During my five years working the wok station at Golden Dragon Restaurant, I learned that the secret to perfect beef and broccoli recipe isn't just about high heat - it's about timing, technique, and understanding how proteins behave under extreme temperatures. After preparing this dish thousands of times professionally and teaching it in my Asian cooking classes for the past decade, I've perfected a version that rivals any takeout joint while being completely doable in your home kitchen.
Why You'll Love This Beef and Broccoli Recipe
After making this beef and broccoli recipe stir fry for hundreds of family dinners and teaching it at cooking classes, I know why it's such a hit. The marinade trick I picked up from Chef Wong turns cheap flank steak into restaurant-quality tender pieces. Your broccoli stays bright green and crunchy, not mushy like most homemade versions.
Emma always asks for seconds, which means a lot coming from a kid who usually picks around vegetables! This recipe is also perfect for busy weeknights since you can prep everything ahead of time. Once your pan gets hot, dinner comes together in less than 10 minutes. Plus, it's way cheaper than ordering takeout and you know exactly what's going into your food.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Beef and Broccoli Recipe
- Ingredients for Perfect Beef and Broccoli Recipe
- How To Make Beef and Broccoli Recipe Step by Step
- Keeping Leftovers Good
- Beef and Broccoli Recipe Variations
- Equipment For Beef and Broccoli Recipe
- Easy Swaps That Easy Beef and Broccoli Recipe Work
- What to Serve With Beef and Broccoli Recipe
- Top Tip
- Grandma's Hidden Recipe: A Family's Legacy
- FAQ
- Your New Go-To Dinner is Ready!
- Related
- Pairing
- Beef And Broccoli Recipe
Ingredients for Perfect Beef and Broccoli Recipe
For the Beef:
- Flank steak
- Cornstarch
- Soy sauce
- Rice wine or dry sherry
- Sesame oil
- Fresh ginger
- Garlic cloves
For the Vegetables:
- Fresh broccoli crowns
- Broccoli stems
For the Sauce:
- Low-sodium soy sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Rice vinegar
- Brown sugar
- Chicken broth
- Cornstarch for thickening
You'll Also Need:
- Toasted sesame seeds
- High-heat cooking oil
- Green onions
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Beef and Broccoli Recipe Step by Step
Prep Work:
- Cut beef thin against the grain
- Mix beef with cornstarch, soy sauce, and sesame oil
- Let beef marinate for 15 minutes
- Cut broccoli into bite-sized pieces
Get Cooking:
- Heat pan until smoking hot
- Cook beef in small batches, 30 seconds per side
- Remove beef and set aside
- Blanch broccoli in boiling water for 1 minute
Finish It Off:
- Toss in broccoli for 30 seconds
- Mix all sauce ingredients in a bowl
- Return beef to hot pan
- Add sauce and stir
Keeping Leftovers Good
Fridge (3-4 days):
- Let it cool down first
- Stick it in something with a lid
- Keep rice separate if you remember
- Don't use the microwave to heat it up
Freezer (2-3 months):
- Cool it off completely
- Freezer bags or containers work fine
- Write the date so you don't forget
- Thaw it overnight before you reheat
How to Heat It Up Again:
- Add a little water if it looks dried out
- Get a pan hot with some oil
- Dump the beef and broccoli recipe in
- Stir it around for a few minutes
Beef and Broccoli Recipe Variations
Make It Hot:
- Throw in some sliced jalapeños
- Add sriracha or that chili garlic sauce
- Use tons of black pepper like Chinese restaurants do
- Sprinkle red pepper flakes at the end
Different Styles:
- Mongolian style with lots of onions and green onions
- Orange beef with fresh orange zest
- Sweet and sour with pineapple chunks
- Korean style with gochujang and sesame seeds
For Picky Kids:
- Make it sweeter with more brown sugar
- Leave out the ginger if they hate it
- Add frozen peas for pretty colors
- Serve over fried rice instead of white rice
Equipment For Beef and Broccoli Recipe
- Big pan or wok
- Sharp knife for the beef
- Cutting board
- Some bowls for mixing
- Measuring spoons
Easy Swaps That Easy Beef and Broccoli Recipe Work
Protein Options:
- Flank steak → Chicken thighs or breast
- Fresh beef → Leftover rotisserie chicken
- Regular meat → Firm tofu for vegetarians
- Beef strips → Ground beef (brown first)
Sauce Swaps:
- Oyster sauce → Extra soy sauce + pinch of sugar
- Brown sugar → Honey or maple syrup
- Rice wine → Extra chicken broth
- Regular soy → Coconut aminos for gluten-free
Vegetable Mix:
- Standard → Throw in some water chestnuts
- Fresh broccoli → Frozen (thaw and drain first)
- All broccoli → Half snap peas or bell peppers
- Plain veggies → Add mushrooms and baby corn
What to Serve With Beef and Broccoli Recipe
Rice is the obvious choice - plain white rice is what we do most nights, but brown rice works if you're trying to eat healthier. Fried rice makes it feel special, and cauliflower rice is good if you're doing that low carb thing. For noodles, lo mein is great, but honestly regular spaghetti works fine too. Those ramen noodles (without that weird flavor packet) are pretty good with this.
Emma's favorite is when I make fried rice first - I scramble some eggs in the pan, dump in leftover rice, then pile this beef and broccoli recipe on top. He thinks it's fancy restaurant food and I don't tell him how easy it was! We also like those frozen egg rolls from the store, or steamed dumplings if I can find them. Sometimes I just put out some bread to soak up all that good sauce.
Top Tip
- That tiny bit of dark soy sauce is seriously a game changer - I can't believe more people don't know about this trick. Your Beef and Broccoli Recipe will have that deep, rich brown color that looks exactly like what you get from your favorite Chinese takeout place, instead of that pale, grayish look that most homemade stir-fries end up with. It doesn't change the taste at all, just makes everything look way more professional.
