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
So good!! I used chunks of veggie burgers instead of the steak… awesome results! The sauce is delish! Thanks for the recipe ♥️
Delicious and easy! I added mushrooms in the mix and it was very flavourful
This sauce is absolutely amazing! I made chicken and broccoli (instead) of beef and this sauce was perfect with it! I didn’t have sesame oil so I substituted with avocado oil and it was still absolutely delicious.
Hi, there! Was so excited to try this tonight. Followed directions to the letter BUT found the light soy was TOO much soy…it was extremely salty. Fortunately, I do cook alot and was able to tame it w/ addition of a splash of water and some acid, used juice from 1/2 lemon. Also, for a pop of color, I added some sliced red peppers to the saute!! Maybe I’ll just use less of the light soy next time!! Love your recipes, Natasha! Debbie
Thanks for your feedback, Debbie. Feel free to adjust it next time according to your preference.
Easy weeknight recipe that is very easy to modify if you’d like. Great way to cook up that that last bit of sirloin steak. Thanks!
I made this tonight and everyone loved it…even my picky eater. I added 2 onions thinly sliced and cooked them with the broccoli. Very delicious recipe. Not too sweet. This will be added to my regular rotation for sure. Thanks for the recipe!
Ugh way too sweet. This is like. Sweet beef with ginger. Not the savory brown gravy. I’m so bummed.
Hi Margaret, normally this is slightly sweet like an Asian stir fry is expected to be but it isn’t supposed to be too sweet but balanced in sweet and salty. Did you change anything else in the recipe?
Fantastic recipe ! It is a keeper. I did exactly like in recipe. Thank you Natasha
This is my go-to recipe for beef and broccoli. We clean the pot every time!
I’m making this now. 2 Tbsp of sesame oil seems like a lot. Is that right?
Hi John, that’s how much we used in this recipe! I hope you love it.
Hi Natasha, we did love it! Thank you for posting it. I used eye of round beef and it was a little tougher than I hoped. I’m not sure if it was because of the cut or because it steamed a little while searing it. Everything else was great. The sauce was delicious. Thanks again!
By far the most delicious broccoli beef recipe I’ve made! All the kids asked for more. Will definitely make again!
i’m assuming you made the same mistake as i did by using toasted sesame oil. in most grocery stores, even the ones without a label are toasted. a regular sesame oil is supposed to be light and neutral like any other cooking oil. i made this mistake with other recipes and ended up with a very overpowering smell.
This is my go-to beef and broccoli recipe so I’ve made this several times! So easy to make and so good! Our 11-year old also liked it after picking out the broccoli, but I’ll take it! Lol
Great recipe. I added carrots and green pepper. Everyone loved it. Simmons to make .
Thank you, Natasha, for this fabulous recipe!! The sauce is amazing!! Your tips for preparing the ginger and garlic were very helpful!! Your recipe is definitely replacing the Beef ‘n Broccoli recipe I have been making for years!!
I don’t care for the taste of sesame oil, can you suggest a replacement?
Hi, Cheryl! You can use another oil
of your choice. We really enjoy the taste of the toasted sesame added in the sauce. But you could try peanut or chili oil to give it a kick!
I don’t either. I used avocado oil and it was perfect!!
Hi, I have a tougher peice of beef, I was wondering if I could marinate the beef in the stir fry sauce all day then cook it in the sauce?
Hi Renna, I imagine that may work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
With a stir fry the way that you cut the meat (especially beef) has the greatest impact on tenderness. Even a tough cut if cut across the grain in thin slices will be tender.
I wanted to take a picture but we ate it all!! Delicious and works exactly as written.
Oh my gosh this was SO delicious! Along with the broccoli I also stir-fried some red bell pepper and mushrooms. The sauce was out of this world!
I’m actually a very good cook. But this came out horrible. I ate one bite and couldn’t stomach it. My husband, who usually eats enough for 3 or 4 people, and especially if it’s beef, choked his down and suggested with throw away the leftover because no one was going to eat it. So disappointing. All I can figure is that the velvetizing (which really worked well at tenderizing) ended up making it bitter and left an aftertaste, even though it was very thoroughly washed off. The ingredients looked great and I was excited about trying a new broccoli beef recipe, but this was a horrible failure for me.
Hi D, I have never had that experience and I’ve made this one many times. My first thought is – could one of your ingredients have gone bad?
What are you talking about washing off?? There was no velvetizing step in the recipe.
My family hates the strong taste of sesame oil. Maybe this is why you didn’t like it
Can the beefand broccoli be made in advance and frozen? If so how long and would you suggest freezing with rice?
Hi Joe! I haven’t tested freezing this so I can’t say for sure but one of my readers said it does freeze well.
Hi Nat!!
Going to make this a 2nd time…But have no Cornstarch. Thinking this only means my sauces will be less thick?
Any substitutions?
THANKS!!
Hi Kelley! You can try to thicken with some flour instead. I hope you love the recipe!