Skip the takeout! This beef and broccoli is a 30-minute one-pan stir fry made with thin tender strips of beef, crunchy broccoli, coated in a mouthwatering brown sauce.
This Chinese restaurant-quality beef and broccoli will satisfy all of your take-out cravings. It is perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner that is tasty, healthy, and budget-friendly. Serve with a side of steamed rice or with noodles or even on its own for a keto friendly dish the whole family will love!
About this Homemade Beef and Broccoli
You can never have too many quick and easy go-to meals, so this is one you’re going to want to keep! It’s super simple, healthy and leftovers can be used to take for lunch the next day.
Yes, we could easily grab this popular takeout dish from a nearby restaurant, but making it from home tastes SO MUCH better and is so much healthier! It’s a way to avoid all of the additives and high amounts of sodium. And bonus, it’s cheaper to make it from scratch.
I used London broil steak, but this recipe is customizable in that you can use sirloin, tri-tip, or flank steak. The crunch of the broccoli is a result of steaming them just enough, but not too much and this recipe will guide you to get the best crunchy bite!
The sweet and salty glaze is the perfect finish, combining the flavors of soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar, and sesame oil among a few other ingredients. It’s a lip-smacking finish to every satisfying bite!
Why this recipe works
- Quick and easy
- Keto-friendly
- Cost efficient
- Healthier than takeout
- A one pan dinner
- Easy clean up
- Customizable
- Kid-Friendly
Ingredients
- London broil steak – Can also use Tri-Tip, Sirloin, or flank steak. As long as they sliced thinly into small strips against the grain.
- Olive oil – Can also use avocado or vegetable oil. When stir-frying you want an oil that has a high smoke point and will remain stable at high heat.
- Broccoli florets – If you’d like to reduce waste, try chopping up the broccoli stalks and adding those in as well.
- Sesame seeds – Optional garnish.
For the Sauce:
- Hot water – You’ll need a bit of water as well for the initial quick steam of the broccoli.
- Low sodium soy sauce – Can also opt for gluten-free Tamari or coconut aminos. Keep in mind coconut aminos are a bit sweeter than regular soy sauce.
- Sesame oil – Adds the signature nutty flavor and aroma to this dish. If you don’t have any, you can use olive oil instead.
- Packed light brown sugar – Adds the sweet balance to the salt. If you are looking to reduce your refined sugar intake, raw honey can be used in place of brown sugar.
- Corn starch – Used as a thickening agent for the stir fry sauce.
- Garlic – Minced (fresh or jarred).
- Ginger paste – Can substitute with freshly grated ginger.
- Black pepper – Just a dash for seasoning.
- Sesame seeds – Optional added flavor and texture. It also makes for a lovely presentation!
How to Make this Stir Fry Beef with Broccoli
Before you begin, you want to get all of your ingredients organized and ready to go. The key to stir frying anything is making sure to move quickly!
If serving with rice, start cooking it first per the package directions and slice steak into think small strips.
In a small bowl, combine the stir fry sauce ingredients and mix well. Then set aside.
Add sesame oil to a large skillet heat on medium heat and add broccoli and a bit of water to cook for until broccoli turns bright green. Transfer to a bowl .
Add more oil and turn the heat up to on the skillet. Add beef strips in a single layer and cook quickly for approximately 2 minutes on each side.
Pour the sauce over the meat and reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sauce has thickened. Add the broccoli back into the skillet and toss to coat with sauce.
Serve over white rice or rice noodles, if desired and enjoy immediately!
Variations/Options
Variation 1: Saute sliced onions until tender before cooking the broccoli for for more flavor.
Variation 2: If you like a little heat, add some red pepper flakes in as little or as much as you’d like.
Tips
- For ultimate tender beef, cut through beef when still a bit frozen. Use a sharp knife and cut against the grain.
- Make sure to sear the beef when the pan is hot. This way you’ll keep all the juices inside and create a nice browned exterior.
- If you have a lot of beef, you may need to cook in batches. Overcrowding the pan may lead to steaming the beef instead of searing each piece evenly.
FAQ’s
Absolutely! Beef and broccoli can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. It will probably become soggy if kept longer than 1 day, so for meal prep purposes you may want to prep everything and add the sauce in later upon reheating.
Other Easy Asian Recipes
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Easy Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 pound London broil steak sliced thinly into small strips
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 pound broccoli cut into 6 cups of florets
- 2 teaspoon sesame seeds optional garnish
For the Sauce:
- ½ cup hot water
- 6 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or gluten free Tamari or coconut aminos
- 2 Tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 Tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 1 ½ Tablespoons corn starch
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons ginger paste or fresh ginger, grated
- ½ teaspoons black pepper
- Sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- If serving with rice, start cooking it first per the package directions.
- Slice steak into think small strips
- In a small bowl, combine the stir fry sauce ingredients and mix well. Then set aside.
- Add a 1 Tablespoon of sesame oil to a large skillet heat on medium heat.
- Add broccoli florets and 2 tablespoons of water and cook for approximately 5 minutes covered until broccoli turns bright green. Then place in a bowl while cooking steak.
- Add the other tablespoon of oil and heat the skillet on medium high to high heat.
- Add the beef strips in a single layer and cook quickly for approximately 2 minutes on each side.
- Pour the sauce over the meat and reduce the heat to low and simmer for 4-5 minutes tunil the sauce has thickened.
- Add the broccoli back into the skillet and toss to coat with sauce.
- Serve over white rice.
Chris David
Really delicious recipe. I love it yummy!!! It’s really awesome. Will surely try this.
LB
Excellent sauce!! added some red pepper flakes. Yummy!
Jessica
Delicious. Cooked perfectly. Doubled the sauce and added 2 medium onions. As we like it really saucy, I’ll probably triple sauce next time.
Maxine
I just made it and was planning on having it for dinner…. It was sooooo good I ate it for lunch
Sherri
Haha! I am so happy your enjoyed it!
Kate E
So we loved this. The first time I made it, I got the wrong cut of meat. This time I used a ribeye and we added mushrooms! It did make a little bit more sauce with more water and soy. My son wants to add onions next time too. Thank you, I really struggle putting meals together.
Andrea Chapman
I followed the instructions exactly and it came out PERFECTLY!! My kids loved it!
Sherri
I’m so happy to hear that!! 🙂
Mickey
My family loved this. We do not have a Chinese restaurant close so this is a great option.
Sherri
Wonderful! I’m so glad they all loved it!
S. B. Scott
This is an old favourite that I haven’t had in over 40 years. Brings back wonderful memories. Will definitely be making it.
Roxann Gray
trying for the first time. recipe seems eacy and sounds good. Can’t wait to try it.
Sherri
So happy you enjoyed it!
Perry
Excellent, turned out Bueno