This is the BEST beef and broccoli you can make at home in less than 30 minutes! It's super easy to make, tastes just as good, if not better than takeout, and cheaper too. Complete this Chinese takeout classic with some shrimp fried rice or shrimp lo mein for some surf and turf action!
Beef and broccoli (jiรจ lรกn niรบ - ่ฅๅ ฐ็) has long since been one of the most popular items ordered at Chinese restaurants. Now, you can easily make it at home!
We've adapted our beef and broccoli recipe to be super easily to make in our home kitchen and still tastes just as good as the ones from Chinese takeout restaurants. Also, it takes less than 30 minutes to make, from beginning to finish!
If youโve made this recipe or any recipes from our blog, please tag us on Instagram using #twoplaidaprons! You can also tag us in your Instagram stories using @two_plaid_aprons. We would love to see your creations! It absolutely makes our day! ๐ฅฐ
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Side dishes to serve with
Beef and broccoli is one of the most popular Chinese takeout dishes, and it's pretty much agreeable with any sides. Our favorite sides to go with beef and broccoli are:
- steamed white rice or Korean purple rice
- egg fried rice or shrimp fried rice
- shrimp lo mein or chicken lo mein
- egg rolls or crab rangoon
Ingredients
Please scroll down to the recipe card for the ingredient quantities!
To marinate the beef:
- Beef flank - Flank steaks are great for quick stir fry dishes, like beef and broccoli. It's cheap and flavorful. You can easy tenderize it as long you cut it into thin slices.
- Water - For hydrating the beef, making sure the meat stays as juicy as possible.
- Shaoxing cooking wine - A Chinese pantry staple and must have. In the marinate, Shaoxing rice wine helps get rid of any unwanted gamey flavor in the beef.
- Salt - For seasoning the beef.
- Oil - Any neutral oil, such as canola, grapeseed, or avocado, will do. It's for velveting the beef.
- Cornstarch - This is the other ingredient for velveting the beef.
- Baking soda - For tenderizing the flank steak.
For the beef and broccoli sauce:
- Soy sauceย - This is the main savory flavor in the sauce and it also gives the sauce its brown color. Our recipe is based on light sodium soy sauce.
- Water - For diluting the soy sauce and making the sauce more balanced. You could also use unsalted chicken stock instead.
- Sugarย - Regular granulated sugar is fine. It's to add a little sweetness to the stir fry sauce, which balances and rounds out the sauce. If you prefer, you could use honey instead, but the flavor will be slightly different.
- Cornstarch - To thicken the sauce.
- Toasted sesame oil - An Asian pantry must have! Sesame oil adds a toasted flavor to beef and broccoli.
The rest of the ingredients:
- Broccoli - Can't have beef and broccoli without broccoli! Just trim a broccoli crown into broccoli florets.
- Ginger and garlic - Both add a lot of flavor and fragrance to the whole dish.
- Carrot (optional) - Carrot slices are often added to Chinese takeout beef and broccoli for color. So feel free to use or omit.
- Sesame seeds (optional for garnish)
The best cut of beef to use
Beef flank steak is the best cut for quick stir fry dishes like beef and broccoli. It's cheap but still flavorful, and you can easily tenderize it with a little bit of baking soda. You could use eye rounds, chuck roasts, and skirt steak as well, but of the cheaper cuts, flank steak is our favorite choice. It has just enough fat so that the beef won't taste dry. Just make sure to cut the beef into slices no thicker than ยผ inch, against the grain.
You could also go for more expensive cuts like beef tenderloin and ribeye, but it would be a waste to stir fry with.
How to make beef and broccoli at home
Marinate the beef:
1. Cut the flank into thin slices no thicker than ยผ inch, against the grain.
๐ Pro tip: On a flank steak, the horizontal streaks across the steak is the direction the grain goes. So cut against (perpendicular) to the streak so that the beef is as tender as possible. Also, if you freeze the flank until it's semi frozen, it'll be much easier to cut.
2. Marinate. Place the thinly sliced beef into a bowl, along with water, oil, Shaoxing cooking wine, salt, cornstarch, and baking soda. Mix well until the beef is well coated. Set aside and let the beef marinate for at least 10 to 15 minute while you prepare the other ingredients. You can also marinate the beef overnight.
Prepare the beef and broccoli sauce:
3. Prepare the sauce. In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the sauce and mix until no more dry clumps of cornstarch is visible. Set aside until needed.
Make the beef and broccoli:
4. Boil the broccoli. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add the broccoli florets. Boil the broccoli for about 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the size of your florets and how tender you like your broccoli. Drain and set aside.
