This classic takeout favorite is so quick and easy to make at home you'll forget where you put the takeaway menu.
Tender flank steak with crisp broccoli in a savory Chinese brown sauce with garlic and ginger, all made in well under 30 minutes. Plus I share my secret for getting the best and most tender beef at home.
If beef and broccoli is your favourite PF Changs or Panda express order then this quick stir fry is going to be your new favorite simple dinner.
Chinese has to be my favorite takeout! When I was a student I loved the Chinese buffet restaurants, but with limited funds I had to find alternatives.
Whilst I was working nights as the room service waitress in a local hotel I was taught by the Chinese night cook how to make some of my favorite takeout foods at home. He had some great tips and I want to pass them all onto you!
Firstly did you know that most of the takeout dishes we love aren't even true chinese dishes, they have been westernised to suit our palates and make heating up leftovers easier!!! Which leads us onto one of the most asked questions about cooking takeout style food at home.
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Do you need a wok to make Beef and Broccoli?
The short answer is no, in fact I recommend using a large heavy based fry pan or skillet instead.
This is because standard kitchen stove tops cannot get as hot as the commercial kitchens our favourite takeaway has. So getting your chosen cooking pot as hot as they do in restaurants and takeaways is impossible.
But we want to do everything we can to get as much heat into our stir fry as possible. So a flat bottomed fry pan/skillet will have the maximum amount of pan touching the burner and give you the best chance of a high heat.
I have a wok burner in the centre of my stove top, and that allows my wok to sit down into the flame. If you have something similar then that will work well too. But if you have a standard gas stove top or an electric burner then a fry pan could well be your best bet.
But do you get the authentic flavor using a skillet?
There are some dishes where a wok will give you a more authentic flavor, but these tend to be drier more traditional Chinese and Cantonese dishes.
The saucy dishes that we are used to in takeout and chinese restaurants throughout the US and UK, are not as authentic, in fact you will struggle to find beef and broccoli on any menu in China! So cooking them in a skillet won't result in any loss of flavor.
What cut of beef is best for Chinese beef and broccoli?
I love to use flank steak or skirt steak in stir-frys. If prepared correctly the meat is so tender and just melts in your mouth. Check out my tips below for the most tender beef you have ever eaten!
You can use a rump steak, sirloin steak or even fillet. They will be delicious, but flank steak and skirt steak represent great value for money and can be so delicious and are easy to tenderize.
How to tenderize beef strips for stir fry
I have two tricks for making the meat super tender!
- How you cut it
- How you soften it before cooking
Number 1 - The trick to cutting flank steak/skirt steak (in fact ANY steak) is to find the way the grain of the meat runs and then cut across the grain. This allows the meat to just fall apart in your mouth.
If you cut with the grain you will end up with tougher strips of beef.
Check out the picture below for an easy visual, see how in the first picture you can see the lines in the meat. This is the grain, and we want to cut across that, as shown in the second photo.
Number 2 - The key to softening and tenderizing the meat before you cook it is so simple. This is a trick I learnt back in my waitressing days.
If you sprinkle meat with Baking Soda (also called Bicarb, Bicarbonate of Soda and Sodium Bicarbonate) it will break down the fibres and become so tender.
To do this you sprinkle just a small amount of baking soda over the meat and then stir to coat.
Then let the meat sit for 15 minutes before washing really well to remove the baking soda.
The meat will change color and will be so tender!
Pat it dry before you fry it to ensure it gets nice and crisp and doesn't sweat as you cook it.
How do you make that savory sauce taste like a takeout?
The key is to use authentic ingredients.
To make these beef and broccoli I use these Asian ingredients:
- Oyster Sauce - available in grocery stores (Lee Kum Kee Panda brand is my favorite)
- Chinese Cooking Wine/Chinese Rice Wine - not to mistaken for rice wine vinegar!!! You can sub in dry sherry if you like.
- Sesame oil - easy to find in grocery stores now.
- Hoisin Sauce - available in grocery stores (Lee Kum Kee Panda brand is my favorite)
Look at the glossy gorgeous sauce on the takeout style Chinese Beef and Broccoli. It is packed with flavor thanks to those authentic ingredients and it really does taste just like your favorite takeout!
Tips for making the best takeout style beef and broccoli
- Preparing the beef correctly (see above for detailed pictures)
- Prepare your broccoli, garlic and ginger before you start cooking. Chinese stir frying is quick cooking so you need everything prepped and ready.
- Don't let the broccoli or the beef cook for too long, you want everything to be crisp and just cooked.
