Perfect for busy weeknights when you need a fast recipe that’s also low-fuss, this healthy Crockpot Beef and Broccoli is here for you.
Beef and broccoli is standard-issue fare on just about any Asian takeout menu (ditto for Beef Lo Mein and General Tso Chicken), but the flavor of this recipe is anything but basic.
- The beef is tender.
- The sauce is rich and savory.
- The broccoli, which benefits from a low and slow “bath” in the sauce, is exceptionally appealing.
A true “dump and go” crockpot meal (like my favorite Crock Pot Pepper Steak), 100% of the cooking for this slow cooker beef stir fry recipe happens right in the crockpot.
No pre-browning of the meat on the stove or separate sauce reduction is necessary, and the results are spectacular.
Congrats! You’ve found the BEST healthy crockpot beef and broccoli recipe.
Recipe Variations
Those in a hurry and looking for an option outside of the slow cooker can check out my Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli. Those looking for a Paleo beef and broccoli or keto beef and broccoli can modify this crockpot recipe or check out my stovetop Healthy Beef and Broccoli.
5 Star Review
“This is the BEST beef and broccoli recipe that I’ve ever had. Even my boys said it was delicious! On the regular rotation, for sure.”
— DeeDee —
How to Make Crockpot Beef and Broccoli
Beef and broccoli might be a takeout tradition (as is Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken), but it’s one of the easiest and most budget-friendly stir-fry dishes you can make at home.
For this healthy crockpot beef and broccoli, here’s what you’ll need.
The Ingredients
- Beef. I opted to make the slow cooker beef and broccoli with flank steak. It’s ultra-tender when thinly sliced across the grain (like in these Flank Steak Tacos). The size and texture of the pieces naturally lend themselves well to stir fry-style dishes.
- Broccoli. For the best texture, use fresh versus frozen broccoli (save the frozen for Roasted Frozen Broccoli). Short on time or feeling extra lazy? Pick up prechopped broccoli florets.
TIP!
Wondering when to add broccoli to a slow cooker?
- For best results, wait to add the broccoli until the last 30 minutes of cooking. This will guarantee that your broccoli is crisp-tender.
- Add it too early, and you may be left with mushy, watery broccoli instead (no thank you).
No extra steps! The broccoli goes into the crockpot at the same time as the cornstarch slurry for the sauce (see above). Since you’ll be popping back over to the slow cooker anyway, simply handle both at the same time.
- Oyster Sauce. Think of oyster sauce as ketchup’s Asian cousin. It provides instant flavor and helps thicken the sauce. You can find it in the Asian section of your grocery store (it’s also key to this Pork Fried Rice).
- Honey. Most beef and broccoli recipes you’ll find call for adding copious amounts of sugar. Because I wanted to make this a healthy slow cooker beef and broccoli recipe without sugar, I replaced it with a lesser amount of all-natural honey instead. (It’s also my secret trick to this healthy Teriyaki Chicken Casserole too.)
- Garlic + Red Pepper Flakes. To keep everyone awake.
- Soy Sauce. Its salty umami flavor is core to this recipe’s balance and all-around detectability.
The Directions
- Place the beef in the slow cooker. Stir together the beef broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey, rice vinegar, chili-garlic paste, and garlic. Pour over the beef and stir.
- Cook crockpot beef and broccoli on LOW for 1 1/2 hours.
- Whisk together the water and cornstarch, then stir into the beef. Add the broccoli.
- Cover, and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes to thicken the sauce. Serve with rice, and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. ENJOY!
Tip!
Because flank steak is fairly lean, I would not recommend leaving the slow cooker on low longer than the recipe specifies, or I worry it might overcook.
If you have a programmable slow cooker that switches to keep warm, this might be an option, but the best choice is to be able to check it right away at the 1 1/2 hour mark.
Storage Tips
- To Store. Keep leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. Warm gently in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of beef broth or water to keep it from drying out.
- To Freeze. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 months in the freezer. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before warming.
Meal Prep Tip
It may sound like an oxymoron but this is a “fast” slow cooker recipe. Meaning you can prep all of the ingredients the night before, then simply toss them into your slow cooker and turn it on when you arrive home from work. Beef and broccoli in the slow cooker ready in about 2 hours. Woohoo!
