Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry at home

Ready in as little as 30 minutes, so very ideal for busy homes and passionate cooks with little time especially on weeknights. The best part is it’s a stir-fry meaning its quick and easy to put together not to mention super healthy too!

A well made stir fry is one meal that you can relay on any day of the week and you’ll be glad you did. Also as it’s so easy to make you can add extra servings of vegetables and you’ll have delicious leftovers for the next or even packed lunch! So evidently it’s an all round winner!

How to make authentic Chinese inspired beef and broccoli

If you are like me, then you can agree that every once in a while you get tired of home meals and just start craving a well made Chinese takeaway! But also you’re watching your ‘eating out’ budget so therefore have to think on your feet and feed those cravings somehow. Well that my friend is where this beef and broccoli stir fry comes in.

This is one way to satisfy your Chinese food cravings without breaking the bank or regretting it, bonus is that you’ll have a sense of fulfilment when you get your earnest work. Nothing as good as homemade stir-fry!

Prep all the ingredients (20 minutes)
Place washed rice into pot to start cooking
Cook sliced beef strips
Remove beef once cooked
Cook sauce in the same pan
Add broccoli once sauce is cooked
Then add cooked beef back to the pan
Garnish as desired

What you need to make this beef and broccoli stir-fry

This recipe is simply amazing as it comes together using some readily available ingredients, that seem so unassuming but really deliver on flavour.

1kg lean beef

1 cup of beef stock

1 large broccoli

1 large white onion

1 tbsp brown sugar

4 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp diced fresh garlic

2 tsp diced fresh ginger root

2 tbsp cornflour

2 sweet peppers

3 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp Lemon juice

10 cherry tomatoes

2 spring onions

What type of beef to use when making beef and broccoli stir fry

When learning how to make a stir fry, especially one that requires protein knowing which one to use is super important as it can either make or break your recipe, trust me i’ve been there before the meal looked great but the meat was so chewy I wanted to cry as it was almost inedible.

So it’s no surprise than that this is the biggest complaint from newbie cooks or people who are starting to experiment with new cuisines. So with that in mind here is a little help I can offer to help you avoid tough, dry and chewy beef in your beef and broccoli recipe.

Firstly, know which meat to select when shopping for the recipe! If you’re in the states then you will have the likes of:

Flank Steak
Sirloin

And if you’re based in the UK, the best cut of beef to get in the UK for a beef stir dry is most definitely:

Skirt steak
Hanger steak
Flap stake
London broil

It’s important to note that term vary from country to country so once you have an idea of what you’re looking for which is essentially a cut of meat from the underside of a cow located near the loin and you’re set.

Also, these cuts of meat are accessible and inexpensive too so if you’re trying to get that dinning out experience without breaking the back these meats will work well for your weeknight Chinese inspired broccoli and beef recipe.

Ways to avoid tough beef when stir frying:

First thing to note here is all the above cuts of meat will need to be cut against the grain while slicing to help with tenderising during the marinating process as they are tougher cuts of meat.

Although, packed full of flavour and actually takes really well to being marinated, which is a dream as you know we like all things flavoursome and tasty over here, it does still need some help with it comes to cooking.

How can I make sure my beef stir fry isn’t tough? I hear you asking… well it’s simple ensure you’re cooking the beef stir fry quickly over high heat. What this does according to food science, is seals the outside while maintaining the tenderness inside as you’re making sure the meat isn’t stewing and sweating as it’s called in culinary terms!

So cook it fast and controlled and you’ll be set i’ll explain more in the cooking instructions below.

How to make beef broccoli sauce aka brown sauce:

Now, if you’re anything like me you’d be looking for this recipe first as the brown sauce in the beef stir-fry is so delicious that I could happily have it on it’s own. But if you’re wondering what is beef broccoli sauce made of, them hopefully I can help making that clearer.

Learning to how to make Chinese beef and broccoli brown sauce starts with knowing it may take a few tries before getting that perfect balance and be open to experimenting as you may actually find you have your own signature of stir fry brown sauce.

So the basics in a good brown sauce are essentially:

1 cup of beef stock

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp diced fresh garlic

2 tsp diced fresh ginger root

2 tbsp cornflour

3 tbsp soy sauce

This above recipe will teleport you to the last memorable experience you had at your local chins restaurant, so flavourful and easy to make at home.

The best shop bought stir fry sauce alternatives:

But I know that not everyone likes to spend time experimenting in the kitchen so if you’re curious to know what shop bought sauces can give you a similar put come then try these you won’t be disappointed! Because, if we’re all honest what is a stir-fry without a complimentary sauce to finish it off?

Oyster sauce
Hoisin sauce

For more specific stir-fry sauces in a bottle by brands then you can also get:

Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand Sauce for Broccoli Beef
Kikkoman classic stir fry sauce

Why not grab a bottle of brown sauce save yourself time but most importantly get to the most exciting part quicker which is marinating!

How to marinate beef when making beef stir fry:

All mouthwatering and memorable stir fry dishes are evidenced by the level of marinating that has taken place before cooking. I hear you asking how should I marinate my beef? should I marinate the meat before stir-frying? And i’ll give you a quick answer to that – yes you should aim to marinate the beef before stir frying!

Why it’s important marinate meat before stir frying

Marinating allows for the beef or whichever protein (chicken and seafood) you choose to absorb the flavours of the marinade and in the case of beef soften it or tenderise it to give it more moisture and avoid the tough meat we all don’t like!

Alternative protein or Ingredients swaps:

I know i’ve gone on about beef, but if you’re not a fan of beef you can still enjoy this recipe by swapping out the beef for chicken breast, pork, prawns and even tofu! Likewise you can do away with all the protein and have a purely vegetable dish adding more sweet peppers, oyster mushrooms, greens and carrots, you get the idea and it’ll be equally as delicious. Find more alternate recipes for this below:

For more delicious chicken recipes try this:

How to make beef and broccoli stir fry video

Watch me re-create this classic Beef Stir-Fry Recipe

RECIPE CARD:

Instructions

Beef

Start by steaming some basmati rice on the side
Was the beef with lemon to start
Thinly slice the beef cut along the grain or into bite size portions
Pre-heat pan or skillet medium to high
Add a drizzle of olive oil onto the pan
Place the beef (preferred protein) onto the plan allow to cook while constantly to avoid it sticking
After 4 minutes remove beef and set aside
Add the onions and lightly sauté before adding broccoli florets to the pan, keep stirring until you achieve a crispy and tender broccoli after 4-5 minutes
While this cooks combine all brown sauce ingredients in a bowl, stir well to allow the sugar to dissolve , and set aside.
Add brown sauce into the pan and continue stirring the mix on medium heat
Finally add the beef to the pan and allow to briefly simmer for 2 minutes for adding sweet pepper and cheery tomatoes
Serve hot with a bowl of steamed rice

Ingredients: