Better Than The Buffet Beef and Broccoli

Better Than The Buffet Beef and Broccoli is the perfect combination of flavors. The rich flavor in the beef and sauce is complimented perfectly with the bright freshness of the broccoli. This is a recipe with such complex taste that you will not believe it comes together in under 30 minutes!

This is one of those recipes that might seem intimidating to try to make at home. It has a great flavor profile and the flavor may seem complex. However, this recipe couldn’t be any easier to make right in your home kitchen.

Beef and Broccoli is definitely one of the most popular dishes at any Chinese restaurant or buffet. This is an amazing meal that has such incredible deep and rich beef flavor that every bite and every drop of sauce is unbelievable.

The sauce for the beef and broccoli packs a powerful punch. Soy sauce and ginger sing loud and proud in this recipe. You will not be disappointed with the fabulous umami flavor in this one. Brown sugar lends beautiful sweetness to the sauce and sesame oil ties all of these flavors together. The teriyaki sauce really takes everything to the next level.

Broccoli adds great texture and freshness to the richness of the beef and sauce. The broccoli soaks up everything amazing from the flavors in the sauce and it’s the perfect compliment to the beef. As an added bonus, broccoli is a great source of protein and high in nutrients.

The best part of this entire recipe is that it’s not only simple to make, but it’s so quick. The flavor that you’ll be serving up on the plate will taste like you spent hours slaving away in the kitchen. In reality, you’ll have this dinner made start to finish in under 30 minutes. Steak is an amazing protein that cooks very fast. It’s an ideal choice when you need a quick stir-fried dinner. Steak is a major time-saver in Thai Steak and Asparagus Stir-Fry and Thai Beef Noodles with Mushroom and Snow Peas.

Better Than The Buffet Beef and Broccoli is a dinner that isn’t too hard on the old wallet either. A lot of the ingredients are things that you likely have on hand. You can easily find yourself an inexpensive cut of beef at the store and jarred teriyaki sauce is cheap. And an added bonus is that everything for this dinner is cooked in one pan. So cleaning up will be a breeze.

Substitutions:

• Beef: This recipe calls for Angus Top Round Steak. However, you can use whichever cut you prefer. London broil, flank or sirloin would all be scrumptious as well. Though beef is key for beef and broccoli, I realize it isn’t for everyone. You can substitute the beef if you aren’t a fan or if you have something else on hand. You could use chicken, pork or turkey. Or to keep dinner quick, use a fast cooking protein such as shrimp or a ground meat. Ground chicken, pork, beef or turkey would all be great.
• Broccoli: This type of dish is traditionally made with broccoli. However, you can substitute the broccoli if you’d like. Or if you’re feeling especially wild, you can toss a few more of your favorite veggies in the pan to fry. You can substitute or add carrots, zucchini, green beans, asparagus, spinach or bell peppers.
• Teriyaki sauce: This is a key flavor in the sauce. However, if you are out of teriyaki sauce, you can substitute the same amount of oyster sauce or hoisin sauce. If worse comes to worse, change up the sauce recipe a little bit. Instead, use 1/2 cup of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and 3 tablespoons of brown sugar. Stir until combined.
• Sesame oil: I love the flavor that comes from sesame oil. It’s a slightly nutty flavor that’s great in marinades or sauces like the one in this recipe. If you do not have sesame oil, chili oil would be delicious in this recipe. If neither is an option, just completely skip the sesame oil from the sauce.
  

What kind of teriyaki sauce should I use in this recipe?

My favorite is the Kikkoman brand. I think they produce a really excellent product. It’s a perfect shortcut when making recipes like this one. These sauces add a ton of great, authentic flavor. They are a perfect shortcut. The bottle that I always keep on hand in my refrigerator is the green one. It’s the garlic and green onion flavor. Their original teriyaki and triple ginger flavors are also great options.

Jarred sauces are some of the greatest shortcuts a busy home chef can utilize. There really are so many great options right at the grocery store for fancy sauces like this one. You can even doctor the sauces up a little bit. But they are a great base for so many different recipes. Use whatever your favorite teriyaki sauce is.

