Beef and Broccoli

This Beef and Broccoli recipe is fresh, hearty, and bursting with flavor. It’s a quick, affordable, and healthy approach to a classic take-out style Chinese dish. 

Updated October 2022

Better Than Takeout Beef and Broccoli!

Beef and broccoli is a very popular Chinese takeout order, and for good reason. The freshness of the vegetables, mixed with the richness of the beef, soaked in a mouth-watering sauce, makes for a pretty perfect meal. 

It can be even better when you make it at home. Homemade beef and broccoli tastes even fresher, is quite a bit healthier, and saves you money over the takeout version. It’s a weeknight stir-fry staple in my household, because it’s a nutritious restaurant-quality dish that takes less than a half an hour to make. 

What You’ll Need

Here are all the ingredients that you’ll need to make beef and broccoli at home. Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page to see the exact quantities. Includes gluten-free, refined sugar-free, paleo, low carb, Whole30 and keto options.

For the Stir-Fry:

• Flank or sirloin steak
• Cooking oil 
• Water: This is to blanch the broccoli in.
• Garlic
• Fresh ginger
• Broccoli
• Cornstarch: You can use arrowroot or tapioca starch for a corn-free, low carb, keto / paleo-version.
• Low-sodium soy sauce: You can substitute with coconut aminos or gluten-free tamari.
• Dark soy sauce: This is mainly for color. You can leave out or substitute with coconut aminos or gluten-free tamari.
• Toasted sesame oil
• Black pepper

For the Sauce:

• Oyster sauce: You can also sub with vegetarian flavored oyster sauce use this brand for a Vegan, Keto, Whole30 and Paleo Oyster Sauce.
• Low-sodium soy sauce: You can substitute with coconut aminos or gluten-free tamari.
• Dark soy sauce: This is mainly for color. You can leave out or substitute with coconut aminos or gluten-free tamari.
• Granulated sugar – You can replace it with honey if you prefer.
• Toasted sesame oil
• Mirin: You can also sub with a Chinese cooking wine. Omit for Whole30 / paleo.
• Cornstarch: You can use arrowroot or tapioca starch for a corn-free, low carb, Whole30, paleo-version. Use 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum for keto.
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Sodium-free chicken broth

What Does Blanching the Broccoli Do?

Blanching is the act of briefly cooking an ingredient in boiling water before adding it to a pan. In this dish, blanching helps cook the broccoli without withering it or drying it out. You can then finish cooking the broccoli in the pan, but won’t have to cook it for as long before it’s ready. Blanching also helps bring out color in green vegetables, so your beef and broccoli will look prettier if the broccoli is blanched.

How to Make Beef and Broccoli

Now for the fun part! Let’s get to cooking this mouth-watering dish.

• Marinate the beef. Mix together low-sodium soy sauce, dark soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, cornstarch, and pepper. Cut the beef into thin slices and add it to the mixture. Let it marinate for at least 10 minutes. 
• Blanch the broccoli. Bring the water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 30 seconds, then drain and rinse with cold water. 

• Make the sauce. Combine oyster sauce, low-sodium soy sauce, dark soy sauce, chicken broth, mirin, toasted sesame oil, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and black pepper, and mix. 
• Cook the beef. Heat a non-stick pan or a wok on high heat, and add the oil. When the oil is smoking, add the beef in a single layer. Add the garlic, and cook until the meat is no longer pink.
• Finish the stir-fry. Add the sauce, and stir until it thickens, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broccoli, and toss until the vegetables and beef are all covered in sauce. Add salt and pepper as needed.
• Serve. Add any garnishes you want (I like sesame seeds and green onions), and serve the beef and broccoli over rice or noodles. 

Tips for Success 

Here are some tricks and tips to make sure your beef and broccoli comes out perfectly. 

• Get the pan really, really hot. You’ll want to turn on your fan for this one. Heat the pan on high heat until it’s very hot, then add the oil and the beef. This ensures that you get a good crust on the beef, which will add both texture and flavor to the dish.
• Thinly slice the beef. It’s very important to cut the beef into thin slices. Thinly-sliced steak will be much more tender, especially with this stir-fry method.
• Cut the beef across the grain. You always want to cut your beef across the grain, but that’s especially true with lean cuts like flank steak or sirloin. Cutting beef across the grain keeps it from being chewy. 

