Beef and Broccoli is an easy, 1-pan, 30-minute meal that’s loaded with fresh broccoli, tender beef, and the best stir-fry sauce. This Beef and Broccoli Recipe definitely satisfies the craving for takeout. Watch the video recipe below and see how easy it is!
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Helpful Reader Review
“Oh my goodness! The hype is real, y’all!! I made this tonight for the first time and my husband raved and raved. It was not difficult at all. I followed the recipe exactly, using flank steak and following the tip of adding water to make the broccoli a little more tender. My only regret is I did not double the recipe is there are no leftovers…” – Hannah ★★★★★
Beef and Broccoli Video
I hope this Beef Broccoli Stir Fry video recipe becomes a favorite for you. It’s such a treat to enjoy home cooking when you’re on the go.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I developed this recipe years ago as a copycat for the Panda Express, P.F. Changs and Cheesecake Factory Beef and Broccoli – the sauce here really makes the dish! It satisfies my family’s frequent cravings, but I think this homemade version has better flavors and textures. It also has better ingredients, so I feel really good about serving it to my family. I make sure to add plenty of broccoli for a balanced meal, and honestly, I’ve never seen my kids eat broccoli so fast!
This is also a versatile dish – you can add your favorite vegetables to this recipe (see ingredient variations below). I love serving this over cooked white rice, but have gotten creative over the years and sometimes add noodles for a Beef Broccoli Ramen Stir Fry that is a meal in one dish (add that to next weeks meal plan).
Ingredients
This recipe follows my mantra – ‘sometimes the simplest recipes are the best.’ A good stir fry should be simple. Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy broccoli beef.
- Beef – Flank Steak is the best cut of beef for stir fry because it’s tender, lean, and easy to chew. More options include: Top Sirloin Steak, Top Round Steak, or Tri-Tip Steak. Ribeye also works for extra flavor and richness.
- Broccoli – Fresh broccoli florets are best. I avoid using frozen broccoli because it gets mushy, releases liquid and dilutes the sauce, making it bland. You can also change out the vegetables – try snap peas, bell peppers, carrots, and even mushrooms.
- Sauce – an easy and perfect blend of garlic, ginger, soy sauce, water, brown sugar, pepper, sesame oil and corn starch to thicken up the sauce.
Natasha’s Tips for Thin-Sliced Beef
If you freeze your steak for about 30 minutes, it will be much easier to make thin and even slices because it stays in place. Slice against the grain, between 1/8″ to 1/4″ thick – the thinner you shave the beef, the better – it cooks faster, stays tender, and absorbs the sauce better.
The Best Stir Fry Sauce for Beef and Broccoli
Many stir fry recipes have gone wrong with a poorly made sauce. I tested this recipe over and over until I arrived at the perfect balance of sweet and savory. For the best stir fry sauce:
- Use low sodium soy sauce, or add to taste (or try Gluten Free Tamari)
- Use the right amount of fresh ginger – it has strong flavor so don’t overdo it.
- Do not skip the sesame oil as it gives authentic flavor
- Simmer sauce at least 3 minutes to mellow out garlic and ginger
- For a thinner sauce, add 2 Tbsp water at the end
How to Make Beef and Broccoli
This recipe moves fast and comes together in 1 skillet and 5 easy steps, so you want to have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you fire up the stove. It is just 6 steps in one skillet!
- Slice beef strips
- Make stir fry sauce
- Cook broccoli and remove from skillet.
- Cook beef
- Add stir fry sauce and return broccoli to the pan
Tips for the Best Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
Here are my best tips to achieve a perfectly cooked stir fry with tender beef and perfectly cooked broccoli:
- Start with the right cut of beef (see ingredients section above) and thinly sliced steak for quick and even cooking.
- Add steak to a HOT skillet to sear and seal in the juices
- Use Fresh broccoli (not frozen)
- Don’t overcrowd the pan or it will cool the pan resulting in steam cooked beef.
Make Ahead and Storage
This saucy beef and broccoli recipe reheats really well so it’s perfect for weekly meal prep and to-go lunches for school and work.
- Prep Ahead: slice your beef, prepare the broccoli and make the sauce the day before and store them all separately until ready to cook.
- Storage: Once the beef and broccoli has cooled to room temperature, cover and refrigerate 3-4 days per USDA guidelines for storing cooked beef. For Meal prep, store in individual containers to reheat portions.
- Freezing: You can freeze but the texture will suffer since broccoli can get mushy when thawed.
- To Reheat: set portions in a skillet and stir fry over medium heat until hot. Add a splash of water to loosen up the sauce.
Beef and Broccoli is delicious and protein-packed dinner and you’ll love how quick and easy it is to make. Stir-fry recipes, such as our Ground Beef Stir Fry, Vegetable Stir Fry, and Shrimp Fried Rice, have become go-to’s because they are fast and healthier than going out.
Beef and Broccoli Recipe
Ingredients
Beef and Broccoli Ingredients:
- 1 lb flank steak*, very thinly sliced into bite-sized strips
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, (or vegetable oil), divided
- 1 lb fresh broccoli*, (cut into 6 cups of florets)
- 2 tsp sesame seeds, optional garnish
Stir Fry Sauce Ingredients:
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated (loosely packed)
- 2 tsp garlic, grated (from 3 cloves)
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 6 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce, (or GF Tamari)
- 3 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp corn starch
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
Instructions
- Prep: Start cooking white rice first so it's ready when the stir fry is done. Cover and freeze steak 30 minutes for easier slicing, then thinly slice against the grain.
- Make the Sauce: Combine all stir fry sauce ingredients in a bowl, stir well to dissolve the sugar, and set aside.
