30 min
Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni
Ground beef, tender elbows and real cheddar create a creamy homemade answer to boxed cheeseburger pasta in about half an hour.
Instant Pot Family Dinners
Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli
Tender beef, crisp-tender broccoli and a glossy ginger-soy sauce deliver takeout comfort while keeping the vegetables out of the pressure cycle.
Directions
Brown in batches
Pat the beef dry. Select Sauté, add the oil and brown the beef in two batches for about 2 minutes per batch; it does not need to cook through. Transfer to a plate.
Deglaze completely
Pour in the broth and scrape the bottom until no browned spots remain. Stir in soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and pepper, then return the beef and any juices.
Pressure cook
Lock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 12 minutes. Let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then use a controlled quick release in short bursts to release the remainder.
Steam the broccoli after pressure
Open the lid only after the float valve drops. Confirm the beef is tender. Add the broccoli, select Sauté and cover loosely with the lid without locking it for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring once, until crisp-tender.
Thicken the sauce
Stir cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Move the broccoli and beef aside, stir the slurry into the bubbling sauce and cook 1 to 2 minutes until glossy. Cancel Sauté.
Finish and serve
Stir in sesame oil. Taste before adding salt, then spoon over rice and finish with scallions. Put chili crisp on the table rather than in the family-size pot.
Why this works
Why it worksChuck becomes tender under pressure without the cost of tenderloin or the dryness of very thin lean steak.
Why it worksBroccoli cooks after pressure, protecting its color and bite.
Why it worksA cold-water slurry thickens only after pressure cooking, so starch cannot scorch on the cooker base.
Useful kitchen gear
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Compare on Amazon6-quart electric pressure cookerThe recipe timing, minimum liquid, and family-size yield are written around this common capacity.See current options →
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Swaps & notes
Easy swaps
- Use tamari in place of soy sauce for a gluten-free version.
- Substitute snow peas or thin bell-pepper strips and sauté only until crisp-tender.
- For a lower-sugar sauce, reduce brown sugar to 1 tablespoon; do not replace it with a thick syrup before pressure cooking.
Cook notes
- Cut beef across the visible grain so the finished strips bite cleanly.
- Controlled quick release means venting in short bursts if sauce threatens to spit from the valve.
- Keep the steam-release area clear and follow the release method in your cooker's manual.
- Written for a 6-quart electric pressure cooker; follow the minimum-liquid, fill-limit and release instructions for your exact model.
- Never force the lid. Open only after pressure is fully released and the float valve has dropped.
Storage
Refrigerate airtight for up to 4 days. Reheat gently to 165°F; microwave broccoli in short intervals so it does not turn soft. Freeze the beef and sauce for up to 3 months, ideally without broccoli.
Questions
Why is my beef chewy?
The strips may be cut with the grain, the chuck pieces may be unusually thick, or they may need 3 to 5 more minutes under pressure. Simmering will not tenderize them as quickly.
Can frozen broccoli work?
Yes. Thaw and drain it first, then fold it into the hot sauce for 1 to 2 minutes on Sauté. Pressure cooking frozen florets will make them mushy.
Can I use flank steak?
You can, but cut it across the grain and reduce High Pressure time to 8 minutes with a 5-minute natural release.
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Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli
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1. Brown in batchesPat the beef dry. Select Sauté, add the oil and brown the beef in two batches for about 2 minutes per batch; it does not need to cook through. Transfer to a plate.
2. Deglaze completelyPour in the broth and scrape the bottom until no browned spots remain. Stir in soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and pepper, then return the beef and any juices.
3. Pressure cookLock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 12 minutes. Let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then use a controlled quick release in short bursts to release the remainder.
4. Steam the broccoli after pressureOpen the lid only after the float valve drops. Confirm the beef is tender. Add the broccoli, select Sauté and cover loosely with the lid without locking it for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring once, until crisp-tender.
5. Thicken the sauceStir cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Move the broccoli and beef aside, stir the slurry into the bubbling sauce and cook 1 to 2 minutes until glossy. Cancel Sauté.
6. Finish and serveStir in sesame oil. Taste before adding salt, then spoon over rice and finish with scallions. Put chili crisp on the table rather than in the family-size pot.