This is a super simple, warming recipe has just a handful of ingredients but so much flavour. No need to make a trip to the takeaway this weekend because this Chinese Style Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli dish is our newest fakeaway. Healthy, delicious AND affordable.
I know this is a slow cooker series, and I’ve tested so many slow cooker recipes over the years, but sometimes even I’m impressed about what they serve up!
This Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli stir fry style recipe is made with a sticky, tangy, rich Chinese style sauce and while it tastes like a treat it’s actually fairly light and quite nutritious. Plus, slow cooked beef just can’t be beaten for flavour and tenderness.
This is a perfect weekend dinner, you could even serve this up as part of a banquet, alongside my Chicken Fried Rice, Peanut Butter Noodles with Halloumi or Pork Yuk Sung.
Why you’ll love this recipe
⭐️ So easy with just a few ingredients
⭐️ Delicious, sticky sauce
⭐️ A homemade is best satisfaction
About Beef and Broccoli
Beef and Broccoli is actually a Chinese American dish, rather than authentically Chinese.
Chinese restaurants first appeared in the United States during the Gold Rush, when over 20,000 migrants moved across from China.
Over the years since, Chinese American restaurants have adapted their dishes and style to use produce available nearby and meet the tastes of local customers. Beef and Broccoli is one such dish. [source].
My slow cooker remake of that recipe is, as always, created with cost, convenience, flavour and nutrition in mind.
What you’ll need
- Diced beef – Usually called casserole beef or stewing steak in the supermarkets. No browning necessary.
- Onion – Frozen or fresh is fine.
- Ginger – Fresh or ready prepared is fine.
- Garlic – Fresh or ready prepared is fine.
- Low sodium soy sauce – It’s worth buying low sodium here to reduce the salt content.
- Oyster sauce – One of my favourite ingredients for packing in so much flavour.
- Honey – Runny honey ideally.
- Chinese five spice – From the herbs and spices aisle.
- Broccoli – Fresh or frozen is fine.
How to make it
1. Add the ingredients to the slow cooker and cook (as per the recipe card at the end of this post).
2. Half an hour before the end, make a cornflour ‘slurry’ to thicken the sauce.
3. Pour the paste back into the sauce.
4. At this stage add the broccoli too and cook for a further 30 minutes. (Or, ideally, boil the broccoli separately and then add – see the recipe card notes.)
Substitutions
- Vegetables – Beef and broccoli are a classic combination and go together so well, but feel free to add any other vegetables you like that need using up.
Leftovers
In the fridge You can keep this recipe in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat fully in the microwave or on the hob before serving.
In the freezer This recipe freezes well. Just wait until it’s totally cold and then put into a freezer proof container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly before reheating in the microwave or hob.
Top tip
Marinate the beef:
If you want to save time in the morning, you can mix the sauce with the beef the night before and refrigerate until it’s time to cook for extra flavour.
Broccoli timings:
This goes in near the end for a more al dente finish, however if you prefer it less solid you can put it in for longer. Or to keep it fresh and green, steam or boil it separately beforehand (see recipe notes).
Thicken the sauce:
If your sauce is very runny, don’t worry, we will thicken it ad the end of the recipe. Just add some cornflour and water and stir into a paste. This is called a ‘slurry’ (see details in the FAQs).
Serving suggestions:
This goes really well with rice or noodles.
FAQ
Try my Honey Garlic Beef Noodles or Honey Garlic Chicken for starters, or my curry-meet-noodles recipe Chicken Noodles with Curry Sauce.
The Morphy Richards Sear & Stew Slow Cooker is my all-time favourite because you can use it for initial browning on the hob and it’s really light.
For induction hobs, I recommend the Lakeland Digital 6.5l Slow Cooker instead.
This is a trick to thicken the sauce without ending up with floury lumps.
First you add cornflour to a small bowl, mug or jug, then use a little liquid from a dish (a spoonful or two) to mix the cornflour into a paste consistency. Add that back into the dish’s sauce.
If you just sprinkle cornflour straight into the dish, it will form lumps that are almost impossible to get rid of. I promise this step is worth the extra dirty bowl!
