This easy weeknight recipe for beef and broccoli is packed with flavor. It's a complete meal, especially if you serve it over rice or cauliflower rice.
Beef and broccoli is a wonderfully flavorful Chinese-style stir-fry that you can put on the table in 30 minutes! Flavored with onion, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce, it's one of my favorite stir-fry recipes. Like most stir-fries, such as Korean beef, pork stir-fry, or shrimp stir-fry, once you're done prepping the ingredients, the dish is ready in a matter of minutes.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on the ingredients.
- Soy sauce: Or a gluten-free alternative.
- Honey: Just one tablespoon. Its sweetness balances out the saltiness and tang of the soy sauce.
- Red pepper flakes: They don't make the dish overly spicy. They just add an interesting layer of flavor.
- Small broccoli florets: Fresh broccoli is best in texture and flavor. But in a pinch, you can use frozen broccoli.
- Beef strips: I make it as easy as possible by using pre-sliced beef strips, similar to the ones I use when making beef stroganoff and steak stir-fry.
- For garnish: Sesame oil and sesame seeds. It's OK to skip the sesame seeds - I use them mostly for garnish. But please don't skip the sesame oil. It adds a wonderful layer of flavor.
Variations
- Use different vegetables. When I don't have broccoli on hand, I sometimes use green beans, cauliflower, or bell pepper strips. If using cauliflower, microwave it the same way you microwave the broccoli. Green beans and peppers can be quickly stir-fried.
- To make it spicy, use a full teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
- Garnish the dish with chopped scallions. It's not just pretty - it also adds flavor.
What Beef To Use?
You have a few options when it comes to the beef you use in this recipe:
- Buy a top sirloin steak and cut it into strips using a sharp chef's knife.
- For super tender beef, splurge and use beef tenderloin (I rarely do! It's so expensive).
- Buy a tray of beef for stir-fry at the grocery store. I usually opt for this convenient option.
- Use beef strips from Wild Fork Foods and thaw them before using them in this recipe. These strips come from a top-round roast. They are tender and flavorful, although they release quite a bit of water into the pan, which I drain before adding the sauce.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Whisk the sauce ingredients and set the sauce aside. Microwave the broccoli with a bit of water until tender-crisp. Make sure you don't overcook it. Saute the onion, garlic, and ginger. Add the beef strips and cook them briefly.
Add the sauce and keep cooking until it thickens, then stir in the broccoli.
Drizzle the stir-fry with sesame oil, sprinkle it with sesame seeds, and serve.
I make this weekly and serve it over your cauliflower rice. So, so good. And easy!!! Thank you, Vered.
Bella
Read more comments
I make this weekly and serve it over your cauliflower rice. So, so good. And easy!!! Thank you, Vered.Recipe Tips
- When you first add the beef strips to the pan, sauté them briefly. Two minutes is usually enough. Your goal is to cook them so they're no longer raw. You don't want them well done at this point. They will continue cooking after you add the sauce.
- When you quickly cook top sirloin, it shouldn't become tough. But if you want your beef to be very tender, marinate it for two hours in a marinade that contains 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. The vinegar will tenderize the beef by breaking the meat fibers.
- Storage: You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them covered in the microwave at 50% power. You can also freeze the cooled leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to three months.
Serving Suggestions
If you don't mind the carbs, steamed white or brown rice would be the perfect bed for this saucy dish. For lower-carb options, here are a few ideas:
Recipe Card
Saucy Beef and Broccoli
Video
Ingredients
Sauce:
- ⅓ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce - or a gluten-free alternative
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Stir-Fry:
- 10 ounces broccoli - small florets
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 small onion - sliced
- 1 tablespoon garlic - minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger root - minced
- 1 pound top sirloin - cut into strips
To finish the dish:
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the reduced-sodium soy sauce, honey, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
- Microwave the broccoli florets: Place them in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and microwave on high for about 3 minutes. They should still be crisp at this point. Drain into a colander and set aside.
- In a large, deep skillet or wok, heat the avocado oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
- Add the beef strips to the skillet. Stir-fry them for 2-3 minutes, just until the beef is no longer raw. It should still be pink at this point. If there's a lot of liquid in the skillet, drain it before adding the sauce.
- Whisk the soy sauce mixture one more time and add it to the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium and stir-fry until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Turn the heat off and stir in the broccoli.
- Transfer the stir-fry to a serving dish. Drizzle it with sesame oil and sprinkle it with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Notes
- When you first add the beef strips to the pan, sauté them briefly. Two minutes is usually enough. Your goal is simply to cook them so that they're no longer raw. You don't want them well done at this point. They will continue cooking after you add the sauce.
- When you quickly cook top sirloin, it shouldn't become tough. But if you want your beef to be very tender, marinate it for two hours in a marinade that contains 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. The vinegar will tenderize the beef by breaking the meat fibers.
- To lower the carb count, use a sugar-free sweetener and replace the cornstarch with a low-carb thickener such as konjac (follow the conversion suggested by the manufacturer). With these modifications, each serving should have approximately 296 calories, 9 grams of carbs, and 3 grams of fiber.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them covered in the microwave at 50% power. You can also freeze the cooled leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to three months.
Nutrition per Serving
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Disclaimers
Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Bella says
I make this weekly and serve it over your cauliflower rice. So, so good. And easy!!! Thank you, Vered.
Vered DeLeeuw says
You're very welcome, Bella!