Better-Than-Takeout Beef and Broccoli — It really is BETTER than takeout and it’s definitely FASTER!! This EASY Chinese restaurant copycat recipe is a family favorite that’ll go into your regular rotation!!
Table of Contents
This recipe is adapted from my copycat P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef recipe, which is a reader favorite that comes together in less than 20 minutes.
The same goes for this recipe — it’s easy and ready in a flash. I have seen beef and broccoli recipes that require marinating the beef first, like my 15-Minute Sheet Pan Beef and Broccoli, but this is not one of them, which is a real time saver.
This Chinese beef and broccoli is full of umami flavor and pairs nicely with steamed rice or cauliflower rice. It’s best the day it’s made, but leftovers can easily be reheated in a skillet and enjoyed for days afterward.
Recipe Ingredients
To make this easy recipe (including the irresistible beef and broccoli sauce!), you’ll need:
- Flank steak
- Cornstarch
- Olive oil (or vegetable oil)
- Sesame oil
- Garlic cloves
- Ginger
- Low-sodium soy sauce
- Water
- Dark brown sugar
- Broccoli florets
- Green onions
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Homemade Beef and Broccoli
This is a very simple beef and broccoli recipe that anyone can make! Here are the basic recipe steps:
- To a large bag, add the thin slices of flank steak, cornstarch, and toss to coat.
- In a medium saucepan, sauté garlic and ginger until the garlic is fragrant.
- Then add soy sauce, water, brown sugar, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil and allow it to boil for a couple minutes before reducing the heat and simmering until the sauce is slightly thickened and reduced.
- While the sauce is simmering, in a separate skillet, sear the steak over high heat.
- Top the seared steak with broccoli, pour in the soy sauce mixture, and toss the beef and broccoli to coat it evenly with the sauce. Simmer for a few minutes, or until the broccoli is as crisp-tender as desired.
Garnish Ideas
I like to finish this dish with green onions and sesame seeds, but they’re optional.
How to Thicken the Beef and Broccoli Sauce
One optional step which will depend on the texture and consistency of the sauce in your pan, and personal preference, is that if the sauce on the thinner or runnier side, and you want sauce that clings better to the beef and broccoli, you can make that happen in 60 seconds.
Dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 1 tablespoon of water, which is called a slurry, and add that to the pan. Stir and simmer for about 60 seconds, and your sauce should be nicely thicker at that point.
If your steak was very well coated in cornstarch, the residual cornstarch may be enough to thicken the sauce. But if it’s not, you can thicken it up in a hurry by adding a cornstarch slurry.
If you add 6 full cups of broccoli like I did because I am a broccoli fanatic, the natural waters and juices that escape when the broccoli cooks, will thin out your sauce and you’ll likely want to use a slurry.
Recipe FAQs
I use flank steak and have not tried other cuts of beef. I have read recipes that call for skirt steak but I haven’t tried it. Be sure to cut your steak across the grain, which helps it be even more tender once cooked.
Homemade beef with broccoli is coated in an umami u0022brown sauceu0022 that has layers of flavor from the soy sauce, sesame oil, fresh garlic and ginger, and brown sugar.
No, I recommend using fresh broccoli florets for best results.
No! The cornstarch in this recipe is non-negotiable. It helps the beef crisp up a little when seared and it thickens the sauce.
No, it’s not gluten-free as written because soy sauce contains gluten. To make this recipe gluten-free, make sure your soy sauce is certified gluten-free or use gluten-free tamari.
What to Serve with Beef and Broccoli
My boyfriend LOVES this recipe. It’s his favorite meal that I make. I’m not a professional cook by any means, and this is so easy even I can make it! I also add portobello mushrooms near the end for something extra! So good!!
Theresa
Storage and Reheating Instructions
In the fridge: Let the homemade beef and broccoli stir fry cool before transferring to an airtight container. Leftovers will last up to 5 days.
To reheat: Warm individual servings for 30-second intervals in the microwave.
