Broccoli beef with water chestnuts is the kind of weeknight dinner that tastes like you fussed over it, when really you were in and out of the kitchen in half an hour. Thin slices of flank steak get a quick soak in a savory-sweet marinade, then hit a screaming hot pan until the edges catch and caramelize. Add crisp-tender broccoli, a can of water chestnuts for that signature crunch, and a sauce that thickens into glossy, cling-to-every-bite perfection. It is my daughter’s second-favorite dinner of all time, and once you make it, you will understand why the takeout menu never stood a chance.
The beauty of a good stir fry is how fast it comes together once your prep is done, which makes it perfect for the same busy nights I reach for sesame broccolini noodles or a comforting bowl of creamy ginger chicken meatball soup. If you are building a little rotation of better-than-takeout dinners, this belongs right alongside my teriyaki loco moco and easy Vietnamese pho. Serve it over steamed jasmine rice and you have a full meal that feeds four without a single trip out the door.
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Why this Works
Stir fry lives and dies by heat and timing, and this recipe stacks the deck in your favor. Slicing the flank steak thin and across the grain shortens the muscle fibers so the beef stays tender instead of chewy, and searing it in small batches keeps the pan hot enough to brown the meat rather than steam it. That browning is where all the deep, savory flavor comes from.
The sauce does double duty as both marinade and finishing glaze. Because it is loaded with cornstarch, it clings to the beef while it marinates and then thickens into a silky coating in the last thirty seconds of cooking. You get maximum flavor with minimum effort, which is exactly what a Tuesday night calls for.
Heather’s Recipe Notes
Drawing from 20 years of recipe development and my time co-founding a spice company, here’s what makes this recipe worth making exactly as written.
- Slice the flank steak while it is still partially frozen. Firm meat is so much easier to cut into those paper-thin, even slices that cook in a flash.
- Get as much marinade off the beef as you can before it hits the oil. Too much liquid in a hot pan means splatter on your ceiling and steamed rather than seared meat.
- Freeze your fresh ginger and grate it straight from the freezer on a small grater. It keeps for ages and grates like a dream. Scrape the skin off with the edge of a spoon first.
- As a co-founder of Spiceology, I am a firm believer that the seasoning makes the dish. A pinch of a good Chinese five spice or a chili crunch blend stirred into the sauce takes this from great to genuinely crave-worthy.
- Have every single ingredient prepped and lined up before you turn on the heat. Stir fry moves fast, and you will not have time to open a can of water chestnuts mid-sear.
The Maillard Reaction
The reason batch-seared beef tastes so much better than beef crowded into a cold pan comes down to the Maillard reaction. When the surface of the meat hits high, dry heat, the amino acids and sugars react and transform into hundreds of new flavor compounds. That is what creates the rich, roasted, almost nutty depth you taste in restaurant stir fry.
Crowding the pan is the enemy here. Too much beef at once drops the temperature and releases moisture, so the meat simmers in its own juices and never develops that browned crust. Working in small batches keeps the surface of the pan hot and dry, which is why this one extra step of patience pays off in a big way on the plate.
Ingredients in Broccoli Beef
- Flank Steak – flank steak sliced thin against the grain. This keeps it tender. See variations below for other cuts of meat.
- Soy sauce – dark soy sauce will give this dish the most flavor. Use regular or low-sodium.
- Sherry wine – or use white wine or chicken stock.
- Light brown sugar – helps the beef caramelize in the pan and balances the other flavors.
- Cornstarch – to thicken the sauce.
- Sriracha sauce – adds a little kick, you can also use crushed red pepper flakes instead.
- Fresh ginger – grated or minced for a fresh zing. Don’t substitute ground ginger powder as it will not has as much flavor.
- Broccoli crowns – using crowns will help this dish cook quicker. See helpful notes below for other veggie variations.
- Water – to get all of the delicious bits off the pan before adding the beef back in.
- Water chestnuts – pre-sliced water chestnuts that are drained.
- Peanut oil – or olive oil, for frying.
Recipe Variations & Add-Ins
- Swap the flank steak for sirloin, skirt steak, or thinly sliced ribeye. Any tender, quick-cooking cut works beautifully.
- No sherry on hand? Dry white wine, rice wine, or a splash of chicken broth will stand in nicely.
- Dial the heat up or down by adjusting the sriracha, or swap in your favorite chili sauce.
- Make it lower carb by serving over cauliflower rice instead of jasmine rice.
- Toss in extra vegetables like snap peas, bell pepper, or sliced carrots for a heartier, more colorful plate.
