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This classic Beef and Broccoli recipe has lots of tender marinated beef in a savory sauce with perfectly steamed broccoli and served with rice. There is nothing worse than trying to chew through tough pieces of meat, so I’ve outlined a few key steps to ensure tender beef every time. Be sure to check out all of my other Asian-inspired recipes as well!
Easy to Make + Even Easier to Eat
Get ready for this classic Beef and Broccoli recipe that is easy to make and even easier to eat. With a 30-minute marinade I’ve ensured that you get tender beef every single time. The tender beef mixed with steamed broccoli in a delicious sauce guarantees happy bellies. Not only is it a great make-ahead meal but you can also freeze it! Plus you can serve it alongside a multitude of side dishes (I’ve got some ideas for you below). Ready? Let’s get cooking!
Beef and Broccoli Ingredients
Ok I admit it, this list looks scary, but it’s really only 11 ingredients! I’ve broken this Beef and Broccoli recipe down into four main parts: the marinade, the sauce and the frying ingredients, plus of course, the two main ingredients: broccoli and beef.
- broccoli florets
- bottom round steak (or flank steak)
For the Marinade:
- soy sauce
- cold water
- baking soda
- cornstarch
For the Sauce:
- chicken broth
- soy sauce
- sesame oil
- brown sugar
- Worcestershire sauce
For Frying:
- vegetable oil
- garlic
How to Make Beef Tender
There are 3 main techniques I employed to make sure my beef was nice and tender for this dish.
- Slicing the meat: Slice your meat very thing AGAINST the grain to shorten the fibers, resulting in more tender pieces.
- Marinate with baking soda: Marinating your meat already helps make it more tender by breaking down the meat’s proteins and connective tissues, but when you add a bit of baking soda it raises the pH of the meat. This weakens the protein structures in the meat, resulting in a more tender texture.
- Cook at high temperature: Stir-frying the beef quickly at high heat preserves its tenderness. Overcooking can make the meat tough, so it’s crucial to cook it just until done.
How to Make Beef and Broccoli
For full recipe details, including ingredients needed and measurements, see the recipe card down below. Here’s step by step what you can expect when making this recipe:
Marinate the Beef
Place beef into the freezer for 15 minutes. This is an optional step that will help you cut it a little easier. While beef is freezing, stir soy sauce, cold water, baking soda and cornstarch together for the marinating liquid.
Remove meat from the freezer and cut it into thin strips against the grain. Toss in marinating liquid and set aside for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. * See the FAQ section below about how to find and cut meat against the grain.
Steam Broccoli
Prep your broccoli by cutting it into florets and steaming until crisp-tender. You can do this on the stove with a steamer basket or you can steam it in the microwave. To do so, arrange it on a large microwave-safe dinner plate, add 1/4 cup cold water, cover with plastic wrap leaving a portion open to vent, and microwave 2-3 minutes or until steamed to your liking.
Pro Tip: Fresh broccoli is best for this recipe, but you could always use frozen broccoli florets as a shortcut.
Make the Sauce
In a liquid measuring cup, stir chicken broth together with soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Set aside.
Stir Fry
Heat a large wok or nonstick skillet over medium-high to high heat. Add vegetable oil (or canola oil) and garlic and cook 20 to 30 seconds. Add in beef strips and all of the marinade, then cook until browned and almost thoroughly cooked. A little pink here-and-there is fine. Add in steamed broccoli (drain if necessary before adding to the pan) and the sauce. Cook another 2-3 minutes.
Serve!
Serve with white rice or lo mein noodles.
Make-Ahead + Storing Instructions
Luckily for you this Beef and Broccoli lasts for up to 4 days in the fridge, which makes it a great make-ahead meal! Simply store alone in an airtight container or spread it out into multiple containers with rice on the bottom. The rice will soak up all of the excess sauce, making this a quick and easy meal prep dish for the week ahead.
To Freeze – To extend the shelf life of this meal even further, consider making a double batch and freezing half of it for up to 4 months! Simply store in a freezer safe, airtight container. Then when you are getting ready to serve it, thaw in the fridge overnight and warm up in a pan.
