This Beef and Broccoli recipe is ready in about 30 minutes, making it a great weeknight dinner. Tender beef and broccoli florets cook in a delicious stir fry sauce – pile it all on rice for a meal that’s better and less expensive than takeout.
Table of contents
It’s only been in the last few years that I’ve been making some favorite Chinese takeout dishes at home, like beef and broccoli, because I spent a good part of my life thinking it was just too hard, would take too long, and just wouldn’t be the same as what I might have delivered to my house in a brown bag.
And while my version of my favorite take-out dishes might not be authentic – I don’t use a wok and I make do with ingredients I can find at my regular grocery store – I’ve been surprised at how easy it is to make these dishes at home and how close they are to the originals in appearance and in taste. As is the case with this easy beef and broccoli, I prefer my simple make-at-home version.
This recipe makes two generous servings, but you can easily double it to serve more.
Ingredients
- Sirloin steak
- Vegetable oil
- Soy sauce
- Sesame oil
- Ginger paste or grated ginger
- Brown sugar
- Red pepper flakes
- Cornstarch
- Broccoli
- Cooked white rice
Substitutions
Beef: I prefer sirloin but tenderloin, tri-tip, or strip steak are also good. Flank steak is another option, but I recommend marinating it first. To do this, just double the sauce and use half of it to marinated the steak.
Oil: Any high-smoke point oil will work. Don’t use olive oil.
Heat: Instead of red pepper flakes, add a squeeze or two of sriracha sauce when you mix up the sauce.
Extras: For garnish, add some sesame seeds and sliced green onions.
How to Make It
It’s basically a broccoli stir-fry with steak, which cooks fast. It’s a good idea to have all of your ingredients prepped beforehand so everything is ready to go.
Cook the broccoli and beef: I like to cook the broccoli first in a large skillet with oil, followed by the beef which only needs a couple of minutes until it’s ready. Remove all of it from the pan.
Cook the sauce: From there add the sauce mixture and simmer it until it starts to thicken before adding the beef and broccoli back in to cook for a few minutes in the sauce. Toss it all together before serving – so easy.
My beef and broccoli recipe has evolved over the years and here are some questions I often get about the recipe!
Do you need to marinate the beef?
If you use a tender cut of beef, you don’t have to marinate it. If you want to use flank steak, you will want to marinate it first so it’s tender. You can double the beef and broccoli sauce recipe and use half of as a marinade.
Should you use regular or low-sodium soy sauce?
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.
How long does beef and broccoli keep?
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 and so a fresh batch tastes better.
Reader Reviews
Here are what some readers are saying about this recipe!
- “A+. Very easy. One pan. Delicious.”
- “I made this for lunch the other day ā better than my local Chinese restaurant! I will definitely make this again.”
- “Iām making this for my second time now. This is an amazing recipe.”
- “Love, love, love this recipe!”
Make it the next time you get a craving for Chinese food – it won’t disappoint!
If you want more recipes for one or two people be sure to check out my cookbook, Gourmet Cooking for One (or Two), or browse more small-batch recipes here on the blog.
Happy cooking!
More Dinner Ideas
Love easy dinner recipes? Here are a few of my favorites to check out:
- Beef and Veggie Noodle Bowls
- Orange Chicken
- Sesame Beef Bowls
- Homemade Takeout-Style Recipes
- Ginger Beef Noodles
š£ Do you love this recipe? I would love to know! Leave a comment below the recipe along with your recipe star rating.
PrintBeef and Broccoli
30-minute beef and broccoli! Be sure to prep all of the ingredients first because all of it cooks very fast. Serve it with rice, noodles, or all on its own. No take-out menu required.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stir-Fry
- Cuisine: Chinese-American
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tbsp 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 the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, ginger paste, and cornstarch until combined. Set the sauce aside.
- In a 10-inch skillet, heat 1/2 tablespoon of 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 1/2 tablespoon of oil to the same pan. 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 the cooked white rice.
Notes
Soy sauce: If you are sensitive to salt, use low-sodium soy sauce. You can also reduce the soy sauce to make the dish less saucy.
Leftovers: This recipe makes two generous servings and can be doubled. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for three to four days.
The nutrition estimate does not include the rice.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 of recipe
- Calories: 452
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 4117.7mg
- Fat: 20.5g
- Saturated Fat: 8.8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9.4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22.4
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 45.9g
- Cholesterol: 100.5mg
Keywords: easy beef and broccoli recipe, quick beef and broccoli, homemade beef and broccoli
The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.
Post updated from the archives. First published in January 2015.
Chris says
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!
★★★★★
Bridget says
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!
★★★★
Kelly says
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!
★★★★★
Renee Gardner says
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!
★★★★★