- Cook Broccoli: Place a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp oil. Add broccoli florets and sauté 4-5 minutes, partially covered with lid, stirring or tossing several times until broccoli is bright green and crisp-tender then remove from pan. Tip: If you prefer softer broccoli, add 2 Tbsp water before covering with the lid and it will steam cook the broccoli.
- Cook Beef: Increase heat to high heat and add 1 Tbsp oil. Add beef in a single layer and sauté 2 minutes per side or just until cooked through. Quickly pull out a piece to test for doneness.
- Add the sauce, reduce heat to medium/low and simmer 3-4 minutes. It will thicken. Add broccoli and stir to combine. Stir in 1-2 Tbsp water to thin the sauce if desired. Serve over white rice.
Notes
- More steak options include: Top Sirloin Steak, Top Round Steak, Tri-Tip Steak, or Ribeye
- Vegetables: for best results, use fresh vegetables, not frozen. You can substitute or add a variety of veggies such as snap peas, bell peppers, carrots, and even mushrooms.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Beef Recipes that Reheat Well
Any recipe that reheats well is a great option for meal prep, school, and work lunch. This is a great list to help you get through a busy season.
- Lasagna – beefy, cheesy, and saucy
- Beef Chili – hearty and satisfying
- Easy Taco Soup – fun for Taco Tuesday
- Spaghetti Meat Sauce – also freezes well
- Beef Stir Fry – with 3 ingredient sauce
- Meatloaf – so many uses for leftovers
- Mongolian Beef – saucy and delicious
This may be a silly question but in Prep, Step 1 it says to freeze and slice steak for 30 minutes. Does this mean I need to cook it and then refreeze for 30 minutes before cooking? My flank steak is currently frozen now, do I need to do anything besides defrosting it?
Thanks Natasha! My family LOVES your recipes!
Hi Alison, I’m so glad your family is enjoying our recipes! Yes, we freeze the steak before cooking allowing a cleaner, quicker cut to the streak strips before cooking. We have tips on how to and why in the recipe blog post. I hope that helps.
Just made this yesterday and it’s all gone! Super delicious. I will probably double the recipe next time to have more leftovers!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Carina!
I made this last night and it was delicious! Making sure everything is prepped out and the freezer trick for the meat is a must. I used 1.5 lbs of top sirloin and doubled the sauce. I also cooked the meat in batches. I added thinly sliced yellow and orange peppers. Next time I might add carrots as well. Happy to add this wonderful recipe to our rotation! Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Tay! And thank you for sharing that with us!
Natasha, I adapted this to thin sliced pork, with fresh green beans and carrots….everyone loved it…We thought fresh sauteed mushooms would be a good addition and maybe those baby corn ears…plus the sauce is so flavorful, a good helping of rice is important. Thanks so much for this recipe!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Chris. Thank you for sharing that with me.
I made this tonight and it was yummy!😋 I used less oil with the water for the broccoli. Next time, I’m going to cook the meat in two batches. The pan was too crowded so it stewed at first 🥴. Instead of flank steak, I used a steak the was on sale for $5.99/pound. The freezing tip was definitely worth doing. Maybe next time I’ll add a little Asian hot sauce to the liquid. I did add a little water to the sauce to thin it out.
This is definitely a meal that can be put on the table in the time that it would take to order it out.
That’s so awesome, Katie! Thank you for that great review!
Can I freeze this recipe
Hi Anna, I haven’t tried but I imagine it does freeze and reheat well.
So so good and so easy to make! Thank you
You’re welcome, Madi! I’m so glad you enjoyed that.
This is such an amazing dish! THANKS.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Laura!
Hello Natasha, what kind of sesame oil did you use? I used pure sesame oil and the oil ruined the sauce, pure sesame oil has very strong taste
Hi Ina, we have it tagged in the recipe. Here is the Sesame Oil we used. I hope you like that.
OMG!! Amazing Natasha, the sauce is so good, I had to use frozen broccoli cause I didn’t have fresh, next time, but my husband loved it. Thankyou again for another wonderful recipe
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it Mary!
Natasha – I’m going to make this recipe, but my husband loves extra sauce. In this recipe it seems to have cooked down a little, so should I just make two batches of sauce, or would just adding the extra water, give me more sauce without losing any flavor?
Hi Theresa, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work with extra sauce. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Will do! Thanks so much.
Just finished making your Beef Broccoli! And it turned out great! I did add rice wine vinegar to marinate the meat while getting everything prepared. Once done cooking goes fast, so everyone take note, have ingredients prepped makes the process go smoothly.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review and for that suggestion.
Thanks for the recipes they are easy to prepare and also save money because they are affordable ,my husband kids enjoy my foods everyday because of your recipes
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles!
Ooooo I’m craving this dish now!
I hope it becomes a new favorite for you!
Sounds delicious, how many people does this recipe cater for please?
Hi Hayley, this recipe serves 4.
Could I substitute ground ginger in the sauce?
Hi Kenna, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
This look amazing! Would it work in the crock pot?
I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe, Tammy!
Best beef and broccoli EVER! We loved every bite!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Anna! Thank you for the wonderful review!
One of my all time favorites! I love how simple and easy this is! Making it asap!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Suzy!
I can’t wait to make this! This is my kids’ favorite take out! YUM!
Hi Lauren, that is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great!
The sauce is so luscious — can’t wait to make it again!
That’s so great, Tara! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
I use this sauce all the time for stir fry. Sometimes I will add 1/2 t of crushed red pepper to add a little spice. My kids like it for Lo Mein. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome, Shari. Thank you for the excellent review!