So last weekend I went to NADA in New Orleans, which stands for National Auto Dealers Association. It’s basically the automotive industry’s super bowl, and I had to work it. Five 14-hour days, but spending the weekend in New Orleans isn’t ALL bad 😉 Anyways, Taylor had single dad duty for our new puppy and I thought I’d try and make life a little easier for him, (while also ensuring he didn’t eat 5 days worth of delivery pizza) so I prepped him a bunch of slow cooker dinners in ziplock bags. Instructions were written in sharpie on the bag. He was ready to roll.
I prepped him Simple Slow-Cooked Perfect Pot Roast and Two-Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos because those are weekly staples. But since I made a single serving of the pot roast, I had some extra meat left, so I prepped him something I’d never made before: slow cooker asian beef and broccoli. The man is a broccoli fool, so I knew it would be a hit. I also had tons of extra veggies in the fridge I knew would go to waste, so I threw all those in the prep baggie too. See how I force him to be healthy even when I’m not there 🙂
Around 7 P.M. Saturday night, (I was still working by the way) I got this text from Taylor: “HOLY FREAKING CRAP”. I was intrigued. “THIS RECIPE IS A KEEPER. MAKE IT A WEEKLY STAPLE”. I did a quick happy dance and pat on the back, and then was instantly jealous I didn’t get to try this new creation. I got home on Monday and you better believe this is the first thing I made again on Tuesday.
It was AMAZING. All the veggies were so crisp and wonderful, and the beef was juicy, sweet, and full of amazing umami flavor. I served it over quick minute microwave basmati rice on Tuesday, and then ate the leftovers with spaghetti noodles on Wednesday. Slow cooker asian beef and broccoli IS a keeper. And a new staple in our house. Plus it takes like 10 minutes max of effort 🙂
- 2-3 lb boneless beef chuck roast, (4-5 lbs if it's bone-in)
- 1 cup beef broth
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1 tsp. fish sauce
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper, (more if you like it hot!)
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 5 cups chopped vegetables like broccoli, trimmed green beans, sliced red bell pepper, baby carrots, onions etc. Use whatever you like, or whatever you have on hand!
- Salt & pepper
- Freshly squeezed lime juice, for serving
- Optional garnishes: sliced green onions, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, or sesame seeds
- Optional rice or noodles for serving, (I use minute microwave basmati rice!)
- Place your chuck roast in the bottom of a slow cooker or into a gallon-sized bag if prepping this early. Pro tip: stab the beef with a long knife all over to let the flavor soak into the meat even more when cooking!
- Make the sauce: combine beef broth, brown sugar, soy sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil, rice vinegar, fish sauce, and cayenne. Pour over the beef.
- Add the garlic cloves, cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours, (or on high for 4).
- When the time is up, shred the beef with two forks and add all the chopped veggies to the slow cooker on top of the beef to steam. Cover again and cook on high for 30 minutes.
- Serve the beef and veggies over white rice, noodles, or as is for a low-carb dinner.
- To finish, squeeze a fresh lime over the beef for brightness, and top with scallions, cilantro, or sesame seeds if you want.
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