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
Very good,quick and easy. I think next time I will reduce the sugar.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Marye!
This is my standard recipe now. I usually add a red pepper, and the colors look great on the plate. It’s an easy and quick recipe.
Broccoli Beef is one of my favorite Chinese dishes & I have tried many recipes, but none of them were very good. This is the one I’ve been searching for! The only thing I did different was to saute some chopped scallions (green onions) before I threw the broccoli in. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe…I’m eating & doing a happy dance! 💕
That’s wonderful! I’m so glad you found this recipe.
This recipe is life-changing. It was so good that even my daughter had seconds. Light and perfect. Just make sure that you get a good cut of meat! Will add it to our rotation!
“I really enjoyed this dish! I was wondering, can I use chicken instead of the suggested meat in this recipe?”
Hi Lori! I’m so glad you loved it. Yes, you can. Be sure to check out my Chicken broccoli and mushroom stir fry.
Hi Natasha, this recipe is delicious. Thank you! I am wondering if I can make the sauce in the morning to use when I need it for dinner about 10 hours later? I was hoping to be able to prep everything in the morning to begin cooking right away when I get home from work.
Hi Cindy! This meal reheats really well so I think that would be fine.
My family loved this recipe, I can’t believe how easy it was to make.
Thanks so much!
My husband literally goes feral for this meal haha I’ve been making it for rover a year and it never disappoints! Not necessarily a quick meal to make but worth the effort!
I’ve tried a few but this is the best Beef and Broccoli I’ve had! So good my wife had seconds. A rarity!
Sooo good! But add a little salt to enhance flavor or use regular soy sauce
This was delicious. My son: “This is good! I mean good good” lol. Winner winner beef and broccoli and dinner.
This recipe is incredible. I used sirloin, because it’s all I had and subbed arrowroot for cornstarch. Personal preference and it is also a gluten free. Thanks, Natasha!
You’re very welcome!
Delicious sauce…..and, so easy. Best Broccoli and Beef recipe yet! Thank-you!
Thanks for the awesome feedback!
This is delicious!!! Ty for sharing this recipe.
I love one pan recipes that are quick and easy to make. Bravo
You’re very welcome, Lorraine!
I made this for dinner last night. I have 2 VERY picky boys and it’s always pizza rolls, Mac and cheese and nuggets. When I tell you they loved it, that’s putting it mildly. They each came back for seconds. The sauce was DELICIOUS! This will definitely be on my “make again and again” recipe list.
That is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great!
Ok it taste pretty good but the real tasters will be the family. Followed the recipe but added to make for the whole family. Got 7 adults in the house.
I hope they love it too!
Our new favorite! My husband has been asking me for weeks to make broccoli beef and all recipes looked too intimidating until I found this one! The first time I made it, I didn’t have seasame oil and it was so delicious I decided to make it the following week with the oil. Both times were divine! Better than takeout. It’s now a part of our weekly rotation. The little tips, like reminding to start the rice, are so helpful too! 5/5 recommend and sharing with all my friends to make too!
This is SO darn good!! I doubled it because we like alot of sauce. To give it an extra zip I added 2 tbls of roasted chili pepper paste, the brand THAI. We will use this recipe forever!! SO GOOD! Thank you!
Sounds great! Yes, feel free to double to sauce and glad you loved it with chilli peppers too!
What can I do to make it spicy? Can I use chili oil instead of sesame oil? I find sesame oil to have such a strong over powering flavor.
Hi Mark! I think that could work.
I was just wondering if the total calories included the rice or not? And if so how much rice is in 1 serving?
Hi Hannah! The nutrition facts reflected are only for the stir fry ingredients in the recipe card. The rice is not included.
Are the carbs in this recipe from the brown sugar? On a keto diet so I will be using cauliflower rice and lean ground beef but wasn’t sure where the 22 grams of carbs were coming from
Hi April. Yes, majority of the carbs are from the brown sugar (roughly 40g for the whole recipe just from the brown sugar) and the remainder of carbs are from the rest of the ingredients. This recipe serves 4, so the nutrition facts listed are per serving.
Do you have to use sesame oil? I really don’t like the taste of it. Is there another oil you can use? Thanks.
Hi Kim! The sesame oil is used for flavor in this recipe but you can use another if you’d like.
Just made this for lunch using shabu shabu beef & frozen broccoli (which was what I had on hand). Delicious! And it wasn’t too salty, which worked well. My husband (who likes his food a bit more saltier than I do) just added a splash more of soy sauce on his portion.
Hi Laura! I’m so glad it was enjoyed. Thank you for sharing.