30-Minute Beef and Broccoli
This easy beef and broccoli recipe is a quick, 30-minute dinner made with simple ingredients – no wok, no marinade, and no takeout menu required. The beef is tender, the broccoli is perfectly crisp, and it’s all coated in a rich and extra-saucy stir fry sauce.
Welcome to my favorite broccoli beef stir fry! I love a takeout fake-out and this recipe is so simple. It skips specialty ingredients like oyster sauce and has a simple soy-based sauce instead, so you can make it with ingredients you might already have on hand.
Why This Recipe Works
- Easy prep – there’s no marinade.
- One pan recipe and it doesn’t have to be a wok. A large skillet works just fine.
- Extra-saucy (on purpose) so the rice soaks up all the flavor.
- Pantry-friendly sauce with easy-to-find ingredients.
- Cooks in layers so all the ingredients have the perfect texture.
Ingredients
- Sirloin steak
- Broccoli florets
- Soy sauce
- Brown sugar
- Toasted sesame oil
- Red pepper flakes
- Ginger paste or freshly grated ginger
- Cornstarch
- Vegetable
- Cooked rice for serving
Key Tips for Perfect Beef and Broccoli
- Cook broccoli first and take it out of the pan. This way it stays crisp and doesn’t turn mushy.
- Don’t overcrowd the beef so you it browns instead of steams.
- Slice beef thinly against the grain so it’s nice and tender.
How to Make It
- Whisk the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Cook the broccoli with oil in a hot pan for three to five minutes – just until it’s crisp tender – and then take it out of the pan.
- Add a little more oil to the pan and cook the sliced beef for a couple of minutes. Take the beef out of the pan.
- Pour the sauce into the pan and simmer it until it thickens – about two to three minutes.
- Add the cooked beef and broccoli to the sauce, toss, and it’s ready to serve over some cooked white rice.
More Takeout-Inspired Recipes
Beef and Broccoli
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil divided
- 3 cups fresh broccoli florets
- 12 oz sirloin sliced thin
- Cooked white rice optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup water, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon ginger paste, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch until combined. Set the sauce aside.
- In a 10-inch pan, heat 1/2 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat until it's hot, but not smoking. Rotate the pan to ensure the oil evenly coats the bottom of the pan. Adjust the heat to medium and add the broccoli to the pan. Cook it in the oil, stirring frequently, until it's crisp-tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the broccoli to a plate and set aside.
- Add another 1/2 tablespoon of vegetable oil and, once it's heated, add the sliced sirloin in an even layer. Cook the beef for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the beef to the plate with the broccoli and set aside.
- Pour the sauce into the pan. Simmer the sauce for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it thickens. Add the broccoli and beef to the pan and stir to coat it in the sauce. Cook them in the sauce for a minute or so. Serve with cooked white rice.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Recipe FAQ
If you use a tender cut of steak like sirloin, NY strip steak or ribeye, you don’t have to marinate it. If you want to use flank steak or skirt stek, you will want to marinate it first so it’s tender. You can double the beef and broccoli sauce recipe and use half of it as a marinade.
This is up to you. I use regular soy sauce because I usually serve the beef and broccoli with plain white rice and I find the saltiness is balanced out. If you’re sensitive to salt, I recommend using low-sodium soy sauce.
Also, this beef and broccoli recipe is extra-saucy. Some readers have reduced the amount of soy sauce to make less sauce with success, so keep that in mind.
This recipe is great for meal prep because beef and broccoli keeps well in the refrigerator for three to four days. If you want to make it ahead, I recommend waiting to cook the rice until you’re ready to serve it. Rice dries out in the fridge, so a fresh batch tastes better.
More Recipes with Sirloin Steak
Make it the next time you get a craving for Chinese food – it won’t disappoint!
Happy cooking,
This post was updated from the archives. It was first published in January 2015.
Great technique! I tried the recipe last night for the first time and while it was a bit too salty for my taste, I will definitely try again with reduced sodium soy sauce. I swapped a dash of sriracha for the pepper flakes and added a bit more spice at the end. There is plenty of sauce to serve over rice and it made generous portions. Thank you!
Love, love, love this recipe! I did cut back on the amount of soy as well. Awesome when I can find a recipe that the whole family will eat! This will definitely be added to our meal rotation!
I’ve made this twice now, both were good, but I think the 3rd time will be 5 stars! Attempts #1: I made the recipe as written. I found the beef to be a little tough and I used closer to 1/3C of soy sauce because I didn’t realize I was running low.
Attempt #2: I used the full 1/2C of soy sauce but I divided the marinade and put some of it over the beef so the cornstarch could do it’s thing while I prepped the rest and cooked the broccoli. This time the beef was perfect but the sauce was WAY too salty. So, for attempt #3 I’ll marinate the beef but cut the soy sauce. All in all, I love the recipe. It’s a great alternative to carry out and almost as fast. Thank you!
Nothing says Chinese takeout more so than beef and broccoli. This recipe brings out those classic takeout flavors and puts them in your own kitchen. I like to add a few dashes of sesame oil for a more authentic taste. Thanks for the recipe!
I really enjoy this recipe, thank you!