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Instant Pot Chinese Beef and Broccoli

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This Instant Pot Chinese Beef and Broccoli is a delicious, family-friendly dinner that’s easy to prepare. Served over rice, it’s a complete meal in a bowl!

 a bowl of beef, broccoli and rice on a table next to a cloth with title text at the bottom reading Instant Pot Chinese Beef and Broccoli

Because the dinnertime rush is always so chaotic in my home, I’m a huge fan of Instant Pot recipes. In general, they require just a little hands-on time and then I can help kids with homework, fold laundry, or catch up on emails while the Instant Pot does all the work.

This Instant Pot Chinese Beef and Broccoli is one of my go-to dinners because it’s one of the few times my kids will actually eat all their broccoli. And unlike my Instant Pot Broccoli Rice and Cheese Casserole, this recipe isn’t simply a side dish.

You can serve it right out of the pot, but it goes really well over white rice (or brown rice, if you prefer).

What Cuts of Beef Are Best for Beef and Broccoli?

The most common cut of beef used to make beef and broccoli is flank steak. It’s lean and boneless with great flavor. It is extremely important to cut flank steak AGAINST the grain if you don’t want it to end up tough.

Normally, you’d have to marinate flank steak for a while before cooking in order to yield a tender result. But pressure cooking the meat yields tender meat without a marinade.

Alternately, you can also use skirt steak, which has many of the same features.

How to Make Instant Pot Chinese Beef and Broccoli

Ready to get started? Okay! Let’s begin.

Ingredients to Make Instant Pot Chinese Beef and Broccoli

To make this dish using your Instant Pot you only need a few basic ingredients:

  • 1 lb flank steak
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons garlic
  • 1 tablespoon ginger
  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3 to 4 cups of broccoli florets (1 head of fresh broccoli or 1 10-12 ounce bag of frozen broccoli)
  • 1/2 tablespoon corn starch + 2 tablespoons of water (for thickening the sauce)
  • sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions for Making Instant Pot Chinese Beef and Broccoli

Set your Instant Pot to sauté mode. While you’re waiting for the pot to heat up, slice your flank steak into thin, bite-sized pieces. I usually cut the steak in half lengthwise, then slice thin strips across the width so that your slices are against the grain.

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and hoisin sauce. Set aside.

After your display reads “Hot,” add the olive oil to the pot, followed by the flank steak.  Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes to brown the steak pieces.

Turn off sauté mode. Add the water and use a wooden spatula to scrape the bottom of the pot to make sure no bits are stuck.

Pour the sauce over the beef then secure the Instant Pot lid and make sure the valve is set to “Sealing.”

Press the “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” button and set the time for 10 minutes. While the beef pressure cooks, steam your broccoli in the microwave. Also, prepare your cornstarch slurry by mixing the cornstarch with two tablespoons of water in a small bowl.

When the pot beeps to indicate the cook time has finished, quick release the pressure by moving the valve to “Venting.”

After all of the pressure has been released, remove the lid and press “Cancel.” Then, press “Sauté” and add the cornstarch slurry to the pot.

Stir until the sauce thickens, then add the broccoli. Stir to combine, then turn off your Instant Pot.

Your Instant Pot Chinese Beef and Broccoli is ready to serve! Spoon it over white rice and top with sesame seeds. If you like this recipe, you should try Air Fryer Copycat Panda Express Orange Chicken or this Korean Ground Beef and Broccoli Recipe.

 a bowl of beef, broccoli and rice on a table next to a cloth

Instant Pot Chinese Beef and Broccoli Recipe

Prefer to print out the recipe? Here’s the recipe card with exact measurements and step-by-step instructions.

📋 Recipe

Instant Pot Chinese Beef and Broccoli

Corinne Schmitt
Just like the beef and broccoli you get at a restaurant.
5 from 25 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 4
Calories 269 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb flank steak
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoon garlic
  • 1 tablespoon ginger
  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 1/2 cup water +2 tablespoon for thickening
  • 3 to 4 cups broccoli florets 1 head fresh or 10-12 oz frozen
  • 1/2 tablespoon corn starch for thickening
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • sesame seeds optional

Instructions
 

  • Set instant pot to sauté mode. While waiting for it to heat, slice flank steak into thin strips against the grain. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and hoisin sauce. Set aside.
  • When display reads “Hot” add olive oil and flank steak to the Instant Pot. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off pot.
  • Add water to pot and use wooden spatula to scrape stuck pieces from the bottom of the pot.
  • Pour sauce into pot over the beef. Secure the lid and make sure valve is turned to sealing.
  • Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. While beef is cooking, steam broccoli in microwave. Combine cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water in small bowl. 
  • When the Instant Pot beeps, turn valve to venting to quick release the pressure. After pressure has fully released, remove lid and turn on Sauté mode.
  • Add cornstarch mixture to pot. Stir often and cook until sauce thickens. Add broccoli to pot and stir to combine.
  • Serve over rice. Top with sesame seeds if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 269kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 28gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 960mgPotassium: 649mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 425IUVitamin C: 62mgCalcium: 66mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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a collage of a bowl of beef, broccoli and rice on a table next to a cloth with title text reading Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli

14 thoughts on “Instant Pot Chinese Beef and Broccoli”

    • I’m glad you like the sauce. The flavor combination of the two different types of sauces and the spices add a nice flavor to the broccoli and beef. Thanks for commenting.

      Reply
  1. 5 stars
    We will love this Instant Pot Meal! Hope you are having a great week and thanks so much for sharing your post with us at Full Plate Thursday.
    Miz Helen

    Reply
  2. I love thos recipe but flank steak isn’t entirely too expensive. You can also use cheaper cutaneous of beef. I sometimes use chuck roast or any on sale. Remember to let natural release when you use this. The meat is so tender every time.

    Reply
  3. Hi Corinne,
    I tried the recipe and it had a great taste, however my flank steak was still tough! I cut it in half and cut across the grain as suggested. When I opened the pot some pieces of meat appeared to be hard and not covered in the liquid. Any suggestions for more tender meat?
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Hi LouAnn! Wow! That was fast! The recipe had only been live for an hour when you commented. Did you follow the measurements exactly? If your flank steak was larger than a pound, you’ll want to increase the other ingredients equally. If you did use the exact measurements, you can add 1/2 cup of water or beef broth before cooking in the future. You’ll just need to use more of the cornstarch slurry after to thicken it up.

      Reply
    • There won’t be enough liquid in the pot after the beef cooks, plus you’ll be waiting on rice to cook while your beef and broccoli gets cold. I recommend cooking the rice separately and beforehand. If you really want the flavor of the sauce mixed in with the rice, you can add the pre-cooked rice when you add the broccoli.

      Reply

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