Takeout-Inspired Beef And Broccoli Recipe

Who says you can't enjoy authentic takeout-style food in the comfort of your own kitchen? Recipe developer Erin Johnson came up with her own recipe for takeout-inspired beef and broccoli that tastes just as good as the stuff that you would order at your favorite Chinese restaurant. It's surprisingly simple to make from start to finish and no, you won't need any special items or ingredients to whip it up. This is suitable for anyone from a beginner to a bonafide pro in the kitchen. 

Johnson perfectly explains why she loves this dish so much. "This takeout favorite takes less time to cook than it does to get delivery, and is every bit as delicious," she raves. She also explains why she loves making this classic instead of ordering. "I love making at-home versions of my favorite things because it's usually less expensive, and I know exactly what ingredients are being used," Johnson shares. You too can take creative control in the kitchen, omitting or limiting ingredients based on taste; but for delicious, takeout-inspired beef and broccoli, we definitely recommend following Johnson's recipe as-is!

If you cook Chinese food often, you may already have several of the necessary ingredients for this takeout-inspired recipe. Otherwise, head to the store and grab soy sauce, honey, chicken broth, sesame oil, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, minced garlic, fresh ginger, gochujang paste, cornstarch, beef, salt, pepper, broccoli florets, and finally, sesame seeds for garnish.

"My grocery store sells thinly sliced beef prepackaged that's intended for carne picada, but I think it works perfectly for beef and broccoli, so that's what I prefer to use," Johnson notes. "If you don't have this option, thinly slice a skirt steak or really any piece of beef you have."

The key to any good Chinese dish is a killer sauce. To make the sauce for this beef and broccoli, grab a bowl and add the soy sauce, honey, broth, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic, ginger, gochujang, and one tablespoon of cornstarch. "When making the sauce, let your tastebuds be your guide," Johnson suggests. "If you love ginger and garlic, add more. If you want spicy, add more gochujang. If you don't like spicy, omit it. You can also substitute sriracha or red pepper flakes."

Use a whisk to mix the sauce to combine. Then, set it to the side until you need it again.

To add some flavor to the beef, season it with a little bit of salt and pepper to taste. Then, grab the remaining tablespoon of cornstarch and sprinkle it over the meat. Be sure to mix well to coat each piece of beef with cornstarch.

Once you finish seasoning the beef, it's time to get cooking. Select a heavy skillet and add oil. Place the skillet on your stove, and then add the meat to the mix. Continue to cook the beef until it gets nice and brown. This shouldn't take more than a few minutes. Once you finish cooking the beef, remove it from the pan.

Add 2 tablespoons of water to the same skillet that you used to cook the beef. Then, you can go ahead and toss in the broccoli. Continue cooking the broccoli until the water fully evaporates, and then add the meat back into the pan.

One of the last things you need to add to the pan is the sauce you mixed up in step one. Pour it over the beef and broccoli and allow the sauce to boil. Then, sprinkle the sesame over the top.

Remove the beef and broccoli from the pan and plate, and serve as you wish. This is great on it's own but Johnson also shares her favorite way to serve this dish. "Serve over white or brown rice," Johnson recommends. As far as leftovers go? Johnson says that this dish "keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheats well."