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli
Ingredients
For the slow cook:
- 500 g Diced beef
- 1 Onion Chopped
- 1 tbsp Ginger
- 4 Cloves Garlic
- 6 tbsp Soy sauce Low sodium
- 4 tbsp Oyster sauce
- 4 tbsp Honey
- 4 tbsp Tomato ketchup
- 2 tsp Chinese five spice
- 1/2 tsp Dried chilli flakes (Optional)
To finish:
- 3 tbsp Cornflour
- 1 Broccoli head Chopped into bite sized florets
Instructions
- Add the slow cook ingredients to the slow cooker. Set the slow cooker to HIGH for 4-5 hours, or LOW for 6-7 hours.
- Half an hour before the end of the cooking time, make a cornflour paste slurry and add back to the sauce. Add broccoli at this stage too (or see notes for separate cooking preference).
Fiona says
I made this for our tea tonight & it was lovely, hubby wanted more! Think he was disappointed that I didn’t leave any on my plate for him to finish😊.
Anna says
Loved this! Steamed the broccoli separately as suggested, and added some pak choi that needed using up. We had it with noodles but I’m sure it would be equally delicious with rice. We’ll definitely be making this again!
Dave says
Sounds lovely going to give it ago
Bethany T says
Absolutely a hit with my three daughters!! I did it x2 as daddy takes some for work the next day. Dished it up with egg noodles and sesame seeds. Thank you So much! Do you do a book? I have used so many of your recipes and would look a book to hand?
Kindest regards; with full and happy tummies, Beth Truslove.
Beth T says
I meant love, not look.
Sarah Rossi says
Hi Bethany, thanks for your lovely comment. Not right now but keep your eyes peeled over the next few weeks..!!
Jayne says
Loved this recipe. Amazed how easy and tasty it is!!
Cooked for five adults and one child who never like the same dinners!! Love that I’m able to use the variation of how many I’m cooking for!
EVERYONE enjoyed it!
Cooked the chicken rice and that was a success too !!
Will work my way through the recipes.
Thank you so much
Jacy Brewer says
So easy to make with ‘sensible’ everyday ingredients. Chuck it all in, mix it up, switch on and walk way! Return home to the most fantastic smell filling the house.
I steamed the broccoli and added just prior to serving so lovely and bright green. Served with udon noodles.
Can’t wait to try another recipe but this one will be a repeat fave.
Louise says
Yet another great recipe,thanks . I’ve made 4 recipes from your website and each one has been really tasty!
Hayley says
I made this today and it was so good and made the house smell gorgeous when I came home! I followed the recipe but added 50/50 oyster and teriyaki sauce, along with a beef stock cube.
I also added a diced red pepper towards the end and cooked some broccoli separately which I stirred in about 15 mins before serving.
I thickened the sauce a bit but left it quite runny to coat the noodles my son had. I had rice with mine. Both equally as good and we’ell be making this again soon! I will make double next time as it isn’t going to last long…
Jo says
Flavours are great, but there was absolutely no sauce left by the end. I had to add some water to stop the meat burning dry. What am I doing wrong?! I put the exact same amounts of sauce ingredients in with a 400g pack of stewing beef and cooked for 6hours on low. It never looked saucy, even when I’d first put the ingredients in to be honest. The same happens with the sticky honey chicken thing as well. Any thoughts what I might have done wrong? Thank you!
Sarah Rossi says
Hi Jo, which slow cooker do you have please? As in what size? I wonder if it’s a big one if it’s cooking super quickly. Have you watched the video in the post and on my instagram? Does it look similar when raw?! Other people have had trouble with it having too much sauce!
Jess says
I absolutely loved this. Tasted so good. Will definitely make again. Thanks for another hit recipe Sarah!
Jemma says
Absolutely LOVE this recipe. I add shredded carrot and a tin of well rinsed black beans and this works really well. So easy and flavourful. A new staple!
Keith says
Amazing dish
Elizabeth says
All these lovely reviews, I was so looking forward to this but I’ve just tasted it and it’s awful!!! What on earth have I done wrong?? I actually came on here to check the measurements, but nope I copied them correctly. I’m gutted I thought that was tea tonight sorted! Arrggghhh!!!
Sarah Rossi says
Hi Elizabeth, sorry to hear that, do you normally like soy sauce based sauces? It may just not be to your taste if you followed the recipe! It should be sticky/deeply savoury.