Beef and Broccoli with the Best Sauce (VIDEO)
Beef and Broccoli is an easy, 1-pan, 30-minute meal that is loaded with fresh broccoli, tender nutrition-packed beef, and the best stir fry sauce. Thank you to Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. on behalf of the Beef Checkoff for sponsoring this recipe which is perfect for the busy back to school season.
Stir fry recipes like our Beef Stir Fry and Fried Rice have become reader favorites because they are fast and healthier than going out. 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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Beef and Broccoli Recipe:
Beef is delicious and protein-packed to give you the sustained strength you need to get through the back to school season. We also made sure to add plenty of broccoli for a balanced meal. Beef is so versatile for stir fry. You can add your favorite vegetables to this recipe like snap peas, bell peppers, carrots, and even mushrooms.
What is the Best Cut of BEEF for Stir Fry?
The best beef cuts for stir fry are tender and lean. We love Flank Steak which is lean and easy to chew when thinly sliced against the grain. More great beef cuts for stir fry include:
How to Make Beef and Broccoli:
This recipe moves fast and comes together in 1 skillet, 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 pan.
- Cook beef
- Add stir fry sauce
- Return broccoli to the pan
The Best Beef and Broccoli Sauce:
Many stir fry recipes have gone wrong with a poorly made sauce. We tested this recipe over and over until we arrived at the perfect balance of sweet and savory. For the best stir fry sauce:
- Use low sodium soy sauce (or 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 Ensure Tender Beef?
The right cut (see list above) can make all the difference in a stir fry. Here are our best tips to achieve tender beef:
- Freeze steak 30 minutes for easier slicing
- Use a sharp knife to cut super thin slices against the grain
- Add steak to a HOT skillet to sear and seal in juices
- Don’t overcrowd the pan or it cools quickly and will steam cook
Can I Make Beef and Broccoli Ahead?
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. The protein and nutrients found in beef give you and your family the strength and energy you need to get through the busy school season.
For meal prep: add cooled rice to a heat-safe container and top with the Beef Broccoli Stir Fry, then cover and refrigerate until ready to heat and serve (Beef and Broccoli can be refrigerated up to 4 days).
How to Pack a Hot Thermos:
Pack a hot thermos in the morning and it will be warm at lunchtime. A hot thermos can keep food hot for 5 hours before it’s eaten, and this Broccoli Beef is the Best. School. Lunch. Ever!
- Heat the thermos first by filling 3/4 full with boiling water (do not overfill), cover with lid and let sit 5 min and drain just before adding food.
- Meanwhile, heat food to 165˚F. Place into the heated thermos and close with lid.
More Beef Recipes that Reheat Well:
Any recipe that reheats well can be used for meal prep, school and work lunch. This is a great list to help you get through the back to school season.
- Lasagna – beefy, cheesy and leftovers are just as good
- Beef Chili – hearty and satisfying
- Buckwheat Beef Pilaf – with tender morsels of beef
- Easy Taco Soup – a fun alternative for Taco Tuesday
- Spaghetti Meat Sauce – also freezes well!
Watch Natasha Make Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry:
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. For more great beef lunch ideas, visit Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner.
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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 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.
- Combine all stir fry sauce ingredients in a bowl, stir well to dissolve the sugar, and set aside.
- 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.
- 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.
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I made this tonight exactly as written except for the addition of thinly sliced onions in with the broccoli. Used thinly sliced top sirloin. The sauce is amazing. We both loved it!
Awesome! So great to hear that, Donna. Thank you for sharing that with us.
I liked the dish and followed everything except I doubled the sauce like some people said to do. This turned out so spicy! I assume it was the sesame oil.
All but one ate and enjoyed.
I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe, Joyce!
Very Good! Everyone love it. I have a vegetarian in the family so he fried up impossible meat while I fried up the skirt steak. We added the broccoli and sauce it was so good. I would eat it either way. So yummy!
Hello Suzie, I’m happy that everyone loved this recipe. Thanks for your awesome review, I appreciate it!
This was so delicious! My entire family LOVED it. I didn’t change a thing. I will definitely make again and again! Thank you, thank you!!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Does this sauce freeze well? With the ginger? What if I add Thai red chillies will it still freeze well?