5. Cook the beef. In a wok or large sautรฉ pan over medium high heat, add enough oil to coat the bottom. Once the oil is hot, add the beef and stir fry until the beef is about 90 percent cooked. Make sure separate the beef slices to cook evenly. Remove from the pan and set aside.
๐ Pro tip: If you don't mind using a bit more oil, about ยฝ inch to 1 inch of oil, you can flash fry the marinated beef instead. Place an appropriate amount of the beef into 350ยฐF oil, then quickly stir to separate them. Allow the beef to cook for 15 to 20 seconds or until the beef is just cooked. Remove from oil.
This method allows the beef to be quickly cooked. It saves time and keeps the beef tender and juicy.
5. Saute aromatics. Keep about 2 tablespoons of oil in the wok or pan and remove excess oil if needed. With the heat still on medium high, add the minced garlic and ginger. Cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds.
6. Cook the sauce. Add the prepared sauce to the pan and bring to a simmer while stirring frequently. Once the sauce thickens and looks glossy, reduce the heat to medium low and add the beef and the broccoli.
7. Coat in sauce. Stir and mix the beef and broccoli until everything is evenly coated. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with sesame seeds if you like. Enjoy while hot!
Recipe tips
- Cut the flank into no thicker than ยผ inch slices. It's important that the flank is between โ inch to ยผ inch thick. Too thin and the meat will disintegrate and break apart. If the beef is too thick, it'll take a long time to cook, make it tough and dry.
- Freeze the flank for easier cutting. If you freeze the flank steak until semi frozen, it'll be much easier to cut into thin, even slices. Just let the beef thaw after slicing to drain excess moisture before marinating.
- Marinate for at least 15 minutes or overnight. Marinating the beef ensures that it's well seasoned. But most importantly, the marinating process tenderizes the beef.
- Cook the broccoli to your preferred tenderness. You can adjust how long to boil the broccoli, depending on how tender you like it. Also, the boiling time depends on how big you cut the broccoli florets.
Storage
If you have leftover beef and broccoli, let it cool completely before covering and refrigerating. It'll will stay good in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
Reheating
You can reheat leftover beef and broccoli in the microwave or on the stovetop.
To reheat in the microwave, place the beef and broccoli in a microwave safe container with a cover. Microwave until hot.
If you are reheating on the stovetop, place the beef and broccoli in a pan over medium heat and sautรฉ until heated through. If the sauce looks thin after heating, you can thicken it by adding a small amount of cornstarch slurry (equal parts cornstarch with cold water).
FAQ
Beef flank steak is our top choice for making beef and broccoli because it's cheap yet super flavorful.
Our recipe calls for soy sauce, water, sugar, cornstarch, and sesame oil to make the beef and broccoli sauce.
Velveting is a Chinese cooking technique used to protect delicate meat and keep meats from becoming dry and tough. Usually, the meats are coated in marinade seasoning, Shaoxing cooking wine, cornstarch, sometimes egg white, and oil. Then, the meat gets quickly cooked in hot oil or hot water.
๐ Recipe
Beef and Broccoli
Ingredients
For marinating the beef:
- 1 pound beef flank steak thinly sliced (between โ and ยผ inch thick)
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing cooking wine
- ยฝ teaspoon kosher salt (a little less if using fine salt)
- ยผ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon oil any neutral oil will do
For the stir fry sauce:
- ยฝ cup soy sauce light sodium*
- ยฝ cup water
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
For the rest of the dish:
- 1 pound broccoli cut into florets
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced (about 2 cloves)
- 1 tablespoon ginger peeled and minced (about an inch knob)
- oil as needed for stir frying
- Toasted sesame seed (optional for garnish)
Instructions
Marinate the beef:
- In a mixing bowl, combine the sliced flank steak, water, shaoxing rice wine, salt and baking soda. Mix well until the beef has absorbed most of the liquids.
- Next, add the cornstarch and mix until the beef is well coated. Finish the marinade by adding oil. Mix until evenly combined. Set the beef aside to marinate for about 10 to 15 minutes as you prepare the rest of the ingredients. You can also let the beef marinate overnight.*Do prepare the beef first so that it can marinade while you prepare the rest of the ingredients! This way you can maximize your time.*
Prepare the sauce:
- In a bowl, add all the ingredients for the sauce (soy sauce, water, sugar, cornstarch, and sesame oil). Mix until no more cornstarch clumps are visible. Set aside until needed.*If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can add an extra teaspoon or two of cornstarch. If you prefer a thinner sauce, reduce the cornstarch by 1 to 2 teaspoons.
