Do you ever find yourself craving Chinese food almost to the point of obsession? I get it. There’s nothing like a good savory stir fry covered in soy sauce or a chewy lo mein with a medley of veggies. However, let’s face it: Chinese takeout is not at all authentic, nor is it particularly healthy and fresh. It also might be difficult for you to get access to Chinese food right now. So, for today’s recipe, I’ve lightened up a takeout staple: beef with broccoli. All I did was freshen up the ingredients and ensure that they are more authentic to the dish. The result is a way better-than-takeout beef with broccoli that I know you all will love!

The Beginning:

I have a ton of great associations with Chinese takeout in my memory banks, which might explain why I love it so much.

When I was a kid, my parents and I would go to this particular Chinese restaurant. Actually, my parents had been going to this place since the beginning of their marriage, long before I was a twinkle in their eyes. Throughout that time, they managed to make friends with the owner and chef, Jerry. Usually during the weekend, we would go to the restaurant and dine in. Jerry would serve up the most delectable Chinese dishes, then he would come out of the kitchen and hang out with us while we ate, sharing insights about the food.

When Jerry unfortunately had a heart attack a few years later, he retired and handed the restaurant over to his nephew. It wasn’t the same without Jerry at the helm, though, and his delicious food went on to have a lot of influence on my palette long after his retirement.

A New Perspective On Chinese Food:

After Jerry’s retirement, my mom and I tried consistently to reproduce the flavor of his food at home, but we were just never able to get it right.

And then something happened that helped open up my palette to a whole new reality. My grandmother introduced us to her friend Rose, from China. Hands down, she is one of the best chefs I’ve ever encountered. Her food was on an entirely different level than the takeout-style of food I was used to. She was also totally willing to talk us through how she created her magic in the kitchen. My mom and I were totally captivated.

That’s not to say that there wasn’t value in Jerry’s food, but Rose’s dishes were quite literally bursting with flavor, texture, and aroma, and they opened my eyes to just how fresh and diverse Chinese food can be.

It wasn’t until I had my own kitchen that I truly started to experiment with Chinese food, attempting to bring to my own table what Rose brought to hers.

To be completely honest, I still am not even close. However, I can taste bursts of it in my food from time to time, and that gives me enough encouragement to keep chipping away at it until hopefully, one day, I’ll master it like Rose has.

Why Make This Beef With Broccoli?

I have a few staple Chinese dishes that I go back to over and over again, beef with broccoli certainly being one of them. I wanted to create a more flavorful version of this dish by using a fresh cut of beef and more authentic seasonings. Furthermore, I wanted to ensure that my broccoli was crisp and not lost amongst the stronger flavor of the marinated beef. Thus, we cook the broccoli over high heat first to better control the texture instead of tossing it in last, as is typical.

You’ve probably noticed that Chinese takeout meats and veggies tend to be quite soft. Trust me, this recipe does away with all that. The beef is tender but crisp. The broccoli is crunchy and glazed with a beautiful honey garlic glaze. I promise that once you try this, it will be hard to go back to the takeout version.

One last, very important note: While ordering takeout is certainly convenient, it isn’t necessarily fresh or healthy. It can also be very expensive. Making your own beef with broccoli will not only taste better, but it’s also healthier for your body and for your wallet.

This recipe is also so simple. It comes together with just over ten ingredients and has a cook time of under thirty minutes! At first it might seem intimidating to create your own Chinese fakeout takeout, but I promise that you’ve got this!

Ready to become a DIY Chinese food convert? It’s way easier than you think.

How To Make this Beef with Broccoli:

A quick tip: beef with broccoli is typically served with rice. Since this dish cooks quickly, make your choice of rice ahead of time and keep it warm until you’re done with beef with broccoli.

Marinate the Beef:

Let’s talk about the cut of meat. I highly recommend using a flank or skirt steak as they are lean but contain enough marbled fat to keep the meat tender after cooking. If you don’t want to invest in those, though, you can use any decent quality cut of steak. Just make sure it’s sliced deli-thin prior to cooking to ensure tenderness.

Add the sliced beef to a big bowl and stud it with some chopped garlic and ginger, cornstarch, and a generous pour of soy sauce. Then, mix that all together until the beef is evenly coated.

Set that aside to marinate while you prep your veggies and cook the broccoli.

Make the Broccoli:

Now let’s cook the broccoli!

Roughly chop your broccoli florets to prepare them for cooking. I honestly prefer using Chinese broccoli over regular broccoli, but that can be hard to find in grocery stores in my area. It’s even difficult to find it in seed form for the garden, so work with whatever is easiest for you to lay your hands on. We had two beautiful heads of regular broccoli for this iteration.

Make a quick glaze for it by stirring together some honey, more ginger, rice vinegar, and chili garlic sauce such as sriracha, sambal oelek, or just plain old garlic and crushed red pepper flakes.

Next, you’ll need a wok or large nonstick skillet. Add a neutral tasting oil to the wok, and over medium-high heat, swirl the oil around until it starts to shimmer. Then you’re ready to toss in your broccoli. Remember what I said in my tofu larb recipe about not being afraid to get your heat really high for stir-frying? Well, this recipe is the poster child for that mantra. Crank your heat up and use a lid or wear an oven mit to prevent too much splashing.

The broccoli should sizzle immediately when you add it to the pan. If it doesn’t, take it out right away and get your oil hotter. Once it hits the pan, keep it moving. Toss, stir, and swirl it around the pan until the green starts to become really vibrant. Continue tossing for about two minutes or until the broccoli is just starting to become softer but is still mostly crisp.

Add your honey glaze. Toss a few times to coat the broccoli, and then remove it to a clean plate and set it aside for now.

Cook the Beef:

Carefully wipe your wok or pan clean. Add enough neutral oil to liberally coat the bottom of the pan. Get it hot over medium-high heat, just like you did with the broccoli.

When it’s up to temp, add your marinated beef in a single layer. You may have to work with several batches of beef depending on the size of your skillet.

Let the beef sit on one side for thirty seconds to one minute. Then, using a thin spatula, scrape the bottom the pan and flip the beef.

You’ll begin to see the soy sauce marinade caramelizing to create a mouthwatering crust.

Keep cooking the meat, flipping every minute or so for about 4-5 minutes total (or about 2-3 minutes per side). If working in batches, remove each batch to a plate and set aside until you’re ready to combine everything.

Be careful not to overcook, as that will make the beef unappetizingly chewy.

Finish your beef with broccoli:

Finally, add your broccoli back to the pan and toss it to combine with the beef. Working very quickly, add your oyster sauce, another drizzle of soy sauce, a squeeze of lime, and some chopped scallions and shredded carrots.

Toss until everything is well combined, and turn off the heat.

Plate it and garnish with white pepper, sesame seeds, lime wedges, or sriracha. Or, if you’re feeling creative, try whipping up this wonderful chili vinegar to pour over the top by combining some chopped Fresno chiles and rice vinegar (so worth it!).

Now, taste that and tell me that takeout is better ;).

Karl says, “See!!!! Fresh broccoli is better!.”

Love,

Ryan, LM, and Karl <3

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