If you’re looking for a simple one-pan family meal that’s nutritious and delicious, look no further than this Chinese takeout-inspired beef and broccoli recipe!
Tender slices of beef and softened broccoli are smothered in a rich garlic-ginger stir fry sauce, perfect for serving over freshly steamed rice or al dente noodles.
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- This meal is great for making a day or two ahead of time since it stores and reheats well.
- It’s a super simple dish that requires very little effort or time - perfect as a midweek family meal that can be served over rice or noodles.
- You get to enjoy a highly nutritious meal with a touch of sophistication thanks to the sweet and savory sauce with dry sherry and various aromatics!
Save yourself money while satisfying those Chinese takeout cravings by making this easy one-pan beef and broccoli dish!
🛒 Ingredients
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Note: The full list of the recipe ingredients with their amounts and options are listed in the recipe card below.
- Flank steak -- may use rib-eye, sirloin, or New York strip instead.
- Cornstarch -- helps thicken the sauce.
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce -- may use regular soy sauce but it will be much saltier.
- Dry Sherry -- may use Chinese cooking wine or Mirin.
- Sesame Oil -- rich in flavor and sesame taste.
- Black Pepper -- seasoning and spice.
- Light Brown Sugar -- may substitute honey.
- Garlic -- aromatic to add flavor.
- Fresh Ginger -- another aromatic for adding flavor.
- Dry Red Pepper Flakes -- add flavor and heat.
- Chinese Five Spice Powder - is a mix of five spices that adds a lot of flavor for a small amount.
- Peanut Oil - we prefer this oil but you may also use vegetable oil.
- Broccoli Florets -- a nice vegetable and meat pairing with the beef.
- Sesame Seeds -- add flavor and texture to the dish.
🗒 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Slice the flank steak into ¼ inch thick slices against the grain.
- In a mixing bowl, make the cornstarch slurry.
- Add the sliced steak to the cornstarch mix and coat evenly. Set aside.
- Grate the ginger and place in a small bowl along with the soy sauce, dry sherry, sesame oil, black pepper, red pepper flakes, brown sugar, garlic, and remaining cornstarch.
- Mix well and set aside.
- Prepare the broccoli by trimming it into bite size florets.
- Add 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil to a large skillet and add the broccoli. Cook for about 4-5 minutes over medium-high heat, adding some water if the veggies start to stick. Set aside.
- Add the other Tablespoon of oil to the same skillet and add the steak strips.
- Cook over medium-high heat until the steak is no longer pink (about 2 minutes) and add the sauce mixture to the steak strips, stirring well.
- Return the broccoli back to the skillet with the meat. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes to heat evenly through.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
- Serve the broccoli and beef over cooked white rice.
🔪 Equipment
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You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- A large glass bowl -- for mixing.
- Sharp knife -- for slicing meat.
- Cutting board -- to use to cut the knife.
- A microplane -- for grating the ginger
- Large 12" skillet -- you may use a wok.
- Liquid measuring cup
- Dry measuring spoons
- Wooden spoon - for stirring
🤔 FAQs
These are the questions we are most frequently asked about making (recipe name)
This sauce is a combination of low sodium soy sauce, sesame oil, dry sherry, fresh ginger and garlic, brown sugar, black pepper and red chili flakes, with some cornstarch slurry for thickening. All in all, it offers a perfect balance of sweet and savory which takes this dish to another level of deliciousness!
Absolutely! The dish provides protein and a high source of fiber and potassium from the broccoli. Broccoli is also packed with an array of vitamins and minerals and even a certain percentage of plant-based protein.
Yes, you can! This meal supports most diets that are designed to promote weight loss and general improved health since it combines protein with a low-carb vegetable. The only time this beef and broccoli recipe won't be suitable is if you are following a strict vegetarian or vegan diet.
Beef and broccoli is also known as Chinese broccoli fried beef, a dish believed to have first originated from China. The Chinese name for this traditional dish is Gai Lan Chao Niu Rou.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- To achieve thin and tender slices of beef, add your meat to the freezer for 30 minutes prior to cooking and then slice with a sharp knife.
