Skip the takeout and make this 20-Minute Beef and Broccoli instead! Tender beef, crisp broccoli, and a rich, savory sauce come together in one pan for an easy dinner the whole family will love.
Table of Contents
This easy beef and broccoli is one of my favorite takeout-inspired dinners to make at home. You get all the bold flavors you love, but it’s fresher, healthier, and even more delicious than takeout. If you’re a fan of recipes like my Easy Chicken Stir Fry and my Super Sticky Asian Chicken Bites, you’ll love this one too.
The savory sauce is made with low-sodium beef broth, garlic, and fresh ginger for tons of flavor without feeling too heavy. Best of all, everything cooks in one skillet and comes together in less than 20 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights.
Kelley’s Tips
Tips for the Best Beef and Broccoli
- Slice the beef thin. Thin slices cook quickly and stay tender. For the easiest slicing, freeze the beef for 20–30 minutes before cutting.
- Cut against the grain. This shortens the muscle fibers and makes every bite more tender.
- Cook in batches. Avoid overcrowding the pan so the beef browns instead of steaming.
- Double the sauce. If you like extra sauce for serving over rice or noodles, make 1½ times the sauce ingredients.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Beef: I’ve used either flank steak or skirt steak as it cooks quickly and tastes delicious, but thinly sliced chuck roast would work well in this dish too! It’s a great use of leftover Sunday roast!
- Broccoli: There are 3 whole cups in this recipe! That helps keep the calories low but you’ll still feel full and like you ate a large meal.
- Ginger & garlic: This adds so much to the flavor! The ginger adds a little heat without making it too spicy, perfect for kids.
- Beef broth: I prefer using low sodium beef broth to keep the saltiness level down.
- Sesame oil: This adds a delicious, warm, nutty flavor to the beef stir fry.
- Rice wine vinegar & oyster sauce: These two sauces add a depth of flavor to the meal. A little sweetness, saltiness and acidity is the perfect combination!
- Light brown sugar: Adds a bit of sweetness to the sauce.
How to Make Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Marinate the steak: Add steak, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cornstarch, baking soda and water to a medium bowl. Stir to combine. Marinate for 1 hour or overnight in the fridge.
- Cook the broccoli: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli and cook for 4–5 minutes until crisp-tender. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Cook the beef: Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the same skillet. Working in 2 batches, cook the beef for about 2 minutes per side until browned and crisp. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining beef.
- Make the sauce: Meanwhile, mix together all of the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside. Add sauce ingredients to the pan. Stir and simmer until thickened, 1-2 minutes.
- Combine and serve: Return the beef and broccoli to the skillet and toss to coat in the sauce. Serve immediately, with chili oil if you like a little extra heat. I love serving this with my fried rice recipe or noodle dishes like my drunken noodles.
Storage and Reheating
- Store: Leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: To heat up the leftovers, simply add everything into a saucepan on the stove and heat it over a medium heat until it is warmed through.
- Freezing: Freeze this dinner for up to 4 months in the freezer. Then, when you’re ready to eat, thaw the frozen broccoli beef completely before heating it up on the stove.
More Takeout Dishes to Make at Home
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Recipe
20-Minute Beef and Broccoli
20-Minute Beef and Broccoli with tender beef and crisp broccoli tossed in a savory sauce. It's quick, healthier, and even better than takeout!
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1.5 lb flank steak or skirt steak, thinly sliced against the grain
- 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 cup water
Stir Fry
- 4 tbsp oil, divided
- 3 cups broccoli
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
Sauce
- 3/4 cup low sodium beef broth
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 6 tbsp oyster sauce
- 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp sriracha, depending on how spicy you like it
Instructions
- Marinate steak: Add steak, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cornstarch, baking soda and water to a medium bowl. Stir to combine. Marinate for 1 hour or overnight in the fridge.
- Cook broccoli: Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add in broccoli and sauté for 4-5 minutes or until the broccoli starts to get a little tender and some color on it. Add in garlic and ginger and cook for 1 more minute. Remove the broccoli from the pan and set aside.
- Stir fry beef: To the same skillet add in 1 more tbsp of oil to the pan. When the oil is glistening add in half of the beef (cook in 2 batches). Allow the beef to get crispy and brown on one side before flipping. Sauté for 2 minutes per side and remove beef from the pan. Repeat with the remaining beef.
- Make sauce: Meanwhile, mix together all of the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.Add sauce ingredients to the pan. Stir and simmer until thickened, 1-2 minutes.
- Add the beef and broccoli back to the pan and stir to coat everything in the sauce. Serve immediately and enjoy! You can always add a bit of chili oil to make it a bit spicier!
Notes
*This recipe has been updated as of July 9th 2026. We changed a couple of marinade ingredients and switched up the order in which we stir fried!
Recipe Tips:
- Slice the beef thin. Thin slices cook quickly and stay tender. For the easiest slicing, freeze the beef for 20–30 minutes before cutting.