- For the best heat use a flat bottom skillet (see above for why)
- For a truely authentic flavor invest in the ingredients and sauces. It will make ALL the difference.
Enjoy x
For more delicious takeout inspired meals checkout:
- Chicken and Mushroom
- Cantonese Fried Rice
- Ginger Shrimp Stir Fry
- Happy Family Stir Fry
- Beef and Tomato
- Wandering Dragon Stir Fry
- Chicken and Snow Peas
Takeout Style Chinese Beef and Broccoli
Ingredients
Stir Fry
- 1 lb flank steak/skirt steak
- 1 tablespoon baking soda - see note 1
- 1 lb broccoli florets
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 garlic cloves - peeled and thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon grated ginger
Sauce
- ⅓ cup water
- 4 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ cup oyster sauce
- 4 teaspoon light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine - see note 2
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ tablespoon hoisin sauce
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Garnish
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
To Tenderise the Beef
- Slice beef the beef across the grain, into ¼" / 0.5cm thick strips (see bulk of post for detailed pictures) and place in a non-metallic bowl.
- Sprinkle with the baking soda and gently mix so all the beef is coated.
- Set the beef aside for 15 minutes.
- Rinse the beef extremely well and then pat it dry with kitchen paper. (See note 3)
Prepare the sauce
- Mix the water and cornstarch together in a small jug and then add the oyster sauce, sugar, cooking wine, sesame oil, hoisin sauce and black pepper. Set to one side until needed.
Whilst the beef is tenderizing cook the broccoli.
- Place a large nonstick skillet over a medium high heat, add in the broccoli and a ¼ cup of boiling water.
- Cover the and allow the broccoli to steam for 2 minutes (or to your desired doneness). The water should all have evaporated. Transfer broccoli to a plate.
To make the stir fry
- Place the skillet back over a high heat and heat for at least 1 minute. Add in the oil and once it is shimmering add the beef in a single layer.
- Cook, without touching for 1 minute then add the broccoli back into to the skillet and stir well.
- Stir in the thinly sliced garlic and grated ginger.
- Immediately give the sauce a good stir and add it the pan.
- Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute to allow the sauce to thicken.
- Serve immediately sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.
Notes
- Baking Soda is also called Bicarb, Bicarbonate of Soda and Sodium Bicarbonate.
- Chinese Cooking Wine/Chinese Rice Wine - not to mistaken for rice wine vinegar!!! You can sub in dry sherry if you like.
- Make sure you wash the beef really well to remove any traces of baking soda. It is amazing at tenderizing meat, but has a terrible taste so you want to remove it.
Nutrition
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jeff says
I made your recipe and really enjoyed it. I added 1 Large carrot sliced thin chinese style to steam with the broccoli which gave the dish some nice color. I also cut put a little less oyster sauce and sesame oil but thats personal taste preference. All & all, an EXCELLENT complete well described recipe which i will be making again. Thanks SO MUCH!
Lynn Cain says
This was soooooo good. I had a recipe fail with a meatloaf I made earlier in the week so I am so glad I was able to redeem myself with this recipe. Great job! Thanks!
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so pleased you enjoyed it 🙂
It is a fav of ours and even my kids will eat broccoli when it is in the stir fry!
I have a meatloaf recipe if you fancy trying meatloaf again.
Cx
Natalie says
Can’t fault this recipe. The meat was so tender and the flavours were amazing!
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so pleased you enjoyed it 🙂
Cx
Joy says
Thanks for the tenderizing tip, I've never used baking soda to tenderize beef strips before. It made the stir fry taste like restaurant quality. And the sauce was excellent. I'll be making this again!
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so pleased you enjoyed it, isn't it the best way to tenderize meat!!!!
Cx
Debbie J says
I love the idea of baking soda to tenderize the meat! This was a delicious and very easy recipe! My husband had 3 helpings!!
Sara says
How come my beef was still pink after the cooking time.. too thick? 🙁
Claire McEwen says
I would say, yes it was probably cut a little thick.
Cx
Jacqueline Rosser says
I will definatly make this recipe however dincd i am a mushroom addict i woll be adding whole mushrooms in! YUM!!
Noemi says
Followed this recipe exactly and it came out so delicious!!! Definitely part of my go-to recipes
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so pleased Noemi 🙂
Cx
Michael says
Recipe looks great, can you do so with a Wok?
Claire McEwen says
Hi Michael, you could definitely make this in a wok!
Hope that helps
Cx
Claudia says
Just wanted to let you know I found this recipe on Pinterest and i is the best beef broccoli I have ever made and its all in the prep of the meat which no other recipe has ever mentioned. We love this recipe. its easy too. Thanks.-Claudia in Phoenix
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so pleased you loved the recipe Claudia!
