30-minute beef and broccoli
nostalgia in a skillet
Growing up, my siblings and I lived for the nights when my parents would order Chinese takeout from Mr. Lu’s. We thought it was the biggest treat in the world! And getting to drive with dad to pick it up was the cherry on top.
Now that I’m a mother of three, I fully recognize that Mr. Lu’s nights weren’t a special treat for us kids — they were a special treat for my mother. No cooking! Send the kids in the car with their dad to pick it up to get them out of the house for 30 minutes! No cleaning!
But, having just fed my children yet another meal in which they refused all of the vegetables on the plate, I can now recognize another huge win: we absolutely crushed vegetables on Mr. Lu’s night.
Veggie fried rice? Cleared our plates. Stir fried green beans? Oh yeah. But the dish for which we all went back for seconds and thirds?
BEEF AND BROCCOLI! I specifically remember picking through the beef to get to the broccoli. The way the tender broccoli soaks up the sauce is just… heavenly.
The sauce is simple but so insanely flavorful, and I’ve added more vegetables and cleaned up the ingredients a bit to make it really nutritious. It is so quick and easy and packed with flavor, and I can’t wait for y’all to try it.
I’ve talked about these a lot on Instagram lately (AKA since having a third baby and learning to take every single possible shortcut in the kitchen) but these are my three absolute favorite ingredients right now to help make quick, flavorful meals easier. I HIGHLY recommend hunting them down (I know Trader Joe’s, Walmart, and Target carry various brands!) for this and other recipes.
Frozen ginger cubes — AKA fresh ginger that has been grated, and frozen into a cube! It’s brilliant! You just throw it straight in the skillet for stir fries, or thaw it for dressings/sauces.
Frozen garlic cubes — Same deal. Minced garlic that has been frozen in cube form. 1 cube = 1 clove. I find myself throwing garlic and ginger into so many more recipes than I normally do (because I’m too lazy to mince them), making my random weeknight meals so much more flavorful!
Frozen rice — I never understood the allure of frozen rice until I had this third kid. But now I am obsessed. We use a bag of Trader Joe’s (but don’t worry — most grocers carry it) frozen brown rice, or their rice medley, at least 3x a week. I use it to make healthy grain bowls for lunch, I sauté it with kale or spinach as a side dish, I add it to soups, and I serve it with stir fries like today’s recipe.
beef & broccoli (and lots of other veggies)
Serves 4 to 6 (bulk up your rice portion to stretch it further, or serve without rice to serve less)
Cook time: ~30 minutes
Tools:
Large pot (unless you’re using frozen rice)
Colander (unless you’re using frozen rice)
Your largest nonstick skillet or wok (this 14-inch version of my fave nonstick is one of my favorite kitchen tools)
Box grater or microplane (unless you’re using frozen cubes)
Silicone spatula or wooden spoon (these are best to use with nonstick skillets and woks)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups uncooked white or brown rice (but seriously, try to find frozen rice)
1 pound beef sirloin, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and pepper
1/3 cup hot water (hottest your sink will go)
6 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons honey (or brown sugar)
1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 large carrots, washed well and thinly sliced (no need to peel)
1 pound broccoli florets, cut into 2-inch pieces
4 garlic cloves, grated (or 4 frozen cubes)
1-inch piece ginger, grated (or 2 frozen cubes)
Optional for garnish: toasted sesame seeds
To cook the rice, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 1/2 cups uncooked white or brown rice and cook for 12 to 15 minutes for white rice and 25 to 30 minutes for brown rice. Test a grain of rice starting at the lower minute mark, when it’s tender with a slight chew, it’s ready (it will continue cooking while it steams). Drain, then return rice to the pot and cover for at least 10 minutes, or until dinner time.
Thinly slice 1 pound beef sirloin. It’s a lot easier to slice if you freeze it for 30 minutes first, but I rarely have the patience to do this. Season the slices generously with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup hot water (just as hot as your sink will go), 6 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Set aside.
Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in your largest skillet over medium-high heat for several minutes. Add 1 thinly sliced bell pepper, 2 thinly sliced carrots, 1 pound of broccoli florets, 4 grated garlic cloves, and a grated 1-inch piece of ginger.
To grate the garlic and ginger, use a microplane or the smallest hole on a box grater. You do not even need to peel the ginger, just wash it. But if you prefer to peel the skin off, use a spoon to scrape the thin skin away.
Stir the vegetables for 4 to 5 minutes, until crisp-tender. Transfer them to a large bowl.
Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Pat the steak slices dry with a paper towel, then add them to the skillet in a single layer. Cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the sauce and cooked vegetables.
Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
Serve over rice, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.
link to printer version
Leftovers are a good thing: You’ll love your lunches this week if you have leftovers! Leftover beef and broccoli will stay good in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop in a pan over medium heat until the beef is warmed through. If you’re cooking for fewer than 4 people and don’t want leftovers, you could skip the rice or halve the whole recipe.
Vegetarian: Instead of using beef, beef up your veggies. You can add an extra carrots, another red bell pepper, and more broccoli — or swap the beef for a pound of chopped, sliced, or even whole or halved white mushrooms, however you like them best. Cook the mushrooms before you add the other vegetables so that they can release then absorb their liquid. You could also use soy curls.
Feeding kids: This sauce (and thus meal) is beloved by many children, mine included. I plate it with the rice by itself, the beef and broccoli by itself, and with a fruit they love. If you have a kid who’s super sensitive to spice, cut back or omit the red pepper flakes.
Prep ahead: You can pre-slice your meat, chop and slice your veggies, and cook your rice up to a day before you’re ready to cook. Store all in airtight containers in the fridge.
Gluten-free: Swap soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos
Dairy-free: No changes needed!
Rice: You can serve this beef and broccoli atop any type of rice, cauliflower rice, or quinoa. Or omit! It’s delicious alone too.
Beef sirloin: Flank steak, skirt steak, or thinly sliced chicken breasts or chicken thighs (remove all white fat). Any ground meat would also work! See note above for vegetarian options.
Reduced-sodium soy sauce: Tamari or coconut aminos. Regular soy sauce is fine if it’s all you have — just use about 5 tablespoons instead of 6. If you’re very mindful of sodium intake, you could also cut it by half and use water for the other 3 tablespoons.
Sesame oil: 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter or any nut butter or tahini
Honey: Brown sugar is the ideal sub. Maple syrup or granulated sugar will work, if it’s all you have.
Corn starch: Arrowroot powder or tapioca starch (sometimes called tapioca flour). Arrowroot powder can be used in equal amount as corn starch; if using tapioca flour, you’ll want to double it.
Red pepper flakes: 1/4 teaspoon sambal oelek or gochujang or omit
Olive oil: A neutral oil such as safflower or canola
Red bell pepper + carrots: I’ve added these to bulk up the flavor profile and nutrient density of this meal! But you can always stick to broccoli — just add another pound of it. Or you could use 2 bell peppers (any color!) and no carrots, or 4 large carrots and no bell pepper. Do your thing!
Garlic cloves: 4 frozen cubes or 3/4 tsp garlic powder
Ginger: 2 frozen cubes or 1/4 tsp ground ginger
Click here for the full index of What to Cook recipes categorized by protein, cook time, and *mood.*
Editor: Molly Ramsey
Illustrations: Nhung Lê
Yum!!
I’m obsessed with the frozen garlic and ginger cubes! So easy!
I have another kitchen hack that I am LOVING too. I frequently make a dairy free queso that calls for 2 teaspoons of tomato paste- I never use the tube or the rest of the can fast enough. So I put the rest in a plastic zip lock, flatten it out and score? it into little cubes. So when I need to use some in a recipe you just pop out a frozen cube - like the ginger and garlic!!
made this for dinner last night. My 18 month old, who refuses broccoli at all times, ATE THIS. And three hours afterwards, while watching old re-runs of "24," my husband turns to me out of the blue and says thoughtfully "you know, that might have been the best beef and broccoli I've ever had."
So yes, this is a hit! Thank you.