Beef + Broccoli Cooking Tips and FAQ
I used Bottom Round Steak for this recipe. It was pretty easy to thinly slice! Flank steak is another option. Both are very flavorful, usually reasonably priced and easily found in the grocery stores.
Add meat to a HOT skillet. This sears and seals in all those juices. Don’t overcrowd your pan. Doing so will steam your meat, rather than cook it. For tender beef, you’ll want to slice it against the grain as thinly as possible. Like mentioned above, I suggest putting the cut of meat you’re using, in the freezer for 15 minutes. This makes slicing into thin strips a bit easier.
The grain of meat is referring to the long muscle fibers in a piece of meat. In steaks, you’ll be able to see parallel muscle fibers running through the cut of meat pretty easily. You’ll want cut AGAINST the grain – so OPPOSITE of the way the grain runs – get tender strips of steak. This shortens the fibers and allows them to break down faster when cooking them. If you end up with tough, chewy meat, it might be because it wasn’t cut correctly.
Yes, you can. I mean it won’t have the exact same flavor results, but it will add a bit of sweetness to your beef and broccoli. You can add the same amount of teriyaki sauce as you would soy sauce.
There are low-sodium soy sauce options that you can find in your local grocery store. You can also substitute Hoisin sauce for soy sauce. It has a sweet and savory flavor that enhances recipes similar to the way soy sauce does.
Side Dishes to Serve with Beef and Broccoli
I traditionally serve this dish with plain rice as a base. But feel free to serve with whatever you’d like. Here are a couple of suggestions:
- Brown Rice
- Fried Rice or for a healthier option Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Chow Mein
- Sesame Noodle Salad
- Asian Slaw
- Crab Rangoon aka crab wontons
- Potstickers
- Peanut Noodles
- Spring Rolls
More Asian-Inspired Main Dishes to Try!
If you liked this Beef and Broccoli recipe be sure to check out these other killer recipes:
- Kung Pao Chicken (family favorite!)
- Orange Chicken
- Homemade Teriyaki Chicken
- Korean Beef
- Crispy Sesame Beef
- Sushi Bake
I hope your family loves this Beef and Broccoli as much as we do! It’s a perfect weeknight meal! The printable recipe card is below. Have a great day, friends!
If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.
Beef and Broccoli
Ingredients
- 5 cups broccoli florets
- 1.5 pounds bottom round steak or flank steak
For the Marinade:
- 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
For the Sauce:
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
For Frying:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic
Instructions
Marinate the Beef
- Place beef into the freezer for 15 minutes. This is an optional step that will help you cut it a little easier. While beef is freezing, stir all ingredients for marinating liquid together. Remove meat from freezer and cut into thin strips against the grain. Toss in marinating liquid and set aside for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Steam Broccoli
- Prep your broccoli by cutting into florets and steaming until crisp tender. You can do this on the stove with a steamer basket or arrange on a large microwave safe dinner plate, add 1/4 cup cold water, cover with plastic wrap leaving a portion open and not tucked to vent and microwave 2-3 minutes or until steamed to your liking.
Make Sauce
- In a liquid measuring cup, stir chicken broth together with soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Set aside.
Stir Fry
- Heat a large wok or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat to high heat. Add vegetable oil and garlic and cook 20 to 30 seconds. Add in beef and all of the marinade, then cook until browned and almost thoroughly cooked. A little pink here-and-there is fine. Add in steamed broccoli (drain if necessary before adding to the pan) and sauce. Cook another 2-3 minutes and serve with white rice or lo mein noodles.
It said add marinade too with the beef in the recipe is that right?
Not enough flavor for me. I added some ground ginger and more soy sauce. I also had to add more cornstarch to make it less soupy. Not the fault of this recipe but I still can’t figure out how to find the grain of the meat to cut against it.
My husband loves using the marinade and sauce for chicken, beef kabobs, you name it! So yummy!
yummy