On the rare night when we order Chinese takeout, we all want something different. Dave craves something spicy, green onion pancakes, and salt & pepper chicken. Lucy requests fried rice. And I prefer beef with broccoli, beef with broccoli, and beef with broccoli. Sadly, it’s a dish that’s hard for most restaurants to get right. The beef sometimes tastes “beefy” (not fresh), the broccoli is overcooked, and the sauce can be soupy.
Lucky for me though, it’s dang easy to make at home. It’s a quick, tasty weeknight meal with no takeout cartons necessary. And the secret to getting the beef fork-tender requires only a few ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.
Start with a few dry ingredients in a large bowl: baking soda, a little bit of sugar, and some cornstarch.
Whisk in some soy sauce, water, and vegetable oil.
Slice your steak against the grain into thin strips. I like flank steak for this dish, but tri-tip or pretty much any cut would work just fine.
Toss the meat with the marinade, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This easy marinade is all that it takes to get that crazy-tender beef, even with less expensive cuts.
Next, when you’re ready for dinner, make the sauce. It’s an easy blend of soy, brown sugar, minced garlic, a bit of flour, and cooking sherry (the sherry is optional; I think it rounds out the flavors nicely but if you don’t have any, no need to take a special trip to the grocery). Stir until the flour and sugar dissolve.
In a large saute pan or wok, heat some vegetable oil on high. When the oil is thoroughly heated (it will begin to shimmer), toss in the broccoli and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring often. Don’t walk away! You’ll risk burning your veggies. Transfer to a plate or a heatproof bowl.
In the same pan, saute the beef with half of the sauce mixture for 3-4 minutes (keep stirring often!) or until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink.
Add the broccoli and dump in the rest of the sauce. Saute for one more minute. Remove from heat.
Serve over rice. Swoon. Eat. Repeat.
I adore the thickness of the sauce. It coats every morsel with that salty, garlicky flavor. Just a little bit seeps onto the rice. Perfection.
Oh, broccoli. You are my favorite vegetable. And unlike that Chinese takeout joint, I didn’t overcook you into broccoli-shaped mush.
And beef. I could write a song about you. It would sound something like a fusion of Styx and Bad Company, with a little Earth, Wind & Fire thrown in for funk.
Don’t worry, world. I’ll spare you that one.
-RDG
Beef with Broccoli Printable PDF
This easy version of the Chinese takeout classic requires only a short marinade to make the beef fork-tender. Serve over white or brown rice. Serves 4.
Prep Time: 10 minutes + 1 hour for marinade Cook Time: 8 minutes
First, marinate the meat:
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 lbs flank steak, sliced into thin strips
1. Whisk together the baking soda, sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, water, and vegetable oil in a large bowl. Toss the steak with the marinade to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour, then proceed below.
- 1/2 c low-sodium soy sauce (Do NOT use regular. The final product will be way too salty)
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 tbsp sherry
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 heads broccoli, crowns only
1. In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, flour and sherry until smooth. Set aside.
2. In a large wok or saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil over high heat until shimmering. Add broccoli and saute 3 minutes, stirring often. Transfer broccoli to a plate.
3. Reduce heat to medium-high. Carefully add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the hot pan. Add the marinated meat and half of the sauce mixture and saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink. Stir in the broccoli and remaining sauce. Saute 1 minute more. Serve.
This was the Best!!! I love to find new recipes and tweak them a bit….usually I need to! I made this exactly as written….and it was awesome!! I don’t think my kids will let me order take-out beef n broccoli ever again!
I loved this recipe tasted just like something u would get from take out at a chinese place, Im so glad I found it. The only thing I do have to say though is i would cut the soy sauce a little, It was kind of a little to salty for me.. Other then that it was amazing!!
excellant
I made this tonight. I didn’t have corn starch, so I didn’t use it but it still turned out fan-freaking-tastic! Absolutely delicious. Anyone looking at this, look no further because you’ve found a wonderful recipe. Yum!
I have been looking and looking for a recipe that duplicates the Beef and Broccoli from our favorite Chinese Take out this looks like the one.
Tried this tonight. We all loved it, even my very picky husband said it was a keeper. Thanks a bunch, I really loved the ease, tenderness and the wonderful flavors. Thanks for sharing! =)
Wow, Girlie, this was incredible…I need never order beef and broccoli again. Thank you for giving me a new recipe for my repertoire!
