Beef and broccoli is a dish that should be on your regular weekday dinner menu.

It’s easy to make, better for you than takeout, and very tasty. I really think you should try making takeout at home at least once if you’ve been ordering it. This Chinese beef and broccoli is like takeout, but it’s extra saucy and quick to make. You don’t need a wok to make this recipe, and you can still get the real taste.

I was so excited to share this recipe with you because…

• You can make everything in one pan. You don’t need to blanch the broccoli any more!
• The dish has a lot of sauce and is great with rice.
• No need for a wok! You can still get that restaurant-style taste with a flat skillet.

Beef and broccoli from China (牛肉炒西兰花)

Time to Get Ready: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15minutes minutes
Total Time: 30minutes minutes

Servings: 2 to 4 servings

This beef and broccoli is a popular Chinese take-out meal and it’s also easy enough to make at home. It’s also healthier than most take-out meal options. With juicy tender beef and crisp broccoli brought together in a rich brown sauce, this quick dinner is as colorful as it is delicious. Serve it over hot rice for an authentic Chinese take-out dinner. {Gluten-Free Adaptable}

To make this dish gluten-free, use dry sherry instead of Shaoxing wine, and use tamari instead of soy sauce.

Meat and Marinade

• ○ 1 lb boneless flank steak , skirt steak, or other cut (*see footnote 1)
• ○ 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• ○ 1 tablespoon peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
• ○ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ○ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (Optional) (*see footnote 1)

Sauce

• ○ 1/2 cup chicken stock (or beef stock)
• ○ 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
• ○ 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• ○ 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce (*footnote 2)
• ○ 2 teaspoons brown sugar (or white sugar)
• ○ 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Stir-fry

• ○ 1 head broccoli , cut to bite-size florets
• ○ 1 tablespoon peanut oil (or vegetable oil) (*Footnote 3)
• ○ 3 garlic cloves , minced
• ○ 2 teaspoons ginger , minced

Things you need

What kind of beef to use

Flank steak is my favorite cut for beef and broccoli, and skirt steak is my second favorite. I wouldn’t use a fancy cut like a strip because it’s too expensive and the results aren’t as good.

What if you need to use a cut of beef that is tougher but less expensive? Keep reading to find out how to make beef that is extra tender and juicy.

How to make tough beef tender

If you have to use a tougher cut, like brisket, chuck, or round roast, the best way to do it is with baking soda. Making beef extra juicy and tender is something that many Chinese restaurants do. Just add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda (not baking powder) to the marinade, mix it in, and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before cooking.

Other options for vegetables

You can add any other kinds of vegetables you want to this dish.

You can replace half of the broccoli with 1 cup of sliced carrots, red peppers, snap peas, or snow peas.

If you want to use carrots, add them at the same time you cook the broccoli so they can steam together.

You can add vegetables that cook faster to the broccoli halfway through steaming it and steam them for 20 to 30 seconds. Then return them to the pan at the end of cooking, at step 6.

Mise en place

Your table should have the ingredients below before you start cooking:

• Marinated beef
• Chopped broccoli florets
• Mixed sauce
• A bowl with ginger and garlic in it

When you start cooking, you will need to move very quickly to avoid over-cooking the beef. So it’s important to have everything ready to go.

The wok vs. skillet debate

I always recommend home cooks use a flat skillet instead of a wok. You can get very similar, and sometimes even better, results when you cook on an electric stove with a skillet. If you want to read more about this, I wrote about 10 reasons not to use a wok and Wok vs. Stir Fry Pan – Which is the Right Tool for You?

The sauce for Chinese beef and broccoli is very tasty. It makes skillet cooking more tolerable. Plus, in the case of home cooking, you have a less powerful stove and might need to cook the food in more than one batch. So you will benefit from using a skillet on an electric stove because you will have a larger contact surface to sear the food properly.

Although you can use almost any nonstick skillet to make takeout-style beef and broccoli, a deeper pan such as this nonstick deep pan works best, because you will spill less when stirring the food. If you do want to use a wok on an electric stove, get one of those with a large bottom that can cover the biggest heating element on your stove.

How to cook beef and broccoli

Cooking beef and broccoli is super easy!

1. Steam the broccoli in the skillet using a small amount of water
2. Sear the beef
3. Add the aromatics and give it a quick toss
4. Add the sauce and the broccoli
5. Stir everything together until the sauce thickens

That’s it!

1. Slice the beef against the grain into 0.5 cm (1/4 inch) thick slices or 1-cm (1/2 inch) sticks. Transfer to a small bowl. Add soy sauce, peanut oil, and cornstarch (*Footnote 1). Gently mix well by hand until all the slices are coated with a thin layer of sauce. Marinate for 10 minutes while preparing the other ingredients.

2. Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a medium-sized bowl. Mix well.
3. Add 1/4 cup water into a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until the water begins to boil. Add the broccoli and cover. Steam until the broccoli just turns tender and the water evaporates,1 minute or so. Transfer broccoli to a plate. Wipe the pan with a paper towel held in a pair of tongs if there’s any water left.
4. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom. Heat over medium high heat until hot. Spread the steak in a single layer. Allow to cook without touching for 30 seconds, or until the bottom side is browned. Flip to cook the other side for a few seconds. Stir and cook until the surface is lightly charred and the inside is still pink.
5. Add the garlic and ginger. Stir a few times to release the flavor and fragrance.
6. Return the broccoli to the pan. Stir the sauce again to dissolve the cornstarch completely and pour it into the skillet. Cook and stir until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Transfer everything to a plate immediately. Serve hot as a main dish.

Lastly, if you prefer a spicy beef and broccoli, add a splash of chili oil or sriracha to spice up your dish!

This beef and broccoli is very saucy so you’ll have enough sauce to douse your rice. When you prepare dinner, don’t forget to start the rice at the beginning. So the rice and main dish will be ready at the same time for a delicious Chinese dinner!

Notes

• If you need to use a cheaper but toucher cut of beef, for example, chuck, brisket, or round roast, add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to the marinade and marinate the beef for 30 minutes before cooking. This method tenderizes the beef and will create a very juicy result.
• Dark soy sauce will add an appetizing dark color to the sauce with a hint of caramel taste, but you can skip it if you don’t have it. If you skip the dark soy sauce, you can add 1/2 teaspoon molasses to enhance the flavor.
• If you do not have peanut oil, you can drizzle 1/2 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil at the end of the cooking after turning off the heat and mix together. It will boost the flavor.

Video

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 291kcal, Carbohydrates: 13.9g, Protein: 26.6g, Fat: 14.3g, Saturated Fat: 4.2g, Cholesterol: 48mg, Sodium: 790mg, Potassium: 487mg, Fiber: 1.5g, Sugar: 4.5g, Calcium: 45mg, Iron: 2mg

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