Make the beef and broccoli:
- While the beef is marinating, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the broccoli florets and boil them for 30 seconds to 3 minutes, depending on your preferred tenderness. The cook time will also depend on how big the broccoli florets are. Once cooked, drain the broccoli and set aside.*We usually boil our broccoli for about 1 minute because we like it more on the crisp side.*
- Option 1 (Pan-sear method):In a wok or sautรฉ pan over medium high heat, add enough oil to coat the bottom. Once the oil is hot, add the marinated beef and cook until the beef is just cooked. Cook in small batches if necessary and make sure to separate the beef so that each piece is evenly cooked. Remove from the wok/pan and set aside.
- Option 2 (Flash fry method):In wok or deep pan, heat about ยฝ inch to 1 inch of oil to 350ยฐF. Maintain the oil between 325ยฐF and 365ยฐF. Once the oil is hot, add an appropriate amount of beef and quickly stir to separate the beef. Let the beef cook for about 15 to 30 seconds, or until the beef is just cooked. Remove and set aside to drain until needed.*Flash fry in small batches if needed. Do not overcrowd the pan or the oil temperature will drop drastically.*
- Remove excess oil and keep about 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the minced garlic and ginger and sautรฉ until fragrant, about 15 seconds.*If using the flash fry method, set the oil aside to cool before handling and use new pan instead. If you feel comfortable handling hot oil, you can transfer the oil and use the same pan. Do be very careful!*
- Give the prepared stir fry sauce a good stir and add it to the sauteed garlic and ginger. Bring the sauce to a simmer while stirring frequently. Once the sauce has thickened and looks glossy, add the beef and the broccoli. Stir and toss everything together until the beef and the broccoli are well coated in sauce.
- Transfer the beef and broccoli onto a serving plate and garnish with sesame seeds if you wish. Enjoy it while it's hot!
Notes
- Flank steak - Our most preferred choice of beef for beef and broccoli is flank steak. But you could also use other cheap cuts like eye round, chuck roast, and skirt. Do note that these cuts will be dry if the beef is overcooked.
- Freeze the flank steak for easier cutting. If you have time, freeze the flank steak until semi frozen so that they're easier to cut. Afterwards, do thaw and drain any moisture or blood so the marinade doesn't become too wet and loose.
- Broccoli cook time - Feel free to adjust the broccoli florets' cook time depending on how tender you like the broccoli and how big the the florets are.
Lynn says
Delicious ๐ will be a regular meal for my family!
Mei says
Hi Lynn!
Thank you so much for trying out our beef and broccoli recipe! It's our family favorite as well!
Cook with love!
Mei โค๏ธ
Jennifer says
Delicious and so easy! A favorite in our home and a perfect way to eat your veggies. ๐
Mei says
Hi Jennifer!
So glad you guys enjoyed the Beef and Broccoli! Definitely a great way to incorporate veggies!
Mei โค๏ธ
Sandra L. Wells says
Thank you for the wonderful recipe and as importantly, techniques! I found the gorgeously glazed sauce entirely too strong with soy sauce, as I didnโt have anything but China Lily in the house, and I was eager to make it right then and there, is it possible that it is too heavy a soy sauce? Could you kindly make a recommendation?
Thank you again!!
Mei says
Hi Sandra!
Thank you for your kind words and so glad you found our recipe and post helpful! Unfortunately, we are not familiar with China Lily's soy sauce. However, if you find the soy sauce to be too salty or too strong in flavor (usually present in regular/traditional soy sauce), you can add some water to dilute the flavor. I would recommend trying 3 parts soy sauce to 1 part water and adjust the flavor from there. For example, one recipe of our beef and broccoli calls for 6 TBSP of soy sauce. So, mix 4.5 TBSP of your soy sauce with 1.5 tablespoons of water. I hope this makes sense ๐
Also, we usually use Kikkoman's low sodium soy sauce if you want to give it a try. The link is in the recipe card and the post.
Meiโค๏ธ
Ferdinia Rodriguez says
I donโt have Shaoxing cooking wine? Can I cook it without it?
Mei says
Hi Ferdinia!
If you don't have Shaoxing cooking wine, you can skip it. It's mostly to give it more flavor and gets rid of any unwanted beefy taste. If you have dry sherry, you can mix it half and half with some water as substitute as well =)
Meiโค๏ธ
Marisa V says
I used rice cooking wine instead and it turned out great! ๐
Mei says
Hi Marisa! So glad to hear that it turned out well and that you enjoyed it!
