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Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry is the classic dish you can find at just about any Chinese restaurants! Well loved by many, and understandably so, it combines crunchy broccoli with silky juicy slices of steak in a savory sweet soy based sauce…

My Beef and Broccoli recipe is super tasty, and is a great healthier and more budget-friendly alternative to Chinese takeout!

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

Check out other Asian beef recipes on the blog! Beef Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Beef), Steak Fried Rice, Stir Fry Beef with Ginger and Scallions are some of my other favorites!

Beef and Broccoli

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry is a staple dish at pretty much any Chinese restaurant across the U.S. I can still remembering having my first Beef and Broccoli at Panda Express.

I fell in love with it instantly and that was my go-to order for the longest time at Chinese takeouts.

Fast forward to today, I make Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry right in the comforts of my own kitchen. And dare I say, I actually like mine much better.

YES. MUCH BETTER. Better than takeout AND Chinese restaurants.

I’ll choose my Beef and Broccoli recipe over 99% of Chinese restaurants any day, and I’m going to show you how easy it is for you to make this yummy and simple dish at home!

Why I love my Beef and Broccoli recipe:

  • I created a beautiful sauce that has actual depth and complexity in its flavor. None of that one dimensional tasting sauce that you get from typically Chinese restaurants.
  • I use good quality beef (I like using sirloin for stir fry), cut the beef cross-grain, thinly slice the beef, slice them up in somewhat similar sizes, and try my very best to never ever overcook the beef.
  • It’s not overly greasy. We need vegetable oil to stir fry beef and broccoli, but we are not going to overload it with grease and oil. Just enough to get the job done!

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make beef and broccoli stir fry:

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
  • sirloin beef – use a tender cut of steak and slice it cross grain. Ribeye, strip, and round steaks work as well.
  • broccoli – use fresh broccoli and slice them into florets so that it cooks quickly.
  • cornstarch – this is used to 1) tenderlize the beef, and 2) thicken the sauce
  • vegetable oil – you really can’t stir fry without oil… Canola oil or another neutral oil works as well.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The secret to my beef and broccoli is in the sauce. And here are the ingredients you will need to make this fantastic sauce:

  • soy sauce – regular soy sauce works just fine! Use whatever soy sauce you have on hand.
  • oyster (flavored) sauce – used widely in Chinese cooking, this is a delicious sauce that provides lots of umami flavors. Even if you don’t like oysters you need to try it! It doesn’t taste like oyster at all!
  • granulated sugar
  • rice wine – I like to use the Chinese rice wine, Shaoxing rice wine for this.
  • sesame oil – used a lot in Asian cooking, it has a nutty fragrance
  • fresh garlic – NOT garlic powder. Fresh garlic makes a whole difference.

Stir Frying Beef and Broccoli

The cooking method used to cook Beef and Broccoli is called stir fry. Stir fry is a popular cooking method in a lot of Chinese and Asian dishes.

Using the right appliance is key when it comes to stir frying. To make beef and broccoli stir fry right, you’ll want to use a wok or a large skillet that can withstand and retain heat well. This will take your stir fry from good to great. Trust me.

If you are not using non-stick wok or skillet, make sure to very generously grease your wok or skillet so the items do not stick to the pan!

A wok is nice because it has room to freely move your ingredients around. If you don’t have a wok, use a large skillet.

By using a wok or a large skillet, we can avoid overcrowding the wok and will have room to move the ingredients around – this enables the items to cook evenly, instead of some being overcooked and others undercooked.

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

A few more things to note when stir frying your beef and broccoli:

  • The stir frying process happens pretty quickly, so prep all your ingredients and bring it next to the stove so it is within arm’s reach. Dish out stir fry promptly when done cooking to avoid overcooking the items.
  • If doubling the beef and broccoli stir fry recipe, I highly recommend cooking in two batches, unless you have a very large wok or skillet. Again, this is to avoid over-crowding the wok or skillet.
  • Make sure the oil is hot before adding any items to the wok or skillet. You want your pan hot hot hot so you get a good sear!
  • Cook broccoli and beef separately, this is to make sure nothing is under or overcooked. Only bring everything together and combine at the end!

