Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry – Easy 30-Minute Dinner

It is 6:40 on a Tuesday, everyone is hungry, and the takeout app is showing a 45-minute wait. That is the exact moment this beef and broccoli was born in my kitchen, and it has saved dinner more nights than I can count.

The trick is nothing fancy. You slice the beef thin against the grain, give it ten quiet minutes in a cornstarch-soy marinade, and sear it hard in a very hot pan so it goes golden instead of gray. The broccoli gets a quick steam right in the same skillet, and the sauce thickens to a shine that clings to every piece.

The first time I made this, I crowded the pan and ended up with pale, steamed beef in a watery sauce. Cooking it in two batches and letting the sauce bubble for that last 30 seconds fixed everything. Keep it simple, keep it yours.

About the Ingredients

1 1/2 lb (680g) flank steak or sirloin, sliced 1/4 inch thick against the grain

Flank is classic, but sirloin or skirt steak works just as well and is often cheaper. Ask the butcher to slice it for you if you are short on time, and freeze it 15 minutes first for cleaner cuts.

3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided

Regular soy sauce is ideal; use tamari for gluten-free or coconut aminos for a sweeter, lower-sodium result. Avoid dark soy here, it will overpower the sauce.

1 tablespoon cornstarch, divided

Cornstarch is what tenderizes the beef and thickens the sauce. Arrowroot powder swaps in one-for-one, though it thickens a touch faster.

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Toasted, not plain, sesame oil carries the nutty aroma you want. If yours smells flat, it has gone stale, so buy a small bottle and keep it cool.

1 pound (450g) broccoli, cut into 1-inch florets with stems trimmed

Look for tight, deep-green heads with no yellowing. Frozen florets work in a pinch, but add them straight from frozen and give them 1 extra minute.

3 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed

High smoke point matters here because the pan gets very hot. Do not substitute olive oil, which will smoke and taste bitter.

4 cloves garlic, minced

Fresh garlic is worth it; the jarred stuff tastes metallic when fried hard. Mince it right before cooking so it does not turn sharp.

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

Grate it on a microplane so it melts into the sauce. Ground ginger is a weak substitute, but 1/2 teaspoon will do in a pinch.

3/4 cup (180ml) low-sodium beef broth

Low-sodium lets you control the salt. Chicken broth or water plus a pinch of bouillon both work fine.

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Packed brown sugar adds the caramel depth restaurant sauces have. Honey works too, but lower the heat slightly so it does not scorch.

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

The acid that wakes everything up. Unseasoned rice vinegar is best; apple cider vinegar is a fine stand-in.

2 cups (380g) hot cooked jasmine rice, for serving

Jasmine or short-grain rice soaks up the sauce best. Start it before you cook the stir fry so it is ready at the same time.

Tips & Tricks

• Do not crowd the pan. Cook the beef in two batches over high heat so it sears golden brown instead of steaming gray, which is the number one reason home stir fry tastes flat.
• Slice against the grain and keep it thin. Look for the lines running down the steak and cut across them at a slight angle, about 1/4 inch thick, so each piece is short-fibered and tender.
• Have everything ready before the pan gets hot. Stir frying moves in seconds, so measure the sauce, mince the garlic, and cut the broccoli before you turn on the burner.
• Thicken the sauce off the heat. Whisk the cornstarch with cold broth first, then let the sauce bubble 30 seconds at a gentle simmer so it glosses rather than clumps.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Marinate the beef

Toss the sliced beef with 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, and the sesame oil in a bowl. Let it sit 10 minutes at room temperature while you prep everything else; the cornstarch forms a light coating that keeps the meat tender.

2. Whisk the sauce

In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, beef broth, brown sugar, and rice vinegar until no lumps remain. Set it right next to the stove.

3. Steam the broccoli

Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, about 375°F (190°C), until it shimmers. Add the broccoli and 2 tablespoons water, cover, and cook 3 minutes, until the florets are bright green and a knife slides in with a little resistance. Transfer to a plate.

4. Sear the beef

Wipe the pan, add 1 tablespoon oil, and heat over high heat until it just begins to smoke, about 425°F (220°C). Add half the beef in a single layer and cook 60 to 90 seconds per side, until deeply golden brown at the edges and the center reads 135°F (57°C) on an instant-read thermometer. Move to a plate and repeat with the last tablespoon of oil and remaining beef.