I have made this dish 5 times now! i can’t believe how easy and yummy it is. thanks so much for posting.
Just made for this for dinner! Very good!! I did add zucchini,mushrooms,water chestnuts,onions and bamboo shoots. Might try pepper flakes next time for a little heat.
This looks amazing but I was wondering if you have ever attempted shrimp and broccoli, which is my favorite. Would the same sauce be used?
Thanks in advance.
I’ve never tried, but I would assume so. Give it a go and report back:)
Amazing recipe! I tried it with chicken and it was delicious!
I can’t say enough about this recipe. Beef and broccoli is my favorite Chinese takeout dish, and to know I can make it at home is nothing short of amazing. I’ve told so many people about it and keep passing it along. Now I just need to learn how to make egg rolls… Thanks so much!
This was delicious! I also omitted the sherry because I didn’t have a bottle on hand. My husband and small boys loved it. Served over white rice. There were no leftovers!
Fixed it tonight. Absolutely fabulous.
Thanks for the great recipe! Just fyi if anyone is wondering, I calculated this recipe would be about 9 weight watchers points plus… however, that is with using LESS of the steak than was called for in the recipe above. The package of meat I have that I used to figure out my points was just under a pound of meat. All other recipe amounts were not changed when I calculated. Very yummy, thanks again for sharing!
Thanks for the tip on the points for all the WW folks reading, Angie! Chicken and shrimp work equally well, too, if that makes a difference! xo
I’ve I been looking for this I love it
I’m so happy I stumbled across this recipe tonight. I have a large piece of steak that is a little tough, so I’ve been marinating it in some pineapple juice. I have broccoli and every thing else this recipe needs, so now I have a great dinner.
Thanks!!!
I don’t have any sherry and I am wondering if I might use red wine instead? This looks divine!
You could use wine or just omit altogether. Enjoy, Ivonne!
This is a favorite in my house. My husband requests it often. I add some garlic flakes to the marinate (we love garlic) and mix carrots in with the broccoli. Delicious!
Absolutely delicious!!! This will now become a staple in my kitchen…thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Found this on Pinterest. Most of the recipes I try from Pinterest don’t turn out so well but this was awesome. A little salty for my taste but I didn’t use low sodium soy- my bad. I couldn’t believe I made Chinese take out at home. Will make again and again.
Thank you so much for posting this.!! I have been trying to make this at home for over 15 years and finally a recipe that is worthy….so long favorite chinese restaurant…hello mommy’s cafe:) Thanks
Tried this tonight and it was awesome!!! Highly recommend!
I made this the other not and it was DELICIOUS!! Followed the recipe the way it was and didnt add a thing..Tastes just like the Chinese place.. My family loved it and the leftovers tasted just as good.. Definitely making this a favorite in my house, thanks for sharing this recipe’
I made this recipe last night and it’s amazing. It was delicious. I will never order Chinese again ever. But I have a question for anyone that made it with other meats because the flank steak was expensive. What other meats can I make it with and not hurt my pocket? Thanks for this great recipe
I’ve tried London Broil in the past with great success! The marinade really does make all the difference for a less expensive cut of meat.
This was the best recipe! I used chicken instead of beef and I also made fried rice recipe from pinterest as well. So delicious, better than take out! Thank you for your pin!!
This is unquestionably the best Chinese takeout replication I’ve found yet! It’s like takeout except way, way better. I make it pretty regularly and love it each time and thought I’d share the love!
What is the max on the meat marinade you would do? I made this before and I’d a bout a hour but I have an appt tomorrow and would like to put it on before I head out. It would be about 5-6 hours before cooking..
I’m sure it would be fine, April. I wouldn’t do 24 hours, but 5-6 would probably be fine
I marinaded it over 24 hours and it was delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
Can i leave out the sherry or substitute it with something else. It is not something i would have in the house, and the amount is so little i can’t see myself spending the money on it.
It’s completely optional. Feel free to omit
This is amazing! So quick and easy! It is now a house favorite and it has been requested to be put in the normal dinner rotation!!! Thanks!
Best Beef w/ Broccoli! I couldn’t belive it was going to be better than take-out! I used Stew meat, it was the cheapeset meat at the deli in the amount I needed. I think marinating the meat before makes this perfect. It was a little salty but I added extra soy and didn’t use low sodium and didn’t use Sherry (none on hand) so that’s my fault. I will make again. The sauce was just decadent! I also added a sprinkle of gound ginger.
