Go Back
Print Recipe
4.94 from 15 votes

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

This beef and broccoli recipe is made with marinated beef slices beautifully balanced by the tender crunch of the broccoli and delicious Chinese brown stir fry sauce. It's a simple yet satisfying dish that's perfect for a family dinner or a casual get-together.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 4
Calories: 351kcal
Author: Joyce Lee

Ingredients

  • 1 lb steak (flank, rib eye, or any type of steak you like)
  • 3-4 cups broccoli
  • 3 slices ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
  • 2 stalks green onions
  • ¼ cup water (to steam broccoli)

Beef Marinade

  • 1½ tablespoons soy sauce
  • ½ tablespoon Shaoxing wine (optional, can sub for dry sherry as well)
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch (add after you finish marinating, before stir frying)
  • 1 tablespoon oil (add after you finish marinating, before stir frying)

Stir Fry Sauce

  • 2½ tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce (optional, for color)
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 cup water
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil (added after sauce is cooked)

Instructions

Preparation

  • Slice 3 slices ginger, and thinly slice 2 cloves garlic and set it aside for later.
    sliced ginger and garlic on a cutting board.
  • Finely mince 2 stalks green onions. Save the whites for stir-frying with the beef, and save the greens as the garnish at the end. Set them aside for later.
    Chopping green onions on a cutting board, separating whites and green.
  • Cut 3-4 cups broccoli florets. I like to cut them stem side up and rip them into 1-inch pieces. This method keeps the florets more intact and you lose less of it. Set them aside for later.
    steps on how I cut broccoli.

Prepare the Sauce

  • In a small bowl, first dissolve 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2½ tablespoons soy sauce and mix it until there are no lumps.
    Mixing soy sauce and cornstarch for Chinese brown sauce.
  • Next, add in 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce (optional), and 1 cup water. Stir well to dissolve the sugar, and set it aside.
    Chinese brown sauced all mixed in preparation.

Prepare the Beef

  • (Optional) You can put the steak into the freezer for 30 minutes to make it easier to slice. This will firm up the beef, and make it easier to slice thinly.
  • To make the beef tender, we want to slice it against the grain. I like to slice them about ⅛ inch thick.
    Showing how to cut beef against the grain.
  • Optional Baking Soda Step: I personally don't find you need to add baking soda to your beef if you slice the beef against the grain, but if you want restaurant quality beef that is incredibly soft, then mix ½ teaspoon of baking soda to the beef and let it sit for about 20 minutes. It's extremely important to rinse off the baking soda before you marinate the beef, because the baking soda will leave a funky smell and flavor to the beef. Gently squeeze out as much as the rinsing water as possible.

Marinate the Beef

  • Add 1½ tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, ½ tablespoon Shaoxing wine, 2 tablespoons water with the beef slices, and mix it well. (Do not add the cornstarch or oil yet; we will mix this with the beef after it has finished marinating, right before stir-frying.)
    I like to use my hands so it doesn't rip the delicate beef slices. Set it aside for 10-15 minutes to marinate.
    Beef marinating in metal bowl.

Steam the Broccoli

  • Set the stove to medium heat and wait for it to get hot. Once it is hot, add a bit of oil.
  • Add the broccoli to the skillet and stir-fry it for 1 minute. Then add ¼ cup of water, put a lid on it, and let it steam for 2 minutes. After it has steamed, do a taste test, if you like your broccoli softer, steam it for another 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove it from the pan and set it aside for later.
    Remove steamed broccoli out of the pan.

Stir Fry the Beef

  • Add 1 teaspoon cornstarch to the beef slices and mix well. Then coat the beef with 1 tablespoon oil and mix well.
  • Wipe off any residual water from the pan, and adjust the stove to high heat.
    Once the pan is hot, add a bit of oil and ginger slices and brown them for about 1-2 minutes, then add garlic slices and brown them for 30 seconds.
    toasting garlic in a frying pan.
  • Add more oil to the pan, don't be shy with the oil, it will help seal in the cornstarch and kickstart the velveting which gives the beef a more tender texture.
  • Add the beef and the whites of the green onions in a single layer and sauté for about 1-2 minutes or until it's about 80% done. Don't worry if you see a bit of pink you'll fully cook it in the sauce at the end.
    Remove it from the pan and set it aside with the broccoli. You can pick out the ginger now and discard it if you like, or eat around it later.
    plating beef after stir frying.

Thicken the Sauce & Stir Fry Everything Together

  • Stir the sauce in the bowl (cornstarch settles to the bottom). Then, pour the sauce into the pan and keep stirring it until it bubbles and thickens. The sauce should change color from a light brown, to a dark brown color. Add in ½ teaspoon sesame oil now and mix it into the sauce.
    thickening sauce in a frying pan.
  • Once the stir-fry sauce is thick, add the beef and broccoli back in, coat everything in the sauce, and stir-fry everything for about 1 minute.
    beef and broccoli finished cooking in a frying pan.
  • Plate the beef and broccoli and serve with steamed rice! Enjoy!
    chinese beef and broccoli on a grey plate with wooden chopsticks.

Notes

  • Cut the Broccoli Stem Side Up: To lose less florets, I like to cut my broccoli stem side up. Cut up to the florets, but not through them, then rip it the rest of the way.
  • Freeze the Beef Before You Slice It: To make it easier to cut thinner slices of beef, put the steak in the freezer for 30 minutes first. This will firm it up, and make it easier to slice it into thinner pieces.
  • Slice the Beef Against the Grain: It's important to slice your beef against the grain to ensure tenderness.
  • Optional Baking Soda Step: I personally don't find you need to add baking soda to your beef if you slice the beef against the grain, but if you want restaurant quality beef that is incredibly soft, then mix ½ teaspoon of baking soda to the beef and let it sit for about 20 minutes. It's extremely important to rinse off the baking soda before you marinate the beef, because the baking soda will leave a funky smell and flavor to the beef. Gently squeeze out as much of the rinsing water as possible.
  • Use a Large Skillet for Stir Frying: A large skillet or a wok is your best friend when making this dish. The high heat and large surface area allow for quick, even cooking of the beef and broccoli.
  • Don't Be Shy with the Oil: In Chinese restaurants, they velvet their cornstarch marinated beef by flash cooking it in hot water or a batch of hot oil for a few seconds before they stir fry it. This method seals the beef with the cornstarch and creates a slippery and velvety texture to the beef. To do this at home without the big batch of oil, we will liberally add oil before we stir fry the beef instead.
  • Don't Overcook the Beef: When you add the beef to the skillet, sauté it for just 1-2 minutes. Overcooking the beef can make it tough and chewy, so after we stir fry it, we will remove it from the frying pan when it is about 80% cooked, don't worry if you see a bit of blood, we will fully cook it in the sauce at the very end.
QR Code linking back to recipe