Beef and Broccoli
This beef and broccoli recipe is better than takeout, with tender bites of steak and broccoli coated in a delicious savory sauce. This easy stir fry is one of my family’s favorite dinners!
This Beef and Broccoli Recipe is a Favorite in My House
This beef and broccoli is exactly the type of dinner recipe I need in my life right now: it comes together in 30 minutes, it’s incredibly flavorful, and (almost) everyone in my family loves it. The last time I made it for dinner, 3 out of my 5 kids went back for seconds – I’ll take that as a win!
Let’s talk about what I love so much about this recipe.
- The sauce. Oh the sauce. It’s thick and sticky with the most amazing savory, gingery, garlicky flavor. It’s lightly sweetened with brown sugar, just enough so to balance out the savory flavors. You’ll love the way this sauce thickens up and coats the beef and broccoli so that each bite is intensely flavorful.
- The ratio of beef to broccoli is just right. I didn’t want this recipe to be loaded with steak with just a few token pieces of broccoli here and there, so we’re adding plenty of both to the pan.
All you’ll need to round out the meal is some cooked rice – it’s the perfect side to serve with this saucy stir fry. I usually cook a batch of this Instant Pot Rice. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, try my stovetop white rice recipe.
Beef and Broccoli Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this beef and broccoli recipe:
- For the sauce, you’ll need soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, fresh ginger and garlic, and cornstarch to thicken it up. I also like to add some crushed red pepper flakes for heat. This is a variation of my easy Stir Fry Sauce recipe.
- Oil: For stir-frying. I like to use avocado oil or olive oil.
- Broccoli: Chop it into small bite-size florets.
- Steak: Thinly slice it against the grain into bite-size strips.
- Black Pepper: To season the beef. We don’t need to add salt because the soy sauce brings enough salty flavor.
- Green Onions: For mild onion flavor.
What Kind of Steak to Use
You have a couple of options here. My favorite for this recipe is boneless beef New York strip steak because it is so tender and flavorful. It’s a bit of a splurge, but I think it’s worth it. Other good options include sirloin steak, flank steak or skirt steak.
Tip: Whatever type of steak you choose, be sure to slice it thinly and against the grain. This helps to make the meat more tender.
How to Make Beef and Broccoli
My top tip for success with this recipe is to prep all of the ingredients before you start cooking. Once you start adding things to the hot pan the recipe moves very quickly.
- Make the sauce. Whisk together the water, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, cornstarch and red pepper flakes.
- Stir-fry the broccoli. Cook it just until it’s barely crisp-tender, then transfer it to a clean bowl or plate. Be careful to not overcook the broccoli at this point, since it will soften up more when you add the sauce to the pan. We don’t want mushy broccoli!
- Cook the steak. Add the sliced steak to the skillet and season it with pepper. Cook until the beef is browned on both sides.
- Put it all together. Add the broccoli back to the pan, then add the sauce. Stir and cook for 2 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Then stir in the green onions.
Then serve the beef and broccoli over white or brown rice, and enjoy!
To Store and Reheat
As with all stir-fries, this beef and broccoli is best served right after it’s made. It will still be delicious on the second and third day, but the broccoli will soften up more. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Reheat over medium-low heat on the stove or in the microwave.
More Delicious Stir Fries
Beef and Broccoli Recipe
Ingredients
Sauce
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon water
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
Stir Fry
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, or avocado oil, divided
- 1 pound broccoli, chopped into small bite-size florets (4-5 cups)
- 1.25 pounds flank steak, NY strip steak, sirloin steak or skirt steak, thinly sliced against the grain into bite-size strips
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 green onions, white and light green parts only, chopped
For Serving
- cooked white or brown rice
- sesame seeds, optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Combine all sauce ingredients (water, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, cornstarch and red pepper flakes) in a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes, until crisp-tender. Transfer the broccoli to a clean bowl or plate.
- If the pan is getting too hot, reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the beef and sprinkle evenly with the black pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes, flipping the steak pieces over/stirring occasionally, until steak is browned on both sides.
- Add the broccoli back to the pan. Whisk the sauce to recombine, then add the sauce to the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes, until sauce has thickened and steak has cooked to your liking.
- Stir in the green onions. Remove the pan from the heat. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve with cooked rice, or as desired.
Notes
- Gluten-Free: You can make this beef and broccoli gluten-free by replacing the soy sauce with gluten-free tamari, gluten-free coconut aminos or gluten-free soy sauce.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Reheat over medium-low heat on the stove or in the microwave.
Awesome recipe 😋 😄😋