Ground Beef and Broccoli Instant Pot Recipe
Posted: 3/25/22 Updated: 3/31/22
Simple and fuss free – this One Pot Ground Beef and Broccoli with Rice makes for a perfect weeknight dinner! Everything comes together in one pot, with minimal chopping and basic ingredients! | Gluten Free + Dairy Free + Soy Free Option
If you're on the look out for a new simple weeknight dinner to try out – I've got you covered with this One Pot Ground Beef and Broccoli with Rice!
This recipe basically combines beef and broccoli recipe with steamed rice. What does that mean?
✔️Less prep
✔️Less cleanup
✔️Less work
The end result? One delicious meal!
The recipe and ingredients are broken up into two main sections: the sauce and everything else. Mix the sauce ingredients together you add it to the beef mixture. This will help ensure that everything mixes together thoroughly and evenly for the best outcome.
Sauce
- Soy Sauce or Tamari: Use a low sodium soy sauce if you need, though I recommend you still add salt to taste at the end. If you use a regular soy sauce or tamari you shouldn't need to add much salt if any.
- Need a soy free option? Try coconut aminos! Coconut aminos are slightly sweeter and way less salty than regular soy/tamari. Add about 1/2 – 1 teaspoon salt to make up for it.
- Brown Sugar: Light or brown sugar will work. White sugar and honey will as well. You need the sugar here to bring balance to the other salty and sour flavors in this sauce.
- Rice Vinegar: A small amount of vinegar is all you need to brighten up the other flavors to make for a well rounded dish.
The Beef & Rice
- Onion, Garlic & Ginger: These aromatics make up the base flavors for this recipe. Cook the onion on its own first then add the garlic and ginger. Garlic can burn quite fast so it needs less time on the heat.
- Ground Beef: Lean beef is ideal. Too much fat can make your final dish a bit greasy.
- Long Grain White Rice: Long grain rice is ideal because low in starch. Long grain rice is more firm and fluffy as opposed to starchy and mushy.
- Beef Stock: You may want to consider a low sodium stock or beef broth to give you more control over the saltiness of your dish.
- Broccoli: Chop the broccoli into small pieces to ensure it steams through. Broccolini (also known as tenderstem broccoli) will cook faster since it's naturally smaller in size.
One Pot Ground Beef and Broccoli with Rice Steps
Simple and straight forward.
Gather and prepare your ingredients before you begin. Mix the sauce and set aside. Dice the onion. Grate or finely mince the garlic and ginger. This will make an already easy recipe even more seamless.
- Sauce Prep: Mix the stir fry sauce in a small cup or bowl then set aside.
- Aromatics: Gently fry the onions about 5 minutes or so then add the garlic and ginger.
- Beef: Add one pound of ground beef to the pan. Cook beef about 5-7 minutes until browned and no longer pink.
- Sauce & Rice: Pour the prepared sauce to the pan along with the uncooked rice. Mix everything together well
- Stock: Pour the stock in the pan and give everything a good stir.
- Cover & Cook: Finally, place a fitted lid over the pan and let cook about 15-20 minutes until the rice is tender.
When and How to Add the Broccoli
About 10-12 minutes before your rice finishes cooking – add the broccoli. Place the chopped florets on top of the rice, then cover and let steam until the stalks are tender. Don't mix the broccoli in to the rice until very end.
Tip!
The smaller you chop the broccoli the faster and more easily it will cook. Large pieces or broccoli and thick stalks might need longer to steam.
- Choose a different protein.
- For a leaner, lighter meal use ground turkey or chicken instead. Ground pork will also work.
- Use dried/ground spices.
- Fresh garlic and ginger will make for the best flavor overall but you can also use ground spices in a pinch.
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger = about 1 tablespoon fresh
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder = about 4 cloves fresh
- 1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder = about 1/2 onion, diced (try to use fresh onion if possible)
- Fresh garlic and ginger will make for the best flavor overall but you can also use ground spices in a pinch.
- Use a different acid.
- No rice vinegar? Use apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, lemon juice or lime juice instead.
And that's it! A quick weeknight meal that's as satisfying as it is simple!
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1/4 cup | 60 ml tablespoons gluten free soy sauce/tamari
- 2 tablespoons | 28 g brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon | 15 ml rice vinegar
Beef & Rice
- 1 tablespoon | 15 ml neutral flavored cooking oil (like avocado oil or vegetable oil)
- 1/2 white onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled & minced
- 1 pound | 500 g lean ground beef
- 1 cup | 200 g uncooked long grain white rice (like basmati or jasmin)
- 2 cups | 480 ml beef stock
- 2 cups | about 200 g broccoli florets chopped into small pieces
Optional Toppings
- Sesame seeds
- Sliced Green Onions
- Sriracha/Hot Sauce
- Toasted Sesame Oil
Need help converting to weights? Check out my cups to grams Conversion Guide.
Instructions
- Prep the sauce. In a small bowl or cup, mix together the , soy sauce, water, vinegar and brown sugar. Set aside.
- Warm a large skillet over a medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. When the pan is hot, add the onion. Stir and cook about 5 minutes until starting to soften.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and add the garlic and ginger to the onion and cook another one minute.
- Turn the heat up high and add the beef mince to the onion mixture. Break up the beef with a wooden spoon into and cook until the beef is no longer pink (about 5-7 minutes).
- Switch back to a medium heat. Add the rice to the beef mixture along with the prepared sauce. Mix everything together. Stir in the beef stock.
- Bring the pot to a simmer then cover the pan with a fitted lid. Switch back to a medium low heat and let cook about 12 minutes.
- After about 10-12 minutes, place the chopped broccoli florets on top of the rice. Don't mix it in. Cover the pan once more and let cook another 10-12 minutes until the rice is cooked and the broccoli tender.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let sit covered another 5-10 minutes.
- Mix the broccoli in with the rice and that's it.
- Optional Toppings: Enjoy as is or top off with your preferred toppings. I like to serve mine with freshly chopped spring onions, sesame seeds and extra sriracha over the top. A drizzle of toasted sesame oil mixed in at the end adds a nice, nutty flavor.
Notes
- Make sure to chop the broccoli florets into small pieces. Large stalks and pieces will need more time to cook/steam until tender.
Substitutes
Fresh garlic and ginger will make for the best flavor overall, but you can use ground spices in a pinch.
Freeze for Later
- Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat on the stove top over a medium-low heat until cooked through. If the mixture looks dry, add about 1/4 cup stock to the pan to add moisture.
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
More Easy Stir Fry Recipes You Might Enjoy:
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- Cashew & King Prawn Stir Fry
- Teriyaki Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry
- Ginger And Spring Onion Chicken
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Source: https://www.asaucykitchen.com/ground-beef-and-broccoli/