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.
Can this be made with lean hamburger?
Easy to make. i would make it again but decrease the soy sauce
I have made a zillion beef and broccoli recipes. I never like any of them. I have finally found one that I absolutely love! Thank you for a phenomenal recipe! A keeper for sure!!!!!
OMG!!! This is the best beef and broccoli I’ve e er made. Taste so much better than the packet seasoning I usually buy from Target. Thanks so much for sharing!
& Im cooking this again today. Its wonderful. Its great just like it is but this time ive decided to add baby carrots & mushrooms. I also used this same sauce in pepper steak & it was amazing. Thanks for the great recipe!
I made this for dinner & my family loved it. This is my new favorite Beef & Broccoli recipe. Thank you so much for sharing!
Just made this for dinner. Super tasty. I did need to add 1 whole cup of beef stock. Thanks for a great recipe!
Would teriyaki sauce work instead soy sauce?
No, those are 2 very different things, if you prefer you can use braggs amino acids as a soy sauce substitute.
Made this tonight for me and the husband. I was honestly surprised with how quick and easy the whole recipe was. It was also very good! Personally I would have added some onion to it. I’ll have to do it the next time because I’m definitely making this again!
Can I use beef broth instead of beef stock? Thanks in advance!
Yes, that is fine. Hope you get a chance to try this!
Is the stock added to the sauce or is it just the soy sauce?
The stock/broth is added in Step 3. It’s not part of the sauce, which is made in Step 4.
So yummy! I love this combination! I used venison tenderloins, cut in smaller pieces. It was a tad salty, but I didn’t have any low sodium soy sauce. So that was probably my fault. Even my husband, who doesn’t like veggies much, loved this!
This was sooooo good!!! Paired it with jasmine rice in my instapot!
This recipe was AMAZING! My family loved it and my co-workers loved my leftovers the next day. Will definitely be making this one again and adding it to my collection.
My picky kids loved this. Thank you!!
Amazing! This is better than when we order from the local Chinese restaurant and so easy. Thank you so much for an awesome recipe.
Made this tonight. Absolutely delicious!! I sprinkled some ground ginger on top towards the end and mixed it in. Thank you!!
I made it with frozen brócoli and I loved out great recipe.
I loved it first time I have ever made Somthing so delicious..th for sharing this recipe.