Beef and Broccoli Recipe is easy and mouthwatering! This sizzling, restaurant-style broccoli beef stir fry features a luscious, savory-sweet sauce.
One restaurant all five of us and our various food allergies / issues can eat at is PF Chang’s. But, while the food is safe and delicious, it costs a small fortune, PLUS the nutritionals are ghastly — and who’s ever eaten just a small portion of their mouthwatering order?
NOT THIS GAL!
Hence why I took it upon myself to whip up this delectable, restaurant-style Beef and Broccoli recipe featuring sizzling beef and steamed broccoli surrounded by the most luscious, savory-sweet sauce. This broccoli beef recipe is a TOTAL UPGRADE!
What How to Make It
Beef and Broccoli Recipe
We love to support local restaurants whenever possible, though when you’re eating with a food allergy or Celiac Disease, a chain restaurant with food allergen protocols can bring peace of mind. For example, anytime you order a gluten free item at PF Chang’s, it’s brought out on a special plate so you, the kitchen, and server all know that the request has been communicated and received.
But like I said — the price, ouch. We recently sat down at the restaurant for lunch as a family, and the beef and broccoli I ordered was $19!
My Broccoli and Beef stir fry costs a fraction per serving, feeds an army, and is just as good as the restaurant’s. The sauce is the perfect balance of savory, tangy, and sweet, with a fresh garlic and ginger punch, and is much healthier than takeout.
I cannot wait for you to try this easy beef and broccoli!
Ingredients Needed
Pick up a flank steak and bag of broccoli, as the rest of the ingredients needed are kitchen staples — woo! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Flank steak: we LOVE flank steak and I always add one to my monthly ButcherBox order. Sliced thinly and against the grain, flank steak is extremely tender and the best cut of beef for broccoli beef. Skirt steak or hanger steaks are great swaps!
- Broccoli: a 12oz bag of broccoli is a convenient and simple way to add veggies to the dish.
- Tamari: gluten free Tamari gives the beef and broccoli stir fry sauce a savory, umami flavor. Feel free to use low sodium soy sauce if you don’t need to eat gluten free.
- Brown sugar: provides sweetness to balance out the savory sauce.
- Rice vinegar: adds a welcome tang to the sauce.
- Aromatics: both ginger paste and fresh garlic lend mouthwatering flavor to the sauce. I like Gourmet Garden ginger paste, though feel free to peel then grate your own fresh ginger. Heads up: Gourmet Garden garlic paste contains milk.
- Sesame oil: a drizzle in the sauce adds tasty toasted sesame flavor.
- Vegetable or canola oil: to stir fry the beef in. You only need 4 teaspoons of oil for the entire recipe!
- Cornstarch: coats the beef strips so they crisp up in the pan, and thickens the stir fry sauce.
- Cooked rice: to serve with the beef and broccoli — feel free to make white rice or brown rice.
5 Beef and Broccoli Dos and Don’ts
Here are 5 dos and don’ts to keep in mind when making this easy, quick-cooking stir fry:
- Do have all the ingredients prepped and ready to go before turning on the heat. You don’t want to be attempting to measure and mix up the stir fry sauce while trying to cook the beef, for example.
- Do slice the flank steak as thinly as possible against the grain to ensure it stir fries quickly and becomes melt-in-your-mouth-tender.
- Do let the beef strips sit and sear in the hot pan until the bottoms are browned. I don’t attempt to move them and start stir frying until the strips are ~80% of the way cooked through. Color = flavor!
- Don’t overcrowd the pan or the beef will steam instead of sear. Sear / stir fry the beef in as many batches as needed to ensure they don’t overlap and steam in the pan.
- Do serve the broccoli separately. One of my pet-peeves related specifically to broccoli in asian-inspired dishes is when it’s soggy and drowning in stir fry sauce. That said, I recommend you steam it separately then add to each person’s bowl vs in the pan with the beef and sauce.
Ok, who’s ready for a taste of this luscious and sizzling stir fry?!
How to Make Beef and Broccoli
Step 1: Slice the flank steak.
Start by slicing a flank steak in half lengthwise if it’s very wide, then thinly slice the steak against the grain at a slight angle. I like to slice as thin as possible — almost shaved, if you can achieve it!
Flank steak is a flat, wide cut of beef that has lots of flavor and a very obvious grain running vertically down the cut. Slicing a steak against the grain results in super tender cooked meet. If you slice it with the grain, it becomes chewy.
If you can’t find flank steak, skirt steak or hanger steak are great swaps.
Step 2: Marinate the flank steak.
Add the thinly sliced steak to a gallon-size Ziplock bag then add gluten free reduced sodium Tamari (or reduced sodium soy sauce if you don’t need to eat gluten free) cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Seal the bag then squish to evenly coat in the marinade and store in the refrigerator for up to an hour prior to cooking.
