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Broccoli Beef – Best homemade recipe featuring tender beef in a brown sauce. You’ll never need to order it for takeout ever again, and it’s healthier.
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.
Unlike spicy Szechuan beef, beef and broccoli tastes mild with its savory sauce. It’s not spicy, hence, it’s a popular choice for everyone.
Another of my favorite beef stir fry recipe is ginger and scallion beef.
If you don’t have beef, make my classic Garlic Broccoli or Shrimp and Broccoli recipes instead!
Tips For The Best And Tender Broccoli Beef
Here are the secrets used by Cantonese chefs to get that restaurant-quality finish at home:
- Cut against the grain: This is the most important step for tender beef. If you cut it the wrong way, it will be rubbery and hard to chew.
- The “slippery beef” secret: To get that silky restaurant texture, you must velvet the beef with cornstarch. After marinating, the beef should feel quite slimy or slippery to the touch. Don’t be alarmed! This slippery coating is exactly what seals in the moisture so you get that smooth, velvet bite.
- The flash sear rule: When you hit the high heat, you only have about 60 seconds. My recipe says to stir-fry until the beef is 70% cooked, and that happens fast! If you leave it in any longer, you lose that silkiness and the beef gets tough. Pull it out while it still looks a little pink.
- Blanch the broccoli: Always give your broccoli a quick dunk in boiling water before it hits the wok. This makes sure it is cooked through but still has a nice crunch.
- The quick toss: Once the beef and broccoli are back in the wok together, move fast. You just want to marry the flavors. If you overcook it at this stage, the broccoli will turn mushy.
- Keep the sauce light: The brown sauce should never be thick, starchy, or sticky. It should be light and just barely coat the beef so the natural flavors still shine through.
For perfect wok stir fries, please check out my Chinese stir-frying techniques.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Beef tenderloin
- Broccoli florets
- Rice wine
- Sesame oil
- Cornstarch
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
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full details on each ingredient.
Pro Tip #1: Why I Choose Flank Steak Or Tenderloin
I love using flank steak or tenderloin because they are lean and cook incredibly fast. The key is to slice them into thin pieces against the grain so they stay juicy and tender. If you can’t find these, top sirloin is your best bet. It’s affordable, relatively tender, and stands up well to the high heat of a wok.
Pro Tip #2: The Magic Of Cornstarch In The Marinade
Adding cornstarch to the marinade is a classic technique called “velveting.” It creates a thin protective layer that seals in the juices and keeps the beef silky smooth. If you’re out of cornstarch, arrowroot powder works perfectly. It provides that same glossy finish and tender texture without changing the flavor.
Pro Tip #3: Why Rice Wine Is A Game Changer
A splash of rice wine or sherry adds a subtle aroma that cuts through the richness of the beef and brings that authentic restaurant smell to your kitchen.
Pro Tip #4: Why Oyster Sauce Is The Secret Base
Oyster sauce is the “MVP” here because it provides a deep, savory, and slightly sweet flavor. It gives the sauce that rich, dark color and the perfect body to coat every piece of broccoli. For a vegetarian or shellfish-free option, vegetarian mushroom sauce is the ultimate swap. It has that same thick consistency and “umami” punch.
How To Make Beef And Broccoli
First things first, toss your beef with all the Marinade ingredients and let it hang out for about 15 minutes. This is the secret to getting that super tender, flavorful meat.
While the beef marinates, bring some water to a boil with a few drops of oil. Toss in your broccoli florets for just 10 seconds. You just want them bright green and slightly tender. Scoop them out immediately and set them aside.
Pro Tip: Adding a few drops of oil to the boiling water is my favorite trick for broccoli. It coats the florets and keeps them looking vibrant, glossy, and bright green so they stay “picture perfect” on the plate.
In a small bowl, stir all your Sauce ingredients together until they’re well combined. Keep this nearby so you’re ready to go once the wok gets hot.
Heat up a tablespoon of oil in your wok or skillet over high heat. Toss in the beef and stir-fry it until it’s about 70% cooked. Take it out and set it aside for just a second.