And thank you for taking the time to come back and comment.
The tenderising of the beef really makes a difference doesn't it.
Cx
Naida says
I just found this recipe today and had all ingredients in my kitchen so of course, I tried it. I followed your recipe to the last letter and it was AMAZING!!!! The taste is absolutely delicious. I love Asian food so this was a winner for us. Thanks for sharing.
Carol Brown says
I made this tonight and WOW! Just delicious. All of the layered flavors made it taste just perfect. I used Sirloin steak and had to substitute sherry for the Chinese rice wine (my market didn’t carry it). I did look on Amazon and they do carry it!
I think I may have added a bit more ginger than the 1/2 tsp. Will use less next time and would prefer to mince or squeeze the garlic rather than slice it. But, this was a fabulous recipe! Thank you so much for sharing!
Angel says
If I use stew beef (what I have on hand), do you think I'd need to cook it differently?
Claire McEwen says
Hi Angel,
The baking soda trick will tenderise stewing beef perfectly. I would just make sure you remove any sinew as that will remain chewy.
The beefy flavour of those cuts isn't as strong as with steak, but as it is going into a sauce it will work still.
Hope that helps
Cx
Keith says
Top shelf. This dish is amazing. Not other way to explain it.
Joyce says
Best Beef and Broccoli I have ever tasted!!
I used dry vermouth and forgot fresh ginger but subbed with powdered ginger.
Served with Basmati rice.
Will definitely make again!
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so pleased you loved the recipe!!
Great to know that powdered ginger will work as well.
Thank you for taking the time to come back and comment.
Cx
Angela says
How much powdered ginger did you use?
Gemma T Wulff says
Just made this for lunch. My family loved it! I don't eat meat so I relied on the recipe. My son said it tasted just like the Beef with Oyster sauce (but better) that we order at a Chinese restaurant! I will keep this recipe. Thank you so much.
Marylee Miller says
OH! OH! OOOHHH! This recipe was soooo good! I used petite sirloin steak and followed the baking soda step. Very tender! This is definitely a KEEPER! Thanks!
Claire McEwen says
I am so pleased you enjoyed it 🙂
Cx
Tiana says
Wow! Just wow!! This is definitely a keeper.
Claire McEwen says
Thank you Tiana 🙂
Cx
Crystal says
I left a couple ingredients out because I didn’t have them. The housin sauce and the wine. I don’t know how much difference that made in the taste but we loved it. My flank steak did not get tender though after following the steps but I may not have left it on the whole 15 min. I didn’t really keep up with the time. Great recipe and although pretty chewy everyone loved the taste!
Claire McEwen says
Hi Crystal, Glad you enjoyed the dish.
Sorry to hear your steak wasn't as tender as you would have liked. It could well have been the time, 15 minutes is a minimum really.
Also just wanted to check that you used baking soda and not baking powder. Baking powder doesn't have the same affect, it is the soda that works 🙂
Anyway, glad you still enjoyed the dish.
Cx
Tara says
I plan on making this tonight. I do not have Chinese wine, do I leave it out or is there anything else I can substitute?
Claire McEwen says
Hi Tara,
Sorry for the late reply, I have been without a laptop for a few days.
I know it is a bit late now, but you can leave out the Chinese rice wine (or sub in dry sherry), it does add something to the sauce, but it will still be delicious without it 🙂
Cx
Sylvia says
Cooking sherry was advised in the blog.
Erin says
Wow! I’m very impressed. This recipe tastes EXACTLY like the beef and broccoli from a restaurant. I expected it to be pretty good but wow! The only two things I didn’t have was rice wine and flank steak. I used stew beef (pressure cooked it beforehand to make it tender) But I followed the directions and used all of the other ingredients as directed. I doubled the recipe in order to have leftovers. My goodness it was good! Well done!
Claire McEwen says
Loving the stewing beef!! What a great idea for when people don't have flank steak and don't want to head to the store (especially with the current world situation!)
So pleased you enjoyed it!!! It is a fav with my kids too 🙂
Cx
Kim says
So I didn’t see the part about washing the baking soda off is my meat ruined?
Claire McEwen says
Have you cooked the beef now? If yes then I am afraid it will be ruined. I am so sorry you missed that step 🙁
Baking soda tastes gross.
