Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry
Beef and broccoli is a Chinese-American classic, born in restaurants outside China but built on Chinese technique. We slice the beef thinly across the grain and marinate it with a pinch of baking soda, as Chinese kitchens do, so it stays tender. Little oil, plenty of broccoli and a sauce that doesn’t lean on sugar — filling and light at the same time.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Rest
- 15 min
- Total
- 47 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 330 kcal
Ingredients
For the beef
For the sauce
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What to use instead
Swap the Shaoxing wine for dry sherry. Tenderstem broccoli, green beans or snap peas all work instead of broccoli.
For the stir-fry
Makes: 4 servings
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Slice the beef
Find the direction of the grain and slice across it into 3–4 mm slices. This makes even a less tender cut melt in the mouth.
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Step 2: Marinate
Toss the beef with the soy sauce, cornflour and baking soda and leave for 15 minutes. The soda tenderises the fibres, but don’t add more or you’ll taste it.
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Step 3: Mix the sauce
Whisk together the oyster sauce, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, honey, cornflour and water until smooth.
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Step 4: Steam-fry the broccoli
Heat the wok over high heat with ½ tbsp of the oil, add the broccoli and 3 tbsp water, cover and cook for 2 minutes until bright green and just tender. Tip onto a plate.
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Step 5: Sear the beef
Wipe out the wok and heat the rest of the oil until smoking. Lay in half the beef in a single layer, sear for 1 minute without moving, flip and cook for 30–60 seconds more. Remove and repeat with the second batch.
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Step 6: Bring it together
Lower the heat to medium and fry the garlic and ginger for 20 seconds. Stir the sauce, pour it in and bubble until thickened. Return the beef and broccoli and toss for 30 seconds.
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Step 7: Serve
Turn off the heat, drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with brown rice, or on its own as a hearty vegetable-heavy main.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Put the beef in the freezer for 20–30 minutes before slicing: slightly firm, it cuts thin and even.
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Swap
Swap the Shaoxing wine for dry sherry. Tenderstem broccoli, green beans or snap peas all work instead of broccoli.
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Tip
Don’t sear all the beef at once: in a crowded wok it turns grey and stews in its own juices instead of browning.
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Storage
Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat briefly in a pan so the beef doesn’t toughen.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 4 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 330 kcal | 1,320 kcal |
| Protein | 32 g | 128 g |
| Fat | 16 g | 64 g |
| Carbohydrates | 14 g | 56 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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