5. Bloom the aromatics

Lower the heat to medium, add the garlic and ginger to the hot pan, and stir constantly for 20 to 30 seconds, until fragrant and just turning golden. Do not walk away, garlic goes from sweet to bitter fast.

6. Bubble the sauce

Whisk the sauce once more and pour it in. Bring it to a gentle simmer at about 200°F (93°C) and cook 60 to 90 seconds, stirring, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and the edges bubble steadily.

7. Toss everything together

Return the beef and any resting juices along with the broccoli to the pan. Toss 30 seconds over medium heat, just until everything is hot and glossy, then taste and add a splash more soy sauce if needed.

8. Serve hot

Spoon over hot jasmine rice right away, with extra sauce from the pan drizzled on top. Leftovers keep beautifully, but this is at its best in the first 20 minutes.

Delicious Variations

Chicken and Broccoli

Swap the beef for 1 1/2 pounds of thinly sliced chicken breast and sear it just until it reaches 165°F (74°C) internally.

Spicy Garlic Version

Add 1 teaspoon chili crisp or 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes with the garlic for a warm, lingering heat.

Mushroom and Tofu

Use extra-firm tofu pressed and cubed plus sliced shiitakes; pan-fry the tofu first so it holds its shape in the sauce.

How to Store Chinese Restaurant Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

Frequently Asked Questions

If you make this tonight, start the rice first and keep the pan hot and uncrowded, and you will be rewarded with that glossy restaurant finish. Snap a photo of your skillet and tell me how your family reacted, then try it once with chicken next week to see how easy the swap is. Keep it simple, keep it yours.

Chinese Restaurant Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

This Chinese restaurant Beef and Broccoli stir fry gets a delicious glossy garlic-ginger sauce and tender marinated beef in about 30 minutes at home.

★★★★½ 4.8 (214 ratings)

15 minPrep time12 minCook time4Servings412 kcalCalories

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🧂 Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb (680g) flank steak or sirloin, sliced 1/4 inch thick against the grain
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch, divided
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 pound (450g) broccoli, cut into 1-inch florets with stems trimmed
• 3 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 3/4 cup (180ml) low-sodium beef broth
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 2 cups (380g) hot cooked jasmine rice, for serving

📋 Instructions

1. 1Marinate the beef — Toss the sliced beef with 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, and the sesame oil in a bowl. Let it sit 10 minutes at room temperature while you prep everything else; the cornstarch forms a light coating that keeps the meat tender.
2. 2Whisk the sauce — In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, beef broth, brown sugar, and rice vinegar until no lumps remain. Set it right next to the stove.
3. 3Steam the broccoli — Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, about 375°F (190°C), until it shimmers. Add the broccoli and 2 tablespoons water, cover, and cook 3 minutes, until the florets are bright green and a knife slides in with a little resistance. Transfer to a plate.
4. 4Sear the beef — Wipe the pan, add 1 tablespoon oil, and heat over high heat until it just begins to smoke, about 425°F (220°C). Add half the beef in a single layer and cook 60 to 90 seconds per side, until deeply golden brown at the edges and the center reads 135°F (57°C) on an instant-read thermometer. Move to a plate and repeat with the last tablespoon of oil and remaining beef.
5. 5Bloom the aromatics — Lower the heat to medium, add the garlic and ginger to the hot pan, and stir constantly for 20 to 30 seconds, until fragrant and just turning golden. Do not walk away, garlic goes from sweet to bitter fast.
6. 6Bubble the sauce — Whisk the sauce once more and pour it in. Bring it to a gentle simmer at about 200°F (93°C) and cook 60 to 90 seconds, stirring, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and the edges bubble steadily.
7. 7Toss everything together — Return the beef and any resting juices along with the broccoli to the pan. Toss 30 seconds over medium heat, just until everything is hot and glossy, then taste and add a splash more soy sauce if needed.
8. 8Serve hot — Spoon over hot jasmine rice right away, with extra sauce from the pan drizzled on top. Leftovers keep beautifully, but this is at its best in the first 20 minutes.

👨‍🍳 Chef's Note: A hot pan and a dry piece of beef are the whole secret here; everything else is forgiving. If your sauce looks thin at the end, let it bubble a few seconds longer rather than adding more cornstarch.

Servings: 4

Cuisine: Chinese-American

Course: Main Course

Nutrition (per serving): 412 kcal · 31g protein · 38g carbs · 16g fat