Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry
If I had to choose a weeknight dinner to serve my family forever, I think it would be a stir-fry. Fresh, flavorful, and endless combinations of proteins and vegetables make it an absolute favorite. Here, thinly sliced steak is cooked to perfection, and bites of crisp and tender broccoli are coated in a deliciously glossy sauce that is sweet, savory, and balanced. It’s made with simple ingredients and can be prepped in just 15 minutes, which makes it doable for busy weeknights.
This recipe came out of a kid’s request.
They love the steak and pepper stir-fry I make, but don’t love the peppers so asked if we could make it with broccoli instead. Of course I obliged.
This steak and broccoli stir-fry has protein, produce, energy (carbs), and flavor – all important and valuable nutrition considerations in my nutrition philosophy. It’s…
🥩 Family-approved flavor: Tender steak and bright broccoli make every bite satisfying and vibrant. It’s a crowd-pleaser!
😋 Seriously delicious: Everything gets coated in a glossy sauce that is sweet, savory, and perfectly balanced.
🛒 Made with simple ingredients: You’ll need some pantry staples, fresh produce, and some steak, but nothing too fancy or difficult to find.
🥦 Veggie-packed: Don’t you love it when the meal includes the veggie side as well?
🍴 Fast weeknight dinner: Ready in under 30 minutes for busy evenings, this is totally doable and oh-so-satisfying for weeknights.
🔥 One-pan cooking: Everything (but the rice) cooks up in one skillet, making cleanup easy.
You’ll also want to try my ground beef and broccoli, orange chicken, ground pork stir-fry.
Ingredient Notes
You’ll need some fresh ingredients and pantry staples to bring this stir-fry to the table: broccoli, steak, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, rice vinegar, sesame oil, vegetable oil, salt, pepper, rice, and any desired garnishes.
- Broccoli: You can buy prepped broccoli florets or broccoli crowns, but both will require some prep. I tend to opt for broccoli crowns, as sometimes bagged broccoli is a little old, and it still requires prep! You’ll want to trim the broccoli into small pieces, about 1 inch in size, so they cook evenly and can also easily fit onto a fork.
- Steak: Flank steak works well for stir-fry, but you can also use sirloin or skirt steak. The most important factor is that the beef will stay tender in a quick cooking process. Some stores carry stir-fry steak, which is already cut, and that is another great convenience option. We’ll be cutting the steak against the grain to help keep it tender.
- Soy sauce: Use your favorite soy sauce. You can use low-sodium soy sauce, but you may need to adjust the seasonings a bit. You can also use tamari or coconut aminos for gluten-free options.
Emily’s Tips & Tricks
- Pro tip: In order to cook both the beef and broccoli to perfection (no mushy broccoli or overcooked steak here!), we’re going to initially cook them separately, and then bring them together with the sauce for the final few minutes of cooking to bring it all together.
- Feeding kids without pressure: Serve a small piece of broccoli and bite of steak if it’s a new food and serve the meal with a few sides you know they’ll eat like milk, fruit, and bread with butter if they don’t do rice.
- Variations: You can obviously switch up the veggies here, you may just need to adjust the cooking time accordingly, but snow peas, bok choy, cabbage, or a veggie medley would all be delicious.
Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stir Fry
Description
This steak and broccoli stir-fry is a quick, family-friendly dinner with tender steak, crisp broccoli, and a savory sauce. Ready in under 30 min!
Ingredients
- 16 oz. broccoli florets
- 16 oz. flank steak
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 tsp. ginger
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
- 1 tsp. sea salt, divided
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- rice for serving
- garnish: sliced green onion, soy sauce, sriracha/garlic chile sauce, sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prep ingredients:
Prepare rice according to package instructions.
Cut and trim broccoli so it’s in small, bite-size pieces.
Slice flank steak against the grain in 1/2 inch thick and 2-3 inches long. **Freeze for 30 min to make this easy.
Mince or grate garlic.
Mince ginger. - Mix up the stir-fry sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together minced garlic, minced ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, rice vinegar, and sesame oil.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok. Add broccoli to the skillet and season with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Cover, lower the heat to medium, and cook for 3-4 minutes, until slightly tender. Transfer broccoli to a plate and wipe out the skillet if necessary.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok. Add steak and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to skillet and cook for 5-8 minutes, until browned.
- Add the broccoli and soy sauce mixture to the pan and lower the heat to medium. Cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thick and glossy.
- Serve stir-fry over rice. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. If desired, serve with extra soy sauce and chili garlic sauce (or sriracha) to taste.
Notes
- Storage: Store easy beef and broccoli leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. For best results, reheat the stir-fry in a hot skillet, just until heated through. You could also microwave (and I’ve done this!), but it can make the meat a bit tough.
- Ingredient notes: Use high-quality espresso beans for best results. Whole milk creates the creamiest foam, but plant-based options like oat or almond milk also work.
- Prep ahead: If you want to prep some of this meal ahead, you can trim the broccoli and mix uip the stir-fry sauce up to a day in advance.
- Special tools: A large skillet or wok will be helpful to contain everything. And a rice maker is a must if you do frequent stir-fries.
- Serve with: Rice, noodles, or cauliflower rice.
- Nutrition: Nutrition facts are an estimate and do not include rice.
Serving Suggestions
Rice is of course the classic stir-fry accompianment, but you have other options, too!
- Rice: Use a rice maker for perfect rice (honestly one of my favorite appliances, we use it weekly!). You can serve the stir-fry with white rice or brown rice. We typically go with white rice as we prefer the taste the nutritional difference between white and brown rice is minimal.
- Noodles: If you prefer noodles over rice, that is a great option as well. Use rice noodles, soba or udon noodles, or even regular spaghetti.
- Cauliflower rice: If you’re looking to add in even more veggies, serve with cauliflower rice! I typically add this as an additional side to stir-fry meals as it’s easy and everyone in my family eats it.
FAQs
We’re solving this problem in a few ways. The first is to choose a cut of beef that cooks quickly and doesn’t require a long cooking time. Cuts like flank steak, sirloin, or ribeye will all work well. The second is to cut the steak into thin strips AGAINST the grain. This will naturally cut down on the fibers that give meat a tougher chew.
To cook the broccoli to tender-crisp and not mushy, we are cooking it separately from the beef and we are quickly steaming it to help it soften up, but not get too mushy. Then we’ll finish cooking it with the steak and sauce to bring everything together.
Sure! You know I am always going to say yes to adding IN more veggies to a dish. Bell peppers, onions, carrots, and snap peas are all delicious additions. Just be sure to adjust the cooking times as some ingredients take longer to cook than others.
More Stir-Fry Recipes
If you like this steak and broccoli stir-fry recipe, you might also like some of these other stir-fry recipes:
About the Author
Emily Dingmann is a recipe developer, nutrition expert, and founder of My Everyday Table. She specializes in creating easy, healthy recipes that help busy parents feed their families well every single day, without the stress. With a degree in Nutrition and over 20 years of experience, Emily shares family-friendly meals that are practical, nourishing, and full of flavor. Learn more about Emily’s approach to everyday cooking and nutrition here.
Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.
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