Chinese
15-Minute Beef and Broccoli
Thinly sliced flank steak and broccoli cook in a soy-ginger sauce on a hot skillet. The beef is pulled at medium, about 145°F, so the pan time stays short.
- Prep
- 8 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Slicing the steak thin is what makes the cook short. Thick pieces need more time than this method allows.
- A cornstarch slurry thickens the beef broth into a sauce that coats the broccoli.
- Broccoli added after the beef keeps a little crunch.
- Medium, about 145°F in a thicker slice, is the doneness to pull. The thin edges will be more done, and that is expected.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Stir the soy sauce, beef broth, brown sugar, cornstarch, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes together in a bowl.
- 2
Heat 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the flank steak in a single layer.
- 3
Cook until the slices are medium, about 145°F in a thicker piece, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Move the steak to a plate.
- 4
Add the remaining oil. Stir-fry the broccoli until bright and crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add a splash of the beef broth and cover for 1 minute if the florets are still hard.
- 5
Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook 30 seconds.
- 6
Pour in the sauce and simmer until it turns glossy, about 1 minute.
- 7
Return the steak and any juices to the skillet, toss, and serve.
Pro tips
- Freeze the flank for 15 minutes if you have the time earlier in the day. Cold steak slices cleaner. If you are starting now, slice carefully with a sharp knife.
- Do not cook the steak past medium if you want it tender. The sauce will warm it again when it goes back in.
- Cut the broccoli into small florets so they finish with the sauce.
Easy substitutions
- Flank steak
- Sirloin, sliced thin, still cooked to medium at about 145°F
- Beef broth
- Water plus an extra teaspoon of soy sauce
- Broccoli
- Broccolini
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate up to 3 days.
Reheating
Warm in a skillet over medium heat until the beef is hot. Add a spoon of water if the sauce has thickened.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 327
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
Moderate · Stovetop · High Protein
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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