Add the rest of your oil to the wok. Throw in the ginger and stir-fry until your kitchen smells amazing. Toss the beef back in and stir-fry for another minute or two until it’s fully cooked through. Finally, add the broccoli and pour in that sauce you mixed earlier.
Give everything a good stir until the sauce thickens up and coats everything beautifully. As soon as it looks glossy, kill the heat and serve it immediately!
Frequently Asked Questions
Definitely. If you aren’t feeling broccoli, try snap peas, sliced carrots, or bell peppers. Just remember that different veggies might need a few extra seconds of blanching.
Easily! Just swap the soy sauce for Tamari. Make sure your oyster sauce is also labeled gluten-free. The cornstarch we use is already naturally gluten-free.
I highly recommend it! It gives you that vibrant green color and perfect “crunch-tender” texture you get at restaurants. Plus, it makes sure the broccoli is fully cooked by the time the beef is done.
If it’s too thick, stir in a splash of water. If it’s too thin, let it simmer for 30 seconds or add a tiny bit more cornstarch slurry to tighten it up.
Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. For the best texture, reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a tiny splash of water to refresh the sauce.
This recipe is only 397 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Beef And Broccoli
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Other Recipes You Might Like
Beef and Broccoli
Ingredients
- 8 oz (230g) beef tenderloin, flank steak or flap meat, cut into pieces
- 6 oz (170g) broccoli florets
- water, for boiling
- 2 1/2 tablespoons oil
- 2- inches (5cm) ginger, peeled and sliced
Marinade:
- 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice wine , or sherry
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, optional
- 3 dashes white pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Marinate the beef with all the Marinade ingredients for about 15 minutes.
- Bring the water to a boil and add a few drops of oil. Blanch the broccoli florets in the hot water for about 10 seconds. Remove the broccoli immediately with a strainer or slotted spoon, draining the excess water. Set aside.
- Prepare the sauce in a small bowl. Stir to mix well. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Stir-fry the beef until it is 70% cooked. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Heat the remaining oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Add the ginger and stir-fry until fragrant. Transfer the beef to the wok or skillet and stir-fry until cooked through and the center of the meat is no longer pink, about 1-2 minutes. Add the broccoli and then the sauce, stirring to combine the ingredients well.
- As soon as the sauce thickens, remove from the heat and serve immediately.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can i make the marinade and the sauce a couple days ahead of time before using.
Sure you can! Just keep in the fridge.
This recipe has a very high sodium content. Is there any way of making it more heart healthy?
The sodium content comes from the oyster sauce…you can reduce the quantity of the oyster sauce.
I do wish you had a more compressed way to print your recipes. I don’t like having to print three pages.
You can opt out of printing the picture, and nutrition info. Mine is only 2 pages, even with that. And not even a full 2.
I have been on the search for a sauce with depth Of flavor. This is it. Thank you
:)
A nice version of beef and broccoli. I also added some button mushrooms cooked in oyster sauce (since I wanted to use them up) and all was excelllent. This is one of the better (maybe best) beef and broccoli recipes I have tried (and I have tried many.)
The whole family enjoyed!
You can hardly go wrong with one of Bee’s recipes! Recommended!
BobB
Thanks for your support!
Cooked for my teenage grandson & he loves it esp broccoli, best tasted broccoli.
What would be the best substitute for oyster sauce?
There is no substitute, if you use other sauce, it will not taste the same.
What if you allergic to shellfish and cannot have oyster sauce? Should I just not make this recipe? Would hoisin sauce work?
Use soy sauce instead.
I would never disagree with the author of the recipe, but if you are asking due to an allergy, there exists a Vegan version of Oyster Sauce at places like Whole Foods or online.
Wow, made your chow mein and now found this one. Will be making this week. So grateful I found your website. Will be trying a whole bunch of recipes.
Thanks.
Hi can i use frozen broccoli
You can but not ideal.
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?
Fish sauce is better.
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.