Recipe Video
Better-Than-Takeout Beef With Broccoli
Ingredients
- 1 to 1.25 pounds flank steak, sliced into thin strips, no more than 1/4-inch thick
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
- 1 to 2 teaspoons ginger, or to taste (fresh or dried is okay, use less dried than you would fresh)
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup water
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed (light may be substituted)
- 4 to 6 cups broccoli florets, dependent on preference for broccoli
- 2 to 3 green onions, sliced into 1/4-inch long segments
- red pepper flakes, optional and to taste
- sesame seeds, optional for garnishing
Instructions
- To a large ziptop bag, add the steak, cornstarch, seal, and toss to coat. Set aside while preparing the sauce.
- To a medium saucepan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and heat over medium-high for about 1 minute, or just until garlic is fragrant, taking care not to scorch it.
- Add the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil and allow it to boil for about 2 to 3 minutes. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened and reduced. While it simmers, sear the steak.
- To a large skillet, add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, and the steak. Cook over medium-high or high heat until steak is cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes, flipping the pieces intermittently to ensure even cooking.
- Add the broccoli.
- Evenly drizzle in the soy sauce mixture, noting it will bubble up dramatically. Toss the beef and broccoli to coat evenly with the sauce. Simmer for about 3 to 5 minutes at medium-high, or until the broccoli is as crisp tender as desired.
- Optional — If your sauce hasn’t thickened up as much as you’d like and your broccoli is done or nearly done, and you want a sauce that clings better and isn’t as thin, simply dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 1 tablespoon water (called a slurry), add it to the skillet, stir for about 1 minute, or until your sauce has thickened to your desired level. Since I used 6 cups broccoli, the natural water and juices that escaped from it thinned out my sauce, so I needed to use a slurry.
- Turn off the heat, add the green onions, and stir to incorporate.
- Optionally, evenly sprinkle with red pepper flakes (makes the dish taste more authentic and gives it flavor without adding much heat), optional sesame seeds, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Adapted from P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef.
- Recipe is best warm and fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Asian Recipes with Beef:
15-Minute Sheet Pan Beef and Broccoli – EASY, HEALTHIER than going out for Chinese because it’s baked, and FASTER than calling for takeout!! So much FLAVOR in this family favorite! It’ll go into your regular rotation!!
Mongolian Beef Bowls – These EASY Chinese-inspired Mongolian beef bowls are ready in just 10 minutes!! Loaded with rich savory flavor, crisp-tender vegetables, and served over rice!
Beef Fried Rice — This better-than-takeout beef fried rice is EASY, ready in 20 MINUTES, and made in ONE skillet! Everyone loves the big juicy strips of steak and perfectly fried rice that’s speckled with bits of onions, peas, carrots, and scrambled eggs.
Teriyaki Steak Tips — Tri-tip steak tips are cooked to perfection and then topped with a thick and sticky homemade pineapple teriyaki sauce! A family favorite that everyone will love and is FAST and EASY to make!
P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef — This copycat recipe comes together in 20 minutes, it’s EASY, and makes for a great weeknight meal! Even picky eaters will love this, and any leftover sauce can be served over rice.
Easy Hunan Beef — Skip the takeout and make this popular Chinese-inspired recipe at home! Hunan-style beef is spicy, sweet, tangy, and loaded with tender slices of beef and veggies.
This was sooo delicious . Imade it as directed then put into crock for a few hours so beef was tender. I should have added broccoli at the last 1/2 hour . But?, my oh my this was so good!!
Thanks for trying the recipe and for the five star review, Marie! So glad to hear this turned out so well for you and that’s interesting about the slow cooker. I’ve never had anybody with this recipe write that they’ve put this in their crockpot, but glad it worked out well!
Very flavorful and quick meal. Thanks
Thanks for the 5 star review Dee and I’m so glad to hear this was flavorful and quick!
Avwry Your Bedf & Broccoli 🥦 Looks Absolutely Delicious To Eat For Dinner 🍽 Any Day Of The Week Yummy Yummy Yummy Absolutely Delicious 😋
You’re going to love it!
My family loved this. I used light brown sugar (only kind I had) and otherwise followed the recipe. Easy and fairly quick to put together. Definitely a keeper!
1
Thanks for the five star review K and I’m glad to hear that your family loved this and that it was quick, easy, and a keeper! And that light brown sugar worked just fine!
This was pretty good. I did find it overly sweet and would cut back on the brown sugar by half.
