will try to veganize it with seitan instead of beef and hope for the best!
Oh my gosh, yum. I need to pin this because I WILL be making it. I love when I can use my slow cooker.