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4.9 from 24 votes

Easy Beef and Broccoli

This Beef and Broccoli recipe is an easy and simple stir fry, flavored with fresh ginger and orange with almost no store-bought condiments- skip the takeout and try this homemade beef and broccoli!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 298 kcal
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. flank steak sliced thinly against the grain (flat iron or another cut can also be used)
  • 4 tablespoons soy sauce divided
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper omit if you don't like spicy, or add more if you want.
  • zest and juice of one orange about 1 tablespoon zest and 1/4 cup juice
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced or grated
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds preferably toasted
  • 2 tablespoons water plus more if needed
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil or other oil, such as olive or coconut
  • 1 yellow onion quartered and thinly sliced
  • 2 cups broccoli florets from 1 large or 2 small heads of broccoli, make sure the florets are fairly small so they cook quickly.
  • cooked white or brown rice, cauliflower rice, or noodles for serving (optional)
  • sliced green onions and more sesame seeds for serving (optional)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Mix the sliced flank steak (1 lb.) with the half of the soy sauce (2 tablespoons) in a bowl. Set aside to sit for a minute or two.
  2. Whisk together the corn starch (2 tablespoons) with the remaining soy sauce (2 tablespoons) in a small bowl or glass measuring cup until it's smooth and there are no lumps remaining. Add the brown sugar (2 tablespoons), crushed red pepper (1/4 teaspoon), orange juice and zest, minced fresh ginger (1 tablespoon), minced clove of garlic, sesame seeds (1 teaspoon), and water (2 tablespoons). Whisk together until well combined and sugar has dissolved a bit. Set aside.
  3. Heat the canola oil (2 tablespoons) in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
  4. Add the sliced onion to the skillet and cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes.
  5. Turn the heat down to medium and add the marinated beef to the skillet. Continue to cook until beef is browned a bit on the outside but NOT cooked through, stirring occasionally (about 2 minutes).
  6. Add the broccoli and sauté for one more minute, until it begins to turn bright green. (Note: the broccoli florets should be fairly small so they cook to a tender crisp in only a few minutes. If you have larger florets, I recommend cooking for 2-4 minutes during this step, before moving onto the next step.)
  7. Pour the sauce into the skillet. Cook for about 2 more minutes, stirring frequently, until sauce is thickened and beef is fully cooked. If sauce gets too thick too quickly, you can add more water. If it takes too long to get thick, turn up the heat a bit.
  8. Serve beef and broccoli on top of cooked rice or noodles and garnish with chopped green onions and more sesame seeds, if desired.

Notes

  • Time saving tip: Precook the rice over the weekend or buy frozen, pre-cooked rice from the store.
  • Money saving tip: Flank steak is already inexpensive, but you can use a cheaper non-beef alternative, such as chicken thighs or tofu, if you prefer. You can also omit the orange zest and juice, or use bottled OJ as an alternative.
  • Make it paleo/grain free: Use arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch, and use honey or maple syrup in place of the brown sugar. And be sure to use coconut aminos or another soy sauce substitute.
  • I used regular sodium soy sauce for this. If you use low sodium, I recommend replacing the 2 tablespoons of water with more soy sauce so it's salty enough.
  • The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.

Nutrition Information

Calories 298kcal (15%) Carbohydrates 17g (6%) Protein 28g (56%) Fat 13g (20%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Cholesterol 68mg (23%) Sodium 1086mg (45%) Potassium 609mg (17%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 8g (16%) Vitamin A 321IU (6%) Vitamin C 43mg (48%) Calcium 65mg (7%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 298

% Daily Value*

Calories 298kcal 15%
Carbohydrates 17g 6%
Protein 28g 56%
Fat 13g 20%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 68mg 23%
Sodium 1086mg 45%
Potassium 609mg 13%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 8g 16%
Vitamin A 321IU 6%
Vitamin C 43mg 48%
Calcium 65mg 7%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.