Authentic Beef and Broccoli (西蘭花牛肉)

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Delicious and simple beef and broccoli is a popular Chinese dish like orange chicken, sweet & sour pork, kung pao chicken, zucchini mushroom chicken, mapo tofu and eggplant & pork. This authentic beef broccoli recipe is not the same as regular Chinese restaurants or other recipes. Let's learn how to make this authentic Chinese beef and broccoli at home with step by step photos and a video!

Love Chinese food? try out these authentic steamed pork patty, beef bitter melon, garlic chives eggs, tomatoes eggs, cashew shrimp, pan fried buns, hairy gourd vermicelli and steamed pork ribs recipes too!

Authentic Chinese beef and broccoli on the plate

What is beef and broccoli (西蘭花牛肉)?

Beef and broccoli is a classic Chinese home style dish like steam fish, steamed pork patty, beef bitter melon, garlic chives eggs, tomato eggs, cashew shrimp, hairy gourd vermicelli and steamed pork ribs. Now, it's a delicious and well-loved dish commonly found on the menus of Chinese restaurants in the United States. Also, beef and broccoli consists of tender slices of beef and fresh broccoli in a savory brown sauce.

Not only is this dish simple and easy to make, but also it’s tasty! Typically, this dish is served with steamed white rice. The rice absorbs the flavorful sauce from the beef. The combination of tender beef, crispy broccoli and savory brown sauce makes beef and broccoli a satisfying and delicious meal and homey Chinese dish.

Unique and authentic Chinese beef and broccoli recipe:

There are a lot of different recipes for how to make beef broccoli. However, this homey and authentic Chinese beef and broccoli recipe has more sauce and is my family authentic recipe. It is not like other American Chinese restaurant's recipes. Also, it is best to go with jasmine rice, fried rice or noodles. Beside, the meat is extra soft, tender and juicy. The broccoli is soft and green. Now, you don’t need to order take out and try out this authentic Chinese beef broccoli recipe.

What are the ingredients for authentic beef and broccoli?

In this authentic Chinese beef and broccoli recipe, the ingredients are beef, broccoli, ginger, garlic, salt, soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, vegetable oil, cornstarch and water.

Authentic Chinese beef and broccoli ingredients

What is the best cut of beef for broccoli beef?

The best cut of beef for beef broccoli is tender and suitable for quick stir frying. Steak style beef is a good option for stir fry. I usually use tri tip, sirloin and top round steaks because it is cheaper and more available at regular grocery stores. However, some people like to use flank and skirt steak because of its flavor and tenderness, especially when sliced thinly against the grain. Personally, I use flank and skirt steak to make beef broccoli when I cook them in the instant pot.

How do Chinese restaurants make the beef so tender?

Most of the restaurants add kansui, potassium carbonate and sodium carbonate, into the beef and tenderize the meat. Then, rinse the beef with water. After that, they marinade and season the beef.

If you want to make the beef like restaurants tender, I suggest adding 1 teaspoon of kansui and mixing with the sliced beef for 1-2 hours. Then, rinse the beef with water (3 times). After that, marinate the beef. If you don’t have kansui, you can use baked baking soda (bake the baking soda at 200F for an hour). Add 1 teaspoon of baked baking soda into the beef, mix it well and let it tenderize the meat for 1-2 hours. Then, rinse the beef with water (3 times) before marinating them.

Tips for making tender beef:

You don’t need to use kansui (potassium carbonate and sodium carbonate) or baking soda to tenderize the meat and can still make the tender beef for this dish. Regardless of choosing the right cut of the meat, slicing the beef thinly against the grain is important too. This helps break down the muscle fibers and results in a more tender and enjoyable eating. Also, keep in mind that cooking time is crucial and you don’t want to over cook the beef and make it tough. In addition, marinating the beef beforehand can add extra flavor and help tenderize the meat further.

What kind of broccoli do you use?

For this beef broccoli recipe, we usually use fresh western broccoli, but not the Chinese broccoli, gai lan. However, if you like or prefer gai lan, Chinese broccoli, you can use it. For the western broccoli, we usually use and eat the broccoli florets or crowns because it is tender, crisp and cooks quickly. Therefore, it is perfect along with the stir fry beef.

Cooking tips for beef and broccoli recipe:

Marinate beef for at least 10-15 minutes before cooking.
Add salt and vegetable oil into boiling water to cook the broccoli that helps the broccoli color stay green.
Don’t over boil the broccoli. If overcooked, the green color will be lost. Thus, cook until the broccoli is soft and still green.
Rinse with cold water that can retain broccoli’s beautiful green color.
We like more sauce for beef and broccoli dishes because they are the best to go with rice. I add a cup of water. However, if you don’t like more sauce, you can reduce the amount of water and cornstarch to thicken the sauce.

FAQs:

What kind of beef do you use?

Normally, I use steak style beef. In this recipe, I use top round steak.

How to tenderize meat?

Some people like to add baking soda. But, cooking time is very important. Don't over cook the beef so the meat will be soft and tender.

Is beef broccoli healthy?

Homemade beef and broccoli is pretty healthy because it is around 250-300 calories. Besides, broccoli tastes good and has high fiber, vitamins K, vitamins C, potassium and folate (folic acid).

My kids love to eat cooked broccoli because it’s soft and a little sweet. It’s a great vegetable for kids too. Now, you don’t have to order take out and can make this easy and tasty beef broccoli at home.

Can I cook beef and broccoli in an instant pot?

Yes, you can. But, I suggest choosing skirt and flank steak instead because the beef is tender and soft when using an instant pot to cook them.

Instructions for how to make authentic Chinese beef and broccoli:

Preparation:

1. Wash and cut one big head of broccoli into pieces.

Thin slices:

2. Slice one pound of beef steak (Beef top round steak) into small strips.

Marinade beef:

3. Put the sliced beef into a bowl. Then, add 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, ½ teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil.

4. Mix it well. Let it marinate for at least 15 minutes before cooking.

Cooking broccoli:

5. Meanwhile, pour 6 cups of water into a pot. Then, add ¼ teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil.

6. When the water is boiling, put the broccoli into the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the broccoli is soft. However, do not overcook them.

7. After that, drain the water and rinse the cooked broccoli with cold water, so the broccoli will retain its bright green color.

8. Lay the cooked broccoli on a plate. After that, set them aside.

Stir fry meat:

9. Pour 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil into a non-stick pan, turn on fire medium high. Add 4 cloves of garlic, 4 slices of ginger and stir fry them a little bit.

10. Next, put the marinated beef into the pan and stir fry them a little bit.

11. After, pour one cup of water into the beef.

cornstarch mixture in the glass container top view

12. In a small container, add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water. Mix it well.

authentic Chinese beef and sauce stir fry in the pan

13. Lastly, pour the cornstarch mixture into the beef and keep stirring until it's thickened. Then, pour the beef and sauce over the plate with cooked broccoli.

Chinese authentic beef and broccoli top view

Enjoy this simple, authentic Chinese beef and broccoli recipe! Also, check out crab stir fry, gai lan, soy sauce chicken, salt & pepper squid, lobster yee mein, pickled cucumber, Chinese cabbage bacon stir fry and recipes.

Authentic Beef and Broccoli