Broccoli Beef
Beef and broccoli is the most popular Chinese beef stir-fry dish in the United Status. It’s the poster child of American Chinese food so much as that the most popular item in Panda Express is this dish!
The rich brown sauce with tender beef and healthy broccoli has captured the hearts and palate of many people. This recipe is from my Easy Chinese Recipes cookbook, the best selling and top rated Chinese cookery book.
Tips for the Best and Tender Broccoli Beef
Here are the techniques and tips used by Chinese and Cantonese chefs in the best restaurants, and I am sharing with you the secrets:
- Cut the beef against the grain. This will ensure that the beef is tender and not rubbery.
- Velvet the beef to make sure you have silky, smooth and tender beef. Velveting is a secret techniques used by Chinese chefs to seal in the moisture of protein while stir-frying. The key ingredients for velveting is corn starch.
- Blanch the broccoli in hot boiling water first before stir-frying.
- During the stir-frying process, quickly toss the broccoli with the beef. Do not overcook the broccoli.
- The brown sauce should be light and not starchy or sticky. It should just barely coat the beef.
For perfect wok stir fries, please check out my Chinese stir-frying techniques.
Ingredients for the Brown Sauce
There are two types of sauces in Chinese stir-fry: white sauce and brown sauce. Here are the ingredients for delicious and authentic brown sauce.
- Soy Sauce
- Oyster Sauce
- Sesame Oil
- Corn starch
- Sugar
- Water
How Many Calories per Serving?
This recipe is only 397 calories per serving.
What Dishes to Serve with This Recipe?
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
5 Secrets to 20 Min Dinners
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Beef and Broccoli
Broccoli Beef - best and easiest homemade beef and broccoli in brown sauce. You'll never need another broccoli beef takeout.
Ingredients
- 8 oz.(226 g) beef tenderloin, flank steak or flap meat, cut into pieces
- 6 oz. (175 g) broccoli florets
- water, for boiling
- 2 1/2 tablespoons oil
- 2- in ginger, peeled and sliced (5 cm)
Marinade:
- 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice wine or sherry
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, optional
- 3 dashes white pepper
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- 4 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Marinate the beef with all the ingredients for the Marinade, about 15 minutes.
- Bring the water to boil and add a few drops of oil. Blanch the broccoli florets in the hot water, about 10 seconds. Remove the broccoli immediately with a strainer or slotted spoon, draining the excess water. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Stir-fry the beef until 70% cooked. Dish out and set aside.
- Heat the remaining oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Add the ginger and stir-fry until aromatic. Transfer the beef into the wok or skillet and stir-fry until the beef is cooked through and the center of the meat is no longer pink, about 1-2 minutes. Add the broccoli and then the Sauce, stir to combine the ingredients well.
- As soon as the sauce thickens, dish out and serve immediately.
Nutrition Information
Serving Size
2 peopleAmount Per Serving Calories 397Total Fat 25gSaturated Fat 17gCholesterol 68mgSodium 1091mgCarbohydrates 15gFiber 3gSugar 3gProtein 29g
Pieter Vorster
I don’t have Oyster sauce but see many people suggesting a 1:1 combination of soy and hoisin sauce, was thinking a dash of fish sauce might make it even closer to oyster sauce. What are your thoughts?
Rasa Malaysia
Fish sauce is better.
Theodore Davis
I have found when it comes to the sauces, the biggest mistake Americans make in Chinese cooking. Is adding water, and cornstarch. The meat should still have plenty of cornstarch to give even after it is cooked. I add Chinese Cooking wine, instead of the water. I heat the sauce and get it bubbly then toss in the meat until well coated. Then when you toss in the vegetables, they will give plenty of moisture to the sauce to thin it out a little. When I add water to the sauce, when the vegetables go in, the thick rich sauce turns into a diluted broth.
Polly
Thank you so much for this beef recipe and your fried rice.
My husband loved it too. I have tried some recipes but this made my venison tenderloin so tender. Thanks again.
Rasa Malaysia
Awesome thanks so much for trying my recipe! You won’t find better recipes elsewhere.
Adrian
Tried this recipe and its really good! One of the best!
Jen
I have tried so many Asian recipes in the past and they always fall short. This was delicious. The first time I’ve made a recipe like this that was better than take out! Thank you!!
Kimberly Newton Walker
This is the best beef and broccoli I have ever had. We no longer eat take out.
Rasa Malaysia
Awesome thanks for trying my recipe. Please try more recipes on my site: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
Mary Gallo
Hi, perfect every time, I double the sauce for my family. After making this for many years according to your recipe, this time I added 1/2 tsp of shiaxhou wine and dry sherry. It adds that ‘take out tang’. Thank you for providing so many authentic recipes. I think I have cooked every one of your recipes and my Chinese-Amercian friend, who admits she can’t cook, tells me I cook better than her mother. So I gave her your URL and she has been trying!! Thank you so very much!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Mary, awww, your comment just made my day. Yes, shaoxing wine is awesome, it just adds that special nuance. I am so happy that you tired all my recipes. Thanks again and happy cooking! :)
Mark
Is Mirrin ok to substitute? What is the difference?
Rasa Malaysia
Mirin is sweet rice wine.
Diana weaver
Looking for meat egg rolls recipe please. Thank you.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Diana, please try my spring rolls recipe here: https://rasamalaysia.com/spring-rolls/
Kris
This is truly the BEST recipe!!!
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Kris, please try more recipes on my site: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
Debby
In several of your stir fry recipes you mention velveting but I haven’t seen the procedure mentioned in the recipes. Is this step supposed to be done before beginning the actual recipe? If so, that would mean the meat would have cornstarch on it before placing it in the marinade. Does that cornstarch affect the thickness of the marinade or how the recipe turns out? I would love to do the velveting step I just don’t know at what point to do it.
Rasa Malaysia
The cornstarch part is velveting.
L K Lee
My hubby n 2 girls really enjoy this recipe & it is as easy as 123 to make. This will be our favourite for a long time to come. Thanks very much !!
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks.
kootch
Hi Debby,
I had the same question. Process is explained on her site here: https://rasamalaysia.com/how-to-tenderize-meat/
Kate
Thank you for a great recipe. This is the first time making beef and broccoli that my beef came out tender. My husband even notice the difference and was like wow, this is very good. Will definitely be making again.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Kate, please try more recipes on my site, they are all very good: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/