- Cut against the grain. This shortens the muscle fibers and makes every bite more tender.
- Cook in batches. Avoid overcrowding the pan so the beef browns instead of steaming.
- Double the sauce. If you like extra sauce for serving over rice or noodles, make 1½ times the sauce ingredients.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 472kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 43gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 102mgSodium: 2549mgPotassium: 1010mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 411IUVitamin C: 60mgCalcium: 91mgIron: 4mg
Did You Make This?
I’d love to hear your feedback! Leave a review and make sure to share your pictures on social media! Don’t forget to follow @thechefsavvy.
Cynthia Robinson
This is a FAV! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Mainly because of my love for Broccoli
My “OTHER” Fav is PEPPER BEEF & TOMATO… SO… GOOD!!!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lyra Cummings
Can I make this without cornstarch?
Nathan
Hi Lyra,
Yes, there are so many different types of things you can use as a thickener. Arrowroot powder, tapioca starch, potato starch, flour, even pureed root vegetables like cooked carrot! So many possibilities!
Hope this helps, have fun!
Nathan
@chefsavvy
Ariel Arguijo
This recipe is amazing,I doubled the sauce recipe and added onion
Jessica
You mention the sauce being made up of brown sugar, soy sauce and red pepper flakes yet that’s not listed in the instructions when making the sauce
Kelley
Hi Jessica,
Sorry about that! That was a mistake. I have corrected it. Thanks so much for pointing it out to me!!
Kelley
Marlene
Recipe says to marinate beef in 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 tablespoon rice vinegar but when I did that there was no liquid left in the bowl to “marinate in”. The beef soaked it up. So I’m not making it for a few hours, will the beef get too marinated just in the bowl? Also I don’t have fresh ginger so I have to use ground. Any problem with that?
Kelley
Hi Marlene,
That should be fine! Let me know how it turns out!
Thanks,
Kelley
Deanna
Anyway You could link to the original recipe for me ?Ive made it a few times already and it was one of my go-to quick and easy recipes for a weekday night just don’t have the extra ingredient stocked in the pantry to try the adapted version although I shall return and do so
Kelley
Hi Deanna,
Of course! Here is the info!
Thank you!
2 tablespoons oil, divided
1 pound flank steak or chuck roast, thinly sliced across the grain
3 cups broccoli
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup low sodium beef broth
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon pepper
sesame seeds for garnish, if desired
Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large skillet. Add in steak and saute until almost fully cooked. Take out of the pan and put on a plate.
Add the other tablespoon of oil back to the pan along with the broccoli. Cook until tender but still crisp.
Toss in garlic and saute for 1 minute.
Meanwhile, mix together beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and cornstarch in a small bowl.
Add the steak back to the pan along with the liquid. Cook until the sauce is thickened and steak is fully cooked.
Serve immediately with white or brown rice and garnish with sesame seeds if desired.
Melissa
I’ve made the original recipe multiple times. I came on here tonight to follow it again and found that it had been update with totally different ingredients. While I’d love to try the new recipe, would it be possible to get the original since it’s tried and true in my home?
Kelley
Hi Melissa,
Sorry about that! I’ve had a couple of complaints of the original version so I revamped. I am happy to hear you liked it!! I copied and pasted the recipe below. Thanks!
2 tablespoons oil, divided
1 pound flank steak or chuck roast, thinly sliced across the grain
3 cups broccoli
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup low sodium beef broth
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon pepper
sesame seeds for garnish, if desired
Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large skillet. Add in steak and saute until almost fully cooked. Take out of the pan and put on a plate.
Add the other tablespoon of oil back to the pan along with the broccoli. Cook until tender but still crisp.
Toss in garlic and saute for 1 minute.
Meanwhile, mix together beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and cornstarch in a small bowl.
Add the steak back to the pan along with the liquid. Cook until the sauce is thickened and steak is fully cooked.
Serve immediately with white or brown rice and garnish with sesame seeds if desired.
Amanda
Thank you for posting the original recipe! I had made it before and my family were beyond sold on the flavor and asked for it as a Valentine’s Day treat dinner. I was thrown by the ingredients because I KNEW I made it and I don’t have oyster sauce and couldn’t figure out how I made it last time without this ingredient. Loved the original recipe, so much it’s going to become a staple in our menu planning. Don’t feel pressured to change by a few, this meal was hands down, AMAZING!!!!
Kelley
Thanks so much Amanda for the kind words! I am so happy you and your family enjoyed! Thank you!
Seth Cruickshank
Thank you the old one is so much better then the new one
Melissa
Thank you so much for posting the original! It’s such a great recipe and so easy to make.
Annette
I made this tonight and I agree with a couple others… there was no flavor. If I made it again I would add more spices.
Carrisa
Made this tonight it was spectacular!!
Dani
I made this tonight and I had to add a cornstarch and water mixture to get it to thicken and I added 1/8 tsp of ginger and I think it tastes amazing!!
Gail
Fresh Ginger is a great idea since their are no other major seasonings in the dish.