Easy Pressure Cooker Beef and Broccoli Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can you put raw beef in a pressure cooker? ›

For plain ground beef, from fresh: Place the trivet or a steaming basket into the pot along with 1 cup of water. Then, place the beef (1-2 lbs.) in the trivet. Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes.

Chuck roast, brisket and short ribs are the best cut because they contain a lot of connective tissue. During both slow & pressure cooking, that connective tissue breaks down and turns into gelatin giving the beef a rich, meaty flavour and a tender, juicy texture.

Pressure cooking, like slow cooking, will tenderize tough cuts of meat like beef brisket, beef chuck, pork shoulder and lots of other cheaper, tougher cuts. Pressure cooking (or slow cooking) is not the best approach for cooking expensive, tender steaks or rib roasts.

To thicken beef and broccoli, you can mix 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch with a small amount of water to create a slurry. Add the slurry to the simmering sauce and stir until it thickens. Adjust the consistency as needed. Mix together a teaspoon of corn starch with enough water to dissolve it so it looks milky.

I cover meat in my Instant Pot when making soup, stew, or stock. Otherwise I use a minimum amount of liquid, from 1 to 2 cups. A pressure cooker produces steam until a preset pressure is reached and then replaces heat lost from the pot, by boiling more water, producing more steam.

Recipe sites have some wildly ranging cook times for beef. For a 3-4 lb chuck roast cut into 1-inch cubes, this recipe calls for a cook time of just 15 minutes, this one for 25 minutes, and this one for 40, all on high pressure with quick release.

Pour in at least two cups of water; use 1 to 2 cups more if the beef is a tough cut or to reach the minimum amount recommended by the pressure cooker's manufacturer. Seal the lid and bring the cooker up to full pressure over high heat.

Electric pressure cookers work by trapping steam inside the sealed pot. The steam builds up, ultimately creating a high-pressure environment that cooks food faster. But in order for this to work, you must add a liquid, like water or stock, to the bowl of the cooker.

Brown the meat: Brown the meat in a pan before cooking it in the pressure cooker to add flavor and help to tenderize the meat.

The Verdict: While the pressure cooker prepared a superior tasting dish, it all comes down to how you want to spend your time. The slow cooker is great for hands off cooking. The pressure cooker is fast and provides a better result, but you need to be in the kitchen the entire time it's on the stove.

Can you overcook a roast in a pressure cooker? ›

Steam penetrates food easily under pressure. So connective tissues in cubes of beef for soups or stews soften in 15 minutes or less, and a pot roast will be medium-rare in 30 minutes. Be sure to follow instructions carefully; at this speed, it's easy to overcook things in mere minutes.

If you find that it's still tough after cooking, you'll need to cook it for another 10 to 20 minutes at high pressure – it just needs a bit longer to continue to brine and break down the connective tissue.

I like to use flank steak but you could also use flat iron steak. Flank steak is is an inexpensive cut of steak that transforms into melt-in-your-mouth-tender by slicing it thin, marinating it and not overcooking it. You will be astonished just how buttery delicious flank steak can become!

Each restaurant has its secrets but I make a fair amount of Chinese food and recipes for broccoli beef sauce are basically oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar and perhaps a splash of rice wine. Since this is a deep flavored savory dish I think perhaps a bit of mushroom soy sauce is used.

This completely depends on the type of meat you are planning on cooking. Because slow cookers take longer to cook, they are better suited to breaking down fat in meat while adding moisture. So if you are planning on cooking a whole rump beef, then a slow cooker is a better choice.

Absolutely! Browning the beef before pressure cooking can enhance the flavor and appearance of the final dish. Searing or browning the meat on a stovetop before placing it in the pressure cooker can give it a nice caramelized crust and add depth to the overall flavor.

Cooking Beef in a Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot

The Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot uses a pressure-cooking technique, which breaks down tougher cuts of beef more quickly than traditional braising. It is self-contained, so you can sear and cook the beef in the same vessel.