Try this easy recipe for authentic Chinese beef and broccoli with white rice.
Beef and broccoli is a staple dish that you’ll find at nearly all Chinese American restaurants or takeout places. I love beef and broccoli because (a) I can’t resist anything with tender and tasty strips of flank steak, and (b) it’s such an easy one-pan stir fry recipe that takes less than 30 minutes total. Also, if you’re a huge broccoli fan like me, you’ll love these juicy and flavorful bites of broccoli in between mouthfuls of meat and rice.
Best Tips To Tenderize Stir Fry Beef
One of the best things about this beef and broccoli recipe is the ultra tender beef. If you ever wondered how Chinese restaurants make their beef so tender, you can follow these tips:
- Cut of beef: I use flank steak for this dish, but if you opt for more premium cuts then you will get beef from more tender parts of the cow. If you find pre-cut beef strips or “beef for stir fry” sold at your supermarket, that will work great here as well.
- Thin cuts: You want to slice very thin cuts of beef, about 1/4 inch. For even more tender beef, you can try slicing even thinner pieces. The thinner the beef, the more tender it will be.
- Slicing against the grain: Notice the long muscle fibers across the beef and how they are aligned. You should slice perpendicular to those lines, so that you are cutting through the fibers. This will result in less work for your teeth and it will make the beef taste more tender.
- Corn starch: Toss the sliced beef with corn starch prior to searing, as it’ll soften and tenderize the beef. This is a common step in many Chinese dishes. Corn starch also helps the beef retain its liquids so that it doesn’t exude juices when it’s cooked.
- Quick sear: Don’t overcook the beef slices — just a quick sear until they’re browned. If you overcook the beef, it will get rough and hard.
I follow these tips for this beef and broccoli recipe, my Mongolian beef, and all of my Asian stir fry dishes for ultra tender beef every time.
Beef and broccoli is a delicious meal to enjoy for lunch or dinner, and leftovers reheat well in the microwave. I usually serve it with cooked white rice alongside vegetable egg rolls. There’s a decent amount of sauce that comes with this recipe, so you’ll want some rice to help sop up the sauce. Yum!
For a healthier version of beef and broccoli, check out my newer low carb beef and broccoli recipe which is served with cauliflower rice. That recipe also includes full nutritional information.
Crazy Good Beef And Broccoli
Ingredients
- 1 pound flank steak sliced into 1/4 inch thick strips
- 3 cups small broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup beef stock
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
For the sauce:
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
Instructions
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Toss sliced beef in a large bowl with corn starch.
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Heat canola oil in a pan over medium heat for a few minutes. Add sliced beef and cook until it browns, a few minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
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Add broccoli and garlic to the pan, and stir. Add beef broth. Let simmer until the broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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While waiting for the broccoli to cook, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
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Add the reserved beef and sauce to the pan, and stir. Let simmer for 5 minutes so the sauce thickens a bit.
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Serve beef and broccoli over cooked white rice.
Just made this recipe and it is delicious!! Will make again and again!! I used brown rice instead of white rice and it tastes so yummy!
It was delicious! I just wonder if anyone has used chicken instead of beef and how it turned out.
Instead of corn starch, I used wheat flour.
Did this substitute work well for you?
This was great. I did modify a little. I did season steak with salt and pepper and ginger. I also added Sesame seeds and red peppers in when cooking broccoli. We also topped with scallions. Definitely will make again.
On the stove as we speak and smells delicious! So simple to make 🙂
We make this weekly! Kids love it, and leftovers go into the lunchbox (if there are any) 🙂
Has anyone ever tried to replace the brown sugar with either coconut sugar or agave nectar?
I plan to do coconut sugar today and half it to just two TBS instead of 1/4cup.
I replaced the sugar with Swerve and it turned out great!
I just made this for dinner for my family of five this evening. I doubled the recipe as we have three teenaged boys. It was delicious! I reduced the amount of sugar and it was still great. Thank you for posting such a tasty recipe.
Very easy to make and everyone loved it!
Was very good. Make sure to use low sodium soy sauce. I would also recommend not cooking broccoli the entire 10 minutes. It was too soft and we like a bite to ours.
I may never order takeout again after making this. It’s so yummy and quick and easy. Everything I love in a recipe. The only thing I did different was to steam the broccoli for 2 minutes and add it at the end since we love ours crunchy. Great recipe !!
I have tried a lot of recipes in my attempts to start cooking. Not all of them work out but this recipe does. I love it, I even eat broccoli which is huge because I don’t eat vegetables. Thank you!
My family loves this recipe. Even my picky eater. I make steamed white rice with it and have even tried thin spaghetti noodles to give it a lo-mien feel.
My family has made this multiple time ands it’s delicious! My son tried broccoli for the first time from this recipe
I’m blown away by this dish. It not only rivals the best beef broccoli dishes I’ve ever tasted in fine Chinese restaurants – after all, it is my husband’s favorite – it is also one of the easiest and quickest dinners I’ve ever made.
This has become a staple in our house. I use just a bit less soy sauce, but otherwise follow it exactly. Love this recipe!!