Quick and Easy Beef and Broccoli

Sabrina May 9, 2024

If you're craving a good stir-fry or any kind of take-out, this dish will definitely satisfy that. This beef and broccoli sauce and beef is made all in one pan in under 30 minutes. The beef is tender, juicy, and flavourful; perfect over steamed, white rice.

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Delicious Beef and Broccoli

I, personally, have always been a sucker for beef and broccoli stir fry–it’s one of the things I love most to order for Chinese food. However, after making it myself and coming up with a recipe, I think this is 10 times better! Plus, it is such an easy main dish to make!

This beef and broccoli recipe is super quick and easy, making it a perfect weeknight dinner. Not only that, but it makes a really great lunch for the next day! When making this recipe, it’s best to have all the ingredients prepped and ready to go, as the dish comes together pretty quickly.

Making any dish at home automatically becomes better because you know exactly what is going into your food. With this beef and broccoli recipe, you can be certain the ingredients will be simple and fresh–simple meals are the best!

There are no questionable ingredients, and you can control how much salt or oil goes into the dish. You do not have to feel guilty about ordering beef and broccoli as take-out, just make this dish and you’re good to go!

Ingredients Needed

Flank steak: this cut of beef is lean and has a lot of flavour, so is ideal for this beef and broccoli recipe.

Baking soda: baking soda combined with corn starch helps to tenderize the beef so it’s not tough and chewy. It is especially helpful for flank steak, which can be a bit tough.

Corn starch: like I mentioned above, this will help to tenderize the beef so that it is not tough and chewy in your stir fry.

Broccoli: broccoli florets are needed for this beef and broccoli recipe.

Garlic/ginger/water/sesame oil/dark soy sauce/light soy sauce/oyster sauce/brown sugar: these ingredients combined is what creates the mouthwatering stir fry sauce.

Green onions + sesame seeds: these are used as garnishes. They are optional, but add the traditional touch for beef and broccoli.

How to Make Beef and Broccoli

Beef and Broccoli stir fry is one of the quickest meals I know. It is so easy, but so delicious. Follow these simple instructions to make this recipe!

Start by slicing the steak into thin strips, against the grain. Mix the baking soda and 1 tbsp of the corn starch into the beef well, ensuring that every part of the beef is coated. Let this sit for 5-10 minutes while you prepare other ingredients.

Now it’s time to make the sauce. In a bowl, whisk together the water, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, and 1 tbsp of corn starch, until everything is well combined. Set this mixture aside.

Heat a cast iron pan or skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil. Add the strips of beef in one layer, cooking in batches if needed. The beef should be thinly cut so it will only need about 2-3 minutes of cooking. Ensure both sides are seared. Avoid mixing. You want to sear on the first side for about 1-1.5 minutes, flip, then sear on the second side. Remove from heat, onto a plate, and repeat with remaining beef.

Once beef is removed from pan, add the broccoli into the same pan along with a few tbsp of water to steam. Stir together, cover, and steam for about 3 minutes. The broccoli will continue to cook in the next step.

Add beef into the pan with broccoli and add the sauce that was prepared earlier. Stir fry everything together for a few minutes, or until sauce has thickened. If there isn’t enough sauce, add water 1 tbsp at a time until desired sauce is reached. Taste and adjust for seasoning, if needed.

Serve over white rice, garnished with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Tips for Tender Beef and Broccoli

If you don’t cook the beef the right way, or you overcook it, you might end up with chewy, hard strips of beef. Here are a few tips for that:

Cut against the grain of the beef. When you cut against the grain, you are basically cutting the muscle fibers into smaller pieces, which results in less chewy pieces of meat!
Freeze the beef for 30-45 minutes before cutting to make it easier to slice. Also, use a sharp knife. Once you are done slicing, allow the beef to come back up to room temperature before cooking.
Mixing the beef with about a 1/2 tsp of baking soda and letting sit for about 10 minutes helps to tenderize the beef.
Make sure your pan is nice and hot before putting the beef slices in and cook only for 2-3 minutes. This ensures that you get a nice brown exterior, the beef is almost completely cooked, and it won’t be chewy due to overcooking.

Storage Tips

Like I mentioned, beef and broccoli makes an amazing lunch the next day. It keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. You can reheat it on the stove for best results. You can also freeze this dish for up to 3 months, in an airtight container or freezer bag.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this recipe ahead of time?

In my opinion, recipes like this taste so much better the next day! So yes, you definitely can make this the day before, or up to 3 days before you plan on eating it. Store in the fridge in an airtight container. Reheat on the stovetop, add water to thin the sauce out a bit, if needed.

What kind of rice is best to serve with Beef and Broccoli?

You can use any rice that you prefer or have on hand. Some nice options are jasmine, brown rice, or basmati rice. You can even serve it with fried rice.

I hope you give this recipe a try and enjoy it! If you have any questions, let me know in the comments below!

Looking for more beef recipes? Try one of these! Chili, Beef Samosa, Beef and Barley Soup

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