I am back again with another recipe in my #BackToSchool series! For my fourth installment, I have a quick and easy stir fry recipe that you will love–Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry! I’m serious…you will make this over and over again!
I am such a huge fan of broccoli. It’s fantastic it steamed, raw, in soup, baked…you name it! I really love it in this classic Asian stir fry since the broccoli florets really help cling onto and absorb the delicious steak marinade that I make from scratch.
My Secret Ingredient to Tender Beef
This marinade is what makes this recipe so good. Plus, I add a not-so-secret ingredient in it that makes the beef super tender, light, and fluffy–just like at Chinese restaurants. The secret to getting the beef (or any meat for that matter) to get that texture is….wait for it…baking soda. I know, I couldn’t believe it either until I tried it! The baking soda acts to tenderize the beef and give it that light and airy texture. For that reason, this enables you to use a more tough and inexpensive cut of beef, such as marinating steak, in this recipe.
Everyday Asian Ingredients
The rest of the marinade is incredibly simple and requires a few everyday Asian ingredients. This includes garlic, ginger, light soy sauce, shaoxing cooking wine, and sesame oil. I always keep my fridge stocked with these ingredients since they can be used as the basis for any quick Asian stir fry dish. The flavour combination with beef is amazing since there is a lot of umami flavours with the beef and soy sauce, so they just compliment each other so well.
Steam & Fast Fry
The trick to pulling this stir fry together is to use two cooking methods in one pan (just not at the same time): steaming and frying. I actually steam the broccoli first for about 5 minutes until the florets have become slightly softened and turn bright green. Steaming helps the broccoli cook much faster as opposed to frying it in a pan with oil. Once the broccoli is cooked, I remove it from the pan and set it aside and then fry the beef. The beef literally takes 2 minutes to cook, and then I add the broccoli back, followed by dark soy sauce to add colour and more flavour. Give everything a toss and that’s it!
I like to serve this stir fry with a side of rice and a drizzle of chili oil. I am always pleased with how this recipe turns out, and I hope that you enjoy this recipe as well!
For my full recipe for Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry, scroll down below!
Get the Recipe!
Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 300 g marinating steak
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon shaoxing cooking wine
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup water for steaming
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- Chili optional optional
Instructions
- Begin by marinating the steak. Slice the steak into thin strips and add them to a medium-sized bowl. Add the chopped garlic, ginger, black pepper, light soy sauce, shaoxing cooking wine, sesame oil, and baking soda. Mix everything together to combine and set aside for 5 minutes to marinate.
- Add the broccoli florets and the water to a large frying pan and steam the broccoli for 4-5 minutes, or until bright green and slightly softened. Remove the broccoli from the pan and set aside while you cook the beef. Also make sure to drain the water out of the pan as well.
- Heat the pan over high heat and add the oil. Once hot, add the beef and the rest of the marinade and fry for 2 minutes per side, or until cooked. Add the broccoli back to the pan along with the dark soy sauce. Toss everything together until combined.
- Serve immediately over rice and garnish with chili oil, if desired.
