Beef and Broccoli

Name: Beef and Broccoli Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce ((or a gluten-free alternative)); 1 tablespoon honey; 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 10 oz small broccoli florets; 2 tablespoons avocado oil; 1 small onion (sliced ); 1 tablespoon fresh garlic (minced); 1 tablespoon fresh ginger root (minced); 1 lb. top sirloin (cut into strips); 1 tablespoon sesame oil; 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

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This easy beef and broccoli recipe is wonderfully flavorful. It's a complete meal, especially if you serve it over cauliflower rice.

This recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner since it's easy to make and ready in 30 minutes!

Beef and broccoli served in a white bowl with chopsticks.

This beef and broccoli recipe is so flavorful. 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 and start cooking, the dish is ready in a matter of minutes.

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Ingredients
What Beef To Use
Variations
Beef and Broccoli Instructions
Expert Tip
Recipe FAQs
Serving Suggestions
Storing Leftovers
More Stir-Fry Recipes
Recipe Card

Ingredients

Here's an overview of the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below.

Soy sauce: I use reduced-sodium soy sauce in most of my recipes. I find that traditional soy sauce is too salty. You can also use a gluten-free alternative.
Honey: Just one tablespoon. Its sweetness balances out the saltiness and tang of the soy sauce.
Cornstarch: Used to help thicken the 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.
Neutral cooking oil: My favorite is avocado oil. It has a neutral taste and a high smoke point.
Aromatics: Onion, minced fresh garlic, and grated fresh ginger root.
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.
For garnish: Sesame oil and sesame seeds. It's OK to skip the sesame seeds - I use them primarily for garnish. But please don't skip the sesame oil. It adds a wonderful layer of flavor.

The ingredients needed to make beef and broccoli.

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.
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.

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.

Beef and Broccoli Instructions

Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:

Whisk the sauce ingredients (soy sauce, honey, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes); 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, ginger, and beef strips in avocado oil. (Photos 1-2).
Add the sauce and keep cooking until it thickens. (Photo 3).
Stir in the broccoli. (Photo 4).
Drizzle the stir-fry with sesame oil, sprinkle it with sesame seeds, and serve. (Photos 5-6).

A six-photo collage showing the steps for making beef and broccoli.

Expert Tip

When you first add the beef strips to the pan, saute them briefly. Two minutes is usually enough. Your goal is simply 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.

Recipe FAQs

What is beef and broccoli sauce made of?

The main ingredients are soy sauce, a sweetener, hot sauce or red pepper flakes, and cornstarch for thickening. Some recipes also call for garlic. I like to add ginger because I enjoy its flavor.

What type of beef should I use?

I like to use top sirloin, cut into strips. When you quickly cook top sirloin, it shouldn't become too tough.

But if you want your beef to be very tender, either marinate it for a few hours in a marinade that contains rice vinegar or splurge and use beef tenderloin.

Can you suggest a low-carb version of this recipe?

Yes. 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.

Can I use frozen broccoli?

You could, but fresh broccoli will give you better results. Frozen broccoli sometimes becomes a bit mushy.

Serving Suggestions

You can serve this flavorful dish on its own or spoon it on top of cauliflower rice, shirataki noodles, spaghetti squash, or zucchini noodles.

If you don't mind the carbs, steamed white rice or brown rice would be the perfect bed for this saucy dish.

Storing Leftovers

The leftovers keep well in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Gently reheat them in the microwave at 50% power. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to three months.