This slow cooker beef and broccoli gives you tender strips of beef, crisp-tender broccoli, and plenty of savory-sweet sauce to spoon over rice. It’s an easy, healthy crockpot meal I can start earlier in the day and finish with the broccoli right before dinner.
Healthy Crockpot Beef and Broccoli
Beef and broccoli has always been one of those takeout-style dinners I wanted to recreate at home with healthier, simpler ingredients. I love this recipe because I can put the beef and sauce in the slow cooker and time my rice cooker to finish around the same time.
I’ve made this recipe for years, and I’ve learned that the cut and cooking time make a big difference. Slicing an affordable roast into thin strips helps it cook evenly and stay tender, and thickening the sauce at the end gives you plenty to spoon over the beef, broccoli, and rice. You’ll find these tips and more below so your beef turns out tender and saucy every time.
Ingredients
- Beef: chuck or bottom round roast keeps this meal affordable and works great sliced into thin strips. Pre-sliced stir-fry beef is an easy shortcut.
- Beef broth: creates the base of the sauce and adds savory flavor.
- Low-sodium soy sauce: gives the sauce its salty, savory flavor without making it overly salty.
- Honey: adds sweetness to balance the soy sauce.
- Garlic and ginger: essential for the flavor of the sauce.
- Sesame oil: adds a little toasted sesame flavor, essential in these Asian-inspired dishes.
- Cornstarch: thickens the cooking liquid at the end so the sauce coats the beef and broccoli.
- Broccoli: fresh florets go in near the end so they don’t overcook. If using frozen, see my note below.
- Rice: my favorite way to serve this because it soaks up all that extra sauce.
- Sesame seeds: optional for serving.
How to Make Beef & Broccoli in the Slow Cooker
- Slice the beef.
Trim any excess fat from the beef, then slice the meat against the grain into thin, evenly sized strips. If you bought pre-sliced stir-fry beef, you can skip this step. - Make the sauce.
Add the beef broth, soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Add the sliced beef and combine. - Slow cook the beef.
Cover and cook until the beef is tender. Start checking it at the lower end of the cooking time since thin strips can become tough when cooked too long. - Thicken the sauce.
Whisk the cornstarch with cold water until smooth, then stir it into the slow cooker liquid. This slurry will thicken the sauce. - Add the broccoli.
Add the fresh broccoli florets near the end of cooking and cover until they’re tender but still have some bite. If you prefer firmer broccoli, steam it separately and stir it into the finished beef and sauce. - Serve.
Spoon the beef, broccoli, and plenty of sauce over rice and top with sesame seeds, if desired.
Laura’s Tips for This Crockpot Dinner
I usually buy a chuck roast or bottom round roast because they’re affordable and work well in the slow cooker. If your grocery store sells beef already sliced and labeled “for stir-fry,” that’s an easy shortcut. Flank steak, round steak, or sirloin can also be used.
Look at the roast and find the direction the muscle fibers run, then slice across those fibers, or against the grain, into thin strips. Cutting against the grain shortens the muscle fibers so the cooked beef is easier to chew and more tender. Try to keep the strips similar in size so they cook evenly.
Yes. You don’t need to brown the beef first for this recipe. Add the raw beef strips directly to the sauce in the slow cooker and cook until tender.
Thin strips of beef can become tough if they’re cooked too long. Start checking the beef at the lower end of the cooking time and stop once it’s tender. Also make sure you’re slicing a roast against the grain, since cutting with the grain can make even properly cooked beef seem chewy.
Yes. Fresh or frozen broccoli works, but frozen broccoli cooks much faster. Add it during the final 15 minutes so it heats through without becoming mushy. There’s no need to thaw it first.
Whisk the cornstarch with cold water before adding it to the slow cooker so it doesn’t clump. Stir the slurry into the hot cooking liquid near the end and let it cook until the sauce thickens enough to coat the beef and broccoli.
More Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes
If slow cooker recipes help you get a healthy dinner on the table, try my slow cooker chicken noodle soup, this healthy chicken parmesan, and this crockpot chicken stew. Browse all my slow cooker recipes here.
Healthy Beef & Broccoli in the Slow Cooker
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 cup beef broth
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ⅓ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
Beef & Broccoli
- 1 ½ to 2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 16 ounces fresh broccoli florets, about 2 crowns
- 1 ½ cups white rice, for serving
Instructions
Prep the beef:
- Trim any large pieces of excess fat from the chuck roast. Slice the beef against the grain into thin strips, between ¼ to ½ inch thick.
Make the sauce:
- In the slow cooker, whisk together the beef broth, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger.
- Add the sliced beef and stir to coat it in the sauce.
Slow cook:
- Cover and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours, until the beef is tender. Begin checking it around the 3-hour mark to avoid overcooking the thin strips.
Thicken the sauce:
- In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with the cold water until smooth. Stir the slurry into the slow cooker.
- Add the fresh broccoli florets and stir to coat them in the sauce. Cover and cook on HIGH for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the broccoli is tender and the sauce has thickened.
Serve:
- Serve the beef and broccoli over cooked rice with plenty of sauce spooned over the top. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.
Notes
- Type of beef: Buying a chuck roast or bottom round roast makes it the most affordable way to make this recipe. Sometimes, you can find it pre-sliced labeled as “for stry-fry” and it makes it one less step. You can also use flank steak, round steak, sirloin steak, or stew meat (cubes).
- Beef amount: A 1 ½-pound chuck roast is ideal, but since roast sizes vary, anything between 1 ½ to 2 pounds works with this recipe.
- Cutting the beef: Look for the direction the muscle fibers run through the roast and slice across them, not in the same direction. Cutting against the grain helps make each bite more tender. If using cubed beef for stew, slice any larger pieces so they all cook evenly. This is how I slice the meat against the grain.
- Using frozen broccoli: Add frozen broccoli during the final 10 to 15 minutes of cooking since it will soften faster than fresh. For the best texture, don’t thaw it first.
- For firmer broccoli: Steam the broccoli separately on the stovetop or in the microwave, then stir it into the finished beef and sauce just before serving.
- Leftovers/storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months.
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Linda Gray says
Is it ok to substitute beef stew meat, already cut into cubes?
Laura Fuentes says
Absolutely!
Becca says
In the video you mention vinegar, onion powder, etc. but there are none listed on the recipe. Can you include quantities? Thanks
Laura Fuentes says
Thank you for catching that. I removed the video from the post because that is the older version of the recipe. After making it many times, my family preferred the currently published version.
Sarah Dodson says
We all LOVE this recipe! It’s so easy to make too! Thank you!
Laura Fuentes says
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Sarah!