This homemade beef and broccoli recipe tastes just like Chinese takeout!

Thin slices of marinated beef and broccoli florets are simmered in a sweet and spicy hoisin sauce.

plated Beef and Broccoli

You’ll Be Making This Beef and Broccoli Recipe on Repeat Because…

  • It has all the flavor of your favorite takeout recipe at a fraction of the cost.
  • The sauce is easy and flavorful without too much sugar.
  • It’s made in just one skillet for quick cleanup.
  • Bulk it up with extra veggies and serve it over fried rice or ramen noodles.

Beef & Broccoli Essentials

  • Beef: I love flank steak for beef stir fries and dishes like mongolian beef. Skirt steak or hanger steak are other great options.
  • Marinade: Hoisin sauce, cornstarch, and Sriracha add flavor and tenderize the beef. If you haven’t tried hoisin sauce, it’s really delicious in stir fries or drizzled over rice.
  • Broccoli: I prefer fresh broccoli florets in this recipe. Cut them into small, bite-sized pieces. You can use frozen broccoli however it has a softer texture
  • Sauce: The sauce is made with oyster sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce and rice wine. Ensure you’re using rice WINE, not rice vinegar.

Variations

  • Add in water chestnuts, baby corn, mushrooms, or sliced bell peppers.
  • Top with toasted sesame seeds or sliced almonds.

How To Ensure The Beef Is Tender

To properly slice flank steak, look at the beef and you’ll see lines running along the length of the beef.  That’s called the grain, and it looks similar to the grain on a piece of wood.  If you cut alongside those lines (or WITH the grain), the steak becomes very tough and chewy.  So instead, you’re going to cut across the lines (AGAINST the grain), which breaks down the connective fibers and gives you tender pieces of meat.

Beef and broccoli in skillet with bowl of rice

How to Make Beef and Broccoli

  1. Prepare marinade and add to sliced beef, then make the sauce (recipe below).
  2. Stir-fry the beef and transfer to a plate. Cook broccoli florets in the same skillet.
  3. Add the sauce over the beef and broccoli.Simmer and stir until sauce is thickened.

Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds and serve over rice.

Beef Tips

  • Freeze flank steak for about 30 minutes beforehand for easier slicing.
  • Thinly slice the beef across the grain into strips for tender beef.
  • Marinate for at least 15 minutes to tenderize and flavor the beef.
Bowl of beef and broccoli with rice

Storing Leftovers

Keep leftover beef and broccoli in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze in a zippered bag for up to 4 months. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave with a little water to loosen the sauce.

Stir Fry Favorites

Did your family love this Beef and Broccoli recipe? Leave a comment and a rating below.

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Bowl of beef and broccoli with rice
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Beef and Broccoli Recipe

This recipe takes tender beef and crisp broccoli and cooks it in a homemade sweet and spicy sauce.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Marinate Time 15 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

Skillet on white background
Skillet
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Ingredients  

For the Marinade

  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha

For the Sauce

  • 7 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 6 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 6 tablespoons beef broth low sodium is best
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine NOT rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Toasted Sesame Oil
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha
  • 1 teaspoon hoisin sauce
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

For the Stir Fry

  • 1 pound flank steak sliced thinly across the grain
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil divided use
  • 4 cups broccoli florets
  • 1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
  • cup water
  • sliced green onions for garnish
  • sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl, combine sliced flank steak with all marinade ingredients. Let rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together all ingredients and set aside. Gather all stir-fry ingredients and set aside.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the beef in a single layer, in batches if needed, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring halfway through. Transfer cooked beef to a plate.
  • Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to same skillet and add the broccoli florets. Cook the broccoli for 1 minute, then add water and cover the skillet to steam the broccoli for approximately 2-3 minutes, or until tender-crisp. Transfer the broccoli to the plate with the beef.
  • If needed, add a small drizzle of vegetable oil to the same skillet, then add garlic and ginger. Cook for 30 seconds, being careful not to burn the garlic.  Add cooked beef and broccoli to the skillet and stir to combine.
  • Whisk sauce ingredients again to make sure they're combined, then add them to the skillet. Cook everything for 1-2 minutes, stirring until sauce is thickened and the beef and broccoli are coated.
  • Remove from heat and sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds if desired and serve. Can be served as is, or over white rice.

Notes

Ensure the steak is cut across the grain so it is tender. For easier slicing, place the beef in the freezer for 15 to 30 minutes before cutting.
Cut the broccoli florets into smaller bite sized pieces for best results.
4.98 from 34 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 356 | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 1562mg | Potassium: 484mg | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Vitamin C: 2.5mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 2.1mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Beef, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine American, Asian
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sweet and savory Beef and Broccoli with a title
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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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Comments

  1. This is EXCELLENT!!!!

    Quick question Holly – how long would the sauce last in the refrigerator? I made a double batch of the sauce & only used half so I could make it later with chicken but I don’t know how long it will last. Thank you5 stars

    1. Hello Darla. I am glad that you enjoyed the recipe. This sauce will last for 1 week in the refrigerator.

  2. Very good Easy to make just added sliced carrots and onion. Otherwise followed recipe.
    Got everything read before starting as stated.5 stars

  3. This is the best beef and broccoli recipe out there and much better than take-out. I can’t find oyster sauce in my area (bummer), but I found online that soy sauce can be used as a substitute so that’s what I did. I made it last Tuesday; we’ve not stopped thinking about it so it’s what’s for dinner on this lovely Sunday evening. Initially, it’s pricey to get all the ingredients but we’ll use this recipe over and over. I’ll make it saucier this time around, it will be easy to play with. Thanks so much for this great recipe!5 stars

  4. This has got to be the best beef and broccoli I ever made. It’s even better than the restaurants. Thank you for sharing. I love your site!5 stars

    1. Hi Regina, for all recipes it is per serving, and this recipe is broken into 4 servings. Actual serving size may vary dependent on the ingredients you use so we do recommend running it through a nutrition app like MyFitnessPal using your own ingredient brands and quantities.

  5. Looks good. However, how many people (other than Oriental people) have a bottle of rice wine hanging around. To go buy one for 2 tablespoons seems silly. What can I substitute.

    1. Hi Shirley, you can substitute it for regular oil but will lose the delicious sesame flavor it provides in this recipe. When it comes to sesame oil there are so many delicious recipes you can make with it, it is definitely a staple in my cupboard!

      1. Hi! I’m assuming the rice wine you used here is the Chinese shao xing cooking wine and not the Japanese Mirin sweet rice wine, right?

      2. For this recipe, we use a standard cooking rice wine Joahna. I hope that helps :)

  6. Good recipe! Recommendations after my first attempt at making is to cut the light brown sugar amount. There are a lot of flarovable ingredients going into this sauce, and using 6 T. of sugar overwhelmed them. If you like sweeter sauces, follow the recipe, but if you like a more savory, salty sauce, cut the sugar to one or two tablespoons — just my humble opinion. And stay true to the instructions on steaming the broccoli — I added a couple more minutes of steaming, but then in the end, the florets were softer than ideal — still good! Hubby loved this recipe!4 stars

  7. Made this for dinner last night and we absolutely loved it! It’s earned a regular spot in our menu rotation.5 stars