Beef & Broccoli

A quintessential Chinese-American dish, beef and broccoli is a classic that graces the menu at almost every takeout spot across the country. In terms of popularity, it's right up there with orange chicken, and for very good reason: The combination of tender, seared beef and broccoli tossed in a garlicky, velvety sauce is practically impossible to resist. Ready to learn a few tricks to help you master this simple stir-fry? Read on for my top tips for getting perfect results every time.

How To Make Beef & Broccoli

INGREDIENTS

• Dry Sherry or Shaoxing Wine: You can use either one here—whichever one you have on hand or is easier to find.
• Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar will add a sweet, acidic taste to our marinade. I don’t recommend swapping it out for any other vinegar—the taste won’t be the same.
• Soy Sauce: Use low-sodium soy sauce so you can control the salt amount in the dish.
• Cornstarch: To make sure the meat is extra-tender, we employed a Chinese tenderizing technique called velveting: Cornstarch is added to the marinade that our steak sits in for around 20 minutes before cooking. Not only does adding cornstarch help tenderize the meat, but when added to our sauce, it also helps transform it into the velvety consistency we all know and love.
• Brown Sugar: To add some sweetness, I like to add some brown sugar to the marinade. If you prefer your sauce to be a bit sweeter, you can add a bit more brown sugar.
• Steak: Flank steak is the classic choice for beef and broccoli. It's marbled with fat, full of beefy flavor, and easy to cut into super-thin, tender slices. But flank isn't the only option. Skirt steak will give you a very similar result, and if you're watching your wallet, sirloin is another great choice. Just be sure to get a piece with a bit of a fat cap on it.
• Garlic & Ginger: This classic combo makes an appearance in countless of our recipes, and for good reason—they add heaps of flavor that we can build on.
• Scallions: When slicing your scallions, make sure to separate the white and green parts. We’ll cook down the white parts of the scallions with our garlic and ginger, and then finish the dish with the green.
• Broccoli: Of course, this dish wouldn’t be complete without, well, broccoli. I recommend chopping the broccoli into florets—along with chopping your other veggies and aromatics—before you start cooking so you don’t have any delay.
• Beef Broth: Just like with the soy sauce, use low-sodium beef broth to avoid your dish becoming overly salty.
• Oyster Sauce: If you’re not familiar with oyster sauce, then I promise you—it’s worth it to find this umami-bomb. A little bit goes a long way, adding so much umami (and a subtle sweetness) to the sauce.
• Sriracha: This is an optional addition, but if you want a bit of heat, a little bit of sriracha is just the thing to add.
  

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

First, we’re going to create our marinade by combining sherry, vinegar, salt, pepper, ⅓ cup of soy sauce, cornstarch, and brown sugar. Tip: I recommend mixing all of your marinade ingredients together and tasting before adding your salt, so you can adjust the salt levels as needed. Once it has reached perfection, add your sliced steak, and toss to fully combine before letting it sit for 20 minutes.

Now, we’re going to prep our other ingredients. Finely chop the garlic and ginger, then slice the scallions, separating the green and white parts. Combine the garlic, ginger, and white parts and reserve them in a small bowl, then set the green aside to use later. We’ll prep the broccoli now as well, chopping it into florets and transferring to another small bowl to use later.

Let’s focus on starting our sauce. I like to use a measuring cup to combine my sauce, but you can also use a bowl. Whisk together the broth, oyster sauce, sriracha (if you want some heat), the remaining soy sauce, cornstarch, and brown sugar. Once combined, arrange your ingredients so everything is ready to go for you: the beef, garlic mixture, broccoli, and sauce.

Then, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add vegetable oil. Add half of the beef to the pan and cook for 1 minute undisturbed, then you can stir and cook until fully cooked through. Don’t be worried if it starts to char in some spots, that’s what we want. Transfer to a plate, then repeat the process with your remaining beef, making sure to add more oil to the pan. You can discard the excess marinade at this point—we won’t need it anymore.

After cooking all of your beef and setting it aside, return the skillet to medium heat and add more oil. Add the garlic mixture and cook while stirring occasionally until fragrant—this should only take a couple of minutes max. Then, you can add the broccoli florets and cook until slightly softened. Then, add the stir-fry sauce you created, and cover the pan. Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes, then uncover before adding the beef to the skillet. Toss to fully coat and combine everything together. Cook, tossing the mixture frequently, until the beef is warmed through and the broccoli is slightly tender but still crisp.

Now, we can serve: If you’re serving with white rice (and I highly recommend you do), divide the white rice among the plates, and top with the stir-fry before sprinkling on the reserved green scallions and sesame seeds.

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• Should I cut the steak before or after cooking? Always cut the meat before cooking stir-fry! The goal is to cook everything quickly and evenly at a super-high temperature so large pieces of meat would burn on the outside before cooking through. Remember to slice the meat against the grain (perpendicular to the meat's muscle fibers)!
• Slice the meat against the grain. Slicing the meat thin against the grain means that a marinade will actually be able to provide some flavor after only 20 minutes instead of just sitting on the surface.
• Should I marinate the meat? Absolutely. A combo of soy sauce, dry sherry, vinegar, and brown sugar will provide the perfect balance of umami, acid, and just a hint of sweetness.
• How do I get a good sear on my meat? Get your skillet H-O-T. Like any stir-fry, the cooking process for beef and broccoli is hot and fast. Preheat your skillet for at least 2 minutes before adding the oil, and test the surface heat with a drop of water. The water should bead up and dance across the surface of the skillet before evaporating. Once you have a hot skillet, cook the beef in batches so that the pan isn't too crowded.
  

How To Serve Beef & Broccoli

This dish just begs to be piled next to steaming white rice, topped with toasted sesame seeds and scallions. If you're looking for side ideas, you can't go wrong with some pan-fried noodles, scallion pancakes, or smashed cucumber salad.

Beef & Broccoli Variations

• Beef & Broccoli Ramen: Upgrade your ramen packet (or bulk up this recipe) by adding beef and broccoli to noodles.
• Air Fryer Beef & Broccoli: I love to turn to my air fryer, and it doesn’t disappoint with our slightly shortcut version of this stir-fry.
• Slow-Cooker Beef & Broccoli: Need a hands-off version? Turn to your slow-cooker!

Storage

If you have any leftovers, store in an airtight container in the fridge for around 3 days.