Beef with Broccoli has savory strips of thinly sliced beef with juicy, flavorful bites of tender-crisp broccoli coated in a silky sauce. It's an easy at home version of your favorite Chinese takeout classic that is ready in about 30 minutes!
If you love copycat takeout recipes that you can make at home, be sure to also try our Sweet and Sour Pork, Easy Honey Walnut Shrimp, and Orange Chicken! And don't forget the Egg Rolls!
Go to any Chinese restaurant in the USA and you are going to find beef and broccoli somewhere on the menu. It's classic, iconic fare and our little Rosie's (age 3) favorite dish when we get Chinese food - she hoards it like a dragon hoarding treasure. (UPDATE: It has been FIVE years since I first shared this recipe and now 8-year old Rose still loves beef and broccoli better than any other dish and claims rice as her favorite food).
This recipe was shared with permission from my friend Charmaine from the Wok and Skillet blog. Charmaine and I met in a small blogging mastermind group. She was born and raised in Malaysia but spent much of her adult life in the U.S., and was in the process of writing her first cookbook, The Healthy Wok Chinese Cookbook. I even got to test some of her recipes early on. They are easy to follow and way better (and healthier!) than take-out.
When Charmaine told me that I could share a recipe from her book here on the blog, I knew I wanted to make the beef with broccoli, since everybody in my house loves it and it comes together quick and easy.
Why this Recipe Works
- Slicing the beef as thinly as possible and tossing it in a little cornstarch before stir-frying helps make the meat extra tender.
- The broccoli florets get a quick stir-fry in the same pan with a little garlic and water to help it steam to a perfect tender-crisp. One of my pet peeves is overcooked broccoli!
- Everything gets tossed and coated in an easy beef and broccoli sauce that cooks for just a minute or two to thicken ever so slightly so it's silky and not heavy or gummy.
Ingredient Notes
This is a quick overview of some of the important ingredients you'll need for this beef and broccoli recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Beef: Thin strips of a lean cut of meat like beef tenderloin or sirloin steak are best for this dish. We like beef tenderloin best for flavor, but sirloin is much less expensive and still works very well with the quick, hot cooking method.
- Broccoli: You can purchase broccoli florets (we buy the big bags from Costco and use the rest of it for other meals or to make Better-Than-Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup) or buy a couple whole heads of broccoli and cut it into florets yourself.
How to Make Beef and Broccoli
First, combine the cornstarch, soy sauce, freshly ground black pepper, and beef in a medium-size bowl and stir to coat the meat. Allow to marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, put all the brown sauce ingredients into a small jar with a tight seal. Shut the lid tightly and shake to combine. Set aside.
Add the peanut oil to your wok and heat over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the beef and stir-fry 3-5 minutes, just until the meat is no longer pink. Remove the meat from the wok and set aside.
Add the garlic to the wok and stir-fry just for a few seconds, then add in the broccoli and water. Stir-fry until the water has evaporated and the broccoli is tender-crisp.
Return the beef to the wok and add the brown sauce to the beef and broccoli. Toss and stir another 2 minutes, until the sauce has thickened just a bit, then remove from the heat and transfer the prepared beef with broccoli to a serving dish. Serve with rice.
Recipe FAQ's
Really you can use any cut of beef that you would also grill. Sirloin is the most economical option, but beef tenderloin, flank or skirt steak sliced against the grain, or a New York strip steak would be wonderful in stir-fry.
When you are looking at a piece of beef, you will notice lines going mostly in one direction. Those fibers are known as the grain of the meat. You want to slice perpendicularly across the grain, which results in more tender bites.
Storage & Reheating
Leftover beef and broccoli will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days and it reheats well. I recommend reheating it in the microwave until hot before serving.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Slice the beef into thin strips. This allows it to sear quickly and results in tender bites. It can help to stick the meat in the freezer for 30 minutes before slicing so that it is a little firm first.