What to Serve with Crockpot Beef and Broccoli
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Slow Cooker. Because timing matters a lot in this recipe, a programmable crockpot with a timer will be your best friend for success.
- Non-Slip Cutting Board. A handy tool no kitchen should be without.
The Best Programmable Slow Cooker
This 6-quart crockpot has great programmable features, plus a locking lid for easy carrying if transporting food.
Crockpot beef and broccoli is the weeknight dinner hero we never knew we needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’d like to try this recipe with chicken instead, head over to my Crockpot Chicken and Broccoli recipe.
As mentioned in the ingredient rundown above, I recommend fresh over frozen broccoli. However, you can use frozen broccoli in this recipe. Just know that frozen broccoli will become pretty mushy in the slow cooker. If that textural difference doesn’t bother you, feel free to add it. If you do decide to use frozen broccoli, thaw it first, then add it to the slow cooker as directed.
I have not personally tried doubling this recipe. With that being said, I’m sure it could be done though. Note that the cooking time will likely need to be increased, however, since the crockpot will be fuller.
Unlike other recipes, the glossy beef and broccoli sauce thickens right in the slow cooker with the other ingredients, no reducing in a separate pot on the stove is required. Instead, mix a cornstarch slurry right into the slow cooker during the last 30 minutes of cooking. It will thicken up and coat every forkful.
Crockpot Beef and Broccoli
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds flank steak cut across grain into thin slices
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons chili-garlic paste or Sriracha, or 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus additional to taste
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic about 2 large cloves
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 5 cups broccoli florets about 2 small crowns
- Prepared brown rice or quinoa for serving
- Chopped green onions and toasted sesame seeds optional for serving
Instructions
- Coat a 4-quart or larger slow cooker with nonstick spray. Place the beef in the bottom.
- In a small bowl, stir together the beef broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey, rice vinegar, chili-garlic paste, and garlic.
- Pour over the beef, then stir to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 1 1/2 hours.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of water and cornstarch. Stir into the slow cooker with the beef and sauce, then place the broccoli on top.
- Cover, turn the heat to HIGH, and cook another 30 minutes until the broccoli is tender. Serve warm over rice, sprinkled with green onions and sesame seeds as desired.
Notes
- TO STORE: Keep leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Warm gently in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of beef broth or water to keep it from drying out.
- TO FREEZE: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 months in the freezer. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before warming.
- DOUBLE BATCH: I have not tried doubling this recipe, but I think that you could easily do about 1.5 times the amount. Watch the cooking time, as it may need to be adjusted slightly.
- COOKING TIP: Because flank steak is fairly lean, I would not recommend leaving the slow cooker on low longer than the recipe specifies, or I worry it might overcook. If you have a programmable slow cooker that switches to keep warm, this might be an option, but the best choice is to be able to check it right away at the 1 1/2 hour mark.
Nutrition
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So good!!! And so easy! Put the flank steak and sauce int the crockpot and got my cleaning done while it cooked. My husband thinks I slaved over it for hours bc it’s so good! Haha! Thank you!
Margie, I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to leave this comment!
The sauce is great, the steak is tender, but my broccoli was undercooked. I used fresh broccoli that I cut up, and I wonder if this method is better with frozen or packaged florets. I suspect the leftovers will be perfect, though. I plan to try the same recipe in my wok next time we want Chinese takeout!
Eileen, I’m so glad you enjoyed this! Next time, you can just chop your florets a bit smaller if you’d like them more tender. Packaged ones might be *too* mushy. I hope that helps and thanks for sharing!
Should the steak be completely cooked before adding broccoli in?
Hi Angela, it should be pretty close, if not all the way cooked! I hope you enjoy the recipe.
The dish was very good and flavorful. However, the sauce did not thicken in the crockpot. I ended up pouring off the sauce and thickening it in a pan and then adding it back. I will make the recipe again but will thicken the water and cornstarch (I used the extra beef broth) in a pan before adding. It doesn’t seem like too much trouble to avoid thin soupy sauce.
