Say goodbye to take out and hello to the best Beef and Broccoli you’ve ever tasted! Tender and juicy slices of flank steak stir fries with fresh broccoli and the most amazing and flavorful sauce! It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s so much better than what you’ll find at any local Chinese restaurant.

Beef and Broccoli on white plates with rice.

If you love Chinese food, you may have considered cooking it in your own kitchen, but when you looked at the list of ingredients it just seemed way too complicated. This recipe will put your mind at ease! This super easy beef and broccoli recipe only uses a handful of ingredients that you can find at any grocery store.

Broccoli and tender beef strips in this recipe make this dish a complete meal in one skillet, but you can also serve it over rice. For rice that has incredible flavor, try this amazing Instant Pot Jasmine Rice. It won’t disappoint!

Why We Love This Recipe

With this one-skillet meal, everything cooks in one pan making clean up cinch!
You can have this quick, easy and hearty meal on the dinner table in under 30 minutes. Who needs Chinese takeout when you can make it better yourself?
The sauce ingredients that coat the broccoli and beef includes just a little sweetness that will convince even your pickiest eaters to eat their veggies!

What’s Needed for This Beef and Broccoli Recipe?

Ingredients of Beef and Broccoli on a white counter. These are beef meat, water, oil and broccoli and salt

Fresh ginger
Minced garlic
Soy sauce (you can use regular soy sauce or low sodium soy sauce)
Brown sugar
Cornstarch
Flank steak
Fresh broccoli florets
Olive oil (or any mild tasting cooking oil)
Water
Rice (optional)
Sesame seeds and green onion (optional)

How to Make Broccoli Beef Stir Fry

Step One: Prepare the Sauce

In a mixing bowl, combine grated ginger, garlic, hot water, soy sauce, brown sugar and cornstarch, mix well.

Step Two: Sauté the Broccoli

Cut broccoli into bite size pieces, add to a large skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Sauté over medium heat until broccoli is tender. Remove from the pan.

Step Three: Stir Fry the Beef

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet, increase to high heat and add beef in a single layer, flip after 2-3 minutes and continue cooking until beef is cooked through.

Step Four: Add the Broccoli and Sauce

Reduce heat to low, add sauce, simmer for 5 minutes, add broccoli stir to combine.
If the sauce is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time to reach the desired thickness.
Serve over white rice, garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Enjoy!

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

Tips for The Best Beef and Broccoli Dish

To make flank steak easier to cut, freeze it for about an hour before you’re ready to cut it.

Always slice flank steak in thin slices across the grain.

Make sure the oil is really hot before adding the steak. This sear is what gives steak color and lots of flavor on the outside while leaving the inside nice and juicy.

Don’t crowd the pan. Layering the slices prevents direct contact with the skillet and the meat will steam instead of sear.

To make sure you don’t end up with some pieces of broccoli that are soggy while others are too crunchy, try to cut the florets in as even pieces as you can.

Can I Freeze the Leftovers?

You sure can! Allow the beef and broccoli to cool to room temperature before adding them to a freezer bag. Make sure you add all the delicious stir fry sauce over the beef and broccoli.

To thaw it, just place the bag in some warm water until it is loose enough to come out of the bag and reheat stovetop.

Can I Cook This Recipe in the Slow Cooker?

While you can, I have to admit that I really prefer it cooked stove top. The slow cooker tends to overcook the broccoli and steams the meat. Plus, this recipe only takes minutes on the stove to cook.

Best Beef for Chinese Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry

One of the best things about this recipe is that it uses flank steak, which is a super budget-friendly cut of beef. You can also use, skirt steak or flat iron steak.

If you catch chuck roast or sirloin steak on sale, they are both other great options.

Add-ins and Variations for Easy Broccoli and Beef Stir Fry

Next time you make this popular recipe, try some of these variations to change up the flavors and textures:

There are so many great sauces used in Chinese cooking, like hoisin sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil. They make great additions to this recipe. But if you have never used any of them, start off with just a tiny amount the first time until you see if you like the way they taste. Too much of any of these flavorful sauces can be a little overpowering if too much is added.
We used white rice, but you can use jasmine rice or brown rice.
Try adding other veggies! Red or green bell peppers, mushrooms, onions or carrots are all wonderful in this recipe.
If you want to add more stir-fry dishes to your regular rotation, you can just simply change up the protein in this recipe. Instead of beef, you can use shrimp, chicken or thinly sliced pork tenderloin next time! Of course, the cooking time will vary for each one.

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Beef and Broccoli

Why We Love This Recipe

What’s Needed for This Beef and Broccoli Recipe?