- Use a large enough pan so that the beef and broccoli is not overcrowded. You want the food to cook on a medium-high heat, not cool quickly and steam.
- If you feel that your sauce is too thick, add about 2 tablespoons of water towards the end of the cooking time, adjusting the seasoning if needed. You can also thicken the sauce by mixing in more cornstarch slurry till you reach the right consistency.
📚 Variations
- Use a different meat for this dish such as chicken or pork strips.
- If you can’t get access to flank steak, other cuts of beef such as sirloin, skirt steak or New York strip are also great options.
- For a low-carb meal, serve your beef and broccoli over cauliflower rice instead of white rice.
- Add other vegetables to this dish such as mushrooms, sliced carrots, baby corn, or peas.
- Add in some nuts such as cashews or almonds. This will give the dish some added texture and crunch.
🥫 Storage
After the dish has cooled completely, store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
📗 Related Recipes
If you’re crazy for Chinese takeout but would love to save some money from eating out, consider trying my restaurant-quality Chop Suey, or Hot And Sour Soup.
🍽 Serve with
This beef and broccoli dish is best enjoyed over freshly steamed white rice although you can also serve it over noodles, quinoa, or even cauliflower rice for a low-carb alternative.
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
Did you know that Chinese food is growing in popularity in Italy day by day?! It’s true...while it’s not considered gourmet food in that region of the world, there are Chinese restaurants in almost every major Italian city.
What's new? Check out my All Our Way Store on Amazon. We'll be adding more items we love and use or wish we had to make cooking fun and easy.
📝 Recipe Card
Chinese Beef and Broccoli stir fry is simple and delicious, packed with tender beef strips and broccoli with a rich garlic ginger stir fry sauce that can be served over white rice or noodles in just 15 minutes!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
📖 Recipe
Quick And Easy Chinese Beef And Broccoli With Ginger Soy Sauce
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons Cornstarch divided
- 3 Tablespoons Water
- 1 pound Flank Steak Cut in ¼-inch strips agains the grain
- ½ cup Soy Sauce low sodium
- 1 Tablespoon Dry Sherry
- 2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper freshly ground
- 3 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic minced
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Ginger grated
- ¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes omit if you don't like spicy
- ⅛ teaspoon Chinese Five Spice optional
- 2 Tablespoons Peanut Oil divided (may use Vegetable oil.
- 4 Cups Broccoli Florets
- 2 teaspoons Sesame Seeds optional for garnish
Instructions
- Slice the flank steak into pieces that are about ¼"inch thick - against the grain.
- Whisk the 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch into 3 Tablespoons of water and mix well.
- Add the sliced flank steak to the cornstarch mix and coat evenly. Set aside.
- Grate the ginger and place in a small bowl along with the soy sauce, dry sherry, sesame oil, black pepper, red pepper flakes, brown sugar, garlic, and remaining cornstarch. Mix well and set aside. (Mix in Chinese Five Spice, if desired)
- Prepare the broccoli by trimming it into bite size florets.
- Add 1 Tablespoon of the vegetable oil to a large skillet and add the broccoli. Cook for about 4-5 minutes over medium-high heat then set aside. (You may need to add a few Tablespoons of water if the veggies begin to stick.)
- Add the other Tablespoon of oil to the same skillet and add the flank steak strips.
- Cook over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes, until the steak is no longer pink. DON'T overcook.
- Add the sauce sauce mixture to the steak strips and stir well.
- Return the broccoli back to the skillet with the meat. Stir and cook another 2 minutes to heat evenly through.
- Remove from the heat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired and serve over cooked white rice.
Notes
- A heavy 12-inch skillet beats a wok for home stoves. Most home stovetops don't get as hot as what you need to cook in a wok. Also with a wok you usually need more oil. The skillet conducts the heat well, the low sides allow the extra moisture to evaporate all the while keeping the vegetables crisp and the meat tender.
- Don't over crowd the pan. It's best to fry in batches to prevent steaming the meat and vegetables.
- Keep an eye on the skillet to prevent the pan from drying out. Just a bit of water, a tablespoon at a time, will keep the vegetables crisp-tender and the meat cooked perfectly.
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