Will make again using that adjustment.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad that you know what to do for next time!
So good!
Thank you Kalissa!
I would like to try this recipe but I wish you would include the potassium content in the nutrition information. I have a family member who needs low potassium dishes due to dialysis.
The nutrition stats are a courtesy estimate and I use a computer generated program that gives the data and I don’t have control over what it provides and doesn’t.
I have the exact same issue with someone in our family who needs low potassium. brown sugar and soy sauce are both high unfortunately but honey is a good substitute for brown sugar and low sodium soy sauce. other than that, its moderation. Add extra broccoli! I make this dish regularly for my family they love it:)
Thanks for sharing your info, Jen! Very helpful!
so easy and it tastes amazing. Great recipe!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Jillian, and I’m glad to hear that it was easy and tasted amazing for you!
This is my go-to recipe. I love it! It’s a little too sweet for my husband, so sometimes I’ll dial the sugar back to just 1/2 cup. But honestly, we rarely ever go out for Chinese food now. I love that I can use my GF soy sauce w and now I can enjoy Chinese food again! Thank you
Thanks for the 5 star review, Holly, and I’m glad this is your go-to recipe and that you’ve found a compromise for sweetness with your husband and that this recipe has allowed you to not only not need to go out for Chinese much BUT that you can also use GF soy sauce and eat Chinese food again! That’s so wonderful!
My kids said it’s the best beef and broccoli ever! They are the harshest critics
Thanks for the 5 star review, Veronica, and glad your kids said this was the best! And oh yes, kids are THE harshest critics! They don’t white lie to make you feel good lol.
I made this today with a few modifications to fit our low carb lifestyle, and avoid a trip to the store. I used bottom round steak instead of flank, (after utilizing the ‘velveting method’ to tenderize the meat- please google, it’s worth your time) used arrow root instead of cornstarch, didn’t have sesame oil or seeds, so ALL oil is EVOO, Bragg’s liquid aminos instead of soy sauce, Trader Joe’s SOYAKI instead of brown sugar, one small yellow onion instead of green, and added sliced mushrooms because…why not?? It was SOOOO good! Thank you for sharing your recipes; they are easy to make ‘as is’ or modify for special diets; and I really appreciate having so much flavor in our meals! Tried to post photo, but that didn’t work out so well. Looks pretty much like yours….without sesame seeds :) Thanks again!!!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Dodie, and I’m glad to hear this was a success and that you used what you had and avoided a trip to the store. This is worth its weight in gold sometimes! I am a big believer in adapting with what you have :) Sliced mushrooms sound great to me too!
I made a vegetarian version with Trader Joe’s Korean Beef Bulgogi. It was excellent! The only thing a changed was using the light brown sugar I had. Am I the slowest person alive??? 10 minute prep to chop garlic, scallions, ginger, clean and florette broccoli, slice steak, and measure the other ingredients??? Anyway this was delish. Thank you!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad to hear that it was excellent!
Hacks to save time: preminced garlic, ground ginger, bag of broccoli florets. With that, all you’re doing is slicing steak :)
Made this tonight for the fam. It was absolutely delicious!!!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Beth, and I’m glad to hear this was absolutely delicious for you and your family!
The beef and broccoli recipe was outstanding! I have shared the recipe with some of my friends. I used skirt steak instead of flank steak and found it to be a little chewy. I liked it so much I may use beef tenderloin the next time.
Thanks for the 5 star review, Cheryl, and I’m glad this was outstanding and thank you for also sharing the recipe with your friends! Steak can vary so much from piece to piece, and day to day, but tenderloin would probably be amazing. Or maybe just try flank steak next time – most people have good luck with it.
loved it
Thanks for taking time to leave feedback – I appreciate it and that you loved the recipe!
Is the sesame oil called for in the recipe for Beef with broccoli, toasted or just regular? Toasted sesame oil is such a strong flavor I am afraid to use 2 tablespoons of it.
You can always scale it back to 1 tbsp (or less). It’s really up to your personal preferences. This is a very popular and well-loved recipe with hundreds of reviews and no one has ever complained about 2 tbsp being too strong but everyone is different, of course. I used toasted. I get mine from Trader Joe’s.