Beef and broccoli is one of those dishes that should be on your fixed weekday dinner menu, because it’s so easy to make, healthier than takeout, and extremely delicious. If you’ve been ordering takeout, I highly encourage you to try making it at home once. This takeout-style Chinese beef and broccoli is extra saucy and quick to prepare. The recipe does not require a wok and you can still get that authentic taste.
I couldn’t wait to share this recipe with you because…
- You can cook everything in one pan. No extra blanching for the broccoli required!
- The dish is extra saucy and goes great with rice.
- No wok needed! You can use a flat skillet and still get that restaurant-style taste.
Ingredients
Which cut of beef to use
My personal favorite cut for beef and broccoli is flank steak, and the second best is skirt steak. I wouldn’t use a fancy cut such as a strip because it’s quite expensive and the result is not as good.
What if you need to use a cheaper but tougher cut of beef? Keep reading to learn the secret of extra tender and juicy beef.
How to create tender beef using a tough cut
If you have to use a tougher cut, for example, brisket, chuck, round roast etc., your best bet is to use the baking soda method. It is a common practice in Chinese restaurants to create extra juicy and tender beef. All you need to do is add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda (NOT baking powder) to the marinade, mix it in and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
Other vegetable alternatives
If you wish to add other types of vegetables to this dish, it’s totally OK!
You can use 1 cup of sliced carrots, sliced red peppers, snap peas, or snow peas to replace half of the broccoli.
If using carrots, add them at the same time you cook the broccoli, so they will be steamed together.
For vegetables that cook faster, you can add them halfway through steaming the broccoli, and steam them for about 20 to 30 seconds. Then return them to the pan at the end of cooking, at step 6.
Mise en place
Your table should have the ingredients below before you start cooking:
- Marinated beef
- Chopped broccoli florets
- Mixed sauce
- Ginger and garlic in a bowl
When you start cooking, you will need to move very quickly to avoid over-cooking the beef. So it’s important to have everything ready to go.
The wok vs. skillet debate
I always recommend home cooks use a flat skillet instead of a wok. This is because you can use a skillet to create very similar results, and sometimes even better results, if you’re cooking on an electric stove. (I wrote about 10 reasons not to use a wok and Wok vs. Stir Fry Pan – Which is the Right Tool for You?, if you’d like to read more on this topic.)
Chinese beef and broccoli uses a very flavorful sauce. It makes skillet cooking more tolerable. Plus, in the case of home cooking, you have a less powerful stove and might need to cook the food in more than one batch. So you will benefit from using a skillet on an electric stove because you will have a larger contact surface to sear the food properly.
Although you can use almost any nonstick skillet to make takeout-style beef and broccoli, a deeper pan such as this nonstick deep pan works best, because you will spill less when stirring the food. If you do want to use a wok on an electric stove, get one of those with a large bottom that can cover the biggest heating element on your stove.
How to cook beef and broccoli
Cooking beef and broccoli is super easy!
- Steam the broccoli in the skillet using a small amount of water
- Sear the beef
- Add the aromatics and give it a quick toss
- Add the sauce and the broccoli
- Stir everything together until the sauce thickens
That’s it!
Lastly, if you prefer a spicy beef and broccoli, add a splash of chili oil or sriracha to spice up your dish!
This beef and broccoli is very saucy so you’ll have enough sauce to douse your rice. When you prepare dinner, don’t forget to start the rice at the beginning. So the rice and main dish will be ready at the same time for a delicious Chinese dinner!
