Easy Beef and Broccoli Better Freezer Meal Recipe
This Easy Beef and Broccoli Freezer Meal Recipe will have all of your other broccoli recipe s beat! I'ts a great freezer meal that makes your busy weeknights as delicious as a dream and as fast as chinese food take out!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 355kcal
Cost: $10
Equipment
- 1 cutting board
- 1 knife
- 1 freezer bags - gallon and quart
Ingredients
For Freezing
- 1 lb steak - thinly sliced
- ¼ Cup cornstarch
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 4 Tbs brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 2-3 cups frozen broccoli florets
For Cooking
- 4 Tbs vegetable oil
Instructions
For Freezing
- Add the thinly sliced beef and cornstarch to the gallon sized freezer bag. Shake until the steak is coated.
- In a quart size freezer bag, mix together the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, ginger, sesame seeds, sesame oil and red pepper flakes. Remove as much air as possible and squish the sauce ingredients up together. Fold and place into the gallon sized bag with the beef.
- Measure out the broccoli and add that to the top of the gallon size bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal the bag.
Skillet Preparation
- Thaw the bag by floating in a bowl of warm water until the contents are freely loose from one another or place into the refrigerator the day before.
- Remove the sauce packet from the bag.
- Pour the broccoli out into a dish.
- Over high heat in a large skillet, add the vegetable oil and heat until glistening.
- Pour the steak into the pan and stir-fry until the pieces are mostly cooked through.
- Add the broccoli to the pan and continue to cook until tender but still crisp.
- Add the sauce, cook, stirring constantly until coated throughout and the sauce thickens slightly.
Instant Pot Preparation
- Layer the steak and then the broccoli in the bottom of the instant pot. Add ½ cup beef broth or water.
- Bring to full pressure for 3 minutes with 10 minute natural release.
- Release the pressure and remove the lid. Mix the sauce ingredients into the meat and broccoli. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
Slow Cooker Preparation
- Add the broccoli, beef and sauce ingredients into the crockpot and mix well.
- Set the crockpot on low. Heat for 4-6 hours.
- Stir well and serve.
Video
Notes
- This simple recipe can be made in a skillet, in a crockpot or in an instant pot. See the recipe cooking instructions below for each of those instructions.
- The best way to make this dish is to use the already frozen beef strips (find fajita strips in the frozen section), but if you are using a different cut of meat, make sure that you cut it in thin strips and pre cook it so that it cooks quickly and is easy to chew.
- Always cut tougher cuts of beef against the grain so that they are easier to chew.
- Use a few tablespoons of garlic ginger paste (find the recipe at loaves and dishes) instead of the powdered garlic and fresh ginger noted in the recipe.
- ALWAYS use broccoli florets only. The others frozen bags use stalks and that doesn't work in this recipe.
- If using fresh beef, use a good cut of steak like ribeye or NY strip.
- The frozen sandwich meat won't work well for this recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 355kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 1699mg | Potassium: 538mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 301IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 3mg