Quick and delicious, this beef and broccoli dish is sure to please. A delicious savory-sweet sauce tops this sizzling broccoli beef stir fry, making it taste like it came from a restaurant.
We have five different food allergies and intolerances, yet PF Chang’s is the one place where we can all eat. The meal is tasty and safe, but it’s super expensive and includes horrifying nutritional information. Plus, who ever orders a modest piece of their great cuisine?
That is why I made this mouth-watering steak and Broccoli dish from scratch. The steak is sizzling, the broccoli is steaming, and there is the most delicious savory-sweet sauce surrounding everything. You can’t get much better than this broccoli beef recipe.
Broccoli and Beef Recipe
Even though we like to patronize neighborhood eateries whenever we can, going to a chain restaurant that has strict policies regarding food allergies or celiac disease can help alleviate some of the anxiety that comes with eating out. At PF Chang’s, for instance, when you specify that you’d want your gluten-free food served on a separate plate, everyone involved (the waitress, the kitchen, and you) knows that the order has been taken seriously.
Oh, and the price, as I mentioned before—ugh. My family and I had lunch there not long ago, and my entree of beef and broccoli cost $19!
I can make a restaurant-quality stir-fry of broccoli and beef for a quarter of the price per serving—and it serves an army. Enjoy a healthy alternative to takeout with this sauce that strikes the ideal mix between savory, acidic, and sweet flavors, enhanced with a punch of fresh ginger and garlic.
Simple beef and broccoli—I can hardly wait for you to make it!
Things Required
The remaining ingredients are pantry basics, so go ahead and grab a flank steak and a bag of broccoli. Woo! The following items are required:
Flank steak: I always include one flank steak in my monthly ButcherBox purchase because my family adores it. The ideal cut of beef for broccoli beef is thinly sliced flank steak, which is exceptionally soft. Substitute skirt or hanger steaks for the original.
Broccoli: a 12-ounce package of broccoli is an easy and quick way to incorporate vegetables into the recipe. A delicious, umami taste is imparted to the stir-fried beef and broccoli sauce by the gluten-free Tamari. In case you aren’t gluten intolerant, feel free to use low-sodium soy sauce. To counteract the savoury sauce, brown sugar adds a touch of sweetness.
Vinegar made from rice: it gives the sauce a nice tang.
Flavor enhancers: the sauce is flavored with aromatic ginger paste and fresh garlic. Ginger paste from Gourmet Garden is my favorite, but you may easily make your own by peeling and grating fresh ginger.
Warning: Garlic paste from Gourmet Garden includes milk.
Drizzling some sesame oil into the sauce gives it a delicious toasted sesame taste.
Canola or vegetable oil: for stir-frying the meat. The total amount of oil needed for the recipe is just 4 teaspoons!
Coating the beef strips with cornstarch makes them crispier in the pan and thickens the stir-fry sauce.
You can use either white or brown rice while cooking it to go with the steak and broccoli.
5 Things to Remember When Preparing This Easy and Quick-Cooking Stir-Fry with Beef and Broccoli:
Make sure everything is ready to go before you turn the heat on. For instance, while the beef is cooking, you shouldn’t be measuring and whisking the stir-fry sauce.
To get the most tender, quick-cooking flank steak, slice it thinly against the grain and stir-fry it.
Yes, brown the bottoms of the beef strips by letting them sit and sear in a hot pan. Before the strips are around 80% cooked, I wait to start stir-frying them before trying to move them. Color denotes taste!
Be careful not to crowd the pan; doing so will cause the steak to steam rather than sear. Make sure the meat doesn’t steam by searing or stir-frying it in multiple batches.
Make sure to serve the broccoli on its own. When broccoli in Asian-inspired recipes is overdone with stir-fry sauce and becomes soggy, it becomes one of my pet peeves. Personally, I think it would be better if you steamed it separately and then served it in individual bowls instead of mixing it with the steak and sauce.
Alright, who’s up for some delicious, sizzling stir-fry?
Beef with Broccoli Recipe Instructions
I will begin by slicing the flank steak.
To begin, thinly slice the flank steak at a little angle against the grain. If the steak is extremely wide, cut it in half lengthwise. I prefer very thin slices, virtually shaved if that’s feasible!
Flavorful and flattened, flank steak has a distinct vertical grain spanning the length of the cut. When you cut a steak against the grain, the cooked meat is exceptionally soft. It turns chewy when cut with the grain.
If flank steak is unavailable, you can easily substitute skirt steak or hanger steak.
Second Step: Pat the flank steak dry
Thinly slice the steak and place it in a gallon-sized Ziplock bag. Season with salt and pepper, and then add gluten-free reduced-sodium Tamari (or soy sauce, if you’re not gluten-free), cornstarch, and the steak. After sealing the bag, give it a good squish to distribute the marinade evenly. Chill for up to an hour before cooking.
Third, whip up the stir-fry sauce
Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl or glass measuring cup, and then whisk until the mixture is smooth. Before setting aside, whisk together additional water, reduced sodium Tamari (or soy sauce if gluten-free is not an issue), brown sugar, rice vinegar, ginger paste, fresh garlic, and sesame oil.
Looking for a little heat? Spice it up with a dash of red pepper flakes, or more!
Fourth, steam the broccoli
We need to crank up the heat now! Steam broccoli florets for 5-7 minutes, or until crisp-tender, in a steamer basket over a few inches of boiling water. Drain and leave aside.
Step 5: Cook the steak in a stir-fry
At the same time, in a 12-inch pan or big wok, heat the canola or vegetable oil over high heat. Sear the bottoms of one-third of the marinated beef in a single layer until they are crispy and golden. Cook the steak to a rare doneness using tongs in a stir fry.
After you’ve removed the crispy steak to a platter, sear and stir-fry the rest of the beef in two batches.
Simmer the stir-fry sauce for Step 6
Reduce the heat to medium, add the stir-fry sauce, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute, or until thickened.
Toss in all of the crisp beef again, mix well, and cook for a further minute or two, or until the meat is heated through and the sauce has thickened and bubbled.
As a last step, mix everything together and then serve.
Spoon the steak and sauce over cooked rice (brown or white), then sprinkle with broccoli that has been steamed. To avoid sogginess and overcooking, I prefer to keep the broccoli out of the wok, but you are free to do as you like.
This Beef and Broccoli recipe is a take on a classic—delicious right down to the last drop! No matter how you serve it, I hope you adore it!
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