Tender, juicy beef and broccoli smothered in a special glossy sauce. Who needs to order takeout when you have a Beef and Broccoli recipe sourced from a Chinese restaurant?
Copycat Chinese takeout recipes are a firm favourite in my world, with recipes like Chow Mein, Cashew Chicken, Fried Rice and Egg Foo Young on heavy rotation along with this Beef and Broccoli. For a full Chinese banquet, start with an appetiser of Spring Rolls or Potstickers. And don’t miss Chicken and Broccoli stir fry!
Beef and broccoli recipe
I’ve attempted on several occasions to wheedle recipes out of my local Chinese restaurant – with little to no success.
I’m beyond the age of hair flipping and lack the lashes for batting my eyes to any effect, but I do dial up the charm – full wattage smile, laying on the compliments, hitting them up after I’ve ordered a truckload of takeout.
Alas, I’ve gotten nowhere.
So imagine my delight when I discovered a Chinese cooking blog called Woks of Life run by a Chinese-American family who used to own a Chinese restaurant! And that’s where the base for this recipe came from – the Woks of Life Beef and Broccoli stir fry. An actual real-deal restaurant recipe!!
Beef and Broccoli Sauce
The sauce base for Chinese Beef and Broccoli is extremely simple. They key here is the right ratios:
soy sauce;
Chinese cooking wine OR Mirin (see recipe for subs);
sugar;
cornflour/cornstarch for thickening; and
Chinese Five Spice Powder – a hint of this is the signature flavour in Beef and Broccoli!
What is Chinese Five Spice powder?
It’s a spice mix made up of (surprise, surprise?) five spices – cinnamon, cloves, Szechuan pepper, fennel and star anise. It’s a common spice blend found in supermarkets nowadays that doesn’t cost any more than other standard spices.
The Sauce serves a dual purpose – as the main Sauce for the stir fry, as well as adding a little flavour directly to the beef. It doesn’t need to be marinated, just set it aside while you prep the other ingredients.
Best beef for stir fries
In the video and the photos of the finished dish in this post, I’ve used an economy beef eye fillet (Australia – Harris Farms sells it for $20/kg) which is beautifully juicy and tender, perfect for stir fries.
Any quick cooking cut of beef is suited to this recipe. Basically, the rule of thumb is: if you’d throw it on the BBQ and eat it as a steak, it’s great for stir fries.
But you can also make a Beef and Broccoli with economical beef – even stewing cuts (!!) – by using a little known Chinese restaurant secret method to tenderise beef using baking soda. It’s simple, highly effective and will make your beef incredibly tender in every stir fry – just like you cheerful local Chinese restaurant!
Beef and Broccoli – not authentic, and that’s ok!
I haven’t travelled extensively throughout China but in the time I did spend there, I can say with certainty that I never saw Beef Broccoli on any menu. Broccoli is actually very expensive in China!
So I’m pretty sure Beef and Broccoli is a westernised version of a Chinese dish, or just a Western Chinese dish.
Either way, it’s a big Chinese takeout favourite – with good reason. Tender beef with juicy broccoli generously smothered with a savoury Chinese brown sauce with the signature hint of Chinese Five Spice Powder, this is one of those dishes that’s a crowd pleaser for all ages!
Try the noodle version one day – Beef Broccoli Noodles. It’s everything you know and love about Beef and Broccoli – with noodles! – Nagi x
PS Update – also try the new Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry. Extra saucy!
More Chinese Takeout Favourites
Spring Rolls – better than egg rolls!
Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)
See all Chinese Takeout Recipes
PS Plenty of sauce – see? Because everyone loves the sauce!
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Sometimes it helps to have a visual, so watch me make this Beef Broccoli recipe!
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Chinese Beef and Broccoli
Ingredients
Sauce
- 2 tbsp cornstarch / cornflour
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (Note 1)
- 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce (Note 1)
- 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing wine) (Note 2)
- 1/8 tsp Chinese five spice powder (Note 3)
- 1 tsp sesame oil (optional)
- 1/8 tsp tsp black pepper
Stir Fry
- 2 tbsp oil
- 12 oz / 360g beef fillet, flank or rump (Note 4 for tenderising option)
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 4 – 5 cups broccoli florets (1 head), cooked (Note 5)
- 1 cup water
Serving:
- Sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Place cornflour and water in bowl then mix. Add remaining Sauce ingredients.
- Slice the beef into 1/4″ / 0.5cm thick slices. Place the beef and 2 tbsp of the Sauce into a bowl and set aside.
- Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Add beef and spread out, leave for 1 minute until browned.
- Stir beef for 10 seconds, then add garlic and ginger. Stir for another 30 seconds or until beef is no longer pink.
- Pour Sauce and water into the skillet and quickly mix.
- When the sauce starts bubbling, add broccoli. Stir to coat the broccoli in Sauce, then let it simmer for 1 minute or until Sauce is thickened.
- Remove from heat immediately and serve over rice. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Originally published March 2015, updated with new photos, new words, slightly more streamlined recipe and a recipe video!Nutrition Information:
Beef and Broccoli recipe original published March 2015, updated 2018 with new photos, new words, slightly more streamlined recipe and a recipe video!
LIFE OF DOZER
He’ll take the beef over the broccoli……
Hi Nagi, I am curious why there is no oyster sauce in this recipe like your chicken broccoli and Woks of Life beef broccoli? I have never cooked stir fry before and I’m reading these recipes over and over to make sure I get it right! My family loves many of your recipes. Thank you!