What to Serve Beef and Broccoli With

You can serve this takeout favorite on a bed of rice and you’ll have a pretty perfect meal. But if you want some more dishes, here are some recipes that go great with beef and broccoli.

• Chicken lo mein
• Fried rice
• Summer rolls
• Crispy tofu
• Asian cucumber salad 

How to Store and Reheat Beef and Broccoli

You can keep this dish in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove top. You can also store this recipe in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating. 

3.98 from 34 votes

Print

Beef and Broccoli

Prep Time

14 mins

Cook Time

12 mins

Resting Time

10 mins

Total Time

26 mins

 

Beef and broccoli is a Chinese takeout staple that's easy to make at home. It's fresh, hearty, jam-packed with flavor, and takes less than 30 minutes to make.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese

Keyword: beef and broccoli recipe, beef and broccoli stir fry, chinese beef and broccoli, chinese broccoli

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 191 kcal

Author: Kelly

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound flank steak or sirloin, trimmed of fat, very thinly sliced against the grain
• 1 Tablespoon cooking oil
• water for blanching broccoli (omit if not blanching)
• 2 cloves garlic finely minced
• 1/4 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 3-1/2 cups broccoli florets about 1 head

For the Beef Marinade:

• 1 teaspoon cornstarch , you can use arrowroot or tapioca starch for a corn-free, low carb, Whole30, paleo-version. Omit for keto.
• 1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce , can substitute with gluten free tamari or coconut aminos for a Whole30 / paleo-friendly version
• 1/4 teaspoon dark soy sauce optional for color & extra flavor (leave out for gluten free, Whole30, keto or paleo version)
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

For the Sauce:

• 1-1/2 Tablespoons oyster sauce , you can also sub with vegetarian flavored oyster sauce use this brand for a Vegan, Keto, Whole30 and Paleo Oyster Sauce.
• 1-1/2 Teaspoons low sodium soy sauce can substitute with gluten free tamari or coconut aminos for a Whole30 / paleo-friendly version
• 1/4 teaspoon dark soy sauce optional for color & extra flavor (leave out for gluten free, Whole30, keto or paleo version)
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar , sub with coconut sugar for paleo or granulated sugar-free sweetener for keto. Leave out for Whole30 or use homemade date paste.
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Mirin Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry (omit for paleo and Whole30 version)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch , you can use arrowroot or tapioca starch for a corn-free, low carb, Whole30, paleo-version. Use 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum for keto.
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup cold water sodium free chicken broth – this adds extra flavor, plus more as needed to thin out the sauce

Serving Suggestions:

• cooked rice, quinoa, or noodles

Instructions

1. Marinate the beef: In a medium bowl, mix together all of the ingredients for the marinade. Add the beef slices and stir until coated. Set aside for at least 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile blanch the broccoli: (skip if not blanching) In a large non-stick saute pan or wok on high heat, bring the water to a boil. Add the broccoli florets and cook for about 30 seconds. Drain and immediately rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
3. Make the sauce: Combine all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
4. Heat cooking oil over high heat, for about 2 minutes – using the same non-stick pan or wok you used for your broccoli. The pan needs to be hot enough that you start seeing a little bit of smoke rising.
5. Quickly add the beef to the smoking pan and spread the pieces out to a single layer allowing them to sear and brown. Add the garlic and continue cooking until the meat is no longer pink (about 1-2 minutes making sure not to overcook). Pour in the sauce, stirring constantly, until the sauce boils and thickens – about 30 seconds. Add more water if needed to thin out the sauce. Quickly stir in the broccoli and toss everything together to coat well. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped green onions if desired. Serve hot over rice or noodles.
7. For meal prep: Divide evenly into lunch containers with your favorite carb – rice, quinoa or noodles.

Nutrition Facts

Beef and Broccoli

Amount Per Serving (1 serving (1/4 recipe))

Calories 191 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 2g10%

Cholesterol 51mg17%

Sodium 228mg10%

Potassium 397mg11%

Carbohydrates 6g2%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 19g38%

Vitamin A 215IU4%

Vitamin C 30.9mg37%

Calcium 37mg4%

Iron 1.6mg9%

* Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy using the WPRM recipe calculator. It is best to make your own calculations to ensure accuracy. We expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.