Step 3: Make the stir fry sauce.
To a small bowl or glass measuring cup add water and cornstarch then whisk to create a smooth cornstarch slurry. Add more water plus reduced sodium Tamari (or again, soy sauce if you don’t need to eat gluten free), brown sugar, rice vinegar, ginger paste, fresh garlic, and sesame oil then whisk to combine and set aside.
Craving some spice? Add a pinch or more of red pepper flakes!
Step 4: Steam the broccoli.
Time to turn on the heat! Add broccoli florets to a steamer basket over a couple inches of boiling water then steam until crisp-tender, 5-7 minutes, and set aside.
Step 5: Stir fry the beef.
Meanwhile, heat canola or vegetable oil in a large wok or 12″ pan over high heat. Add 1/3 of the marinated beef in a single layer then let it sear until the bottoms are crispy and brown. Use tongs to stir fry the beef until it’s just barely cooked through.
Transfer the crispy beef to a plate then repeat the searing and stir frying process with the remaining beef in two batches.
Step 6: Simmer the stir fry sauce.
Turn the heat down to medium then pour the stir fry sauce into the skillet and let it simmer and thicken for 1 minute.
Add all the crispy beef back into the pan then stir to combine and simmer for another minute or two, or until the beef is warmed through and the sauce is thick and bubbly.
Step 7: Combine and serve.
Scoop the beef and sauce over bowls of cooked white or brown rice then top with steamed broccoli and serve. Like I said, I prefer to not add the broccoli into the wok so it doesn’t get soggy and overcooked, though please feel free to do that if you like.
However you serve it, I hope you LOVE each and every drop of this restaurant-inspired Beef and Broccoli recipe — it’s good to the very last drop!!
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Description
Beef and Broccoli Recipe is easy and mouthwatering! This sizzling, restaurant-style broccoli beef stir fry features a luscious, savory-sweet sauce.
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons vegetable or canola oil, divided
- 12oz broccoli florets
- cooked rice, for serving
- For the beef:
- 1-1/2 — 1-3/4lbs flank steak, sliced very thin against the grain
- 2 Tablespoons gluten free reduced-sodium Tamari or soy sauce (dish will not be GF if using traditional soy sauce)
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- salt and pepper, to taste
- For the sauce:
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 2/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup gluten free reduced-sodium Tamari or soy sauce (dish will not be GF if using traditional soy sauce)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon ginger paste, I like Gourmet Garden
- 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Directions
- Prep the beef: add the thinly sliced flank steak to a gallon-size Ziplock bag then drizzle with the gluten free Tamari, sprinkle on the cornstarch, and season with salt and pepper. Seal the bag then squish to evenly coat the steak. Press out all the air then re-seal the bag and refrigerate for up to an hour while you prepare the rest of the dish.
- Prep the sauce: add the cornstarch and half the water to a small mixing bowl or glass measuring cup then whisk to combine. Add remaining ingredients then whisk to combine and set aside.
- Place a steamer basket inside a medium-size cooking pot over a couple inches of water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat then add the broccoli florets to the basket, place a lid on top, turn the heat down to low, and steam until the broccoli is tender, 5-7 minutes. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large wok or 12” skillet over high heat. Once hot, tilt the pan so the oil evenly coats the bottom then add 1/3 of the beef into an even layer in the bottom — avoid overcrowding the pan. Let the beef sit undisturbed until seared to a deep golden brown on the bottom (~80% of the way cooked through) then toss with tongs and stir fry until the beef is just barely cooked through. Remove to a plate then set aside.
- Heat another teaspoon oil in the pan then add another 1/3 of the beef into an even layer in the bottom. Repeat the searing + stir frying steps then remove the beef to the plate and set aside.
- Heat remaining teaspoon oil in the pan then sear + stir fry the remaining beef. If needed, split the beef in half to avoid overcrowding the pan on the last batch. Remove the beef to the plate then set aside.
- Remove the pan from the heat for a minute to cool slightly then turn the heat down to medium and place the pan back over the heat.
- Give the sauce another whisk to ensure the cornstarch has not settled into the bottom of the bowl then add to the pan. Stir with a spatula until the sauce has slightly thickened, about 1 minute, then add the seared beef and stir to combine. Continue to cook until the sauce has thickened, 1-2 more minutes then remove the pan from the heat.
- Scoop cooked rice into bowls then top with the beef and sauce. Add the steamed broccoli then serve.
Notes
- In order to prevent soggy, overcooked broccoli, I like to serve the steamed broccoli on top of the beef and sauce then have each person mix it all up in their own bowl before eating.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin
