Stir-Fried Beef With Chinese Broccoli Recipe (2024)

  • Recipes
  • Recipes By Method
  • Stir-Fry
  • Beef Stir-Fry

Not your fast-food Chinese restaurant's beef with broccoli.

By

Shao Z.

Stir-Fried Beef With Chinese Broccoli Recipe (1)

Shao Z.

Shao Zhi Zhong is a Chinese-born and Philadelphia-raised food writer and recipe developer who specializes in Chinese home cooking. She's also a web designer.

Learn about Serious Eats'Editorial Process

Updated November 30, 2022

(8)

WRITE A REVIEW

Trending Videos

Why It Works

  • Blanching the Chinese broccoli first guarantees tender greens that will cook through without burning during stir-frying.
  • Stir-frying in batches keeps the wok as hot as possible for the best flavor.

If I were to write a list of the top five classic Cantonese dishes, beef with broccoli would be on there for sure. Most North Americans know it as a staple of Chinese fast-food joints, featuring tender strips of beef and florets of broccoli. But the original version usesgai lan, also known as Chinese broccoli.

Not familiar with gai lan? It tastes like a slightly less bitter version of broccoli rabe. Its stalks are usually thick with large flat leaves and sometimes tiny flower buds. Gai lan is great when it's stir-fried with just a little bit of garlic orpoached in water, drizzled with a bit of oyster sauce, and topped with crispy fried garlic. Its flavor is also robust enough to be paired with meats such aspork belly and beef.

Stir-Fried Beef With Chinese Broccoli Recipe (3)

You'll find two different types of gai lan at most Asian supermarkets. First is the regular gai lan with the thick stalks. The second variety is baby gai lan, sometimes labeled as gai lan "tips". It has thinner stalks, more leaves, and is typically more tender compared to the mature version. Don't worry, I'll share instructions for both types.

As for the dish itself, it's as simple as it seems. The key to success is understandingbasic stir-frying skillsandhow to marinate meat for stir-fries.

To begin, you'll marinate the beef for at least 30 minutes in a mixture including soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch.

Stir-Fried Beef With Chinese Broccoli Recipe (4)

Before you start the stir-fry, blanch the gai lan first. Gai lan with thicker stems will take about a minute to become crisp-tender; baby gai lan, with its thin stalks, only needs about 30 to 40 seconds.

The key to a good stir-fry is a hot wok. Because home burners aren't quite powerful enough to keep a fully loaded wok hot enough, it's best to break up the recipe into a few different stages.

Stir-Fried Beef With Chinese Broccoli Recipe (5)

Here, that means stir-frying the beef first, then taking it out.

Stir-Fried Beef With Chinese Broccoli Recipe (6)

Next up are shallots and garlic. After a little less than a minute in the wok, they'll begin to soften slightly. Add the gai lan and return the beef back to the wok at this point, then add the sauce. Everything gets tossed together in the wok to combine and heat through.

Stir-Fried Beef With Chinese Broccoli Recipe (7)

Plate the dish and serve it hot with a bowl of rice on the side. No matter which variety of gai lan you use, the combination of gai lan, beef, and oyster sauce is a winning combo.

March 2015

Recipe Details

Stir-Fried Beef With Chinese Broccoli Recipe

Prep5 mins

Cook20 mins

Active30 mins

Marinating Time30 mins

Total55 mins

Serves2to 4 servings

Ingredients

For the Beef and Marinade:

  • 3/4 pound beef flank steak, sliced across the grain 1/8 inch thick

  • 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

  • 1/2 teaspoon Shaoxing wine

  • 2 teaspoons vegetable orcanola oil

  • 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar

  • 1/4 teaspoon groundwhite pepper

For the Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons water

  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

  • 2 teaspoons oyster sauce

  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce

  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch

For the Stir-Fry:

  • 1/2 pound Chinese broccoli (gai lan or baby gai lan), cut into 3 sections on the diagonal if regular gai lan or in half on the diagonal if baby gai lan

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil, divided

  • 2 whole shallots, sliced

  • 8 cloves of garlic, chopped very coarsely

  • Cooked white rice, for serving

Directions

  1. For the Beef and Marinade: In a medium bowl, combine beef with all marinade ingredients. Mix well and let stand 30 minutes.

    Stir-Fried Beef With Chinese Broccoli Recipe (8)

  2. Meanwhile, For the Sauce: In a small bowl, combine sauce ingredients and set aside.

  3. For the Stir-Fry: Fill a wok halfway with water, season with salt, and bring to a boil. Add Chinese broccoli and cook until crisp-tender, about 1 minute for regular gai lan and 30 seconds for baby gai lan. Drain and set aside.

    Stir-Fried Beef With Chinese Broccoli Recipe (9)

  4. Wipe wok dry, then return to heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and heat over high heat until smoking. Add beef, spreading it out in an even layer with a spatula, and cook without moving until lightly browned on bottom, about 1 minute. Continue to cook while stirring regularly until about halfway cooked through, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

    Stir-Fried Beef With Chinese Broccoli Recipe (10)

  5. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to wok and heat over high heat until smoking. Add shallots and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until softened, about 1 minute. Add Chinese broccoli and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Season with salt.

    Stir-Fried Beef With Chinese Broccoli Recipe (11)

  6. Return beef to wok and toss to combine. Stir sauce to combine, then pour into center of wok; stir to combine. Continue to cook, stirring, until the sauce begins to thicken, about 1 minute. Transfer to a serving platter immediately and serve with white rice.

    Stir-Fried Beef With Chinese Broccoli Recipe (12)

Special Equipment

Wok

Notes

When shopping for Chinese broccoli, look for bright green, bruise-free, crisp leaves with no yellow spots. The tiny flower buds should be tight and compact. Also check the ends of the stalks and make sure they are not dry or crusted.

  • Beef Stir-Fry
  • Stovetop Beef
  • Flank Steaks
  • Broccoli
  • Beef Mains
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
358Calories
18g Fat
22g Carbs
27g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2to 4
Amount per serving
Calories358
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g23%
Saturated Fat 4g19%
Cholesterol 67mg22%
Sodium 406mg18%
Total Carbohydrate 22g8%
Dietary Fiber 3g10%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 27g
Vitamin C 20mg102%
Calcium 103mg8%
Iron 3mg16%
Potassium 591mg13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Stir-Fried Beef With Chinese Broccoli Recipe (2024)
Top Articles
Homemade Stuffing Recipe | The Bewitchin' Kitchen
15 exercises to prevent back pain and combat poor posture
Unit 3 Homework 3 Proving Lines Parallel Answer Key
How to Beat Trace on Cool Math Games - Walkthrough Guide
Latest Posts
15 Best Lower Back Exercises for Strength and Preventing Pain | BarBend
Build a Bigger, Stronger Back with The Best Back Exercises and Workouts for Men
Article information

Author: Annamae Dooley

Last Updated:

Views: 6340

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (45 voted)

Reviews: 84% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Annamae Dooley

Birthday: 2001-07-26

Address: 9687 Tambra Meadow, Bradleyhaven, TN 53219

Phone: +9316045904039

Job: Future Coordinator

Hobby: Archery, Couponing, Poi, Kite flying, Knitting, Rappelling, Baseball

Introduction: My name is Annamae Dooley, I am a witty, quaint, lovely, clever, rich, sparkling, powerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.