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
- Toss sliced beef in a large bowl with corn starch.
- 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.
- Add broccoli and garlic to the pan, and stir. Add beef broth. Let simmer until the broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While waiting for the broccoli to cook, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
- Add the reserved beef and sauce to the pan, and stir. Let simmer for 5 minutes so the sauce thickens a bit.
- Serve beef and broccoli over cooked 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.
I made a lot of changes. I still love the recipe but felt it lacked a lot. I added carrots, onion, and fresh sliced garlic in addition to broccoli. I used some butter and double the amount of beef broth. Instead of using a lot of soy sauce, I used 1/2 cup of liquid amino instead of soy sauce and doubled the amount of brown sugar.
When I do this recipe again I will put onion and garlic in with the steak instead of waiting.
All in all, I like the basis of the recipe.
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.
It was perfect!! Added some fresh ginger for a little extra flavor! Will definitely make it again!
Way too sweet!
Loved it!! Added some celery, onion and shredded carrot. Would definitely make again.
Tried this yesterday and added noodles. It is very easy and delicious.
Made this for the second time – quick, easy and delicious! Use lower sodium broth and soy. We had a bell pepper so added that with the broccoli. This time, we had ginger so I grated that into the marinade. A pinch of red pepper flakes adds the spice we like!
This was easy and so delicious! I added onions and sliced shiitake mushrooms also. After it cooled down (when I was cleaning up) I tasted a spoonful of the sauce and it was so yummy! I will definitely make again.
Can this be saved for the next day to eat as a school lunch?
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.
I made it with frozen brócoli and I loved out great recipe.
Made this recipe tonight, made it exactly like directed, and it was great! Will make again for sure but will probably change it up a bit, adding some onion, carrots, water chestnuts, and ginger!! I think you can make this with whatever you like, or leave as is. Thanks for sharing this recipe!!
Made this yesterday and used venison instead of beef, added mushrooms, and used cauliflower rice instead of white rice and the flavor was fabulous. Thank you
This is my go to beef and broccoli recipe! I add a little bit of sriracha sauce at the end. SO good!
So easy and delicious. I double the sauce recipe and add yakisoba noodles or ramen if can’t find them.
I love this recipe because it’s so easy and so delicious I also added mushrooms that I had in the fridge
I made this today. It was super easy, and delicious. I added garlic, red peppers, and carrots along with the broccoli. When I cooked the rice I used chicken stock instead of water to give it more flavor. Even my 9 year old loved it. I will for sure make this again.
This, by far, is the best beef and broccoli recipe I’ve made. The balance of the brown sugar, soy, and garlic elevate this dish. I did add a little Marin the second time I made this but it’s delicious with or without it.
I made this tonight, exactly as written, and it was delicious! My husband said it is just as good as the dish at our favorite Chinese restaurant. Thanks so much!
This was really tasty and easy to make. I used regular soy sauce and the dish ended up pretty salty. Definitely stick with the low sodium soy sauce that the recipe calls for.
Made this tonight! Better than any restaurant I’ve had!
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!
Instead of corn starch, I used wheat flour.
Did this substitute work well for you?
Very easy to make and everyone loved it!
This sounds sooo good. Cant wait to try it. The ingredients just got added to my grocery list for tomorrows shopping. THANKS!
Awesome, hope you love it!! 🙂