Chinese Style Beef and Broccoli {Slow Cooker Fakeaways}

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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.

Beef and Broccoli made in a slow cooker when finished.

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 Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli recipe

⭐️ So easy with just a few ingredients

⭐️ Delicious, sticky sauce

⭐️ A homemade is best satisfaction

Close up of the dish Beef and Broccoli made in a slow cooker.

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.

Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli Ingredients

Ingredients laid out for Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli recipe.

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 Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli

Step 1 in the recipe for Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli.

1. Add the ingredients to the slow cooker and cook (as per the recipe card at the end of this post).

Step 2 in the recipe for Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli.

2. Half an hour before the end, make a cornflour ‘slurry’ to thicken the sauce.

Step 3 in the recipe for Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli.

3. Pour the paste back into the sauce.

Step 4 in the recipe for Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli.

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 tips for making this Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli recipe

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. You could even try my Quick Egg Fried Rice.

Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli FAQs

What other Chinese inspired dishes can you make in the slow cooker?

Try my Honey Garlic Beef Noodles or Honey Garlic Chicken for starters, or my curry-meet-noodles recipe Chicken Noodles with Curry Sauce or Chicken Chow Mein.

Can you recommend a slow cooker?

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.

How do you make a cornflour paste (‘slurry’)?

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!

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