Broccoli Beef Stir Fry, Chinese Take Out Style Recipe

One of my favorite Chinese take out comfort foods is Broccoli Beef. I love perfectly stir fried pieces of bite size beef, tender crisp broccoli, with just the right amount of sauce over freshly cooked white rice. I usually stir fry without making a sauce but sometimes a little bit of yummy sauce is so satisfying.

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Authentic Cantonese Style Stir Fry Basics

I love a Cantonese style stir fry broccoli beef in a frying pan or wok. It’s the best way to combine tender pieces of sliced beef and broccoli with a delicious umami packed sauce. Master this technique and you can make almost any kind of veggie + meat stir fry.

1. marinate the beef, prep the veggies, and prep the sauce
2. stir fry the beef until browned on both sides, remove from pan
3. add veggies and a splash of water, stir, cover, and steam for 1-2 minutes
4. add the beef back to the broccoli, add the sauce and stir fry until everything is cooked thoroughly and the sauce thickens.

Broccoli Beef Ingredient Tips

You can use broccoli florets but be sure to cook them right after for optimal freshness. I like whole broccoli including the stems (my favorite part). Use a paring knife to strip the tough outer layer around the stem and then slice crosswise. The slices are so pretty that way. Sometimes I make a broccoli stir-fry with just broccoli, ginger, and garlic.

If you aren’t a fan of broccoli, I have a similar stir fry recipe for Asparagus Beef Stir Fry with more stir fry tips.

My favorite cuts of meat to use for a beef stir fry are either flat iron steak or flap meat. Flat iron steaks are tender and easy to cut across the grain. Beef flap meat is also called “chow gno yook” which means stir fry beef in Cantonese. You can use other cuts of beef, but results will vary.

If I don’t have time to go to different stores to find these cuts of meat, I use thinly shaved beef or beef that’s been cut for stir fries.

To learn how to choose and prepare beef for a stir fry, read my post on Beef Stir Fry Secrets. 

Do You Need Any Special Equipment?

I prefer to fry with a non-stick frying pan but you can use what you have. I love using my 12-inch All-Clad frying pan because it’s very thick and the heat is very stable and I can spread the ingredients to get a good sear without the meat sticking to the pan.

If you have a well-seasoned wok and cook on a regular stove, I recommend stir frying the meat in smaller batches. Cooking half of the meat at a time in a wok will make it easier to sear the meat.

You can also use a stainless steel frying pan as well but you need to be more precise about heating the pan to the right temperature but not too hot. Basically the same technique as frying an egg in a stainless steel pan without sticking.

Allergy Aware Broccoli Beef Stir Fry

The basic marinade ingredients for a Cantonese style stir fry are as follows: soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and cornstarch. If you avoid soy, you can make your own soy-free soy sauce. Folks who are gluten free or who avoid wheat, use tamari sauce instead. People who are allergic to oysters, omit the oyster sauce and use some soy sauce (maybe 50% the amount of oyster sauce) and an extra 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. If you avoid cornstarch, try substituting with tapioca starch, which is a great thickener. If you need help finding other ingredients, check out what is in my cupboard. 

This recipe as written is free of peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, fish, and sesame. 

5 from 1 vote

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Broccoli Beef Stir Fry, Chinese Take Out Style

This broccoli beef stir fry recipe is Chinese comfort food at its best with plenty of sauce to eat with freshly cooked steamed rice. This recipe is saltier than my usual recipes, you can adjust according to your personal preference.

Course Main Entree

Cuisine Chinese Stir Fry

Keyword broccoli beef

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 275 kcal

Author Sharon (NutFreeWok.com)

Ingredients

• 12 ounces stir fry beef, thinly sliced preferably flat iron or flap meat cuts
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce divided
• 4 teaspoons soy sauce divided
• 1 teaspoon sugar divided
• 3 teaspoons cornstarch divided
• 1 clove garlic minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil (or other stir fry oil)
• 1 pound broccoli (approximately 2 medium crowns) cut into bite sized pieces
• water

Instructions

1. Place the sliced beef into the medium bowl and add 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, ½ teaspoon sugar and stir. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of cornstarch over the beef , add the minced garlic, and stir, set aside for 15 minutes to marinate.

2. Prepare the sauce by adding the remaining ingredients, 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, ½ teaspoon sugar, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, and 2 tablespoons water and stir, set aside. Measure out 2 tablespoons of water, set aside.

3. Select a large frying pan (preferably with a lid*) and preheat the frying pan on medium heat for 3-5 minutes, the frying pan is ready when a drop of water sizzles in the pan.

4. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil, swirl the pan to coat, add the beef and garlic and spread the beef out and don’t touch it for 1 minute to give it a chance to sear.

5. After a minute, stir fry the beef so that both sides are browned (1 minute) and when approximately 75% cooked through, remove the beef from the frying pan and place in a clean bowl.

6. Add the broccoli to the frying pan (no need to clean), add 1-2 tablespoons of water (depends on how much liquid you have in the pan or clinging to the broccoli), and cover with a lid for 2 minutes for crisp broccoli or continue cooking for 1 more minute for softer broccoli.

7. Remove the lid, stir the broccoli, stir the sauce and add the sauce to the pan, return the beef to the frying pan and stir fry until the sauce thickens, it will take one minute and the sauce will be bubbly. During this time, push any pinkish pieces of beef to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and serve. If your sauce is too thick or thickens too fast, you can add a tablespoon of water to the sauce and stir.

Recipe Notes

*If you don’t have a frying pan with a lid, boil some water in a medium sized pot (3-4 qt) and parboil the broccoli for a minute and drain. When the beef is browned on both sides, you can add the broccoli and sauce and stir fry until the sauce thickens and everything is combined.

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I may mention the names of stores and/or brand names of products that I use because readers ask and I share products and sources which I use and think may be helpful to readers, all opinions are my own. Please note that manufacturing practices and ingredients can change at anytime without notice and readers are always responsible for assuring allergen safety before buying or consuming foods. NutFreeWok.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Thank you for reading!