Hi Mariam, I haven’t tested freezing this sauce so I can’t say for sure. One of my readers said it does freeze well.
Loved it!
Made a bunch of changes and it still came together superbly, listing them below but I do want to say that I doubled the sauce and still felt it wasn’t enough. I would either triple it or double it, add half when the recipe calls for it and half literally 20 seconds before transferring from pan.
1. I added two thinly sliced Thai red chili’s in the sauce and think I could have easily increased to 4
2. Added a handful of basil in the last minute of stir frying
This sauce would be so good in just about any stir fry!!
Thank you for sharing that wonderful feedback, Mariam!
Just got a wok from Santa. Can’t wait to try this recipe.
I love all your food best cook.And I always try n make it comes the same very yummy. Thanks
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you’re enjoying our recipes!
Natasha, thanks for the recipe! turned out great even with me sort of putting a bachelors twist on things!
Added snap peas to it as well as doubled the brown sugar, garlic & soy sauce (by eye of course!)
Yum! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Troy! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I made this with top sirloin that had been sitting in my freezer and it turned out so good! I also love how easy it was to make. My husband doesn’t normally love stir fry or eat leftovers, but he loves steak and this he was eating 2 days in a row.
It sounds like you found a new favorite, Jane! That’s so great! Thank you so much for sharing that wonderful review with me!
Hello Natasha, I absolutely love your recipes – thank you for sharing them with us! I have 2 questions about this recipe, hoping you can help with: 1.) When I started to cook the beef, there was a lot of water released which I had to drain. Any idea why that happened? 2.) In this recipe, you do not coat beef in starch (you do that in the other pepper/carrot/beef stir fry), what is the reason for not coating the beef in starch here?
Hi Ella, that is usually due to either using partially frozen beef or having the skillet not hot enough. You want to put the beef down on a very hot skillet to sear it otherwise it will steam cook and get too juicy. Also, make sure not to crowd the pan which will cause the skillet to cool down quickly and create the same problem.
Hi Natasha, last night I made this recipe, I double it because I knew I was going to need more! I soooo delicious!!! I have no words to explain how good it is, soooo yummy!!!!! I added orange and yellow pepper in thin slices!!!! WOW, the taste and the smell is irresistible! I also made your white rice recipe!!!!! We had the best dinner last night!!! I wanted to take a picture of the meal, but we started eating right away and when I remember the picture, it was all gone!!!!
Thank you Natasha for sharing this awesome recipes, Natashas kitchen is always in my kitchen!!!! Blessing for you and your beautiful family!!!
Hi Cristina, That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite! Thank you for your thoughftul feedback and compliments! Blessings to you!
Hi Natasha, I made this recipe last night, it was amazing. I prepared the sauce on my morning break (working from home) and sliced the beef and placed it in the marinade. Removed it from the sauce to cook, it was infused with the deliciousness of the ingredients of the sauce. Thank you so much for your recipes!!!!
You’re welcome! I’m happy you’re enjoying our recipes!
I have made this twice and it was fabulous both times!
I love Natasha’s recipes because they are delicious and the recipes are easy to follow.
My favorite cookingsite!
That is so sweet of you. Thank you!
Just made this tonight super easy and delicious! Would not change a thing! Thanks Natasha!
So great to hear that, Lisa. Thank you so much for sharing!
I did it yesterday night, it was soooo good. Thank you
I’m so happy you enjoeyd that Jo-anne!
Very simple and delicious.
Thank you for your good comments, Nancy!
I followed your recipe for Spatchcock chicken and it was delish! How would you do a turkey? Thanks
I’m so glad you enjoeyd that Rose! I haven’t tried a spatchcock Turkey but we do have our favorite turkey recipes HERE.
My daughter whom only likes chicken in most recipes went in for seconds !!! She said we need to keep this one! LOL. Thank you it was delicious and will be a repeat offender 😉
I did add a tsp or more of Chinese Five Spice since I love the aroma and flavor it gives and used Tamari since we stay GF as much as possible.
Hello Terry, so nice to know that. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us, we appreciate it!
Outstanding flavor and directions. Thanks for dinner help !!!
