This homemade beef and broccoli recipe tastes just like Chinese takeout!
Thin slices of marinated beef and broccoli florets are simmered in an easy-to-make, sweet-and-savory sauce.
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You’ll Be Making This Beef and Broccoli Recipe on Repeat Because…
- It has all the flavor of your favorite takeout recipe at a fraction of the cost.
- The sauce is easy and flavorful.
- It’s made in just one skillet for quick cleanup.
- Bulk it up with extra veggies and serve it over fried rice or ramen noodles.
Beef & Broccoli Essentials
- Beef: I love flank steak for beef stir-fries and dishes like Mongolian beef. Skirt steak or hanger steak are other great options.
- Broccoli: I prefer fresh broccoli florets in this recipe. Cut them into small, bite-sized pieces. You can use frozen broccoli; however, it has a softer texture
- Sauce: The sauce is very simple with ingredients I always have on hand. Soy sauce adds a salty savory flavor while brown sugar sweetens it.
Variations
- Add in water chestnuts, baby corn, mushrooms, or sliced bell peppers.
- Top with toasted sesame seeds or sliced almonds.
How to Make Beef and Broccoli
- Prepare the sauce and set aside. (recipe below).
- Stir-fry the beef and transfer to a plate. Cook broccoli florets in the same skillet.
- Add the sauce over the beef and broccoli. Simmer and stir until the sauce thickens.
Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds and serve over rice.
Storing Leftovers
Keep leftover beef and broccoli in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze in a zippered bag for up to 4 months. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave with a little water to loosen the sauce.
Stir Fry Favorites
Did your family love this Beef and Broccoli recipe? Leave a comment and a rating below.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound flank steak or sirloin, flat iron, or skirt steak
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil more as needed
- 4 to 6 cups broccoli florets bite-sized
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1½ teaspoons ginger paste or fresh minced ginger
- 2 green onions thinly sliced, whites and greens separated
- sesame seeds optional
For the Sauce
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup less sodium soy sauce
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- ¾ teaspoon chili flakes
Instructions
- Slice the steak very thinly across the grain.
- For the sauce, in a small bowl, whisk together water, soy sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, sesame oil, and chili flakes. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add half of the beef and cook until browned on both sides. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining beef.
- Add the broccoli and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until it turns bright green.
- Stir in the garlic, ginger, and the white parts of the green onions. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Whisk the sauce again and pour it into the skillet and stir well. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened and the broccoli is tender, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Return the beef and any juices to the skillet. Stir until the beef and broccoli are evenly coated and heated through.
- Garnish with the green parts of the onions and sesame seeds, if using, and serve hot over rice.
Notes
- For easier slicing, place the steak in the freezer for 20 minutes before slicing.
- Cut the broccoli into bite-sized florets so it cooks quickly and holds the sauce nicely. Add a splash of water to the pan if the broccoli needs a little help softening.
- Cook the beef in batches so it browns instead of steams.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine American, Asian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Recipe updated April 2026 for ease and flavor.
Planning to make this. I noticed someone asked if you knew a good alternative to the rice wine. I’ve wondered that too. I’m going to try a white wine & see how that does. It’s just 2 Tbs. Unless you know something better.
Sherry is a good substitute for rice wine too, Sarah!
This is EXCELLENT!!!!
Quick question Holly – how long would the sauce last in the refrigerator? I made a double batch of the sauce & only used half so I could make it later with chicken but I don’t know how long it will last. Thank you
Hello Darla. I am glad that you enjoyed the recipe. This sauce will last for 1 week in the refrigerator.
Great! Thank you Holly! All your recipes are amazing!
Very good Easy to make just added sliced carrots and onion. Otherwise followed recipe.
Got everything read before starting as stated.
Followed recipe to a T….it was amazing!!! And my husband loved it too!
So happy to hear that, Amber!
What can I use if I can`t find rice wine ?
Sherry is a good substitute for rice wine.
NOT cooking sherry!!!
This is the best beef and broccoli recipe out there and much better than take-out. I can’t find oyster sauce in my area (bummer), but I found online that soy sauce can be used as a substitute so that’s what I did. I made it last Tuesday; we’ve not stopped thinking about it so it’s what’s for dinner on this lovely Sunday evening. Initially, it’s pricey to get all the ingredients but we’ll use this recipe over and over. I’ll make it saucier this time around, it will be easy to play with. Thanks so much for this great recipe!
This has got to be the best beef and broccoli I ever made. It’s even better than the restaurants. Thank you for sharing. I love your site!
Glad you enjoyed it Amy!
IS your nutrition panel for all of recipe or serving? I don’t see serving size.
Hi Regina, for all recipes it is per serving, and this recipe is broken into 4 servings. Actual serving size may vary dependent on the ingredients you use so we do recommend running it through a nutrition app like MyFitnessPal using your own ingredient brands and quantities.
I made Beef & Broccoli last night. It was fabulous! Husband still talking about it! Thank you.
Looks good. However, how many people (other than Oriental people) have a bottle of rice wine hanging around. To go buy one for 2 tablespoons seems silly. What can I substitute.
Hi Shirley, you can substitute it for regular oil but will lose the delicious sesame flavor it provides in this recipe. When it comes to sesame oil there are so many delicious recipes you can make with it, it is definitely a staple in my cupboard!
Hi! I’m assuming the rice wine you used here is the Chinese shao xing cooking wine and not the Japanese Mirin sweet rice wine, right?
For this recipe, we use a standard cooking rice wine Joahna. I hope that helps :)
Perfect restaurant style Beef and broccoli, so easy to make and delicious!
Thank you Michelle! We love it too!
Always looking for great recipes.
A.M.A.Z.I.N.G… Holly!
These recipes are so tasty and delicious!
Thank you for sharing them with us!
Thank you so much Kim! I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Good recipe! Recommendations after my first attempt at making is to cut the light brown sugar amount. There are a lot of flarovable ingredients going into this sauce, and using 6 T. of sugar overwhelmed them. If you like sweeter sauces, follow the recipe, but if you like a more savory, salty sauce, cut the sugar to one or two tablespoons — just my humble opinion. And stay true to the instructions on steaming the broccoli — I added a couple more minutes of steaming, but then in the end, the florets were softer than ideal — still good! Hubby loved this recipe!
Thank you for sharing Lori Jo! Glad your hubby enjoyed it!
Made this for dinner last night and we absolutely loved it! It’s earned a regular spot in our menu rotation.
I’m so glad you loved it Lynne!! <3