Beef and Broccoli Recipe

Better than takeout and ready in 30 minutes, my Beef and Broccoli recipe is a quick and easy dinner that you’ll be making on repeat! Skip the delivery and let your skillet do all the flexing! A handful (or two) of ingredients and a hot wok is all you need to get the party started! Stir-fried beef, broccoli, a saucy and savoury sauce and aromatics combine to create the ultimate comfort food dish. Beef up your veggie intake with this easy recipe!

My Beef and Broccoli recipe starts off with a thick cut of flank steak. This cut of beef is flat, long and lean and benefits from a quick or flash cook over high heat. The secret to juicy, tender and soft flank steak is way in which it is sliced. Cutting the steak against the grain ensures optimal tenderness, otherwise you’ll be left with a chewy and tough beef. This involves slicing the meat perpendicular to the muscle fibers rather than parallel to them. The sliced beef is then tossed in a fragrant marinade that infuses it with tons of umami flavour while also tenderizing it. The marinade consists of oyster sauce, tamari, dry sherry, cornstarch, baking soda and white pepper. Oyster sauce, a sauce derived from boiling oysters and reducing the broth into a sauce, combines with tamari, dry sherry and white pepper to create a marinade that is earthy, rich, crispy and savoury. Cornstarch and baking powder are added to the mix to tenderize the beef, a process often referred to as velveting the beef. This Chinese culinary technique transforms tougher cuts of beef into juicy and tender morsels by breaking down the fibrous tissues while also locking in moisture.

Beef and broccoli go hand in hand! Broccoli florets are added to a hot wok alongside some cold water, covered and steamed to maintain their crispy texture and bright green colour. The par cooked broccoli is then transferred to a bowl and set aside to rest. The sliced beef is added to the hot wok and seared until slightly caramelized. Green onions, steamed broccoli and stir fry sauce are added to the mix. The stir fry sauce combines tamari, dry sherry and cornstarch used in the marinade, with oyster sauce, vegetable stock, sesame oil, garlic and ginger to create an aromatic, balanced, flavourful and savoury sauce. When cooked, the sauce thickens, becomes incredibly glossy and envelops all the ingredients in this dish, yielding the most craveable and satisfying bite! Garnish with green onions and toasted sesame seeds for some added freshness, crunch and nuttiness without the nuts!

If you’re looking for a delicious dinner idea, then you’ll have to try this dish! Serve it alongside some cooked rice or noodles for a takeout inspired meal! My Beef and Broccoli recipe couldn’t be easier to make, comes together in 30 minutes and uses a handful of simple ingredients. Make it during a busy week for a quick dinner or meal prep and enjoy it over the next two days. The world is your oyster! So, let me show you how it’s done. Grab a spoon and come and cook with me!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdjxhuLVDng

For more better than takeout recipes, try my Smash Burger, Chicken Wings, Crispy Chicken Sandwich, Homemade Wedge Fries, Dill Pickle Coleslaw, Breakfast Sandwich and Chocolate Chip Cookie recipes!

Prep Time: 22 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4 - 6

Ingredients:

Beef

• 1 ½ lbs flank steak, cut against the grain into ¼ inch slices

• 1 Tbsp gluten-free tamari sauce (See Notes below)

• 1 Tbsp dry sherry or white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc (See Notes below)

• 1 tsp cornstarch

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp white pepper

  
  

Stir Fry Sauce

• ¼ cup gluten-free oyster sauce (See Notes below)

• ½ cup vegetable stock

• 2 Tbsp gluten-free tamari sauce (See Notes below)

• 2 Tbsp dry sherry or white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc (See Notes below)

• 2 Tbsp garlic, peeled and minced (approx. 3 large cloves)

• 2 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced (approx. 1-inch piece of ginger)

• 1 ½ tsp sesame oil

• 2 tsp cornstarch

• 1 ½ tsp granulated sugar

Stir Fry

• 5 cups broccoli florets (approx. 2 heads of broccoli)

• ¼ cup cold water

• 2 Tbsp avocado oil (See Notes below)

• 3 green onions

• ½ Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted (See Notes below)

• Cooked rice or noodles, as an accompaniment

Instructions:

1. To a large bowl, add the sliced flank steak, tamari, dry sherry, cornstarch, baking soda and white pepper and mix until fully incorporated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the beef to marinate.

2. Add the oyster sauce, vegetable stock, tamari, dry sherry, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, cornstarch and sugar and whisk until combined. Set aside.

3. While the beef is marinating, thinly slice the green onions, separating the white and green portions. 

4. To a large wok or skillet set over medium heat, add the broccoli and water. Cover and steam for 2 minutes. Transfer the steamed broccoli to a heatproof bowl and set aside.

5. Remove the wok from the heat, draining and discarding any excess water, ensuring that the wok is dry.

6. Set the wok over the stove and increase the heat to medium-high. Once hot, toss in the avocado oil and beef and cook for 3 minutes, flipping the beef over halfway through the cook time.

7. Reduce the heat to medium and toss in the white portion of the green onions and cook for 1 minute. Then, add the stir fry sauce and broccoli, toss and cook for 2 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.

8. Remove the Beef and Broccoli from the stove. Season it with the remaining green onions and sesame seeds. Serve it over top or alongside cooked rice or noodles and enjoy!

   
   

Notes:

1. A Splash of Soy: If you don’t have gluten-free tamari in your pantry and you aren’t worried about eating gluten, simply substitute it for soy sauce on a 1:1 basis. 

2. Keeping with Tradition: Beef and Broccoli is traditionally made using Shaoxing wine. Shaoxing wine is a fermented rice wine that uses wheat-based yeast as its starter, making it unsuitable for those adhering to a gluten-free diet. If you have Shaoxing wine on hand and gluten isn’t of concern, replace the dry sherry (or white wine) used in this recipe on a 1:1 basis with Shaoxing wine.

3. Oyster Sauce: Oyster sauce is a thick, brown and velvety sauce made from oyster extract, sugar, salt, soy sauce and thickening agents (such as cornstarch or wheat flour). Gluten-free varieties are often thickened with cornstarch and flavoured with tamari. If eating gluten-free isn’t a concern, substitute the gluten-free oyster sauce in this recipe with regular oyster sauce on a 1:1 basis.  

4. Neutral Oils: I love using avocado oil for this recipe. If you don’t have avocado oil on hand, then you can simply substitute it with another neutral oil, such as canola, sunflower or vegetable oil. These oils are mild in flavour and have a high smoke point, making them great options for searing beef on high heat. 

5. Raw versus Toasted: Toasting the sesame seeds adds incremental depth of flavour and a little crunch. I’m talking maximum nuttiness and smokiness! To toast the sesame seeds, add them to a small skillet set over medium heat and cook for 3 minutes or until golden in colour, slightly toasted and aromatic. To halt the cooking process, transfer the toasted sesame seeds into a small, heatproof bowl and set aside to slightly cool. If you’re pressed for time or you prefer a milder and earthier taste, then skip the toasting step and garnish with raw sesame seeds.