- Don't overcook the broccoli. Nobody likes mushy, soft broccoli. You want it to be tender, but still have a little bite of bite to it.
- Use a different protein. You could technically make this dish with 1-inch pieces of chicken instead of beef.
- Make it vegetarian. Rather than using beef, you could use chopped root vegetables or mushrooms to replace the meat and vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock in the sauce. They would also taste amazing coated in the savory sauce.
- Serve with white or brown rice.
More Easy Dinner Recipes
- One Pot Bruschetta Chicken Pasta
- Best Beef Kabob Marinade
- Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
- Best Ground Beef Stroganoff Recipe
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Beef with Broccoli
Ingredients
Beef & Marinade
- 1 pound beef tenderloin, flank steak, or sirloin steak thinly sliced about ¼-inch thick
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Brown sauce
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
- ½ Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sesame oil
Stir-fry
- 1 ½ Tablespoons peanut oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 4-5 cups broccoli florets, about 1 large or 2 small heads broccoli
- ¼ cup water
- Sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Combine the cornstarch, soy sauce, freshly ground black pepper, and beef in a medium-size bowl and stir to coat the meat. Allow to marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- Put all the brown sauce ingredients into a small jar with a tight seal. Shut the lid tightly and shake to combine. Set aside.
- Add the peanut oil to a large skillet or wok and heat over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the beef and stir-fry 3-5 minutes, just until the meat is no longer pink. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.
- Add the garlic and stir-fry just for a few seconds, then add in the broccoli and water. Stir-fry until the water has evaporated and the broccoli is tender-crisp.
- Return the beef to the pan with the broccoli and add the brown sauce. Toss and stir another 2 minutes, until the sauce has thickened just a bit, then remove from the heat and transfer the prepared beef with broccoli to a serving dish. Garnish with sesame seeds, if desired, and serve with rice.
Notes
- Slice the beef into thin strips. This allows it to sear quickly and results in tender bites. It can help to stick the meat in the freezer for 30 minutes before slicing so that it is a little firm first.
- Don't overcook the broccoli. Nobody likes mushy, soft broccoli. You want it to be tender, but still have a little bite of bite to it.
- Use a different protein. You could technically make this dish with 1-inch pieces of chicken instead of beef.
- Make it vegetarian. Rather than using beef, you could use chopped root vegetables or mushrooms to replace the meat and vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock in the sauce. They would also taste amazing coated in the savory sauce.
- Serve with white or brown rice.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in May, 2017. The photos and content were updated in January, 2022.
Amy your Chinese broccoli and beef recipe looks so delicious! I'm definitely trying your recipe!
You're going to love it, Elaine!
Beef with broccoli is one of my favorite take-out dishes, too! This seems like a pretty simple way to make it at home.
Thanks for sharing the news about Charmaine's cookbook - looks like it will be a great resource!
Looking and sounding delightful. I love the veggie and beef in the Asian flavors. Healthy and filling,
One of my favourite Asian dishes and it's not hard to make either
Beef with broccoli is one of my favourite Chinese dishes! I've made it at home loads, but I've never cooked it in peanut oil before. Definitely going to try this.
Full of flavor. Love how easy it is too.
I can't believe such a fabulous dish can be cooked in such a short time! An amazingly tasty and healthy combination, l love both beef and broccoli. Fantastic job!
Beef with Broccoli is one of my daughter's favorite recipes so I was thrilled when I stumbled upon this recipe. It's definitely a favorite at our house!
A recipe like this is always a crowd pleaser and so much better than takeout! I love these flavors and the fast that it is a totally easy recipe!
Delicious! I didn't know making Chinese food at home could be so easy. I loved the oyster sauce, it really adds an authentic "restaurant" taste.
Way easy and so good. I always make extra so I am assured of leftovers.
I did not have rice but used 'rice noodles', think I will stick to using noodles.
Rice noodles or Udon noodles. Thank you so very much !