This Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry is an easy weeknight meal that’s better than take-out! Tender beef & broccoli in a deliciously simple sauce!
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Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
If you’re ever tempted to pick up take-out on the way home from work after a busy day, you’re not alone. Sometimes cooking dinner day in and day out can be such a daunting task, especially when you have a family to feed! This Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry recipe is a simple meal that’s bursting with Asian-inspired flavour. It’s better than take-out and your family’s going to love it!
More Easy Weeknight Meals
We have shared SO many weeknight meal ideas for busy families here on The Busy Baker, and so many of them get rave reviews from YOU, our lovely readers. These Korean Beef Rice Bowls are SO popular with our readers, this Easy One Pan Lentil Daal Curry is another beloved recipe, and this Easy Pork Chop Sheet Pan Dinner has saved so many weeknights!
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Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry Meal Prep Tips
We love finding ways to make the dinner hour as easy as possible. One way to make this Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry even easier is to make some or all of the components of the recipe ahead of time. Slice and freeze the beef in the marinade. Whisk together the sauce ingredients and place in the fridge in an airtight container until ready to use.
Or, for even greater ease, double the recipe and freeze half in an airtight container for a future meal. Defrost in the fridge for 24 hours (take it out of the freezer the night before), re-heat in a pan on the stove and serve over rice made fresh, or even minute rice!
Kitchen items you’ll need for this recipe
We suggest using these items to make this Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry recipe (affiliate links):
- a large non-stick heavy bottom frying pan
- a microplane zester for grating ginger
- a garlic press
- a sharp chef’s knife
- a sturdy cutting board
- a wooden spatula or other similar utensil
- liquid measuring cups and measuring spoons
- small and medium prep bowls
- a small whisk
Ingredients for Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
- flank steak or sirloin steak
- broccoli florets
- soy sauce
- rice wine vinegar
- sesame seed oil
- Sriracha optional
- Hoisin Sauce
- grated ginger
- garlic
- sesame oil
- beef stock
- brown sugar
- cornstarch
How to Make Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
Time needed: 50 minutes
Follow these steps for the BEST Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry!
- Choose the right beef.
The best beef for a stir fry is a tender cut, like flank steak or sirloin. Rib eye or tenderloin also work well, but flank steak or sirloin are the best and most economic choices. Avoid cuts like eye of round when stir frying.
- Freeze for 25-30 minutes for easy slicing.
Pop your steak in the freezer for 25 – 30 minutes to make it easier to slice. When you slice the steak start with trimming the extra fat and then slice against the grain to break down the connective tissue fibres. This will give you very tender slices of meat (cutting it with the grain will make the steak chewy and tough). Use a sharp knife and slice at a 45 degree angle into ⅛ inch-thick slices.
- Prep the marinade and sauce.
Mix the marinade ingredients and the sauce ingredients in separate prep bowls. They call for similar ingredients, so it makes sense (and saves time) to prepare them at the same time.
- Cook the beef, then the broccoli.
Fry the beef first remove it from the pan, and then fry the broccoli. This will ensure everything cooks evenly and either the meat or the veggies aren’t over or under done.
- Cook the sauce.
Thicken the sauce in the pan, then add the beef and broccoli back into the pan and toss them in the sauce.
- Serve over rice.
Serve the stir fry over your favourite rice. We love to enjoy this beef and broccoli stir fry with basmati or jasmine rice, but you could choose brown rice for a more nutritious option.
Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
Yes! You can marinate the beef the night before and store it in the fridge until ready to cook. You can also prepare the sauce ahead of time and store it in the fridge until ready to cook. Chop the broccoli ahead of time too, or simply make the whole recipe as directed ahead of time, portion into fridge or freezer safe containers, and store until ready to serve (up to 3 days in the fridge and up to 2 months in the freezer).
Can I skip the marinade step?
We don’t recommend it, although if you’re pressed for time you can skip the marinade and simply cook the beef in the olive and sesame oil, remove it to a plate, and continue following the recipe as directed.
Can I use frozen broccoli in this recipe?
We recommend using fresh broccoli in this recipe as frozen broccoli has a tendency to fall apart quickly when cooked. It’s possible to use frozen broccoli, although we recommend thawing it overnight in the fridge before using in this recipe (be sure to drain off any excess liquid first).
Is beef and broccoli stir fry gluten free?
Yes! Use gluten-free cornstarch and serve over rice for a delicious gluten-free meal.
We hope you love this easy meal recipe as much as we do! Let us know in the comments below, what’s your favourite easy meal for busy weekdays? We’d love to know!
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Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
Recipe: Equipment
Recipe: Ingredients
- 1 pound steak flank steak or sirloin steak work best
- 1 large head of broccoli 4.5-5 cups florets, fresh (not frozen)
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil divided
- 2 tablespoon olive oil divided
For the marinade:
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha optional
- 2 teaspoons Hoisin Sauce
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- 2 teaspoons garlic grated/pressed
For the sauce:
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 3/4 cup beef stock
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoons Sriracha optional
- 1 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoons corn starch
To serve:
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
- 4 cups cooked basmati or jasmine rice or the rice of your choice
- sliced green onions for garnish optional
Recipe: Instructions
- Slice your steak into 1/6-1/8 inch slices, against the grain, on a bias (see the recipe notes below for a trick to create the best thin slices).
- Grate the ginger and garlic, and mix them together with all the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the slices of beef. Marinate in the fridge for about 20 minutes (OR leave in the fridge overnight for even more flavour).
- Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil. When the oil is hot, add in the beef so the bottom of the pan is covered but not overcrowded. You may have to cook the beef slices in 2 batches.
- Flip the beef slices once they start to brown and caramelize – this should take only a minute or two since the slices are thin.
- When the beef is browned on both sides, remove it to a plate repeat with the remaining beef slices.
- Once all the beef is cooked, wipe the wok with a kitchen paper towel.
- Measure out the rice vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar and sriracha(if using), mix them and set aside. Mix the water and cornstarch in a separate small bowl to create a slurry to thicken the sauce.
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil to the skillet or wok. Add the garlic and ginger and fry until fragrant.
- Add the broccoli florets to the skillet and sauté for just a few moments.
- Add the beef stock and let it bubble under a lid until the broccoli becomes vivd green. Remove the broccoli to the plate with the beef.
- Add the sauce ingredients to the pan and mix them well, until the brown sugar dissolves. Add in the cornstarch mixture and cook until the sauce becomes transparent and thickens.
- Add the beef and broccoli (with the juices on the plate) back in and toss everything together with the sesame seeds.
- Serve over rice.
Recipe: Notes
- For this beef and broccoli recipe you can use flank steak or sirloin steak.
- Pop your steak in the freezer for 25 – 30 minutes before you start cooking to make it easier to slice. When you slice the steak start with trimming the extra fat and then slice AGAINST the grain to break down the connective tissue fibres which gives you very tender slices of meat (cutting it with the grain will make the steak chewy and tough). Use a sharp knife and angle it at a 45 degree angle to cut the beef into ⅛ inch thick slices.
- Even cheaper cuts of beef, like flank steak, when properly sliced and well marinated can turn into delicious restaurant quality dishes when cooked quickly, (stir fry) Chinese takeout style.
- The nutrition information for this recipe includes 1 cup of cooked rice for each serving of the stir fry.
Recipe: Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.