Best Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry

Thinly sliced beef and bright, crisp broccoli are the stars of this dish. You can use any type of beef, but choosing a tender cut like flank or sirloin can make a big difference. Once everything is prepped, the rest comes together pretty quickly. The result is a rich dish full of juicy beef with tender broccoli tossed together in a flavorful sauce that's great to share family-style.

If you're looking to lower the carbs, add in more vegetables like mushrooms, red peppers, bamboo shoots, celery, or daikon. To lower the fat, use a very lean cut of beef or use boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead. To lower the salt, use low-sodium soy sauce.

Recipe details

Makes: 6 servings

Total carbohydrates per serving: 10 grams

Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound sirloin or flank steak, sliced thin, or 1 pound beef labeled “stir-fry”
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or ½ teaspoon table salt)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 clove garlic or ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 bunch broccoli, crowns cut into florets, stems peeled and then sliced
• 2 stalks celery, sliced diagonally
• 1 daikon radish, peeled, halved, and sliced into half-moons; or 6 radishes, sliced
• 3 scallions, ends trimmed off, sliced (reserve some for garnish if you like)
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1.5 tablespoons dry sherry, cooking sherry, or Shaoxing wine (if you have none of these, substitute 1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar)

Instructions

1. Sprinkle the beef with the salt, cornstarch, and garlic. Toss it all well, then set aside while you prepare the vegetables.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a very large pan (not nonstick) or wok over medium-high heat, until the oil is shimmering and a piece of beef sizzles when you drop it in. Add the rest of the beef and leave it undisturbed for a minute to sear, then stir and fry it until it’s browning at the edges, another four minutes or so. Add the soy sauce and stir the mixture for another minute, then move the beef from the pan to a bowl using a spatula or slotted spoon. 
3. Add all the vegetables to the pan, along with the remaining tablespoon of oil. Stir to coat everything with the oil and juices from the pan before leaving it for a minute to sear and brown. Cook, alternating stirring and leaving it alone, until the vegetables are browning and just tender, but still have a little bite to them – another five minutes or so.
4. Add the beef back to the pan along with the sherry, and stir until it is all glossy and heated through, about another minute.
5. Move the stir-fry to a platter, garnish with the remaining scallions, and serve.

Photo credit: Catherine Newman