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I love Chinese food.
I love cooking.
But as a white girl, living in the Midwest, my ability to make good Chinese food at home is about the same as finding the Pacific Ocean in my backyard. #notverylikely
And while I could pick up the phone and order takeout, there is something completely satisfying about knowing what ingredients are in your meal AND cooking it yourself.
After a little bit of work and a whole lot of trial and ERRORS, I’ve found the slow cooker to be my preferred small kitchen appliance to use when making Chinese food.
(And for the record, I’ve tried a WOK. Several times and all I end up with is greasy food and oil burns on my hands. In another life, I will master the WOK, but I’m pretty sure it ain’t going to be this one.)
This recipe is incredibly simple. It truly is dump a bunch of ingredients, add some meat and walk away for several hours. Plus, the little known secret of not-sogggy-broccoli is to add it at the very end (like while you are opening a bottle of wine to go with your meal) and you are making rice.
And finally, don’t let the word “spicy” worry you in the name of the recipe…you can easily dial the spice up or down by the amount of red pepper flakes you use…more spice, add more – less spice, take them out.
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Slow Cooker Spicy Beef and Broccoli Recipe
This Slow Cooker Spicy Beef and Broccoli Recipe is for all my “cooks” who love a good Chinese meal, but can’t cook one for the life of them. Dial up or down the spice by the amount of red pepper flakes you use…and don’t forget to add the broccoli at the end. Preferably, while you are pouring yourself a glass of wine.
Recipe Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients
12 ounces Beef Roast, sliced thinly (can also use packaged ‘stir fry’ meat in the meat department)
1 cup of Low Sodium Beef Broth
1 teaspoon of Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 cup of Brown Sugar
1 tablespoon of Honey or Agave
3 – 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
1/2 cup of Low Sodium Soy Sauce
2 tablespoons of Cornstarch
1/4 cup of Water
3 cups of Broccoli Florets
Directions
1. In the bowl of a slow cooker, whisk together broth, red pepper flakes, brown sugar, honey/agave, garlic, and soy sauce. Add beef; stir to coat and evenly distribute. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.
2. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water. Pour mixture into slow cooker; stir to combine. Add broccoli florets to slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes, or until sauce has thickened and broccoli is cooked tender.
Recipe adapted from BS Recipes (http://www.bsrecipe.blogspot.com/2012/04/crock-pot-beef-and-
broccoli.html)
Looking for more dinner inspiration? Follow my Main Dishes Board on Pinterest for more recipes like this one.
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LOVE this recipe? Make sure to check out all of our tried and true recipes in the Redefined Mom Recipe Index.
Just wanted to let you know that the ad above the comment box makes it impossible for me to read the recipe. It keeps pulling the page own to the ad. 🙁 Even while I’m typing this it keeps pulling the page back up to center the ad.
Try again. I have disabled the ads for desktop, unless you are viewing on mobile.
Can one cook it on high? If so, how long? Thanks.
It depends on your slow cooker, but usually, if you cut the time in half, you should be okay.
How does this freeze? I’m looking to make a batch and store it in individual containers for my student daughter.
Thanks.
As a general rule, not very well. 🙁
This tasted gritty from the cornstarch. Did I do something wrong?
Do you brown the stir fry meat from the meat dept before putting it in the crockpot?? Or do you put it in the crockpot raw?
Do you use fresh or frozen broccoli?
This is by far the BEST slow-cooker beef & broccoli recipe!! Even better than Chinese restaurants make!! I’m telling you, this is amazing!! I reduced the red pepper flakes to 1/2 tsp because my teenage sons don’t like it too spicy. Over rice or lo mein noodles, a HUGE hit in my house!
I ended up with too much juice. Perhaps I should halve the beef stock.
Do I add the cornstarch and water mixture in the last 30min or right after I throw the meat and other ingredients in?
Trying this out for the family tonight. Wish me luck.
What cut of beef? Chuck?
I made this recipe today, my only complaint is that once the meat cooks and tenderizes it falls apart and is more like a roast.. I was hoping for a beef like you would get at a Chinese restaurant. Any suggestions for next time?
Will this work with frozen meat in the slow cooker?
Did you brown the meat before putting it into the crockpot? Thanks
I made this recipe & my husband loved it. He keeps asking how I made the sauce. I won’t tell! Loved it!
It was just alright,,,I made it exactly how the recipe reads. It could have used more Asian flavors. And the sauce needed to be thicker.
I Used a 16oz. bag of frozen stir-fry vegetable mix instead of just broccoli. I wanted a little more variety in my veggies. Turned out very good.