Mei โค๏ธ
Liz p says
Made this recipe today. So easy and tasty! Will def make this again. I used low sodium soy sauce, and it came out perfect. Thank
Mei says
Hi Liz!
Thank you for trying our recipe! So glad you guys enjoyed it! Low sodium soy sauce is our go-to as well!
Mei โค๏ธ
Jess Adams says
Made this recipe after finding your video on TikTok! Absolutely beautiful, will definitely be making this meal again. So simple and easy to make for a novice like me
Mei says
Thank you, Jess! So glad you enjoyed it and thank you for all the love and support!
Mei โค๏ธ
courtney says
this was so good omg!! i made it and it came out fire definitely a 10/10
Mei says
Hi Courtney!
So glad to hear that you enjoyed the beef and broccoli! Thank you for trying our recipe =)
Mei โค๏ธ
Marcella says
Wow flavor packed this recipe was outstanding in my home family loved it thank you so much, I didnโt have the rice wine so used rice vinager as a replacement . This recipie has my familyโs stamp of approval so will be a regular meal we all can enjoy and I have some picky kids and they loved it , Whew !! 10/10 for us
Mei says
So glad you found a suitable substitution and that your family enjoyed it, Marcella!
Mei โค๏ธ
Vanessa says
This recipe was absolutely delicious and has become my go-to for lunch meal prep. The beef was so tender! I used to think I couldnโt make anything taste better than takeout because I didnโt use MSG. I was clearly wrongโฆthis is WAY better (and healthier too). Thank you Mei and Kyong!
Mei says
Hi Vanessa!
Thank you for trying out our recipe and for dropping us such a sweet message! We're so happy to hear that you enjoyed the beef and broccoli =) we hope to make more recipes that you'll come to love!
Mei & Kyong โค๏ธ
jill says
I made this for dinner the other night, and I don't think I can ever order this as takeout again. This was INCREDIBLE and so flavorful !! We used ribeye, since that's what I had in the freezer. but the meal was to die for. I served it w/ spicy peanut noodles and steamed dumplings. I can't wait to make more of your recipes! thank you!!
Mei says
Hi Jill! Thank you for making our recipes! So glad to hear that you've enjoyed them =)
Mei โค๏ธ
Lisa says
I made this for my picky son and he said, "Wow, this looks like a 5 star restaurant made this" . He loved it and so did I. Thank you for the delicious recipe.
Mei says
Hi Lisa! Your son is so sweet โค๏ธ Thank you for trying out recipe and we're so happy to hear that you all enjoyed it!
Mei โค๏ธ
Azureblue5 says
Just made it and was so good!! Will be making it again!!
Mei says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Mei โค๏ธ
Charly Ann says
Hello Mei !
I just found your recipe and I'm going to try it. Beef & Broccoli is my favorite when I go to the restaurant. I don't have any fresh ginger, so may I use ground ginger and how much should I use? May I also use arrowroot powder in place of the cornstarch? And lastly, I don't have any rice cooking wine. Which do you think is a better substitute? the dry sherry, or rice vinegar? Thank you so much, and special thanks for your video and for sharing your recipe. It looks scrumptious !!!
Mei says
Hi Charly! Thanks for visiting and hope you find more recipes that you like! To answer your questions:
1) Fresh ginger is the best choice because the flavor is quite different compared to dry ginger powder. If you must you ginger powder, we recommend using about 1/4 to 1/3 tsp of ground ginger powder for every TBSP of fresh ginger.
2) Yes, you can use arrowroot powder in place of cornstarch and in the same fashion.
3) For cooking wine, dry sherry is the better substitute. Please don't use rice vinegar! We also recommend that you dilute the dry sherry with equal parts water.
Hope this helps!
Mei โค๏ธ
Charly says
Hello Mei!
I'm so happy you replied! I probably made it all wrong with the ground ginger and the rice vinegar, but unbelievably, it came out great...although not perfect, like yours ๐ I served it with Coconut Jasmine Rice. My son loved it and wants me to try it again, next time with the right ingredients. He asked me to make him some Mongolian BBQ, because they made some for him when he was in the Navy, and he loved it! I was wondering if you have more recipes somewhere else that I can try. Thank you so much and I can't wait to practice making the beef and broccoli again. I never used actual real ginger... I have no idea how to cut it up! ๐
Mei says
Hi Charly! We are so happy to hear that you both enjoyed it! The coconut jasmine rice sounds amazing! I'm sure it was a perfect side!