Cx
vickie says
I read the baking soda trick for tenderizing the beef in beef & broccoli on a different recipe and didn't write it down thinking I would remember it. I tried it and it came out so delicious everyone had seconds. I was so impressed with the tenderizing trick that I started looking up at home methods other than beating on the meat, which led me here. I just have to say that I'm a little confused and grateful. I used undiluted dry baking soda with a covering sprinkle and forgot to rinse it off, like you make clear to do. So my point is I'm confused it tasted so good, and grateful it wasn't ruined. Also can you explain why this method is not good to use on bigger pieces of meat, say like steak size?
Claire McEwen says
Hi Vickie,
So pleased you loved the recipe 🙂
I think because you just used a sprinkle the flavor wasn't affected. But baking soda can have an awful taste if you use too much.
I think you could use the baking soda on a steak sized piece of meat. I have used it on thin chicken fillets and they worked perfectly.
Hope that helps
Cx
Michelle Stoffle says
We made this tonight, and definitely ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!!!
This recipe is Ahhhhhmaaaaziiiiiing!!
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so pleased you enjoyed it Michelle 🙂
It is one of my family favs!
Cx
Linda says
OMG! This recipe is seriously AWESOME! It’s the absolute best beef and broccoli I’ve EVER made! (And believe me, I have tried a lot of different recipes!). Since we like spicy food, I think next time I will add some Szechuan pepper, or maybe a bit of Chile garlic sauce. But even without it being spicy, it gets 5 stars!
Claire McEwen says
Linda, thank you so much for such a lovely message.
I am so pleased that you enjoyed it. I admit it is a fav in our house. I think some Szechuan pepper would be amazing! Maybe all over the beef before you fry it off!!
Do let me know when you try it as my BIL loves spicy food so I am always looking for different ways to add spice to dishes for him!
Cx
Lauren says
Hi!
If I use chicken instead of beef can I still use the baking soda trick? Or is that mainly used for just beef?
Thanks!
Claire McEwen says
Hi Lauren, the trick will work with chicken as well as beef 🙂
I use it a lot in my takeout style recipes and many of them use chicken.
Check out this post for, Takeout Chicken and Mushroom, for details on doing it with chicken (it is pretty much the exact same process!)
Hope that helps
Cx
Em says
I also thought it was very sweet , but looked great. Will cut back on the sugar next time as well..Otherwise perfect..Easy to make little tweaks to personalize it
Claire McEwen says
Sorry to hear you found this too sweet, but glad you enjoyed it none the less.
Cx
Nick says
Easy and SO tasty!!! 😀👌
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so pleased you enjoyed it Nick. It is a favorite in our house! 🙂
Cx
Reneé says
Terribly salty for me.
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am really sorry to read that Reneé. It usually gets such great reviews.
I am wondering if the brand of oyster sauce you buy is extra salty? As there is no soy sauce, broth or added salt in the recipe.
Again sorry you didn't enjoy the dish.
Cx
Julie says
Made this tonight for the first time. My hubs doesn’t care for broccoli, so I subbed green beans. It was fantastic! By far the most tender beef I have ever cooked! It was awesome! Thanks for the baking soda trick!
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so pleased you and your husband enjoyed it Julie.
I am loving the idea of green beans instead of broccoli!
Cx
p.s it is so tender isn't it!!!!
Lauren Zarin says
Does this reheat well? Will the beef be as tender when reheated? Thanks!!
Claire McEwen says
Hi Lauren,
The beef stays tender when you reheat, but I find the sauce isn't quite as thick and glossy. It still tastes good but it is just a little runnier and not quite like the takeaway style sauce anymore.
Hope that helps 🙂
Sara says
Best Beef and Broccoli I have EVER had! My entire family loved it and all commented on how it was even better than take out from the restaurant. I particularly appreciated the tenderizing tip as I, too, had given up on using beef in stir fry recipes. Thank you!
Claire McEwen says
I am so HAPPY you and the family enjoyed it Sara! We love takeout at home nights 🙂
You can try the same tenderizing trick with chicken too, it makes it super soft like you get from the Chinese restaurants!
Thank you for commenting 😀
Cx
Teresa Davies says
By far THE best beef and broccoli I've ever made!!!
Tips to myself for next time: Start the rice cooker first. By the time I got done prepping, cleaning/chopping and tenderizing, I was ready to put the meat on the stove. (I did add mushrooms and onions so it took a bit longer.) 2nd tip: Rice wine= Sake (white girl here & had a blonde moment, didn't realize it until standing in front of it at the liquor store)
I'm sure (wink-wink) that the Sake tasters had nothing to do with the lack of rice preparation. LOL! 🙂
LOVE the baking soda tenderizer tip!! THANK YOU!
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so pleased you enjoyed it Teresa, thank you for coming back to comment. Love your tips for next time you make it. I also bet the mushrooms were wonderful!
