Beef Broccoli Recipe
If you’re craving that savory, saucy beef and broccoli from your favorite takeout spot—this homemade version might just beat it. You’ll get tender, velvety beef, crisp broccoli, and rich umami sauce without mystery oil or reheated leftovers. All you need is a good marinade, the right stir-fry technique, and a bowl of hot steamed rice!
How to Velvet the Beef for Stir-Fry
If there’s one thing that makes this dish restaurant-quality, it’s how you prepare the beef. Start by slicing the beef against the grain — this shortens the muscle fibers and keeps each bite tender. Then, massage a little baking soda and water onto the slices. Add about half of your stir-fry sauce and mix well. Sprinkle in cornstarch, massage again, and let it rest while you prep the broccoli.
Here’s the key: measure your baking soda carefully. Too much can make the meat taste soapy or metallic. The perfect amount is just ¼ to ½ teaspoon per pound (about 500 grams) of beef. Let the beef rest for about 15–20 minutes before cooking. Done right, this simple step turns even a tough cut into tender, juicy pieces that soak up all that delicious sauce.
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One Sauce, Two Purposes
To keep things simple and flavor-packed, I use the same stir-fry sauce to marinate the beef and season the dish while cooking. That means less prep, less waste, and consistent flavor throughout.
- How Much to Use? Use about 1.5–2 tablespoons of sauce per serving.
- For this recipe (4 servings), use 4 tablespoons to marinate and 4 tablespoons while stir-frying.
- Any leftover sauce keeps well in the fridge for weeks—perfect for your next noodle or veggie stir fry.
What Cut of Beef to Use?
Here’s the good news: you don’t need a fancy steak to make a great beef and broccoli. Although flank and skirt steak are the best and easy to use, you can still use other cuts if you marinade it correctly. I’ve tested everything from flank and sirloin to more affordable cuts.
Also, make sure to slice the beef thinly against the grain for the most tender texture.
Other Stir Fry You Might Love
Beef Broccoli Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For Stir Fry and Marinade Sauce
- 1/2 cup oyster sauce
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp seasoning soy sauce (I use Maggie. If you don't have it, just substitute with soy sauce.)
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce (Optional. Click on the link to see what I use.)
- 2 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Extra ingredients for marinade
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ -½ tsp baking soda
- 3 tbsp corn starch
For the Stir Fry
- 1 lb beef (skirt or flank steaks are the best for stir fry. If not any cut will work.)
- 2 lb broccoli
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 2 large dried chilies (optional)
- 1/2 cup water (for saucy stir fry)
Instructions
Make the stir fry and marinade sauce
- Mix the all the sauces in the list above together and store in the jar. Note : You can use this sauce for almost every stir fry. Don’t worry if you feel like you may making too much. It will last in the fridge forever even when you don’t cook often.
Marinade the beef
- Slice the beef thinly using the cut of your choice against the grain. Add baking soda and water to the beef and massage for a minute.
- Add the half of the stir fry sauce and cornstarch. Massage the beef and let it sit to marinade at least 10 minutes.
Prepare the vegetables while the marinating the meat.
- Peel and roughly chop garlic.
- (optional) Use scissors to cut the big dried chilies into small pieces. The seeds should come out easily.
- Wash and cut the tough ends of the broccolini . Then cut the broccolini in halves. If the stems are too long for you. Cut some of it, peel and slice them so they cook easily and not too tough. If using a crown of broccoli, cut the tough end out. Then cut/chop the broccoli into bite sizes.
Stir Fry/ Assemble
- Heat the wok with medium – high heat add 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Brown the beef until it is 90%cooked. This should take about 2 minutes or so. Set it aside. Wipe or clean your wok.
- Fry garlic and dried chilies until fragrant (10 seconds). Add the cooked beef back to the wok. Follow by the broccolini and 3-4 Tbsp stir fry sauce and half to one cup of water.
- Stir fry until the beef is fully cooked and the broccolini gets soften a little bit.
- Serve the stir fry with steamed rice and enjoy !
Video
@stickyricethaikitchen Did you grow up eating broccoli stems? Beef Broccoli Ingredients For Stir Fry and Marinade Sauce 1/2 cup oyster sauce 4 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp fish sauce 1 tbsp seasoning soy sauce (I use Maggie. If you don’t have it, just substitute with soy sauce.) 1 tsp dark soy sauce (Optional. Click on the link to see what I use.) 2 tsp sugar ½ tsp ground black pepper Extra ingredients for marinade ¼ cup water ¼ -½ tsp baking soda 3 tbsp corn starch For the Stir Fry 1 lb beef (skirt or flank steaks are the best for stir fry. If not any cut will work.) 2 lb broccoli 2 tbsp vegetable oil 3-4 cloves garlic 2 large dried chilies (optional) 1/2-1 cup water (for saucy stir fry) #beefbroccoli#stirfry#easyrecipe#velvetingbeef#broccoli
♬ Cooking BGM (Japanese style) – ArcTracks
