Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli

Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli with tender slices of steak and fresh broccoli is the perfect family dinner. Simple to prepare with only a few ingredients and then the slow cooker does all the work! Serve over some cooked rice and drizzle with some extra sauce. 

Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli Recipe

I am not normally a fan of steak, something about the chewy texture I just can’t do, but when you cook it in a crock pot it’s a whole other story. I love how the long cook time makes the steak so tender and velvety, infused with tons of flavor, and just really delicious and easier to eat. Even my kids will eat steak this way!

Family dinner doesn’t get easier than this. With only a few ingredients for this sauce, all you have to do is thinly slice the steak, and then throw everything together in the crock pot. 

Let’s learn how to make this recipe with all my tips and helpful information below. 

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Chuck Steak – This is what the recipe was tested with but there are many other options you can use. Chuck steak has more fat on it which helps the steak not dry out during the longer cook time in the slow cooker. I like to cut off most of the fat anyways, personal preference, so it won’t matter which kind of steak you use. Other options include sirloin steaks, flank steak, or skirt steak. Some stores also sell already thinly sliced/shaved chuck steak which is a great option if you want easy prep and not worry and cutting the steak against the grain. 
• Beef Broth – I prefer using full salted beef broth since there is no added salt in the recipe. 
• Soy Sauce – You can use reduced-sodium soy sauce or regular soy sauce, it just depends on your salt/flavor preference. My favorite combo is full salted beef broth + reduced-sodium soy sauce. 
• Light Brown Sugar
• Garlic Cloves – Use fresh garlic cloves that have been minced or pressed, chopped garlic from a jar, or use garlic paste from the tube. 
• Water + Cornstarch – This is what will help to thicken the sauce for serving. 
• Sriracha – This is an optional ingredient when mixing the water and cornstarch together. It just adds another layer of flavor, not overly spicy, but just a nice flavor boost. You can even reduce this to 1/4 teaspoon or 1/2 teaspoon.
• Fresh Broccoli – Chop up the broccoli head into small pieces so they will cook in the time given. 

How To Make Beef & Broccoli In A Slow Cooker

Follow these simple, step-by-step directions for how to make beef and broccoli in the crock pot. 

– Step 1 : Thinly slice the steak against the grain. It’s much easier to do this if the steak is firm and cold. I recommend freezing the steak for 30 minutes before slicing it. 

– Step 2 : Add the steak, beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, and garlic into the insert of the crock pot. Stir to combine and cover with the lid. Cook on low heat for 5-6 hours.

– Step 3 : Whisk together the water, cornstarch, and sriracha sauce. Pour the mixture into the crock pot, along with the broccoli pieces, and stir to mix everything together. Cover with the lid and cook for 30 minutes on high. 

– Step 4 : You are ready to serve! We love this over some cooked white rice, with extra sauce drizzled over top, and some sesame seeds. 

FAQ’s For Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli

• What Other Kinds of Steak Can I Use?

  • You can use sirloin steak, flank steak, or skirt steak in this recipe with great results. 

• What Does Cut Against The Grain Mean? What Is The Grain of Steak?

  • When a recipe calls for the steak to be ‘cut against the grain’ it’s referring to the direction that the muscle fibers run within the piece of meat. Cutting against the grain means to cut through the fibers and make them shorter. This will make the meat more tender and easier to chew. 
  • Look at the piece of steak to tell which direction the muscle fibers within the meat are running. If they are across, then you will need to cut the meat up and down into shorter pieces. 

• Is There an Easy Way To Thinly Slice Steak?

  • Here are my tips for slicing a steak. I first like to cut off the excess fat pieces, then I place the steak in the freezer (either on a covered plate or inside a ziploc bag) and let it freeze for about 30 minutes to firm up and get really cold. This will make it much easier to nicely slice the steak into thin pieces. 

• What Are Some Variations, Substitutions, or Additions I Can Do To This Recipe?

  • Frozen Broccoli : Instead of fresh broccoli use one bag (12 ounces) of frozen broccoli. 
  • Spicy! : Add more sriracha sauce, add red pepper chili flakes, or try adding some chili sauce (can be found by the other asian ingredients like soy sauce).
  • Double The Sauce : If you want lots of sauce then try doubling the ingredients or 1.5x the ingredients. You will also have to do the same to the water + cornstarch if you choose to double the sauce ingredients. 
  • Add Sesame Oil : This is something that I add all the time whenever I make beef and broccoli. Use 1-2 teaspoons. 

• How Should I Store Leftovers?

  • You will want to store any leftovers inside an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 4 days. 
  • Reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stove top inside a pan. You may want to add some beef broth or water just to moisten things back up again when reheating. 

• Serving Suggestions For Beef and Broccoli

  • Cooked White Rice – This is what my family prefers. 
  • Brown Rice
  • Quinoa or Cauliflower Rice
  • Lettuce Cups or Wraps

Expert Tips

Here are a few of my helpful tips so that you can successfully recreate this recipe in your own kitchen ♥

• Don’t Use All Reduced-Sodium Products : Because there is no added salt in the recipe, it’s important that you incorporate the salt and flavor through the other ingredients. I would recommend using regular, full salted beef broth and then either reduced-sodium soy sauce or regular soy sauce. It just depends on your salt preference. Remember that the slow cooker tends to mute flavors because of the longer cook time, so it’s important to not use all low-sodium products. 
• Freeze Steak : To make it easier to thinly slice the steak, put it in the freezer for 30 minutes to allow it time to firm up and chill. This makes it much easier to cleanly cut the steak into thin strips. 
• Cut Against The Grain : When a recipe calls for the steak to be ‘cut against the grain’ it’s referring to the direction that the muscle fibers run within the piece of meat. Cutting against the grain means to cut through the fibers and make them shorter. This will make the meat more tender and easier to chew. 
• Steak Tip : There are several other options of steak that you can use for this recipe. Chuck steak, sirloin steak, flank steak, or skirt steak. I like to first trim off any fat pieces on the piece of meat, then freeze it, then cut it into thin slices against the grain. 
• Sesame Oil : Adding this really brings a whole other level of flavor to the dish. If you have some in your pantry then I definitely recommend using it. I add about 1-2 teaspoons of sesame oil in with the soy sauce and other ingredients. 

More Crock Pot Dinner Recipes Your Family Will Love

• Easy Ranch Pork Loin Recipe
• Crock Pot Steak Bites
• Slow Cooker Beef Stew
• Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
• Crock Pot Cream of Mushroom Pork Chops
• Slow Cooker Zesty BBQ Chicken
• Brown Sugar Ham
• Easy Swedish Meatballs