SERVES 4
Ingredients
Sauce- 0.5 cup (120 ml) Chicken Broth or Stock
- 0.25 cup (60 ml) Hoisin Sauce
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) dry sherry
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) tapioca or arrowroot starch
- 12 ounces (approx. 340 g) flank steak, trimmed of all visible fat and sliced thinly into 2-inch-long pieces
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) Soy Sauce
- 3 scallions, minced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) grated fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 pound (454 g) (16 ounces / approx. 454 g) broccoli, florets cut into 1-inch pieces, stalks peeled and sliced thin
- 0.33 cup (79 ml) water
- 2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks
Preparation
- For the Sauce: Whisk all sauce ingredients together in a bowl.
- For the Stir-Fry: Combine the beef and 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of Soy Sauce in a bowl; marinate for 10 to 30 minutes. In a separate small bowl, combine the scallions, garlic, ginger, and one teaspoon of coconut oil.
- Cook the broccoli florets, broccoli stalks, and 0.33 cup (79 ml) water together in a covered twelve-inch nonstick skillet over high heat. Continue until the water is boiling and the broccoli is bright green and beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Uncover, add the bell peppers, and cook until the water has evaporated and the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer these vegetables to a colander.
- Add the remaining two teaspoons of coconut oil to the now-empty skillet and place it over high heat until just smoking. Add the beef with its marinade, breaking up any clumps. Cook until lightly browned on all sides but not fully cooked, about 2 minutes. Clear the center of the skillet, add the garlic-scallion-ginger mixture, and cook, mashing the mixture into the pan, until fragrant, about 15 to 30 seconds.
- Stir in the cooked vegetables. Whisk the sauce to recombine it and add it to the skillet. Simmer until the beef is cooked through and the sauce is thickened, about 1 minute. Serve.
More Recipes You'll Love
Stir-fried beef and broccoli with classic brown stir-fry sauce is the takeout order you can make in one skillet. Flank steak, broccoli and red pepper get glossed in a hoisin-sherry sauce that thickens in seconds. Fast, saucy, and better than the delivery box.
Pro Tips
- Marinate the sliced flank steak in two teaspoons of soy sauce for 10-30 minutes before cooking — it seasons the meat and helps it brown.
- Cook the broccoli florets and peeled, thinly sliced stalks in a third of a cup of water under a lid; the steam-fry keeps them bright green and crisp-tender.
- Cook the beef only about 2 minutes until lightly browned but not fully done — it finishes in the simmering sauce without going tough.
- Clear the center of the pan and mash the garlic-scallion-ginger mixture into the hot surface for 15-30 seconds until fragrant.
- Whisk the sauce to recombine right before adding it (the starch settles), then simmer just one minute until it thickens and coats everything.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's in the classic brown stir-fry sauce?
Chicken broth, hoisin, dry sherry, soy sauce and tapioca starch — whisked together and added at the end so it thickens into a glossy glaze in about a minute.
Should I use the broccoli stalks?
Yes — peel and slice them thin. They're sweet, crunchy, and stretch the vegetable while cooking in the same couple of minutes as the florets.
Why cook the beef in two stages?
A fast high-heat sear builds crust, then the simmering sauce finishes the cooking gently. The whole stir-fry stays tender that way.
Can I swap the beef?
Flank steak is the recipe's choice because its thin slices cook in seconds. Any quick-cooking steak sliced against the grain behaves the same way.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Stir-Fry
- 12 ounces (approx. 340 g) flank steak, trimmed of all visible fat and sliced thinly into 2-inch-long pieces
- 2 teaspoons Soy Sauce
- 3 scallions, minced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 pound (16 ounces / approx. 454 g) broccoli, florets cut into 1-inch pieces, stalks peeled and sliced thin
- 0.33 cup water
- 2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks
- For the Sauce: Whisk all sauce ingredients together in a bowl.
- For the Stir-Fry: Combine the beef and 2 teaspoons of Soy Sauce in a bowl; marinate for 10 to 30 minutes.
- In a separate small bowl, combine the scallions, garlic, ginger, and one teaspoon of coconut oil.
- Cook the broccoli florets, broccoli stalks, and 0.33 cup water together in a covered twelve-inch nonstick skillet over high heat.
- Continue until the water is boiling and the broccoli is bright green and beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Uncover, add the bell peppers, and cook until the water has evaporated and the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.
- Transfer these vegetables to a colander.
- Add the remaining two teaspoons of coconut oil to the now-empty skillet and place it over high heat until just smoking.
- Add the beef with its marinade, breaking up any clumps.
- Cook until lightly browned on all sides but not fully cooked, about 2 minutes. Clear the center of the skillet, add the garlic-scallion-ginger mixture, and cook, mashing the mixture into the pan, until fragrant, about 15 to 30 seconds.
- Stir in the cooked vegetables.
- Whisk the sauce to recombine it and add it to the skillet.
- Simmer until the beef is cooked through and the sauce is thickened, about 1 minute.
- Serve.
