Beef Broccoli Recipe
This Beef and Broccoli recipe will include tender strips of steak stir-fried with crisp broccoli florets in a savory brown sauce. Quick and easy to prepare, it takes just 30-40 minutes and uses simple ingredients found in most grocery stores. Flavors from soy sauce, oyster sauce, and aromatic garlic and ginger come together to make this recipe a satisfying meal for weeknights. Serve it over rice or noodles for a complete and delicious dinner that can compete with your favorite Chinese restaurant dish!
Ingredients
- 1 pound flat iron steak, cut into ¼-inch thick strips (flank steak, skirt steak or hanger steak may be substituted, but won't be as tender)
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine) or dry sherry
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup oyster sauce
- ⅓ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon Asian/toasted sesame oil
- 4 scallions, whites finely sliced, greens cut into ½-inch segments on the diagonal, reserved separately
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger (see note)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 pound bite-size broccoli florets, from about 1½ pounds broccoli crowns
- ⅓ cup water
- Rice, for serving
Instructions
- Mix beef with 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry), toss to coat evenly. Leave to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for up to 1 hour.
- Let the beef marinate. Mix the remaining 3 tablespoons of soy sauce with the cornstarch, stirring to make sure the cornstarch is well dissolved. You can do this with a fork to make certain it's well dissolved. Add the last 3 tablespoons of Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry), oyster sauce, chicken broth, sugar, and sesame oil. Stir all together and set the mixture aside.
- Combine white part of the green onions, garlic and ginger in the second bowl and set aside to be used later.
- When ready to cook, heat 1 tablespoon oil in large sauté pan or wok. Add to high heat until it starts smoking. Add the broccoli and continue stir-fry about 30 seconds then add the water. Cover the pan with a lid or push foil down against the pan sides to seal in, and reduce heat to medium. Steam the broccoli until it reaches just tender but crispy, about 2 minutes. Transfer the broccoli to a paper towel lined plate.
- Pat excess moisture from pan. Turn heat up and add other tablespoon of oil. When oil gets hot and smokes,. Add half of the beef to the pan in one layer. Cook without stirring for about 1 1/2 minutes, or until the beef is nicely browned. Stir and cook for an additional 30 seconds, or just until the beef is lightly cooked but still has some pink left. Transfer it to a plate.
- Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and heat until smoking again. Add the remaining beef to the pan, and let it be undisturbed for 1 ½ minutes. Then add in the mixture of scallion whites, garlic and ginger, constantly stirring it with the beef for approximately 30 seconds.
- Return the braised beef and steamed broccoli to the pan with the prepared sauce and green parts of the scallions. Bring to a boil, cooking and tossing constantly until just slightly thickened, about 45 seconds. Transfer everything to a serving platter and serve with rice.
Notes
Chopping Beef: Slice the beef to get its tenderness against the grain into thin strips. It will, therefore, be much more enjoyable by chewing.
Marinating Time: Marinating the beef for marinating the beef indeed makes it tender and flavorful. If you have a bit of time, let it marinate from as long as 2 hours in the fridge.
Cooking Method: Stir-frying ingredients in a wok or large sauté pan will cook them evenly. You are going to need high heat because stir-frying is all about that characteristic flavor and crunch.
Cooking Tips for Broccoli: Don't overcook your broccoli; it should look tender but crisp, retaining its color and nutrients. Steaming before stir-frying does the job.
Leftover storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in a pan or microwave safely over low heat so that the beef does not dry up.
Serve with: This dish is great as it looks perfect with plain steamed rice, fried rice, or noodles. You can also sprinkle the sesame seeds and chopped scallions on the top of the sauce for garnish and added flavour.
Feel free to add other vegetables such as bell peppers, snap peas, or carrots for added flavor and nutrition.
Modifications of sauce: if the sauce gets too dry while cooking, you can add a little chicken broth to make it runny. For spicier sauce, use crushed red pepper flakes or one chili paste.
Gluten-Free Option: Replace tamari or gluten-free soy sauce to make the dish gluten-free, and ensure that the oyster sauce used is gluten-free.