Thanks so much for this recipe!! It is my absolute favorite and I often make a chicken version for lunch when it’s only myself and the baby home. Delicious!
I made this last night,my family loved it even my picky eater. She said this was an A++,definetly a keeper. Thank you for the recipe.
Hi,
I was wondering if you have any ideas on how to substitute the flour, sugar and brown sugar to help make this a low-carb meal. I was thinking the granulated Splenda could replace the sugar but not sure about the other items. Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance!
Umm…do an extra 5 minutes on the treadmill? I’m no low-carb expert. Sorry
Never thought it would be this easy and so delicious!! Made it just as you said for a late lunch/early dinner; sweet success!! Thank you!!!
This was perfect! We r way impressed! Thanks for sharing!
OMG! Made this last night from pinterest and nearly ended up eating the plate…..delicious. Added some julienne carrots chunky onions and green peppers. Better than any restaurant meal I’ve ever ordered. Thank you for this
Excellent with london Broil!!! Thanks!!!!
OMG!! Made this for dinner tonight after finding your recipe on Pinterest — my 9 year old who NEVER eats beef (unless it’s in a hamburger) couldn’t get enough of it!! This will definitely become a regular part of our dinner routine! THANK YOU for this amazing recipe!!
Thanks for this recipe. Beef with broccoli is one of my son’s favorite dishes but it is much too unhealthy the way it is prepared in restaurants. I tweaked it a little as we do not eat refined sugar or gluten. I simply subbed stevia in place of the sugar, flaxseed meal in place of the flour, grapeseed oil in place of vegetable oil, and Bragg’s Amino Acids in place of the soy sauce. It turned out wonderful! Everyone loved it! We will definitely be adding this to our weekly menu!
I’m headed to the store to buy the ingredients now. Can’t wait to try it! Thanks so much for sharing!
Great recipe!! My husband, who is usually picky about many recipes and dishes – loved it!! A little on the salty side, so use less soy sauce if you are sensitive to salt.
I love ordering Beef & Broccoli in the restaurants, but don’t like all the sodium. This was perfect! Next time I’m adding red onion, mushrooms and doubling the sauce. Great over brown rice. Thank you!!!!!
Thanks for this recipe! It’s awesome! ! Cannot stress enough how wonderful this recipe is! I didn’t have low sodium soy sauce so I used regular and just diluted it with water. I’m going to buy low sodium for next time (I will make this once a week)But if you have regular soy sauce use 1/4 cup (instead of 1/2) and add 1/4 cup water and it will be perfect and not too salty. Delicious! ! Thank you so much, my husband LOVED this dish.
Thanks for the great recipe. For those looking for a more authentic taste, just add some ginger and some chili to the garlic and voila. Just as good as takeout.
This just finished rocking my socks!! I’ve been looking for a recipe like this forever and at last have found you, my hero!!!! I’m not the greatest cook but with recipes like this, I’m stellar!! Thank you so much!
Thanks,
The Broccoli and Beef sounds Yummy, I am going to test this one out on my Husband.
Love that you have given the recipe step by step, and picture too.
Thank You
Michell
My husband could not stop eating this! We have found a new dinnertime favorite! He said it reminded him of PF Chang – but BETTER
I also added a chopped onion and some shaved carrots to the broccoli and we had it over brown rice.
…I think next time I will add crushed red pepper and substitute the broccoli with green onions to give it a kick.
Made this tonight, fantastic! I followed the recipe exactly and it is so fantastic, easy and cheap! I’ll be honest, when I saw how much brown sugar was going into the sauce I was like what the heck?! But it is fabulous and I’ll never order out again. Boyfriend loved it too! Thank you so much for this.
Just made this for lunch today- so yummy! I am definitely going to incorporate this into my meal planning in the very near future. Thanks!
Congratulations! Not only do you have me in tears (laughing) over your fabulous toddler stories…my 12 year old was just as smitten! We made your Broccoli Beef dish tonight and have nothing but rave reviews! My husband loved it! FYI – we are looking forward to your future book deal…you are not only a wonderful parent (obviously); but we find your humor A+. Keep up the writing…you are brilliant! What a gem of a website to find during the holidays! Merry Christmas to you.