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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.
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Beef and Broccoli
Ingredients
- 8 oz beef tenderloin (flank steak or flap meat, cut into pieces)
- 6 oz. 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.
Video
Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
FOR SOME REASON I HAVENT RECEIVED ANY E-MAILS. DID YOOU DROP ME OR STOPPED SENDING? PLEASE PUT ME BACK ON LIST. THANX MIKE CEDENO
Hi Michael, yes I still send out emails when I have new recipes.
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.
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.