I love to tenderizing beef like this....I use it in all my takeout style recipes (it works wonders with chicken too!)
And I think Sake tasters sound like the perfect way to cook 😉
Cx
Michelle whidden says
Loved your recipe , the secret to tenderizing the beef is my favourite as I had given up on using beef in stir fry.
Thank you
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so pleased Michelle!
It is one of my favorite kitchen tricks as I just love the soft tender meat you get with takeout.
Thank you for coming back to comment Cx
Nadine Gourrege says
can this be made ahead and frozen
Claire McEwen says
Hi Nadine,
The dish can be frozen but I find that the sauce comes out much thinner if it has been in the freezer, but the meat and broccoli hold up quite well.
Hope that helps Cx
Nancy says
I made this and my family loved it. It was like we got it from a restaurant but better. I left 1 tsp of sugar out and it was perfect!
Thanks..I've already had a request from my fussiest eater to make it again.?
Claire McEwen says
Oh Nancy I am so pleased to hear that!!!
Thank you for coming back to comment 😀
Lady Jo says
Thanks for this. Timing is so good. love it how your recipes always work, and match the seasons. Is there any other broccoli dishes you can recommend?
Claire McEwen says
Thank you so much 😀
Have you tried roasted broccoli? It is a wonderful side dish and tastes amazing! You can get the recipe here or for broccolini try it with my easy béarnaise sauce. Mmmm
Ashley says
This is seriously one of the best beef and broccoli recipes I've eaten. I will definitely be making this again. So good!
Claire McEwen says
Thank you Ashley, we love how tender the beef is and anything that means my kids eat broccoli is a winner for me. So pleased your family enjoyed dit too!
Claudia Lamascolo says
This looks 100 times better than anything I ever saw in a mushy Chinese restaurant you put them to shame BRAVO!
Claire McEwen says
Thank you Claudia, it is a family favorite...getting kids to eat broccoli = Winner!
April says
Nice flavor but next time i will cut the brown sugar way down. My husband and I both thought it was way to sweet. Thanks for sharing it was fun to try out my wok!
Claire McEwen says
So pleased you got a chance to use your wok. I find that takeout dishes tend to be on the sweeter side, but definitely adapt it to your tastes 😀
Monica says
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I had to make a couple of changes to the recipe because of allergies in my family still came out really close to the takeout recipe. I love it will be making this again soon. And tip for the beef spot on, great tip. This is one very happy cook :o)
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so pleased you and your family enjoyed it Monica and awesome that it could be adapted to suit your allergies. And yes, isn't it just the most tender takeout style beef ever!!!
Thank you for coming back to comment 😀
Kathy says
I found this extremely salty.
Claire McEwen says
I am sorry to hear that Kathy, I wonder if perhaps the brand of Oyster sauce you used was more salty than most? As I can't think what else would make it salty as there is no added salt or soy sauce in the recipe.
JOANNA MANLEY says
This looks amazing! I will definately give it a try!
I hope I will manage as I am not a great cook!
Claire McEwen says
I am sure you will master this one, the method looks quite long but it is quite simple.
Come back and comment if you have any questions 😀
Mindy says
I am so sad this recipe didn’t turn out. I even went the extra mile and purchased the flank steak. Followed all the steps including the baking powder and the steak was just a chewy mess. Couldn’t even eat 🙁 very disappointing.
Claire McEwen says
Hi Mindy, I am so sorry to read this.
I think the problem is that you used baking powder. Baking powder won't tenderise the meat and will make it taste different. The recipe needs baking soda.
This baking soda is what tenderises the meat and stops it being chewy, it does need to be rinsed off really well as it doesn't taste great and it will fizz with the sauce if any traces remain. Then the beef needs to be dried off so you can stir fry it for a minute to get a nice crispy edge to it.
Hope this helps.
Linda says
I love your tips on how to get beef nice and tender and going to try it next time I cook beef. Beef and broccoli is one of my favorite Chinese dishes so this will be getting a workout in my kitchen very soon.
Claire McEwen says
It makes such a difference and really does give you beef like the local takeout 😀
I hope you love it!
Aimee Shugarman says
This is one of our favorite take out choices, and this recipe Does NOT disappoint! So good.
Claire McEwen says
I am so happy you enjoyed it Aimee 😀
Lyn says
Great tips but the sauce is way to sweet and I cut the sugar in half
Claire McEwen says
I am sorry to hear that Lyn, I like to recreate the taste of the takeout and I find their sauces tend to have a sweet edge.
Happy you found the rest of the post useful 😀