Beef and Broccoli

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A delicious blend of succulent beef slices, crisp broccoli florets, and a symphony of savory sauces makes this Beef and Broccoli fake out take out the perfect weeknight meal.

A bowl of beef and broccoli with chopsticks on top.

Have I mentioned before that I love cooking magazines?  I do.  Every month I get Cooking Light, Taste of Home, Bon Appetit, Vegetarian Times, Saveur, and Cooking delivered to my door.  That’s in addition to magazines I pick up when I’m standing in line at the grocery store.  I can’t help it, I love beautiful photographs of food and amazing recipes.

This month when I opened up my Cooking Light my eyes immediately fell on the Beef and Broccoli Bowl.  I make a lot of Asian food so this really wasn’t too surprising.

One of my favorite Asian meals that is on our monthly rotation is Korean BBQ Tofu Bowls.  When I want a quick meal I go for Easy Bourbon Chicken.  However if I’m missing Chinese take out this Sweet and Sour Chicken is always my go to. 

Now I’ve had beef and broccoli before but I’ve never made it myself.    The magazine photo showed plenty of beef, green broccoli, and orange carrots.  The colors were beautiful and vibrant.

What is Beef and Broccoli?

Beef and Broccoli is a popular Chinese-American dish that consists of thinly sliced beef that is stir fried with broccoli in a savory brown sauce. The beef is usually marinated and cooked quickly on high heat and the broccoli is added towards the end to maintain its crispness. The sauce is made with ingredients like soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and sometimes oyster sauce or hoisin sauce. It’s a flavorful dish commonly served over rice.

Beef and Broccoli is one of those dishes that I don’t usually get when I have take out but it is something I’ll grab if I’m at a Chinese buffet.   I like the flavors of it but since I’m picky about my beef it’s something I would prefer to make at home.

Ingredients for making beef and broccoli.

Ingredients:

  • soy sauce (I prefer low sodium because this dish is fairly salty)
  • hoisin sauce
  • rice vinegar (I always use rice vinegar because it isn’t super strong and is a bit sweet)
  • cornstarch (this helps to thicken up the sauce)
  • boneless sirloin steak (use a sirloin because it’s fairly tender)
  • vegetable oil
  • garlic cloves
  • fresh ginger (or ginger paste can be used)
  • broccoli
  • onion (I like to use a sweeter onion)
  • red bell pepper (or any color bell pepper)
  • sesame oil
  • green onions (optional)

To make the stir fry combine the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, and cornstarch in a large bowl and mix well.   Add the sliced beef and toss to combine.

What type of beef should I use in beef and broccoli?

The ideal cut of beef for Beef and Broccoli is one that is tender and can be quickly cooked at high heat. It is recommended that you use flank steak or sirloin steak for this dish. These cuts are relatively tender and can be thinly sliced, making them an ideal choice for quick stir-frying.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the vegetable oil to the pan.   Remove the beef from the marinade and add it to the pan.  Cook for 3-5 minutes or until it has browned.  Remove it from the skillet and place in a bowl.

A skillet of onions and broccoli.

Add the garlic, ginger, broccoli, onion, red bell pepper, water, and sesame oil to the same skillet. Cook for 5 minutes or until the broccoli is just becoming tender. Add the reserved marinade to the pan and cook for 1 minute.

Can I add other vegetables to this dish?

You sure can!   You can add up to 2 additional cups of vegetables.  Sliced carrots, peppers, mushrooms, or even snow peas can be added.   Just make sure that broccoli is the star since this is an Asian Beef and Broccoli dish.  I would also increase to 1/3 cup of soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce since you will be using more vegetables.

A skillet with beef and broccoli in it.

Return the beef and any juices collected in the bowl to the pan with the vegetables and cook for 1 additional minute to heat the beef and mix it with the sauce. 

Serve over top of jasmine rice.  Sprinkle with green onions if desired.

My husband and I both ended up really enjoying this dish.  It was bright, colorful, and had a nice flavor to it as well.  It wasn’t full of soy sauce as so many Asian recipes are.   I found this dish to be light but filling.

Pin Image:   text title, a bowl of beef and broccoli with chop sticks on the bowl.

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A bowl of beef and broccoli with chopsticks on top.

Beef and Broccoli

Forget the take out, make your own Beef and Broccoli over rice at home!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Author: Hezzi-D

Ingredients

  • 4 c. cooked jasmine rice
  • 1/4 c. lower sodium soy sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 Tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 1 16 oz boneless sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 Tablespoon ginger minced
  • 2 c. broccoli florets
  • 1 c. onion thinly sliced
  • 1 c. red pepper chopped
  • 2/3 c. water
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 c. green onions sliced (optional)

Instructions

  • In a large bowl combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, cornstarch, and hoisin sauce. Mix well.
  • Add in the thinly sliced beef and toss to coat.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the vegetable oil to the pan and swirl to coat.
  • Remove the beef from the marinade and add to the pan (reserve remaining marinade for later).  Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the beef has just browned.  Remove from the pan and place in a bowl.
  • In the same skillet add the garlic, ginger, broccoli, onion, red pepper, water, and sesame oil.  Cook for 5 minutes or until the broccoli is just starting to get tender. 
  • Add the reserved marinade to the pan and bring to a boil.  Cook for 1 minute.
  • Return the beef and any collected juices to the pan.  Cook for an additional minute.
  • Serve over top of jasmine rice and sprinkle with green onions.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light October 2012
A bowl of Beef and Broccoli.

2 Comments

  1. Hi Heather,
    What a great bowl of flavor, this will be awesome! Hope you are having a great weekend and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen

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