Beef And Broccoli (Copycat Panda Express!)
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Make the most tender beef and steamed broccoli for dinner tonight for a quick tasty dish that is perfect for a weeknight. Not only does this copycat Panda Express beef and broccoli recipe save your pocketbook, the family will love the flavor and ask for more!
Table of Contents
Why We Love Copycat Beef And Broccoli At Home
- Delicious Family Recipe – My family can go to town on some beef and broccoli, and this copycat recipe hits all the right spots. Salty in the best way, savory and tender, the whole family will love it when you make broccoli beef at home. Plus you can customize the recipe for your family’s tastes.
- Save Money – Prices are going up everywhere, and everyone is feeling the pinch. Save yourself a little money and make this copycat Panda Express broccoli beef recipe instead. While I like going out, this helps save my wallet enjoying this recipe at home.
- Low Hands On Time – While this recipe does benefit from a quick marinade, the recipe itself cooks up fast with only a little hands on time.
Ingredients For Panda Express Beef And Broccoli
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions below in the recipe card.
Ingredients For The Beef And Broccoli
- sirloin steak slice the beef thin against the grain and cut into 3-4 inch long strips. Flank steak or skirt steak are also a great cut of beef for this recipe that will be tender.
- cornstarch
- low-sodium soy sauce – also sometimes called lite soy sauce
- rice vinegar – you can swap in apple cider vinegar in a pinch
- oil canola oil, avocado oil or light olive oil work best as they all have a more neutral taste and higher smoke point.
- fresh broccoli florets – about 2 medium broccoli crowns, frozen broccoli can also be used but it will be much more soft then with fresh broccoli
- water
Ingredients For The Homemade Sauce
- beef broth or beef stock
- cornstarch
- low sodium soy sauce – also sometimes called light soy sauce
- brown sugar
- minced garlic
- green onion and sesame seeds optional garnish
How To Make Panda Express Beef And Broccoli
Cooking The Broccoli Beef Mixture
- Slice the steak into thin strips, try to keep them ¼ inch thick or less but the thinner the better. Add the strips of beef to a large bowl and add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar. Toss the steak gently in the mixture then cover. Marinate beef in the fridge for 20-30 minutes, which will help to make the sliced beef more tender.
- Heat a wok or a large deep pan with a little pan spray over medium heat. Add the broccoli and sautee for 2-3 minutes. Add 1 cup of water and cover to steam for a few minutes or until tender and the broccoli is bright green. If you still have crisp broccoli but the water has cooked away, add another ¼ cup of water. Remove the lid and cook until all of the water is gone. Remove the broccoli from the pan and set to the side, wiping the pan clean.
- Add the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the steak strips in a single layer to the bottom of the pan working in batches. Cook the beef for about a minute per side until brown on each side. Remove the steak from the pan and set to the side, continuing in batches until all the steak is browned.
Making The Sauce
- Turn the heat to low. Add the beef broth and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to the pan. Mix well with a whisk until the cornstarch dissolves. Add the remaining sauce ingredients, ⅔ cup soy sauce, brown sugar and garlic to the pan.
- Turn the heat up to medium high. Heat and stir the sauce with a whisk over medium high heat until slightly thickened. The sauce will bubble across the entire top when thick enough
- Add the beef and broccoli to the sauce. Toss to coat the meat and vegetables evenly in the sauce until hot, then serve with rice and enjoy! Garnish with green onions or sesame seeds if desired.
Variation Ideas For Panda Express Broccoli Beef
Try Chicken – While you can use either boneless chicken breast or boneless chicken thigh in this recipe, I recommend the darker chicken thigh meat for a richer dish. I also swap the beef broth for chicken broth when making a chicken version.
Swap The Vegetable – Broccoli is what is classic in this dish, but don’t be afraid to swap out or just add vegetables your family loves. Sliced carrots, sugar snap peas or snow peas, water chestnuts (canned but drain them well before adding them), baby corn (also canned, drain well) and bell pepper are all great additions to this recipe.
Swap In Ground Beef – While the recipe won’t have quite the same texture with ground beef, it will still be quite tasty with this sauce. I recommend leaving the ground beef in larger pieces when using ground beef. Sometimes ground beef is what I happen to have available.
How Do You Tenderize The Steak In Beef And Broccoli?