Hi Susan, thanks for sharing your feedback! If it didn’t thicken, it may have needed longer in your crock pot. But if you don’t mind the extra step, you can certainly thicken it on the stove beforehand too!
Best Beef & Broccoli ever! The flavor is awesome. I let the beef cook an extra half hour for high altitude and then kept it warm for a while after the broccoli was done. Perfection!
Hi Joanne, thanks for sharing this review! I’m glad it was a hit.
I made a few changes from the recipe: I do not even know what oyster sauce is so I used red wine in the same volume; I also used a full can of beef broth , 1 and one half cups; after mixing everything else I slow cooked the beef on low for 4 hours. I served it over Pappardelle noodles.
The Asian flavor was perfect and we will definitely make it again. With the additional 1/2 cup of broth there is plenty of room for additional vegetables, i.e, a small can of water chestnuts drained, chopped carrot , celery, etc. to perhaps 2 cups.
Thanks for reporting back! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it. If you’re interested in trying oyster sauce, it’s usually found in the international section of the grocery store by other Asian sauces like soy sauce and hoisin.
This is a great and simple meal. I second-guessed the cook time the first time I made this and ended up overcooking it a bit, with dryer meat. Last night cooked it according to the recipe and the meat was perfectly cooked. I did add some Bok Choy during the last 5-minutes of cook time and it was terrific, so thought I’d share to those that want to add even more nutrition. Thanks for this recipe!
Hi Sue! Bok choy is a wonderful addition to this dish. I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
I literally stopped eating to message you. This is the BEST beef n broccoli recipe that I’ve ever had. Even my boys said it was delicious! On the regular rotation, for sure.
This MADE my day! Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review, DeeDee! I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit!
This was so delicious! My whole family loved it – even 2 teenagers! Everything turned out perfect with your directions. The only thing I added was sliced onions on top of the steak as we all love onions cooking in a crockpot. Thank you – such a great family meal!
YAY! I’m so happy to hear that this was a hit, Jodi! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I’d like to make this for my husband to take on the road with him. He works away from home for several weeks at a time. He has a crockpot/instant pot. Should I cook it in advance freeze it and have him just reheat on low or should I prep it raw as a freezer meal and have him do the cooking? Thank you!
Hi Kathleen! You could try fully cooking the recipe, freezing it, then having him bring it with him in a cooler to make sure that it stays at a safe temperature. Then, he can just rewarm it normally on the stovetop or in the microwave once he arrives. I hope this is helpful!
Hello! If we wanted to double the recipe do we just double the cook time as well? Excited to try but need a little more than 4 servings :) thanks!
Hi Lacy! I haven’t tried doubling it myself, but it will likely need a little longer to cook, as the slow cooker will be more full. If you decide to try it, I suggest checking it early and often to make sure it doesn’t overcook. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
This was amazing! Thank you for the recipe!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Eva! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
The nutrition values you left, is that for all 4 servings or just one?
Hi Kris! The nutrition estimate is for 1 serving. I hope you enjoy the recipe if you try it!
Just made this for dinner and my husband and I thought it was absolutely delicious. Now I don’t have to get Chinese takeout. Two things I’ll do differently tho is cut the meat into smaller pieces and add more cornstarch to thicken the sauce, but other than that this recipe is definitely a keeper. Thanks for sharing.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Lucy! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Do you cut the meat prior to putting it in the crockpot?
Hi Charlotte! Yes, you should cut it across the grain into thin slices. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Love that you leave recommendations of your favorite products and that they go straight to the buy link. Time saver and trust in your picks.
I’m so happy that it has been helpful for you, Kimberly! Thank you for sharing this kind comment!
Could you use chicken instead of beef? Then use chicken broth instead too?
Hi Meghan! I actually have a chicken version of this recipe: https://www.wellplated.com/crockpot-chicken-and-broccoli/ Hope you enjoy it!
Love this recipe! Am curious is the rice portion is inclined the nutrition facts or if it is just the beef, broccoli, and sauce.
Hi Austin, great question. Anytime one of my recipes has ingredients that don’t give the amount: such as this that just says prepared brown rice for serving, it will not be included in the nutrition facts. Hope that helps!