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
Delicious, simple, and healthy! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! It was SO filling and so quick to whip up! Better than restaurant-quality! We served over egg noodles and it was amazing.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Lauren! I’m so happy you enjoyed that.
Just made this tonight and the sauce was delicious. Tasted better than take out and there was xtra sauce for the rice. I did add a little oyster sauce in place of some of the soy sauce but that’s the only sub I made.
Hello Karen, great to hear that you enjoyed this recipe. I always prefer homemade compared to take out so totally agree!
This recipe is absolutely amazing! The only three things things I did differently was using hot beef stock instead of hot water, added red pepper, and I did not freeze the flank steak. If you buy fresh, good quality flank steak and own a very sharp knife, freezing beforehand isn’t necessary. I did double the recipe, and there were no issues at all. For a side dish, I made an Asian cucumber salad. I definitely recommend watching Natasha’s video before doing anything. It is super helpful and shows you the importance of having everything prepped before placing anything into the pan. Thank you so much for this recipe, Natasha! 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Rachel! I’m so happy you enjoyed that.
Best Beef and Broccoli recipe I’ve ever made! Definitely going to print this recipe and make it again!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
It doesn’t get any better than this. Quick and simple to make and absolutely delicious. I added a red bell pepper to my dish. Kept the sauce as written. Will definitely be making this again.
That’s awesome feedback, Heather. Thank you for the review!
❤️This is on point. My only change was that I doubled the sauce. (We love the sauce!)
Better than the restaurants.
Best beef and broccoli I’ve eaten and amazingly I actually cooked it!
Wow! Thank you. You are my go to for recipes every time!
Thank you for your great comments and feedback. I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try from my website.
I made this tonight and it was delicious. I added some crushed red pepper flakes and it was better than any I’ve had in any restaurant. Definitely will make this version from now on. I might open a food truck and sell it!!!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Darrell! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
Very good I added some Sliced Onion and Mushrooms, but It was a bit too Salty for me. I will cut back on Salt next time.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Very good recipe! Love the sauce. I’ve been making two different beef and broccoli recipes for 40 years and this sauce is better than both of my go to recipes. I add onion, peppers and mushrooms to broccoli if I have on hand. A new favorite!
I’m so happy you found a new favorite, Debbie! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Nice and easy to follow. I would ammend by decreasing soy sauce by 1 Tb.
Thanks for your review and suggestion.
Soo good ! My mom thought it was takeout ! Thank you Natasha!
That’s awesome! So glad you and your mom enjoyed the recipe.
We had this tonight and it’s wonderful! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for the great review
This is the best sauce I’ve ever made! It was so easy and DELICIOUS! Thank you!
Hi- the recipe says 2tbs olive oil but in directions it only says to add one tablespoon, where do I add the other tablespoon?
Thank you!
Hi Stephanie, we add 1 tbsp in step #3: “Place a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp oil.” and the other tablespoon in step #4: “Increase heat to high heat and add 1 Tbsp oil.” I hope this is helpful!
Delicious, one of my favorite recipes. I add onions and mushrooms then substitute chow mein noodles for the rice. So good!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, John!
This was delicious. Used broccolini because it looked better at the store than the broccoli. Left the sauce thick and gooey (did not add the water) and loved it that way. Will definitely make it again!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
What gives this dish a the high carb content?
I didn’t think light brown sugar and the cornstarch would give it that much.
Looking for a keto version of this!
Hi Trinity! I havne’t tried a low carb version but here’s what one of my readers wrote: “This was seriously so good and really easy to make. I subbed golden monkfruit sweetener for the brown sugar and used xanthan gum instead of cornstarch, served with cauliflower rice because we’re trying to eat keto/low carb, and it was SO GOOD! I will for sure make this again, and I’m looking forward to trying more of Natash’s recipes.” I hope that helps!
Delicious!! I used moose meat instead of beef, beef broth instead of the hot water and added little bit of the sauce while cooking the meat. Boyfriend absolutely loved it as did I. Will be making this recipe again.
I bet that was so good! I’m glad you both enjoyed this recipe!
This was fantastic. The only thing I ended up changing after a bit of experimentation was replacing the hot water in the sauce with some low sodium beef stock. Small touch that really amps up the beef flavor if that’s your jam!
Amazing recipe all around.
Hello Graham, thanks for sharing that with us Good to know that it turned out fantastic!
Darn fine recipe!!!! Better than the best restaurant says theirs is ! My son who never compliments my cooking said this was the best meal in 10 years I made for him 😊. I used Trader Joe’s balsamic rosemary beef tips which I rinsed prior to putting in the pan and it absorbed the best sauce and was sooo tender! Will be using this recipe again!!!!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, J!