Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
Tender sliced beef and crisp broccoli in a glossy, savory brown sauce. This classic Chinese-American stir fry is ready in 20 minutes and beats any takeout version.
Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 11 lb flank steak or sirloin — thinly sliced against the grain
- 21 tsp baking soda — for tenderizing
- 34 cups broccoli florets
- 44 cloves garlic — minced
- 51 tsp fresh ginger — grated
- 63 tbsp soy sauce
- 72 tbsp oyster sauce
- 81 tbsp brown sugar
- 91 tsp sesame oil
- 101 tbsp cornstarch
- 111/2 cup beef broth or water
- 122 tbsp vegetable oil
Introduction
Beef and broccoli is one of the most popular Chinese-American dishes for a reason: the combination of savory, slightly sweet brown sauce, tender beef, and crisp broccoli is deeply satisfying. And yet, most homemade versions fall flat — the beef is chewy, the broccoli is either raw or mush, and the sauce is thin and flavorless.
This recipe fixes all of that. The beef is velveted (a restaurant technique using baking soda that makes any cut meltingly tender). The broccoli is blanched just enough to turn bright green and tender-crisp. And the sauce — a balance of oyster sauce, soy, garlic, ginger, and sesame — is thick, glossy, and deeply umami.
I've made this recipe dozens of times, tweaking the sauce ratios and beef preparation until it matches what you'd get from a good Cantonese restaurant. The result is a 20-minute weeknight dinner that reliably impresses everyone who eats it.
Why This Recipe Works
Baking soda velveting tenderizes any cut. This is the technique that makes restaurant stir fry beef impossibly tender. Baking soda weakens the protein bonds, allowing cheaper cuts to cook like expensive ones.
High heat creates wok hei. The slight charred, smoky flavor from a screaming hot wok or pan is called "wok hei" (breath of the wok). Use your highest heat setting.
Blanching broccoli first ensures perfect texture. Stir-frying broccoli from raw requires so long that by the time it's cooked, the beef is overcooked. Blanching for 90 seconds first means 2 minutes in the stir fry gives perfect texture.
Cornstarch thickens the sauce. The starch granules swell and create a glossy, clingy sauce rather than a watery one. This is how restaurant brown sauce gets that luxurious coat.
Ingredients Breakdown
Flank Steak — Lean, flavorful, and becomes very tender when sliced thin against the grain. The grain runs lengthwise — cut perpendicular to it.
Oyster Sauce — The backbone of the sauce. Thick, slightly sweet, deeply savory. Lee Kum Kee Premium is the standard.
Sesame Oil — Add at the end only — heat destroys the delicate nutty aroma.
Cornstarch — Mixed with broth to create the sauce slurry that thickens everything.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Velvet the beef. Slice beef thin against the grain. Toss with baking soda and let sit 15 minutes. Rinse very well under cold water. Pat dry.
Step 2: Blanch broccoli. Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add broccoli for 90 seconds. Drain and immediately run under cold water to stop cooking. Pat dry.
Step 3: Make sauce. Whisk soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, cornstarch, and beef broth until smooth. Set aside.
Step 4: Sear beef. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or large skillet over highest heat until smoking. Add beef in a single layer. Cook 1-2 minutes until browned. Remove to a bowl.
Step 5: Cook aromatics. Add remaining oil. Stir fry garlic and ginger for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Step 6: Add broccoli and sauce. Add broccoli, stir fry 1 minute. Add beef back. Pour sauce over everything. Stir constantly for 1-2 minutes until sauce thickens and coats everything.
Step 7: Serve. Over steamed rice. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.
Pro Tips
Freeze beef 20 minutes before slicing. Partially frozen beef is much easier to slice paper thin. Thin slices cook fast and stay tender.
Don't overcrowd. If the pan steams, remove half the beef and cook in batches.
Have everything ready before you start. Stir fry moves fast. No time to mince garlic while the beef is burning.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Not rinsing the baking soda. Unrinsed baking soda leaves a soapy aftertaste. Rinse thoroughly.
Low heat. The Maillard reaction only happens above 300°F. If you can't get your pan smoking hot, sear in smaller batches.
Overcooking the beef. Thin slices cook in under 2 minutes. Once brown, remove immediately.
Variations
With Bell Peppers: Add sliced red and yellow bell peppers with the broccoli.
Spicy Version: Add 1-2 tsp chili paste (sambal oelek) to the sauce.
Chicken Broccoli: Replace beef with thinly sliced chicken breast. Skip the baking soda tenderizing.
Tofu Broccoli: Use extra-firm tofu, pressed and cubed, for a vegetarian version.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: 3 days in an airtight container.
Reheating: Skillet over medium heat with a splash of water. Microwave works but the beef loses texture.
Nutrition Information
Per serving over rice (rice not included in calculation).
| Nutrient | Per Serving |
|---|---|
| Calories | 380 kcal |
| Protein | 34g |
| Carbohydrates | 18g |
| Fat | 18g |
| Fiber | 3g |
| Sodium | 820mg |
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Recipes
Nutrition Information
Per serving. Estimates only.
380kcal
Calories
34g
Protein
18g
Carbs
18g
Fat
3g
Fiber
6g
Sugar
820mg
Sodium
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get tender beef in stir fry?
The secret is velveting: toss sliced beef with baking soda, let it sit 15-20 minutes, then rinse well. The baking soda raises the pH of the surface, preventing proteins from tightening during cooking. The result is restaurant-tender beef.
What cut of beef is best for stir fry?
Flank steak is the classic choice — it has good flavor and becomes very tender when sliced thin against the grain. Sirloin, skirt steak, or even a well-trimmed chuck steak all work. Always slice against the grain.
Can I make this without oyster sauce?
Yes. Use 1 tablespoon of hoisin sauce + 1 tablespoon of soy sauce as a substitute. Or use 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and add a little more brown sugar to compensate.
How do I prevent the beef from steaming instead of searing?
Two things: 1) Pat the beef dry before cooking. 2) Cook in a very hot pan without crowding. Crowding drops the temperature and creates steam. Cook beef in 2-3 batches if needed.
Can I add other vegetables?
Absolutely. Bell peppers, snap peas, carrots, mushrooms, and bok choy all work beautifully. Add harder vegetables earlier, softer ones later.
Is this recipe gluten-free?
Use tamari instead of soy sauce, and make sure your oyster sauce is gluten-free (San-J makes a good one). The rest of the ingredients are naturally gluten-free.
