Tired-Night Beef and Broccoli Skillet
Takeout vibes, one pan, and dinner on the table in about 20 minutes.
If you’re wiped out but still want something that feels like dinner, make this on a night when you need a fast win: after work, between errands, or when the fridge is giving you very little to work with. It gives you the familiar beef-and-broccoli comfort of takeout, but with a short ingredient list and no marinating drama. The sauce is savory, a little glossy, and built to coat the beef and broccoli without fuss. Expect a straightforward, satisfying skillet meal—not restaurant-level finesse, just a dependable bowl of hot food that comes together quickly.
Ingredients
- 1 lb flank steak — thinly sliced against the grain
- 3 cup broccoli florets
- 2 tbsp neutral oil — divided
- 3 unit garlic cloves — minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger — grated
- 1 cup beef broth
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water — for slurry
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 unit scallions — sliced
- 2 cup cooked rice — for serving
Method
- 1 Whisk the beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, water, and rice vinegar in a small bowl until smooth.
- 2 Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef in a single layer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, just until browned. Transfer to a plate.
- 3 Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the skillet. Add the broccoli, garlic, and ginger, then cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the broccoli is bright green and crisp-tender. Splash in 2 tbsp water if the pan looks dry.
- 4 Return the beef and any juices to the skillet. Pour in the sauce and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until thick and glossy. Top with scallions and serve over rice.
Variations
- Vegetarian swap — Use extra-firm tofu or tempeh instead of beef, and swap in vegetable broth for the beef broth.
- Faster swap — Use microwavable steam-in-bag broccoli and pre-cooked rice to cut the active cooking time even more.
- Substitutions — If flank steak is unavailable, use skirt steak or sirloin; if you want more heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Notes
Slice the beef thinly so it cooks fast and stays tender. If your broccoli is thick-stemmed, cut the florets smaller so they soften in time. The sauce should look glossy and cling to the beef, not pool in the pan.
Equipment that helps
- Large skillet — A wide pan lets the beef brown quickly instead of steaming.
- Small bowl — It makes it easy to mix the sauce before the pan gets hot.
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