Also, apologies for the slow replay last time, but hope the tips will be more useful when you make beef and broccoli again =)
If you're looking for a Mongolian BBQ recipe, we do have a good Mongolian Beef recipe here. It's not actually Mongolian, but an American Chinese adaptation of the a Taiwanese beef stir-fry. I'd say it's pretty darn good, and the most important part is getting good caramelization on the beef after the sugar is added. Hope you give it a try and let us know if you have questions! Feel free to email us if needed.
As for cutting fresh ginger, you can simply peel the outer skin by scraping with a spoon (the least amount of waste) or trim it with a knife. Then cut the ginger into thin sliced, then thin strips, and finally into a fine dice/mince. This is the most common way to use it, especially in a sauce. Hope this helps!
Mei โค๏ธ
Shirley Childress Brown says
Hello,
Can you buy steak already sliced for this recipe?
Mei says
Hi Shirley! Yes, you can buy steak already sliced for this recipe. Please make sure the steak is cut into 1/4 inch slices. =)
Mei โค๏ธ
Michele says
I wanted to make your recipe tonight, but I cannot find the Shaoxing rice wine .. so I purchased KAME Rice Cooking Wine. Can I use it in recipe ??
Mei says
Hi Michele! We have not tried KAME rice cooking wine so I can't recommend it. But I read through their ingredients list and it seems pretty similar to shaoxing rice wine, so you can definitely give it a try. The Asian market is the best place to look for shaoxing rice wine.
Usually when we run out of shaoxing rice wine, we like to use dry sherry as a substitute. You can dilute dry sherry with equal amounts of water and it's pretty spot on. Otherwise, you can skip the shaoxing rice wine all together and use a little more water instead. The only setback is that the dish won't be as fragrant but the flavor will still be good. Hope this helps and hope you still enjoy the beef and broccoli!
Mei โค๏ธ
Miranda says
Thank you for including the nutritional information. My only question is what was the serving size? If it's in the post I apologize that I missed it. Is it in cups, grams, etc? I'm getting back to tracking my food and that would be super helpful. Also this recipe turned out SUPER tasty and will definitely be added into my regular rotation. Thank you!
Mei says
Hi Miranda! My apologies, you didn't miss it! The nutritional info is based on 1 serving of beef and broccoli (which is a quarter of the recipe and about 1.5 to 2 cups). Hope this helps and so glad to hear that you enjoyed it!
Mei โค๏ธ
Key says
So much love in your recipes, they are my go to when i'm tired of the usual. Thanks for sharing family recipes. Tonight I made Bang Bang shrimp,Mongolian beef and jasmine rice.I'm in heaven. Bang Bang was spicy and so good( I added a little too much siracha) lol. You guys are truly a gift from God, blessings to you and and all your future endeavors.
Mei says
Thank you so much for your kind words and for trying our recipes, Key! Your comment really made our day and we're so happy that you all enjoyed everything! =)
Mei โค๏ธ
Rinila says
I found this recipe on TikTok. It was quick, simple, and absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe with us ๐
Mei says
So glad you enjoyed it, Rinila!
Mei โค๏ธ
Marisa Velazquez says
I made this tonight and it is soooo delicious! I love that the beef turned out so tender just like in takeout restaurants. I substituted rice cooking wine and it worked well. Weโll definitely be adding this to our dinner rotation! Itโs also toddler approved!
Mei says
So glad you and your family enjoyed it! It's always a bonus and super rewarding when it's toddler approved!
Mei โค๏ธ
Peggy says
You made this recipe so easy with BIG flavor! I can't wait to make it again. The sauce was a bit thick when I stirred into the beef & brocolli so I added some hot water and the consistency was perfect along with exciting flavor. Can't wait to try more of your recipes. Whoohoo!
Mei says
Hi Peggy! So glad you enjoyed the beef and broccoli! Yes, if the sauce is too thick, feel free to add some water to it to thin it out. You can also use about 1-2 teaspoons less cornstarch =)
Excited for you to try our other recipes!
Mei โค๏ธ
Keli says
I made this last night and we really enjoyed it. Great flavor and easy recipe. Definately will make this again and again.
Mei says
So glad you enjoyed it, Keli!
Mei โค๏ธ
Jen says
Made this twice so far. The only sub was sake for the xaoxing cooking wine which I didn't have.
Delicious!! Thanks for the recipe!
Mei says
So glad you enjoyed it, Jen!
Mei โค๏ธ