Adding cornstarch to the marinade for the beef helps to tenderize the meat, which is included in this recipe. This is a technique called velveting which is sometimes used in restaurants, as the cornstarch creates a velvety texture that will make the beef more tender. The cornstarch also thickens the sauce, which is what happens when you refrigerate takeout and the sauce thickens a lot compared to when you put the leftovers away.
Can I Use Regular Soy Sauce Instead Of Low Sodium?
You can use regular soy sauce in place of low sodium soy sauce, but you will need to adjust the recipe so it doesn’t become too salty. I recommend starting with half the amount of soy sauce when making the sauce and then taste the sauce. You can then add more soy sauce if needed, or simply add water in place of the additional soy sauce.
For the steak marinade, you should be able to use the same amount of soy sauce since we’re not using a ton of soy sauce.
Can I Stir Fry This Dish In Sesame Oil?
I don’t recommend using sesame oil to stir fry in, as it’s better to use at the end of a dish because of it’s low smoke point. (aka it’s more likely to burn as it starts smoking at a fairly low temperature.) Stir fry is cooked over pretty high temperatures.
If you want the flavor of sesame oil (which it can bring out a lot of great savory flavor!) try adding half a teaspoon to the sauce at the very end of cooking right before serving. Sesame oil has a strong flavor, so it’s best to use a light hand until you are more comfortable cooking with it and how much sesame oil flavor your family enjoys.
What To Serve With Beef And Broccoli
Beef and broccoli is pretty quick to make. You can easily serve this dish over steamed rice or noodles like lo mein or ramen. You can also make a quick egg fried rice, but it tastes best if you use leftover rice from another meal.
This recipe is also great with these ground pork lettuce wraps which can be served as an appetizer or a side dish. We also love to add frozen spring rolls or frozen dumplings on the side, which we often will heat up in the air fryer.
Steamed edamame with a sprinkle of salt is another great quick and easy side dish. We buy it frozen in the pod and steam it in the microwave until warm, my daughter called it popping beans when she was smaller.
How Long Will Beef With Broccoli Last?
Expect leftovers of beef with broccoli to last about three days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
More Recipes You’ll Love
Beef And Broccoli
Equipment
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Sharp knife
- 1 Measuring spoons
- 1 Measuring Cups
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 deep skillet you can also use a wok if you have it
- 1 Wooden spatula
- 1 Medium bowl
Ingredients
For The Steak And Broccoli
- 1 pound sirloin steak sliced thin against the grain and cut into 3-4 inch long strips
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons oil canola oil, avocado oil or light olive oil work best
- 4 cups fresh broccoli florets – about 2 medium broccoli crowns
- 1 cup water
For The Sauce
- 1 cup beef broth or beef stock
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ⅔ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic
- green onion and sesame seeds optional garnish
Instructions
Cooking The Steak And Broccoli
- Slice the steak into thin strips, try to keep them ¼ inch thick or less but the thinner the better. Add the steak to a large bowl and add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar. Toss the steak gently in the mixture then cover and let marinate in the fridge for 20-30 minutes, this will help tenderize the steak.
- Heat a wok or a large deep pan with a little pan spray over medium heat. Add the broccoli and sautee for 2-3 minutes. Add 1 cup of water and cover to steam for a 2 minutes or until tender and the broccoli is bright green. If the broccoli isn’t tender but the water cooks off too fast, add another ¼ cup of water. Remove the lid and cook until all of the water is gone. Remove the broccoli from the pan and set to the side, wiping the pan clean.
- Add the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the steak strips in a single layer to the bottom of the pan working in batches. Sear the beef for about a minute per side until brown on each side. Remove the steak from the pan and set to the side in a medium bowl, continuing in batches until all the steak is browned.
Making The Sauce
- Turn the heat to low. Add the beef broth and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to the pan. Mix well with a whisk until the cornstarch dissolves. Add the remaining ⅔ cup soy sauce, brown sugar and garlic to the pan.
- Turn the heat up to medium high. Heat and stir the sauce with a whisk over medium high heat until slightly thickened. The sauce will bubble across the entire top when thick enough
- Add the beef and broccoli to the sauce. Toss to coat the meat and vegetables evenly in the sauce until hot, then serve with rice and enjoy! Garnish with green onions or sesame seeds if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This?
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