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Easy Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

Name: Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup beef broth; 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce; 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil; 1 teaspoon brown sugar; 1 teaspoon cornstarch; 1 teaspoon dried onion powder; 1/2 teaspoon dried garlic powder (or more to taste); 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (or more to taste); minced fresh garlic and minced fresh ginger (to taste); 1 pound beef round (cut into strips; or another TENDER cut); 1 tablespoon oil; 1 pound broccoli (in florets)

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4.71 from 71 votes

Jump to Recipe 12/29/20 | Updated: 12/29/20 | by Nora

This Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry is so quick and easy to make – whip it up in 30 minutes with strips of tender beef, healthy broccoli and simple ingredients.

overhead view of beef and broccoli in white bowl with chopsticks

Nothing beats those quick and easy recipes when you have a bunch of hungry people complaining in the kitchen ? But it’s even worse to take little kids out to eat, so this is one of my favorite ways to make takeout right at home!

What I love most about this recipe? I don’t have to run to a specialty store to buy seven different sauces and spices. I have most of these in my pantry all the time – the one I buy especially for Asian-inspired recipes is toasted sesame oil.

But that’s one, and not seven, so I figure it’s fine to call it fuss-free ?

Ingredients you’ll need

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!

ingredients for beef and broccoli with text labels

Ingredient notes

Beef: Please do yourself a favor and use a tender cut of beef that cooks quickly.

Something like beef round cut into strips is perfect. I know there’s many delicious recipes for crock pot beef and broccoli out there, but this one is a quick variation so you need a quick-cooking cut of beef.

Beef broth: if you don’t have any beef broth on hand, you can use chicken broth. the sauce will be less rich, but still delicious.

Toasted sesame oil: this does add a nice flavor, but it’s an ingredient I know not everybody has on hand. Just use a neutral oil to replace it, and sprinkle the dish with sesame seeds before serving, if you have those.

Brown sugar: calm down, people, it’s just 1 teaspoon ? if you want to avoid the sugar, use honey/maple syrup or skip it completely.

Broccoli: I used fresh, but frozen broccoli is OK, too. I would defrost before using it, and you’ll have to be OK with it being a little more mushy.

How to make a Beef and Broccoli stir fry

1. Start by whisking together all ingredients for the sauce in a medium bowl.

Then, add the beef and stir well. Set this aside while you continue with the recipe, this will allow the beef to marinate for a few minutes.

photo collage to show how to marinate beef in soy sauce

2. Now, stir-fry the broccoli florets in a little oil until they’re just tender.

As soon as the broccoli is done, remove it from the pan and set it aside on a plate.

photo collage to show how to stir fry broccoli

3. Add the beef and all of the marinade to the pan. Cook it until the beef has reached your preferred doneness.

This will only take 30 seconds to 2 minutes if you use the right cut of beef! So make sure you do not overcook your meat.

photo collage to show how to stir fry beef

4. Finally, stir the broccoli into the beef. Cook it for 30-60 seconds, until the broccoli is heated through and the sauce has thickened to your liking.

Make sure to check for seasoning and add additional soy sauce or salt as needed!

photo collage to show how to finish a beef and broccoli stir fry

Recipe tips

make sure you use the right cut of beef and cut it into even strips against the grain for best results
don’t overcook the beef or it will turn out tough
don’t overcook the broccoli either, or it will get smashed when you stir it into the beef and sauce
if you want, you can marinate the beef in the fridge for a couple of hours. I do not recommend marinating this specific cut for longer or even overnight, as it doesn’t need tenderizing. You only marinate it to get the flavor.

close up photo of beef and broccoli stir fry

Serving ideas

We love this served over rice, but Asian noodles work really well, too – when I make noodles, I toss them in the skillet with the beef and broccoli to coat them in the sauce. So good!

This would also work well with zucchini noodles for a low carb dinner, for you crazies out there ?

close up photo of beef, broccoli and rice in a white bowl

More restaurant style dinners made at home

PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.

Printable recipe