Time Saving Tips

• Meal prep: If you have the time earlier in the day or even the day before, do your chopping and grating then. There isn’t a whole lot of time for prepping required in this recipe. However, busy chefs need all of the extra time that they can get. So, I would suggest chopping garlic, the white parts of the green onion and the broccoli florets. Grate the ginger. Keep everything in airtight containers or Ziplock bags until dinnertime.
• Sauce: If you get the opportunity, whip together the few sauce ingredients ahead of time also. An added bonus is that the flavors will have time to marry and your meal will be even more flavorful.
• Buy shortcut produce: In the vegetable aisle, you can find bags of pre-cut broccoli florets and pre-peeled garlic cloves. These are in the bagged salad area at my store. I prefer fresh garlic, but you could certainly use some jarred minced garlic in this recipe too, if you prefer as another time saver. You could also try ginger paste that I’ve seen at the store if you wanted to eliminate the step of grating the ginger.

Serving Dinner

Finally. The best part of the day and the part that makes all of the hard work of slaving over the stove worth it. It’s dinnertime. I like to serve Better Than The Buffet Beef and Broccoli with sesame seeds sprinkled over the top. Fresh sliced Thai chilis on the side are a must-have in the Bloomfield household. And, as with any delicious Asian favorite, dinner is served with a side of steaming hot and fragrant Jasmine rice. You could use the leftover green parts of the green onion to thinly slice and garnish over the top as well.

Instructions

Thinly slice the Angus Top Round Steak. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large pan sprayed skillet over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced steak and season with salt and black pepper. Cook for 4 minutes and stir. Cook for an additional 4-6 minutes until cooked through. When done, remove from the pan and set aside.

While the steak is cooking, chop garlic, the white parts of the green onion and the broccoli florets. Grate the ginger. Combine the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl. Stir until combined.

Reduce the skillet heat to low. Heat the remaining ⅓ cup vegetable oil. Cook garlic, green onion, ginger and broccoli for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Return the cooked steak to the skillet and pour in the sauce. Continue to cook and stir for 3 minutes until the sauce has thickened. (Optional) Garnish with sesame seeds and serve with fresh sliced Thai chilis.

Hungry for more Better Than The Buffet recipes?

• Better Than The Buffet Chicken Lo Mein delivers all of the classic flavors of your favorite Chinese noodle dish. Soy sauce, boneless skinless chicken thighs, mixed veggies, ginger and garlic make this a dish that’s big on flavor but comes together in just 30 minutes time. This is a perfect recipe for a side dish or a quick weeknight meal.
• Better Than The Buffet Battered Chinese Fried Shrimp is a New England Chinese restaurant favorite. The simple and flavorful batter uses only 6-ingredients and will give you the perfect crunchy yet fluffy bite. The flavorful breading compliments the succulent sweetness of the jumbo shrimp.
• Better Than The Buffet Crab Rangoons are easy to make and packed full of flavor. They are the perfect finger food to make for any party appetizer. One of my favorite traditions that we started in my house is to cook our own Chinese food every New Year’s Eve. This a great starter recipe and the perfect way to ring in the New Year.
• Better Than The Buffet Orange Chicken With Broccoli is a restaurant quality dinner that you can make right at home. The fried chicken paired with the broccoli, garlic, ginger and Orange Sauce make this an easy meal that you will want to add to your dinner rotation.
• Better Than The Buffet Chinese Pepper Chicken is a buffet staple. So simple yet so complex, this is an easy recipe that has so much depth of flavor. The pepper sauce is so rich and tasty that you won’t believe it comes together with only five ingredients.

Now that you’ve seen how easy it is to make Better Than The Buffet Beef and Broccoli right at home, it’s time to get cooking. Let me know in the comments below how your recipe turned out. I love reading your comments. Did you make any adjustments, substitutions or add-ins? As always, I appreciate your support of the Spice and Sugar Mama food blog!