This recipe for beef and broccoli stir fry is a classic dish of beef sauteed with fresh broccoli florets and coated in a savory sauce. You can have a healthy and easy dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes!
I love stir fries for a quick meal that’s full of flavor. Some of my favorites include honey garlic chicken stir fry, teriyaki shrimp, and this delicious beef broccoli.
This chicken and broccoli stir fry has been one of the most popular recipes on my site for years, it was only a matter of time before a beef and broccoli stir fry came to be! This recipe tastes just like something you’d order at a Chinese restaurant, but is super easy to make at home.
How Do You Make Beef And Broccoli Stir Fry?
First, cook some broccoli, ginger and garlic in a pan until the vegetables are tender. Remove the veggies from the pan, and add the steak. Cook the steak until browned, you may need to do this step in batches. Return the vegetables to the pan, then make the sauce. The sauce is a mixture of beef broth, oyster sauce, sesame oil and soy sauce. Pour the sauce into the pan along with some cornstarch, then let everything simmer until the sauce has thickened. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Tips for the perfect beef and broccoli
- The beef in this recipe is thinly sliced flank steak. I find that it can sometimes be tricky to slice steak, so I typically put it in the freezer for about 30 minutes before I slice it. Freezing the meat helps to firm it up so that you can get thinner slices.
- If you’re not able to use flank steak, other great options include sirloin, skirt steak or New York strip.
- Oyster sauce is a brown Chinese sauce that can be found in the ethnic aisle of most grocery stores. It is different than fish sauce, which is typically used in Thai and Vietnamese cooking. If you can’t find oyster sauce or don’t want to use it, you can substitute hoisin sauce. Hoisin sauce isn’t exactly the same but still makes for a great dish.
- This dish is great for meal prep, and will stay fresh for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- Serve your stir fry over rice, noodles or quinoa. If you’re watching your carbs, you can also use cauliflower rice.
Beef Broccoli Variations
This recipe is delicious as written, but you can absolutely switch up the ingredients to customize it to your tastes.
- Protein: Instead of flank steak, try ground beef, sliced chicken breast, shrimp, pork tenderloin or cubed tofu.
- Vegetables: Feel free to add other veggies such as sliced carrots, bok choy, mushrooms, snow peas, bell peppers or baby corn.
- Add-Ins: You can add sriracha or chili oil for a bit of heat, or cashews, sesame seeds or almonds for texture.
This beef and broccoli stir fry is a great way to satisfy your Chinese food cravings without picking up the phone to call for takeout. I typically start a pot of rice at the same time I make my stir fry, that way all of my dinner components will be ready at the same time. Even my kids love this one!
Other recipes you’ll love
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef
- Pineapple Chicken
- Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
- Kung Pao Shrimp
Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry Video
Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 lbs flank steak thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vegetable oil divided use
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/4 cup oyster sauce
- 1/4 cup beef broth or water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the broccoli and cook for approximately 4 minutes or until tender.
- Add the ginger and garlic to the pan and cook for 30 seconds more.
- Remove the broccoli from the pan; place on a plate and cover.
- Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel and turn the heat to high. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil.
- Season the steak pieces with salt and pepper and add them to the pan in a single layer - you may need to do this step in batches. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until browned and cooked through.
- Add the broccoli mixture back to the pan and cook for 2 more minutes or until warmed through.
- In a bowl whisk together the oyster sauce, beef broth, sugar, sesame oil and soy sauce. In a small bowl mix the cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water.
- Pour the oyster sauce mixture over the beef and vegetables; cook for 30 seconds. Add the cornstarch and bring to a boil; cook for 1 more minute or until sauce has just started to thicken.
- Serve immediately, with rice if desired.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on October 8, 2017 and was updated on February 25, 2020 with new content.
What kind of oyster sauce do you use? Mine has 790/1 TBSP so 3160 for a 1/4 cup. Even with using low sodium soy sauce that make 871 mg Na per serving. Thanks
I typically use Kikkoman!
For the most part, this was delicious. Made sticky rice to go with. It was a little on the salty side. If I were to make it again, I would use a low sodium soy sauce and omit adding any added salt to the meat. Would definitely make again!! Thank you for sharing.
Hello! We don’t eat oysters, and I dislike mushrooms. I promise I’m not trying to be difficult!😉
How about subbing some white wine instead of the oyster sauce???
Thank you for input!
I would use hoisin sauce instead!
Very good.
Can this be made then frozen?
Yes that should be fine!
I made a vegan version using Morningstar Farms “beef tips” and Thai mushroom sauce in place of oyster sauce. I followed the directions exactly, but for the beef tips, I only peppered them (no salt cuz the mushroom sauce is very salty) and sauteed them for 3 mins on each side til browned. It was soooo good! I think I will add another teaspoon of brown sugar next time to cut the mushroom sauce a bit more, but otherwise- perfect. I’m going to have the leftovers for breakfast!
My husband loved this recipe. He hates rice, so I cooked up some thin spaghetti and tossed it in the sauce at the very end. Also marinated the beef in some oyster sauce and olive oil before hand. Threw in some extra vegetables (carrot/red pepper and Japanese cabbage) as well. The sauce was delicious.
I have made this twice now, we love it but my sauce
Wont ever thicken… any suggestions as to what I am doing wrong?
You can add a little extra corn starch to see if that helps, try 1-2 teaspoons more.
Make sure that your sauce is heated to 203 degrees Fahrenheit or higher when you add corn starch, or it will not thicken.
Wow! Awesome dish! Tastes just as good or better than from a Chinese restaurant.
I used brown sugar and this recipe came out so good!! Tasted amazing! Definitely will cook this dinner again.
I make this about every other week and it is delicious every time! Other fun veggies to add are carrots, lotus root, and eggplant.
Thanks so much for this recipe!
Amazing recipe! Turned out perfect!!
Incredible! Tastes just as good or better as from a Chinese restaurant.
OMG so delicious! I’m glad I made a special trip to the store for the oyster sauce…just not sure it would be as good without. Definitely a keeper!
Tried this tonight! Didn’t have oyster sauce so went without was still good. Will be making this again.
Hubby loved it!
Have made a family favorite Beef Broc many times. Have now tried the Chicken version substituting chicken, chicken broth and adding some Colored Bell peppers and Red onion and turned into Fajita instead of over rice. Some family members sprinkled cheese in tortilla. I added sour cream! Outstanding!!!! Easy fast and a hit with all on work nights!! Dinner at the Zoo homemade sauces, recipe ideas and variations nails it again!! Very happy with her recipes!! 😊
Can this recipe be done in a crock pot?
Yes that should be fine, I’d follow the technique I have here: https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/slow-cooker-mongolian-beef/
Topped it off with cashews and we loved this dish! Sauce is so yummy!
Great, simple, delicious recipe!! A keeper for anytime of the week. Many thanks 😊
This has become one of our go-tos! Was especially amazing with fresh broccoli from our garden! I end up adding extra everything (meat, vegetables- sometimes peppers and mushrooms) ,the sauce ratio is always perfect no matter the quantity of fillers. I use kitchen scissors for the steak and it is so much faster than slicing with a knife and easy to make thin strips. This comes together so quickly on a weeknight, thank you!