For more stir fry tips, check out this post I wrote about 8 Tips to a Great Stir Fry! It’s the one stop shop to make all your stir fry dreams come true.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to make the beef tender in stir fry?

Slicing beef cross grain and coating beef with cornstarch for 30 minutes beforehand will help make it slightly more tender. There are more complicated ways to make beef tender; this a quick and easy way to make it tender.

What do I do differently if I want to double the recipe?

If your wok or skillet is not large enough to accommodate all the broccoli and beef, you may want to stir fry it in two batches so everything cooks evenly.

This Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry is perfect for eating at home on busy weeknights because it takes 25 minutes from start to finish.

As the weather turns cooler, casseroles, soups and stews are not the only thing I start making more of. I want a good, solid stir fry. The cooler temperature also makes heating up that wok in the kitchen a lot more pleasant!

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

You can substitute broccoli with another veggie such as green beans, asparagus, or even Chinese greens such as Chinese broccoli (gai lan) or bok choy. Definitely recommend serving with white or brown rice.

The rice will soak up the yummy sauce from the stir fry and just thinking about it is making me DROOL.

My favorite part? Check out that sticky sauce clinging onto the beef and broccoli. Okay now – SIGN ME UP FOR THIS YUM THING.

DID YOU ENJOY THIS RECIPE? Please comment below and give us a 5-star rating! This will help others find this recipe on Google and Pinterest. We very much appreciate your help! 🤍

More Asian Recipes

Want More Easy Dinner Recipes?

My friend Denise compiled a whole list of yummy easy dinners in her blog post 78 Best Easy Dinner Ideas. Check it out for more quick and simple dinner inspo!

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

This Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry recipe is super easy (25 minutes only!) and crazy good! Tender slices of beef and crunchy broccoli tossed in a flavorful, gorgeous soy-based sauce! Make it today and skip takeout!
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: asian, Chinese
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 3 servings
Calories: 364kcal
Author: MinShien

Ingredients

  • 1 lbs sirloin beef sliced
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 head broccoli 2-3 cups broccoli florets
  • 3-4 cloves garlic minced
  • vegetable oil

Stir Fry Sauce

  • 3 tbsp oyster (flavored) sauce
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice wine
  • 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp water

Instructions

  • Thinly slice beef sirloin cross-grain. Make sure they are all about the same size. Bring beef slices into a bowl and sprinkle with corn starch. Use finger to coat beef with cornstarch. Optional: let beef sit for 30 minutes.
  • Slice broccoli head into florets. Mince fresh garlic.
  • In a bowl, combine all the ingredients under 'stir fry sauce' and mix well to combine.
  • Heat wok under high heat and add some vegetable oil to wok. Once oil is heated, add broccoli florets to wok and stir fry (move broccoli around) until it turns a darker green, or until almost done (does not have to cook completely as we will be cooking them again). Remove broccoli florets from wok and set aside.
  • Add more vegetable oil to wok. Once oil is heated, add minced garlic and beef sirloin to wok. Stir and move beef around every 10 seconds or so. Once beef is almost cook (takes only a few minutes), add broccoli florets back into the wok, then add sauce to the wok.
  • Stir everything around to combine. Once sauce is bubbly and all items are cook, remove promptly from heat. Avoid overcooking beef. The stir frying process goes quickly – step 3-5 should follow each other fairly quickly.
  • Serve with rice. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 364kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 982mg | Potassium: 1186mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1263IU | Vitamin C: 182mg | Calcium: 138mg | Iron: 4mg
Did you make this recipe?Take a pic and tag me at @joyous.apron, or hashtag #joyousapron on Instagram!

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Recipe Rating




4 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I loved reading your first experience tasting this delicious dish! I also have my own version of this yummy dish too! It’s such a staple in Asian cuisine!

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Yes!! One of my faves 🙂 We make it so often these days!

  2. 5 stars
    Made this tonight and it was delicious and so easy!! Thank you!!

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      You are so welcome! Glad it was delicious!