What happens if you velveting a good beef? You said it’s only necessary for economical beef but I never cook beef and
I’m afraid that even good steak gets tough.
Hi Roxanne – I would not velvet an expensive cut of beef because it doesn’t need it. I would just be VERY sure not to overcook it!! N x
I Added water chesnuts for that extra crunch! Delicious!
This recipe was really tasty. My husband and I both went back for seconds! Its a keeper, Thankyou Nagi.
Hi Nagi! A quick question re velveting, I usually use beef tenderloin for my stir fry’s…do I need to velvet tenderloin for that authentic takeaway texture? thanks J
Beef tenderloin does not need to be tenderized, unless it is less than Choice grade. The whole point of velveting is so that you can use less expensive cuts of meat.
Made this tonight, stuck to the recipe. DIED! What a wonderful meal. Thank you Nagi!
This was excellent. I went to the Woks people to find out how much ginger to add. 🙂
Hi Nagi,
I’m wanting to steam the broccoli in a bamboo steamer. How long do I steam them for?
I would just cook til slightly before tender as it will cook more in the mix with everything. You don’t want it soggy or falling apart.
Hi Maureen, not sure what you mean here – all ingredients are listed in the recipe. N x
OMG!!! LOVED THIS!! Used the velveting technique and I was out of ginger 🙁 however it was still the bomb, won’t be ordering expensive takeout as much that’s for sure!! My picky eater even cleaned his plate! Can’t wait to try some more of your recipes!
Pro tip, on Ginger: I get this brand from Walmart, of all places, that’s teeny-diced/mooshed *real* ginger, fr0zen into 1tsp balls (1 ball = 1 tsp fresh grated). The brand is DOROT and they call it “Frozen Crushed Ginger Cubes,” and it saves me all the time. We live quite a schlep from any of our 3 groceries, so there’s no “running to the store for a gallon of milk” or anything else, for that matter. So, frozen crushed ginger to the rescue!
The velveting salvaged these horrible top-sirloins that I got–they were thin and mangy, (best term I can use for them, ate like grass-fed instead of grain, fatty but not marbled, sigh). I pounded them a skoosh first with the flat side of a meat mallet, and then velveted them for 45 minutes. Worked a treat.
I am thinking about spicing up the sauce a bit, though. To me, as good as it is, it needs a little something else–and yes, I’ve added sriracha sauce and pepper and yes, I’ve been unsparing with the Sesame Oil. Not sure what it is I need to add. I see a lot of folks added onion and chili flakes (presumably, dried red pepper) and the dried red pepper may be my next experiment.
Thank you, Nagi, for an incredibly EASY to fix, relatively fast-to-do meal. (I double the sauce, btw, folks and that way, Mr. Wonderful can slurp it all up!)
Lovely dish – my brother had two serves. The bi-carb velveting was terrific. I added onions and offered chilli flakes for a hit. Thanks Dozer and Nagi – you are a dream team!
That’s awesome to hear Clare, thanks so much!! N x
This was SO GOOD!
Tweaked a little.. needed an onion… I looked this up because the recipe I usually use, requires Black Bean sauce.. the ONE time I don’t have any! Anyway… made sauce as directed ( DO NOT skip the sesame oil!!) a little more soy sauce (just used the kikko <3 ) 2 tsp chicken base to the 2 cups water..
DID velvet the sirloin steaks..
VERY happy with this! <3
I’ve researched this recipe for a few weeks now and it was almost impossible to figure out. But just like you, I came across the Woks of Life recipe. It changed my life. I love how you credit their website. The recipe actually taste better than takeout! I however use some brown sugar and regular sugar that’s my only tweak…but thanks for posting this recipe my family’s new favorite.
Delicious recipe, just like in a restaurant. I velveted the chuck I had and my 3 year old who struggles to eat meat thought it was great!
Made this..love it. Want to make for 50 people along with 2 other dishes. Estimate 3kg meat. Nit sure about ratio of sauce…any suggestions? Regards Ann
Ann, there is a slide scale just below the stars at the end of the recipe that gives quantities for up to 50 people.
I made this for my family today. Gone in a flash, sauce licked clean by my kids! Quick and tasty. Thank you, Nagi💕
Hi Nagi! I have all the ingredients but I
want to slow cook. What do
I need to do or not do if using
a “crock pot”?
Made this tonight, sooo good, heaps better than restaurant food I’ve had, brilliant. Thanks so much I will confidently keep this as part of our meal plan!
I made this today, 4 really large heads of broccoli as we are massive broccoli fans. Called my daughter from her room to be my tester and she threw her hands up in the air saying, “YES! I was craving this!!!”
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipes. 🙂
Another cracker, we had this for dinner tonight, rounding out a big Nagi week here with gyoza for dinner the past two nights and the Greek chicken and rice for lunch all week – we’d be lost without you! ❤️
This was quick and tasty!
I did this not only because I had a beef chuck that was too big for “slow cooked shredded beef rague” needing another recipe using the chuck, but because I wanted to try the tenderizing technique. It worked beautifully.
Thank you for the recipe!
Made this last night for myself and 2 kids. Added cauliflower since one kid isn’t that keen on broccoli. Also didn’t have dark/light soy, so it was all Kikkoman all the way.. 🙂
Oh man it was delicious!! We all pretty much demolished it, thanks Nagi. Definitely making again!