Some days, you just really want saucy, ridiculously Americanized Chinese food. This Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli recipe, my friends, will satisfy that craving and then some. It’s sweet and salty and has something green in it, which basically makes it a health food, right? Seriously, though, this recipe is so quick that I can make it on a school night with a cranky toddler underfoot, but you’d never know it from the taste– that’s where the magic of the Instant Pot comes in!
Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli has all the makings for an Americanized Asian comfort food. The sweetness comes from brown sugar, that saltiness comes from the soy sauce, and of course, beef is America’s favorite meat. I like to steam my broccoli in the microwave while Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli cooks so that it’s just underdone to our taste (we like it fairly crunchy) because you’ll be adding it to the hot Instant Pot and letting it sit for a couple of minutes, so it’ll continue to cook a little bit more.
If you’re not feeling the Instant Pot beef and broccoli recipe tonight, but you’re still craving some yummy Chinese food, these lettuce wraps taste JUST like P.F. Chang’s (without the price tag) and are just as easy. Plus, they make a great take-to-a-sick-friend meal!
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs flank steak, sliced against the grain
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 T sesame oil
- 3/4 c water
- 3/4 c + 3T soy sauce, separated
- 1 c brown sugar
- 3 T cornstarch
- 1 steamer bag of broccoli, just short of done
Instructions
- Set your Instant Pot to saute and add the sesame oil. Once it's heated up, toss in the flank steak and garlic and stir until browned. (You can skip this step, but it makes it yummier)
- Once browned, pour the water and 3/4 c soy sauce in and stir.
- Add the brown sugar on top of everything, but do NOT stir (you don't want it to burn on the bottom, and I promise it'll get mixed in shortly).
- Close and lock your Instant Pot lid and set it to manual high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Allow your Instant Pot to natural pressure release for 10 minutes while you cook your rice and broccoli (separately).
- Carefully turn the valve on your Instant Pot to open and quick pressure release the rest of the way.
- In a small bowl, use a fork to combine the 3 T cornstarch and 3 T soy sauce.
- Open your Instant Pot, set it to saute again, and stir in the soy sauce/cornstarch mixture.
- Add the nearly-cooked broccoli in and allow it all to bubble for a couple of minutes, thickening the sauce.
- Serve over rice, noodles, or just in a bowl!
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