This Easy Beef and Broccoli in a mouthwatering savory sauce is a delicious dinner prepared in less than 30 minutes. It’s so much better than takeout and is easily customizable to your personal taste.
This is one of my favorite 30-minute meals to make when I’m craving Chinese food. It’s delicious, budget-friendly, and easy to prepare on a busy weeknight. What’s not to love?! Serve it with cooked rice and egg drop soup for a satisfying dinner everyone will rave about.
More 30-minute meals using beef are my delicious beef and broccoli lo mein, Chinese pepper steak, and sheet pan steak fajitas.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Beef – My choice of beef in this recipe is flank steak. It has bold flavor, is tender, and absorbs the stir-fry sauce well because of its texture.
- Broccoli – A head of fresh broccoli that has been cut into florets.
- Garlic
- Brown sugar
- Sriracha – A hot sauce that has a sweet and tangy flavor with a moderate to high level of heat, depending on the brand.
- Soy sauce – I always use low sodium so that I can have more control of the saltiness.
- Crushed red pepper
- Ground ginger
- Sesame oil – Peanut oil, canola oil, avocado oil, olive oil, or vegetable oil can be substituted for sesame oil, but I highly recommend using sesame oil due to its rich, nutty flavor.
- Cornstarch – For thickening the sauce.
- Salt and black pepper – For seasoning the beef strips. I use salt very sparingly when seasoning the strips because of the saltiness of the soy sauce.
- Sesame seeds – Optional garnish
How to Prepare
- Make the sauce. Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Season the beef. Sprinkle desired amounts of salt and pepper on the beef strips.
- Sauté the beef. Cook the beef until cooked and no longer pink. Transfer the beef to a plate.
- Sauté the broccoli.
- Return the beef to the pan with the broccoli and stir in the sauce mixture. Cook until sauce has thickened (2 to 3 minutes).
Common Questions
Flank steak is generally considered the best steak for stir-fry because it has a tender texture, bold flavor, and is relatively lean compared to other cuts of beef.
Skirt steak is similar to flank steak in texture and flavor. Other substitutions for flank steak include flat iron steak, sirloin, and hanger steak.
Soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, cornstarch, garlic, ginger, crushed red pepper, and sriracha.
When stored properly in an airtight container, beef and broccoli is good for up to 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Beef and broccoli can be reheated gently in a skillet on the stovetop (stirring occasionally) or in the microwave. If microwaving, place in a microwave-safe bowl, cover loosely with a damp paper towel and heat for 1 to 2 minutes.
Recipe Variations
- Add more heat by increasing the crushed red pepper and/or sriracha.
- If you’re a lover of mushrooms, sauté sliced fresh mushrooms along with the broccoli.
- Adjust the sauce to your personal taste by adding more (or less) garlic, brown sugar, or ginger.
Helpful Tips
- Place your beef in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes before slicing. This firms up the meat and makes it easier to slice thinly.
- Slice the beef across the grain. By cutting perpendicular to the direction of the muscle fibers in the meat, it makes the fibers shorter, resulting in a more tender texture.
- Have all of your ingredients measured and ready to go before cooking. This recipe moves quickly.
Enjoy!
Easy Beef and Broccoli
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- ½ cup soy sauce low sodium
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
For the beef mixture:
- 1 pound flank steak sliced across the grain into thin strips, about 2 to 3 inches long
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 head broccoli cut into florets
- ½ teaspoon sesame seeds optional garnish
Instructions
- Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, cornstarch, garlic, ginger, crushed red pepper, and sriracha in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Season beef strips with salt and pepper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of sesame oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium high heat. Add beef strips and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until done and no longer pink.
- Remove steak from skillet using tongs or a slotted spoon (leaving juices in skillet) and place on a plate. Set aside.
- Add broccoli to the same skillet and sauté until tender (stirring frequently), about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Return the beef to the skillet with the broccoli. Whisk the sauce mixture again a few times and pour it into the skillet. Stir to coat as evenly as possible.
- Cook, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened (about 2 to 3 minutes).
- Serve with cooked white rice and sprinkle with sesame seeds when serving (if desired).
Notes
- Nutrition info does not include rice.
Nutrition
If provided, nutritional info is a courtesy, is not guaranteed and should only be considered as a guideline.
Simply delicious! So much better than takeout, plus it’s so easy to make!
My question is our store is out of sesame oil. What other oil can I use? Can I use canola oil?
Thank you.
Sharon norris
Hi Shannon, I personally haven’t tried it, but you should be able to substitute with canola oil. Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
I used the ingredients for sauce and it was perfect! I sauted the onions and Mushrooms it was delicious! I used the same skillet that I seared the steak for flavor Thanks for posting.
Hey Tiwanda, thanks so much… that is awesome! So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