I love Chinese Five Spice and added a tsp to the stir fry sauce also but it’s not for everyone.
Thanks, Terry. We appreciate your comments and feedback!
I made this a couple of weeks ago and everyone liked it! I used brown rice instead of white rice for a more healthy meal!
That’s a good idea for a healthy substitute. Thanks for your awesome review and for sharing that with us!
I finally made the Beef-Broccoli stir fry tonight. It was DELICIOUS, and a definite keeper!
Hello Monique, thank you for sharing that with us and for giving this recipe an excellent review. We appreciate it!
OMG! This was da bomb!!! Mike drop recipe! thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome, Carole! Thank you for sharing this awesome review with me! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Made this last night and it was so good! I followed the recipe exactly (thanks for the tip about freezing the steak, it worked out really well). Will definitely be making this again and again. Thank you for another delicious recipe, Natasha!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Jeanne!
I made it tonight but I made more sauce. It was delicious.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Made This tonight. I double the sauce because I like a more juicy for my rice better than take out
So nice to know that you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for sharing, Lauri.
I have been making beef and broccoli since I was a kid, but I will say this sauce tastes the best!
That makes me so happy. Thank you, Michelle!
Can I use normal soy sauce instead of low sodium?
It will be saltier so definitely add it to taste.
Great recipe. So easy to prepare and tastes like authentic Chinese from my fav restaurant which closed in recent months. Thank you!
You are most welcome, Donna. I’m glad you loved this recipe!
I’m just making it for tonight’s dinner. So far, so good:)
I hope you love this recipe!
The recipe was easy and the dish was delicious.
I’m not a great cook, but this recipe wasn’t difficult and tasted delicious. My husband is from China, and he loved it.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing that with me!
Very delicious. Simple and my family devoured it. I added 2 tablespoons of honey and doubled the whole batch to feed my family of 6. I used a london broil( sliced thin )since that was what was on sale at the grocery store. I also used garlic powder and ginger powder instead of fresh ingredients. It is what I had in the pantry. Everything was delicious and turned out perfect. I would say next time, I will add some crushed red pepper for a little kick.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Great recipe. Added button mushroom and it came out very delicious. Will be making it again.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Janet! Thank you for sharing this wonderful review with me!
I was worried it’d be too salty, as most beef and broccoli recipes are. But it was perfect! I used thinly sliced sirloin and frozen broccoli florets. The broc took longer to cook than explained in the recipe, obviously because it was frozen but tasted perfect. I cooked the meat in two stages for the most even heating. I also used 1/8 tsp ground ginger instead of fresh. It was the best beef and broccoli I’ve made and the hubby agreed!
I’m so happy you all enjoyed this Jenn! Thank you for sharing that great review!
I made broccoli beef recipe and it was perfect everyone loved it. The sauces were the secret.
Glad you loved this recipe! Yes, totally agree – the sauce makes it so special.
I used to buy Oyster Sauce when I made Beef & Broccoli, but I decided to make Natasha’s recipe sauce instead last night. It was so much better than any restaurant or Oyster Sauce that I’ve bought. My husband said it was the best he had EVER had. The only thing I did differently was, I used Sesame Chili Oil which gave it a bit of heat which we both like. This is a keeper & a 5 star recipe for sure!
Thanks Natasha
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Made this for dinner and followed the recipe exactly. It was delicious. The sauce was perfect and it was a hit with my family! Will definitely make this dish again.
THat’s os awesome, Erica! I’m so happy to hear that!
I made this for the first time last night. Even my wife, who doesn’t care for broccoli, loved it. This is a great recipe. It is definitely going into the dinner rotation
That’s just awesome JAck! Thank you for this great feedback!
Very good recipe. The first time there wasn’t enough sauce so doubled it the second time and it was too much. Will try 1 1/2 the sauce next time. Easy to make and never any leftovers.
Made this tonight as I had the steak and wanted to try something different. It was so nice. My sauce was a tad too thick but still enjoyable, I’ll know for next time to thin more. Thank you we enjoyed hubby kept coming back for more.