Step-By-Step Photos
How to Store & Make-Ahead Tips
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in a hot skillet over medium-high heat to bring back some of that fresh-cooked texture. The microwave works too, but the broccoli softens.
- Keep the rice in a separate container so it does not soak up the sauce and turn mushy.
- Freeze cooked broccoli beef for up to 2 months in a freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- This one is great for meal prep. Portion it over rice in individual containers for grab-and-go lunches all week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Flank steak is my top pick because it is lean, flavorful, and stays tender when sliced thin across the grain. Sirloin, skirt steak, and thinly sliced ribeye are all excellent substitutes.
Slicing across the grain cuts through the long muscle fibers and shortens them, which makes every bite noticeably more tender. Cutting with the grain leaves those fibers long and gives you chewy, stringy beef.
No, and that is part of why I love this recipe. A full 30 minute marinate is great if you plan ahead, but the beef is still flavorful and tender if it just soaks while you prep the broccoli and water chestnuts.
Water chestnuts add a signature crisp, juicy crunch that holds up even after cooking. They have a mild, slightly sweet flavor that lets the beef and sauce stay the star while contributing great texture.
Absolutely. A large, heavy frying pan works just as well as long as you get it very hot and cook the beef in batches so it sears instead of steams.
Steamed jasmine rice is the classic pairing and soaks up all that savory sauce. Cauliflower rice, brown rice, or lo mein noodles are all great alternatives.
More Weeknight Recipes
Broccoli Beef Stir Fry Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs flank steak, trimmed, sliced very thin across the grain
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 4 tbsp dry sherry
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp Sriracha Sauce
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated or minced
- 3 cups broccoli crowns, uniform sized
- 1 cup water
- 8 oz sliced water chestnuts, drained
- 2 tbsp peanut oil
Instructions
- Slice flank steak against the grain into thin slices. Place in a bowl.
- In a small bowl, mix the sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, Sriracha and ginger together with a whisk.
- Pour marinade over the sliced steak and stir to coat well. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat until very hot. Carefully add peanut oil. Heat the peanut oil in a large frying pan or wok until very hot.
- Working in small batches, add the sliced beef, don't crowd. Cook 1 minute per side, or until slightly browned and almost cooked through. Remove to a clean bowl and repeat with remaining beef.
- Add the broccoli to the same frying pan along with 1 cup of water. Scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan and allow the broccoli to cook until just tender but still crisp. Add the water chestnuts and stir to combine.
- Add the reserved beef, any accumulated juices, and the remaining marinade and stir to combine. Cook just until the sauce begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and serve with steamed rice and snipped scallions, if desired.
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Nutrition
*Nutritional information is not guaranteed to be accurate.
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Hi! I’m Heather
I’m Heather, a recipe developer and content creator based in Vancouver, Washington. I started Farmgirl Gourmet in 2006 because I believed weeknight dinners shouldn’t be boring and gourmet shouldn’t mean complicated. I’m also the co-founder of Spiceology, so safe to say I think about food for a living. Stick around for recipes that actually make it into your regular rotation.
Really good and yummy
I really love this recipe and hope you will too!
Made this tonight….I had it marked when I had your blog in SRC last month but made something else…Oh My WORD! This was amazing…I didn’t have the Sherry, used chicken broth instead. I also topped it with toasted sesame seeds and almonds
How great that you’ve got friends and locals that read your blog! Also, you have a lovely assistant with pretty blue nails.
love this idea! so quick and easy 🙂
Hi again Heather! I´m posting this under anonymous, since I have none of the other account options. It was fun running into you yesterday at Turnbull. I just want to reemphasize that I really do enjoy your blog. I find myself checking it quite frequently when in need of a new interesting recipe. Thanks for sharing your joy of cooking and keep at it! I´ll have to give your daughter´s second favorite recipe a try, especially given that the first one was such a hit. 🙂 Rán Henry
Hey Heather,
My “G” want’s to know why I didn’t get the ‘cooking gene’… I told him I had stepped out of line to go ‘powder my nose’, so you got a double (yours & mine)dose! lol!
See ya on Thursday!
:>)
I read your blog….lol…I just don’t cook much…but they all sound so wonderful…and I have even tasted some of them! 🙂
That such a great feeling to know that people are making and enjoying the recipes you spend so much time putting up on your blog. This stir-fry looks like another one that is sure to develop a following.
Heather – this looks fabulous! I love hearing when my locals end up liking something on my blog. It makes me really feel like I’m serving a purpose. I’ve been searching for a good beef and broccoli recipe, love the addition of water chestnuts!