Make Takeout at Home with This Delicious Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli Recipe!

Photo byNaomi Madison

Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli is the perfect recipe for busy weeknights when you’re craving takeout-style comfort food but want the ease of cooking at home. With tender strips of beef soaked in a savory, slightly sweet sauce and perfectly cooked broccoli, this dish delivers on flavor and simplicity. By using a slow cooker, the rich flavors develop slowly, giving you melt-in-your-mouth beef that's coated in a delicious sauce, all without the hassle of standing over the stove.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli is a fantastic dish that combines convenience with quality. It brings all the flavors of your favorite Chinese takeout, but with healthier control over the ingredients. The beef chuck roast, with its marbled texture, cooks down in the slow cooker until it's tender enough to cut with a fork. The broccoli stays crisp yet tender, offering a contrast to the melt-in-your-mouth beef. The soy sauce-based sauce, flavored with garlic and sesame oil, infuses the dish with that unmistakable umami taste that keeps you coming back for more.

Easy Steps for a Flavorful Dinner

To make this dish, you start by mixing a few pantry staples—beef broth, soy sauce, dark brown sugar, sesame oil, and garlic—into a sauce that will simmer with the beef in your slow cooker for hours. Once the sauce is prepared, the rest is simple. Thinly slice your beef chuck roast and place it in the slow cooker with the sauce. Set it on low and let the magic happen.

As the beef cooks, it absorbs all those deep, rich flavors, softening until it practically melts in your mouth. To thicken the sauce, simply whisk a little cornstarch with some of the cooking liquid and stir it back into the slow cooker during the last hour of cooking. Finally, just before serving, add frozen broccoli to the slow cooker, giving it time to heat up while keeping it tender-crisp.

When ready, serve the beef and broccoli over a bed of fluffy white or nutty brown rice. Every bite will be a balance of savory, sweet, and slightly smoky flavors, making it a hit with the whole family.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast, boneless, sliced into thin strips
• 1 cup beef consomme or beef broth
• 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• Frozen broccoli florets, about 3 cups (1 bag, 14 oz)
• White or brown rice, cooked

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Sauce: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the beef consomme, soy sauce, dark brown sugar, sesame oil, and minced garlic until well combined.
2. Assemble the Slow Cooker: Place the sliced beef strips in the slow cooker. Pour the prepared sauce over the beef, tossing to ensure the beef is fully coated in the sauce.
3. Cook the Beef: Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for about 5-6 hours, or until the beef is tender and cooked through. Be cautious not to overcook the beef, as it will start to shred if left too long.
4. Thicken the Sauce: About 1 hour before the cooking time is up, remove 1/4 cup of the sauce from the slow cooker and whisk it together with the cornstarch in a small bowl. Slowly stir this mixture back into the slow cooker to thicken the sauce.
5. Add the Broccoli: Add the frozen broccoli florets to the slow cooker during the last 30 minutes of cooking. This will allow the broccoli to heat through without becoming mushy.
6. Serve: Once everything is cooked and the sauce has thickened, serve the beef and broccoli over cooked white or brown rice. Enjoy this delicious, comforting meal!

A Delicious Weeknight Meal

What makes Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli so appealing is its simplicity. This dish doesn’t require any exotic ingredients, and the slow cooker does most of the work for you. It's a healthy alternative to takeout that doesn’t sacrifice on flavor. Plus, it’s versatile—serve it with rice, noodles, or even quinoa if you want to switch things up. The rich, savory sauce pairs perfectly with the tender beef and broccoli, making it a family favorite you’ll want to make again and again.

Here are a few reliable sources related to beef consommé, its uses, and how to prepare it:

1. The Spruce Eats provides a detailed guide on how to make beef consommé, explaining the process of creating a raft from ground beef and egg whites to clarify the stock. The recipe emphasizes the importance of not disturbing the raft to maintain clarity in the final product. It offers great tips for making this delicate and refined dish at home​(The Spruce Eats).
2. ForknPlate gives a historical perspective on consommé, explaining its origin and why it was once considered a dish for the elite. They also offer practical advice for making consommé, noting that it adds a depth of flavor that surpasses typical broths​(ForknPlate).
3. Craving Tasty shares a step-by-step guide on making beef consommé, highlighting how to ensure the broth stays clear and richly flavored. This source also offers helpful tips for skimming fat and adjusting seasonings to perfect the dish​(Craving Tasty).
4. The Kitchen Community discusses the differences between beef broth and consommé, focusing on how the latter has a more concentrated flavor and is often used for refined dishes like clear soups or light sauces. It offers suggestions for using consommé in a variety of recipes​(The Kitchen Community).

These sources should provide the necessary background and tips for preparing beef consommé, as well as understanding its unique culinary role.