This easy beef and broccoli is a quick and flavourful dish that’s perfect for weeknights, coming together in just 20 minutes! This stir fry combines tender pieces of beef and big pieces of broccoli, with a rich, savoury sauce, all served over steamed rice.
Ok I am going to just get straight to the point with this one – the sauce! It’s rich, it’s sweet, it’s salty, it’s just so good I’m scraping pieces of beef around the pan trying to make sure I get every last drop.
This is the recipe for the nights when you’re craving takeaway but would rather just cook a super easy and delicious meal at home because it’s going to be cheaper, plus the driver won’t have other stops along the way meaning you’re actually going to be eating in 20 minutes not getting hangry waiting.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed it, but recently I am all about 20 minute dinners that do not compromise on flavour. I’m talking grilled salmon tacos, hoisin chicken stir fry, or these easy teriyaki salmon bowls. These are staple meals that I can reference when I know I want something that isn’t going to take long but still feels nourishing.
This beef and broccoli is sure to become a family favourite as it’s packed full of flavour, is simple and quick to make, plus it makes excellent meal prep so you can save money on buying expensive lunches or getting takeaway tomorrow as well.
Key Ingredients
A well stocked pantry will allow this dairy free dinner recipe to come together in no time as it uses simple ingredients that give this meal a big flavour kick.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Beef – use a cut such as rump or sirloin for best results and slice it thinly against the grain. This helps break down the muscle fibres resulting in more tender meat.
- Broccoli – you’ll need a whole, large head of broccoli for this recipe that has been cut into bite-sized florets. You can use frozen if that’s all you have, just adjust your cooking time as needed.
- Ginger and garlic – is added to the broccoli as it cooks giving so much flavour. You can use fresh or jarred for this recipe.
- Beef stock – creates a rich base for the sauce.
- Soy sauce – adds a salty, umami flavour for the sauce.
- Dark soy sauce – the secret ingredient to making the sauce super rich and giving it that iconic dark colour. Be careful though, as a little goes a long way with dark soy and adding too much can be overpowering.
- Honey – adding the key sweetness to the sauce.
- Rice wine vinegar – balances the sweet and salty flavours.
- Sesame oil – a little goes a long way in adding flavour to the sauce.
- Cornflour – also known as corn starch in the US, this is going to help the sauce get super thick and glossy.
Step-By-Step Instructions
There is nothing crazy going on with this recipe, but like most stir fry’s I do recommend you start with your prep as once you start cooking, it goes pretty quickly. I like to start with putting some rice on using my rice cooker so that by the time the rest is done, so is my rice.
🍚Cooking Rice: To make enough rice for 4 serves, I recommend 1 ⅓ cups of long grain rice. I use the ratio of 1 part rice to 1 ½ parts water, so for 1 ⅓ cups of uncooked rice, you’ll need about 2 cups of water. Make sure to also rinse the rice well before cooking to remove excess starch which will make the rice nice and fluffy.
Once the rice is on, prep your sauce first as this is going to involve most of your time as you dig in the back of the pantry for the dark soy sauce….
Add the beef stock, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, honey, and cornflour to a small bowl and whisk well to combine, or add to a jar and give it a good shake. You want all the cornflour to be combined and not lumpy.
Next, cut up the broccoli, peel and prep your ginger and garlic, and then slice the beef.
In a large frying pan or you can also use a wok if you prefer, heat a little oil and then add the sliced beef and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until browned. Remove the beef and its juices from the pan and set aside.
Add a little more oil and add in the broccoli, garlic and ginger. I like to also add a couple of tablespoons of water to help steam the broccoli so that it cooks a little faster.
Once the broccoli is tender (but still crisp) add back in the beef and its liquid. Add in the sauce and mix well to coat the broccoli and beef. After a couple of minutes the sauce will thicken and get nice and glossy.
Serve the rice and the beef and broccoli between 4 bowls or meal prep containers and make sure to pour over all that extra sauce (remember, it’s the best bit!). Top with a sprinkle of sesame seeds to finish.
Recipe FAQs
I recommend using rump or sirloin that has been sliced against the grain for the best result, but you can also use skirt steak, scotch fillet, or even beef mince if you like.
Yes, of course! I love broccoli and obviously that’s the name of this dish but feel free to use any combination of other vegetables you like, such as green beans, baby corn, snow peas, bok choy, or broccolini. Adjust the cooking time as needed for different veggies.
To make it gluten-free, substitute the soy and dark soy sauce with gluten free soy sauce or tamari.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More takeaway style meals:
Spicy Chicken Burgers
Egg Fried Rice with Prawns
Vietnamese Noodle Salad
Ham and Pineapple Pizza
Chicken Satay Noodles
Dairy-Free Butter Chicken
Easy Beef and Broccoli
Ingredients
- 500 grams beef such as rump or sirloin, thinly sliced
- 450 grams broccoli cut into bite-sized florets
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger minced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- Steamed rice to serve
For the sauce:
- 1 cup (250ml) beef stock
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1½ tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoon cornflour cornstarch
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the beef stock, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, honey, and cornflour. Set aside.
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the sliced beef and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, add another splash of oil if needed. Add the broccoli florets, ginger, and garlic, and sauté for 3-4 minutes until the broccoli is tender but still crisp. Optionally, you can add a couple of tablespoons of water to the pan to help cook the broccoli.
- Return the beef to the pan. Pour in the prepared sauce and stir to combine. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and coats the beef and broccoli.
- Spoon the beef and broccoli over steamed rice. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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