That’s nice to know, Jessie. You may add more water next time to make it thinner, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Just tried this tonight, and my three boys really liked it, there are no leftovers! We added carrots and onions and enjoyed the extra veggies. We did think it was a little too sweet, so we will cut back on the brown sugar next time. Overall a great recipe we will be adding to our regular menu!
Hey Kristie, so nice to read your good comments. Thanks for your great review, we appreciate it!
Hi, I just made the beef and brocoli and it was amazing. Very tasty and sauce super yummy. I will definitely make it again. I also want to say I love your videos!
You’re so nice! Thank you for that wonderful compliment, Julie! I’m so happy you’re enjoying our recipes!
Just made this for dinner and it was a hit! I added red onion slices and red bell pepper. Served it with Chicken Fried Rice.
That sounds delicious! Thank you for this wonderful review, Susan!
I’ve made this twice now and it is excellent!!! The first time I made it as the recipe described. It was great! The second time, I added some sautéed onions and red pepper flakes to change it up slightly. It was excellent both ways! Natasha’s recipes never fail to please!!!
Sounds awesome! So great to know that you loved it both ways, thank you for sharing that with us!
This was amazing! I’ll be making this often! It tastes just like a restaurant.
THat’s just awesome! Sounds like you found a new favorite.
Can this be done in an instant pot.so much h enjoy your recipes. Thanks
Hi Rose, I haven’t tested that in an Instant Pot to advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Is it necessary to add the brown sugar? I’m a diabetic and would like to skip that ingredient.
Hi Kerri, I haven’t tried this without brown sugar yet but I imagine that should also work. You might have to experiment on that but please share with us how it goes if you give it a try.
Kerri,
We omit the brown sugar from this recipe because of my wife’s diet, but she does drizzle a slight amount of honey and that works amazing.
Thank you for sharing that with us Garry!
My husband is diabetic, too. Splenda makes a brown sugar that is “diabetic safe,” so to speak. I use it in all recipes that call for brown sugar. It’s great!!
Thanks, I’m so glad that worked well!
Made this last night. It was awesome! The key is getting that beef cut really thin to make it nice and crispy. I am making this again tonight!
Yes! Slicing it thin is key! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe Chad!
Hi Natasha, I made the beef and broccoli for dinner and I used flank steak I cut it and cooked the same way you did but mine turned out so chewey and tough, but the broccoli and the sauce are delicious, what other kind of meat I can use. Thank you so much
Hi Alma, the key with flank steak is to cut it as thinly as possible.
After four months at sea got home yesterday and made this. Nice easy recipe with great flavours. My three fussy eater kids really enjoyed so real result
That is awesome! I’m glad you and your kids enjoyed this recipe.
Quick, easy, and delicious. Is the nutrition info per serving or for the whole recipe?
Hi Linda, we post the nutritional info by serving.
Made this for dinner tonight, was deelishis. Just added a few red pepper flakes for a little heat. Thanks!
So great to hear that, Ronnie. Thank you!
I don’t have fresh ginger or garlic. How much ground ginger and minced garlic from jar should I use?
Hi Kelly, I have only tried this with fresh but that should still work. Most of the dry bottles have conversions listed on the side. I also recommend a google search to find the equivalent.
I made this last night for dinner and it was a hit! One thing I did by mistake was to add some Worchester sauce (A couple of shots) because I mistake it for the Soy sauce when grabbing the bottle. I will make it again for lunch today and not add the Worchester sauce….lol!
I hope you love it with the soy sauce Derek!
Hi Natasha,
Just made this tonight and it was amazing. No leftovers. I took a pic but don’t have any social media accounts so how can I send it to you.
That’s alright, Julie. I am already happy to know that you loved this recipe!
Absolutely delicious. Used oyster sauce instead of brown sugar, and added some red bell peppers to the broccoli. Turned out fantastic! Recipe was easy to follow and exactly what I wanted.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Cameron! Thank you for that wonderful review!
This is my go to broccoli beef recipe, and it’s the best one I’ve tried. Love all of your recipes and videos.
Thank you so much for your great feedback!
Hi Natasha! Thanks for another great recipe! Do you think I could add maple syrup or white sugar instead of brown sugar?
Hello Asela, thank you! I haven’t tried this without brown sugar yet but I imagine that should also work. You might have to experiment on that but please share with us how it goes if you give it a try.
