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
DESCRIPTION
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.
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.
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.
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.
Made this for my husband and parents-in-law! So good! I made sticky rice with it instead of regular rice!
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 you use shrimp instead of beef?
I haven’t tried making that substitution, but I think it would work well with the broccoli and other flavors in this dish. If you give it a try, please let me know what you think.
I had leftover prime rib so I used that along with fresh broccoli from my garden. Pure deliciousness!
This is absolutely by far one of the best recipes I have ran across! It’s so light and fresh! It’s became a favorite in my home!
This was so good, it tastes just like takeout! It took me about 20-30 minutes to make. I followed the recipe and there was the perfect amount of sauce and food (about 3-4 servings). However, I used regular soy sauce and it was salty, I will definitely use low sodium next time!
Love it but double the sauce for us.
Does the calorie total include the rice?
No, it does not. Rice portions will vary a lot between individuals, so I haven’t included it here.
Can this be saved for the next day to eat as a school lunch?
Made this tonight! Better than any restaurant I’ve had!
Way too sweet!
It was perfect!! Added some fresh ginger for a little extra flavor! Will definitely make it again!
This was delicious!!
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!