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
What a delicious dish that is easy to prepare. The sauce is the bomb.
The sauce really is a favorite! I’m so glad you loved it, Rick!
I made this last night and thought something was missing. I added a little hot sauce and that made it better. But today, I stir fried up the leftover rice and beef mixture, and wowsers, was that good!
Made this tonight, hubby and I are really loved it! It’s really good will be making this again.
Very tasty. Very easy. Not overcooking the broccoli is key (imo). I would subtract a bit of cornstarch (or make extra sauce) and add some Chinese garlic sauce for a little kick. I sautéed some onion as well and will add celery next time.
Thanks for sharing your feedback, Krys. Feel free to make some adjustments on your next try – that will suite your preferred taste.
Just made this recipe and the sauce turned out really good but I would season the beef before cooking it
Hi Sasha, if you slice thinly, it’s not usually necessary since the sauce has ample flavor but you could season ahead and then season with salt to taste later.
Too sweet and no complexity of flavors. No idea why this has so many five stars?
Hi Kristi, normally this isn’t to sweet. Did you change any of the ingredients or proportions?
Outstanding. I added a sliced onion and made a little extra sauce. Definitely a repeat!
I love to hear that, Molly! Thank you for sharing that with me.
I omitted the ginger because I don’t love it, but it was great! I only had frozen broccoli, so what I would suggest doing is to roast the frozen broccoli for awhile in the oven (I did it in my air fryer toaster oven at 400F for 10 mins) and then dump it in the beef+sauce. It turned out great and not mushy at all!
I have made many stir frys. This one is the easiest and best tasting one. Only thing I did different, I added double the ginger because I love it. I served on chow mein noodles because I am just tired of rice. This will be a repeat dinner for us!!
Thank you for your awesome reivew, Debbie! I’m so glad you found a favorite on my blog!
Wow love this! As recommended for the broccoli, I individually cooked & added Bok Choy, carrots & red peppers also. Tasted amazing like an authentic Chinese Restaurant dish. Thank you 😊 🙏🏼
Excellent! Followed the recipe exactly will
add to my rotation
My family loved this beef & broccoli! My husband has a sesame allergy, so I swapped the oil to avocado oil. I also used half coconut aminos to cut the sodium and used a bit less sugar. Definitely will make again. Thanks for a great meal!
Used frozen broccoli- turned out fantastic.
That’s so great!
This was every bit as good as the beef broccoli at the Chinese place down the street. I had all the ingredients, thought ‘oh, give it a whirl!’ And it came out just so delicious! The thing is, don’t crowd ingredients or over cook.
I’m so happy you loved this recipe, Sally! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
quick and easy! I actually used a vegan beef strip alternative but it still came out great; will be making this again.
Made this first time last night and it was fantastic!! I am a beginner cook and I have fallen in love with so many of your recipes. The lasagna, ground beef stroganoff, and now this one. I honestly have anxiety around cooking and making new things, but your recipes and videos really give me the foundation for trying new things. I really appreciate not only the written recipe but also the videos as I like seeing both ways of application and then doing it myself. Thank you for sharing your lovely recipes. Maybe one day I’ll be fortunate to get your cookbook!
Thank you for the sweet words, Padme! I’m so glad you’re loving the recipes and I hope you get to experience the cookbook recipes too.
This was an excellent recipe. I made this for lunch today. Because it was only for me, I used 1/2 the amount of broccoli and beef, but used the full amount of measurements for the sauce (as some noted that they wished there had been a bit more sauce). This turned out to be great; everything was nicely covered with an adequate amount of sauce. I did substitute Cocoamino sauce for soy sauce and 1/8 tsp of powdered ginger for the fresh ginger (what I had on hand), but the sauce was still delicious. I added some chopped water chestnuts when I added the broccoli back, as suggested by some other reviewers, for added crunch. The next time, I will probably add the 2 tbls. of water when first cooking the broccoli, as it was not quite as tender as I would have preferred, but it was still excellent. I served it over jasmine rice and have a nice portion for another meal. This is a great recipe and will most definitely make it again. Thank you!
Thank you fo sharing your substitutions and changes with us, Dandy! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Made this with shaved steak. As good as or better than take-out. Easy, too. This recipe’s a keeper!
Absolutely the best flavor! I make the rice a day ahead or morning of. I have used flank steak for this recipe many times and recently found flat iron steak even better so highly suggest if you can get that cut. I still keep my beef semi-frozen for ease of slicing. I also double the sauce because we love Natasha’s sauce so much! Very easy recipe. I have a photo and wish I could share it with everyone…
Okay so I been making this recipe and also is the saucerecipe to make chicken lo mein and omg no b!!! But I just realized I ran out of corn starch!!! Do I really need it and what can use to replace it? 😭😭😭
Hi Ness! You can use flour to thicken the sauce. You’ll need to use a little more since it’s not quite as strong as cornstarch.