- The broccoli stem trick is just as important but nobody ever talks about it. Those thick stems need way more cooking time than the tender florets, so throwing them in 30 seconds earlier means everything finishes at the same time. No more mushy green parts mixed with crunchy white bits that nobody wants to chew. Emma figured this out on his own after watching me do it a few times - now he sorts all the broccoli pieces like a little chef and gets so proud when everything comes out perfect.
Grandma's Hidden Recipe: A Family's Legacy
My grandma worked at this little Chinese place back in the 70s, and she learned this trick that nobody ever talks about. She'd use a tiny bit of dark soy sauce in the marinade - just a teaspoon mixed with the regular stuff. Doesn't make it more salty, but it turns the beef that deep brown color like the restaurants do.
She also did this thing with the broccoli that I never saw anyone else do. She'd throw the thick stems in first, cook them for maybe 30 seconds, then add the flowery parts. The stems are way tougher so they need more time, but most people just dump it all in together and wonder why some pieces are mushy and others are still hard. Emma loves helping me break apart the broccoli now - makes him feel like he's doing real cooking. Grandma used to say the little stuff matters most, and every time I make this I think about that.
FAQ
What is beef and broccoli recipe sauce made of?
Just soy sauce, oyster sauce, and some brown sugar to make it a little sweet. I throw in rice vinegar to cut through all that richness and cornstarch to thicken it up. Some chicken broth helps thin it out to whatever consistency you want. It's pretty simple stuff - nothing crazy or hard to find - but getting the balance right between salty, sweet, and tangy is what makes it taste like restaurant food instead of just brown goop.
Should I marinate beef for Beef and Broccoli Recipe?
Oh yeah, you absolutely have to marinate it for at least 15 minutes, but 30 is even better if you have time. Toss the beef strips with cornstarch, soy sauce, and a bit of sesame oil - this coating thing is called velveting and it's what makes restaurant beef so incredibly tender instead of tough and chewy like most homemade stir-fry.
What cut of beef is used in Beef and Broccoli Recipe?
Flank steak is absolutely the best choice - it's not expensive but gets really tender when you slice it paper-thin against the grain. Sirloin works good too if your store doesn't carry flank steak regularly. Whatever you do, don't waste money on fancy cuts like ribeye or filet mignon for stir-fry - you're just throwing money away because the high heat and quick cooking won't do those expensive steaks any favors.
Do you have to cook Beef and Broccoli Recipe before putting it in a stir fry?
I always blanch mine in boiling water for exactly one minute, then immediately dump it in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Raw broccoli is way too hard and dense to cook properly in the few minutes of actual stir-frying time, so you'll end up with some pieces that are still crunchy and bitter while others turn into green mush.
Your New Go-To Dinner is Ready!
Now you've got everything you need to make this taste like your favorite Chinese restaurant - from the marinade stuff to Grandma's trick with the dark soy sauce. This recipe has saved my butt so many nights when I needed dinner fast but still wanted something that actually tastes good. Emma always gets pumped when he sees me getting the ingredients out because he knows he's getting one of his favorites.
The best part? Once you make this a few times, you'll know it by heart and can just throw it together without looking at anything. Way cheaper than calling for takeout, and you know what's going in your food. Want more stuff that always works? Try our Best Cream Corn Recipe that goes great with this, or our Easy Creamy Tomato Pasta Recipe for when you want something cozy. For something that really fills everyone up, our Delicious Meat Pie Recipe always gets the whole family to the table in a hurry!
Made this tonight? Snap, tag we’re cheering from our kitchen.
Hit and cook along with us.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Beef and Broccoli Recipe
Beef And Broccoli Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Wok / large skillet (High-heat searing)
- 1 Sharp chef’s knife (Thin slicing beef & veggies)
- 1 Cutting board (Prep station)
- 3–4 Mixing bowls (Marinade, sauce, holding beef/veg)
- 1 Small pot/saucepan (Blanching broccoli)
- 1 Spider strainer / tongs (Move food fast from oil/water)
- 1 set Measuring spoons & cup (For sauce/marinade ratios)
Ingredients
- 1 lb ≈450 g Flank steak, thinly sliced - Slice against the grain
- 2 tablespoon Soy sauce - Regular/light
- 2 teaspoon Cornstarch - For velveting
- 1 tablespoon Rice wine or dry sherry - Optional but classic
- 1 teaspoon Sesame oil - Aroma only
- 1 teaspoon Dark soy sauce - Optional; for color
- 1 teaspoon Fresh ginger grated
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 4 cups Broccoli florets - Bite-size pieces
- 1 cup Broccoli stems peeled & sliced - Cook stems first
- ¼ cup Low-sodium soy sauce - Sauce base
- 2 tablespoon Oyster sauce - Umami boost
- 1 tablespoon Rice vinegar - Balance & brightness
- 1 ½ tablespoon Brown sugar - Adjust to taste
- ½ cup Chicken broth or water - Thin to desired consistency
- 2 teaspoon Cornstarch - To thicken sauce
- 2–3 tablespoon Neutral high-heat oil canola/peanut - Cooking
- 2 stalks Green onions sliced - Add at the end
- 1 teaspoon Toasted sesame seeds - Garnish
Instructions
- Toss sliced flank steak with soy, cornstarch, ginger, garlic; rest 15 minutes.
- Boil stems then florets for one minute, shock in ice water, drain well.
- Whisk soy, oyster, vinegar, sugar, broth and cornstarch until perfectly smooth.
- Stir-fry beef in a smoking-hot wok in small batches, about 30 seconds per side.
- Add broccoli and sauce, toss to thicken, finish with sesame and scallions, serve hot
Leave a Reply