Great recipe!!! My family LOVES broccoli beef but I don’t love going out to eat. When I made this, my whole family said it’s better than take out!! (Also it’s much less expensive.) Thank you so much for this great recipe.
That is awesome! Homemade is definitely always better and cheaper. Thanks for your wonderful feedback!
That is an awesome recipe! The sauce turned into glaze in the cast iron pan, but even better!
Yum! Totally craving this right now! Thank you for that wonderful review!
Hi! I made this tonight and it’s so delicious!! I’ve tried several other recipes and it either comes out too salty or too thin. One question though – does you nutrition info/calorie count include the white rice? My guess is no, but wanted to double check! Thanks!
You’re right, rice is not counted. I am glad you loved it!
I made this tonight after going to three stores looking for sesame oil, which I found and glad I did! I used top sirloin grilling steak and the meat was so tender. I added a few tablespoons of water at end so sauce covered the broccoli well. My adult son (with a discerning palate) came back to kitchen to tell me it tasted really good, so I knew it turned out well! My teenage daughter really enjoyed it too. This meal was so delicious. I savoured every bite! It honestly tasted better than takeout and something that one would find in an authentic restaurant somewhere in Asia! I give it a 9.8 as perfection is nearly impossible but this was close to it. THANK YOU Natasha for the great recipe and video. This meal was the highlight of our day! I will make this again!
That’s just awesome Vita! Thank you for that great review! I’m so glad you all enjoyed that!
Natasha,
Could I use spaghetti instead of rice for the bet. My husband is not fond of rice.
Hi Mary, I haven’t tested that but I bet it could work! If you experiment please let me know how you like that!
Made this recipe tonight and it was amazing. I absolutely loved the sauce, and wish I made more. I think it’s better than Chinese restaurants beef & broccoli. Thank you!
What an awesome comment, thank you for sharing!
Hello, the first time I made this I didn’t have broccoli so I used asparagus, it came out super tasty. The second time I made this I didn’t have broccoli or asparagus so I used French green beans, it came out tasty too. The third time I made this I had broccoli and made it according to the recipe and it came out splendid. Now, I’m about to make it a fourth time and I have all three vegetables but everyone in my household agrees that it tastes way better with asparagus so I’ll be using that instead 😅
Wow thank you so much for sharing that with us, that’s very useful especially for others who would like to try something else aside from broccoli. We appreciate it!
Beef broccoli came out great Wil make it in the future I added bamboo shuts could use green onions too but came out perfect
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This is super delicious! Also freezes very well. Making it again today for supper with black rice. Thank you Natasha!
Sounds great! Thanks for your excellent feedback.
Made it tonight for dinner!!!
The only thing I did differently was double the stir fry sauce to make sure there was enough!
I used Flank Steak and froze for a bit and sliced on my electric slicer. The recipe flavor and taste was amazing!! Used leftover rice from Sunday when we ordered chinese out. Honestly.. this beef and broccoli was wayyy better too.
Hi Jennifer, I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Absolutely Delicious!
A pleasent good too To Natasha I must say that I have made this recipe Beef and broccoli couple of times it was really good thank you for sharing
I’m so glad you enjoyed that! Thank you for that awesome review.
This was absoluty delicious. Picky eater enjoyed it too. I used bbq’d stake from 2 days ago so process was sooo easy. The sauce was so delicious.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
I’ve failed more than once making any kind of Chinese food at home. My family ate all of this dish and asked me to save the recipe. Super easy to make, too!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Connie!
Made this last night – it’s a keeper! Very flavorful, and easy to make….in fact, I went right to a measurement of 1 1/2 times the ingredients for the sauce to ensure enough, and was glad I did – delicious! The only thing I did different was use Toasted Sesame Oil, because that’s all I had. Will definitely throw away my old “go to” recipe for Beef & Broccoli! Thanks for sharing.
Sounds like you found a new favorite Charlane! I’m so glad you enjoyed that!
I made this for my family and it was delicious. They really enjoyed this dish.
That is awesome Ana. Thank you for your great feedback!
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.
That’s so awesome! Thank you for sharing that amazing feedback Missy!