Slow Cooker Broccoli Beef with Carrots

Do you use chopsticks when you eat Chinese food? I do! It helps me eat slower. Truth be told, I sometimes use chopsticks with other cuisines too (in the privacy of my own kitchen).

I always have trouble with rice, but thankfully I rarely even eat the rice when I’m eating Chinese food. I just load up on the vegetables and meats.

When I order Chinese food, I’m one of those weirdos who orders sauce on the side. First off, I’m sensitive to sauce, because of all the garlic and onion, but also if the food is actually good I don’t think it needs to be drowned in sauce. Today’s recipe is definitely saucy, especially if you’re like me and you don’t use rice to soak up all that sauce, but I didn’t mind because I knew it was at least a bit lower in sodium compared to others. Also, I had control over the FODMAPs (I used half the garlic).

Slow Cooker Broccoli Beef with Carrots

Ingredients

• 2 pounds chuck steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 cup low sodium beef broth
• ½ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
• 4 garlic cloves, minced **
• ¼ cup oyster sauce
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 2 heads broccoli, cut into florets
• 2 cups baby carrots

Instructions

1. Add steak, broth, soy sauce, garlic, oyster sauce, brown sugar and sesame oil to a slow cooker. Stir to combine.
2. Cook on low for 2 hours, then add the carrots.
3. Continue cooking on low for 2 more hours (or until beef is tender).
4. Reserve ¼ cup of the cooking liquid and whisk in the cornstarch to the liquid.
5. Slowly stir the cornstarch mixture into the slow cooker along with the broccoli and continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes (or until sauce is thickened a bit and broccoli is tender)
6. Serve immediately over rice (or however you’d like).

Notes

** Omit the garlic if you are following a low FODMAP diet.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: ⅙th of recipe Calories: 415 Fat: 18 g Saturated fat: 6 g Carbohydrates: 15 g Sodium: 780 mg Protein: 35 g

I won’t call this a healthier version of your favorite Chinese food, but it’s definitely a more economical version. Also you can modify it to fit your own desires; use less beef or a different (leaner) cut, or add more broccoli and carrots (more vegetables are always a good idea!). This one was a hit in our household for sure. I hope you enjoy it too!