Beef and broccoli is a quick and easy dinner 30 minute dinner. Everything can be made in one skillet so it's perfect for busy weeknights. This beef and broccoli stir fry is a family favorite.
Be sure to try my mongolian beef recipe next!
Beef and Broccoli
In less than 30 minutes, you'll have this easy beef and broccoli recipe on the dinner table!
Everything is cooked in one pan, but in three different stages. First, thin strips of steak are tossed with cornstarch and seared quickly in a frying pan. Next, the broccoli is slightly steamed and cooked with a bit of water in the pan.
After that, sweet and tangy sauce is mixed together and added to the pan along with the broccoli and steak. The result is an easy meal that's full of flavor!
You can eat the beef and broccoli on its own, or serve it with a side of rice, pasta or mashed potatoes. I recommend prepping the side dish first before you get started.
Recipe Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp canola oil - or vegetable oil
- 1 ½ lbs flank steak - sliced ¼ inch thick against the grain
- ½ cup cornstarch - or all-purpose flour
- 32 oz broccoli florets - cut into small bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup water for steaming broccoli - more if needed
Sauce Ingredients:
- ½ cup soy sauce - or tamari sauce
- ½ cup beef broth
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch + 2 Tbsp water
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp onion powder
How To Make Beef and Broccoli
Follow the steps below or see the full ingredients and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post.
PREP SIDE DISH: First, you might want to serve this with a side of rice, pasta or even mashed potatoes. If you do, then prepping this beforehand will make things easier.
PREP STEAK PIECES: Cut the 1 ½ lbs of flank steak against the grain into thin pieces, about ¼ inch thick. Trim any fat.
CORNSTARCH: Add the steak to a large bowl along with ½ cup cornstarch. Toss everything together until steak pieces are coated on all sides with cornstarch. Set aside.
COOK BROCCOLI: Add the 32 oz broccoli florets to a large frying pan along with ½ cup water over medium-high heat. Cook for 5-10 mins minutes until the broccoli is bright green and tender-crisp when poked with a fork. Add more water if needed while it cooks. Transfer to a plate and set it aside.
COOK STEAK: Add 1 Tbsp of cooking oil over medium-high heat. Cook the beef in small batches, searing for 1-2 minutes on each side. Only cook til medium rare. Transfer the beef to a plate.
MIX SAUCE: In a medium bowl, mix together 2 Tbsp cornstarch and 2 Tbsp water. Stir until there are no clumps. Now add in ½ cup soy sauce, ½ cup beef broth, ¼ cup brown sugar, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp sesame oil, and 1 tsp onion powder. Stir everything together.
BROCCOLI + SAUCE: Add the cooked broccoli back to the frying pan with the sauce. Cook until the sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally.
ADD BEEF STRIPS: Add the cooked beef strips to the frying pan and mix everything together. Heat through for 1 minute or until the desired doneness of the beef. Remove from heat and serve immediately with rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
Recipe Tips:
- To get thin slices that are ¼” thick, place flank steak in freezer 30 minutes before cutting it. This will help to firm it up just enough so that it’s easier to cut.
- Cut the broccoli into small even pieces so that it will cook faster.
- If you have a rice cooker, use it!! Start the rice before you make the beef and broccoli so that it’s out of the way and will be ready for you at the end.
- You can also serve this dish over noodles, quinoa, or with mashed potatoes. This recipe is an easy go-to in my house so I tend to change up what I serve it with each time.
- Don’t be afraid to add more vegetables! You could add carrots, snap peas, cauliflower, beets, parsnips, kale, sweet potato and so much more. Just sautee them with the broccoli in the frying pan until they're cooked.
- COOK ONCE EAT TWICE! this dish tastes great as leftovers! Try making a double batch and save the rest for dinner the next night, or a couple lunches for the week.
How To Store Leftovers
- Refrigerate – Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days when stored in an airtight container.
- Reheat – You can reheat the leftovers in the microwave or back in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Stir the sauce as it heats to keep it from burning.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links) – Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- 10" Professional Nonstick Fry Pan – One of the top bestselling frying pans on Amazon.
- Ninja Foodi Never Dull Knife Set - I love this set as it comes with a foolproof sharpening system built right in. Great for getting those thin strips of beef for this recipe!
- Steel Kitchen Tongs - Tongs are one of my favorite tools for flipping beef in the frying pan. I prefer to have a set of three to avoid contamination of raw meat vs. cooked meat.
- Measuring Spoons – I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer.
- Spatula – Gentle enough to scrape along the bottom of the pan without scratching it. This is a sauce-making must-have!
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Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp canola oil - or vegetable oil
- 1 ½ lbs flank steak - sliced ¼ inch thick against the grain
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 32 oz broccoli florets - cut into small bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup water for steaming broccoli - more if needed
Sauce:
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup beef broth
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch + 2 Tbsp water
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp onion powder
Instructions
- Prep rice, pasta or mashed potatoes if you want to serve it with this recipe.
Prep Steak:
- Cut the 1 ½ lbs of flank steak against the grain into thin pieces, about ¼ inch thick. Trim any fat.
- Add the steak to a large bowl along with ½ cup cornstarch. Toss everything together until steak pieces are coated on all sides with cornstarch. Set aside.
Cook Broccoli:
- Add the 32 oz broccoli florets to a large frying pan along with ½ cup water over medium high heat. Cook 5-10 mins minutes until the broccoli is bright green and tender crisp when poked with a fork. Add more water if needed while it cooks. Transfer to a plate and set it aside.
Cook The Steak:
- Add 1 Tbsp of cooking oil over medium high heat. Cook the beef in small batches, searing for 1-2 minutes on each side. Only cook til medium rare. Transfer the beef to a plate.
Prep The Sauce:
- In a medium bowl, mix together 2 Tbsp cornstarch and 2 Tbsp water. Stir until there are no clumps.
- Now add in ½ cup soy sauce, ½ cup beef broth, ¼ cup brown sugar, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp sesame oil, and 1 tsp onion powder. Stir everything together.
Assemble:
- Add the cooked broccoli back to the frying pan with the sauce. Cook until sauce has thickened, stirring occassionally.
- Add the cooked beef strips to the frying pan and mix everything together. Heat through for 1 minute or until desired doneness of the beef. Remove from heat and serve immediately with rice, pasta or mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desires.
Recipe Notes:
- To get thin slices that are ¼” thick, place flank steak in freezer 30 minutes before cutting it. This will help to firm it up just enough so that it’s easier to cut.
- Cut the broccoli into small even pieces so that it will cook faster.
- If you have a rice cooker, use it!! Start the rice before you make the beef and broccoli so that it’s out of the way and will be ready for you at the end.
- You can also serve this dish over noodles, quinoa, or with mashed potatoes. This recipe is an easy go-to in my house so I tend to change up what I serve it with each time.
- Don’t be afraid to add more vegetables! You could add carrots, snap peas, cauliflower, beets, parsnips, kale, sweet potato and so much more. Just sautee them with the broccoli in the frying pan until they’re cooked.
Nutrition Info
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.
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