Panda Express beef and broccoli
by Panda Express beef and broccoli is a delicious, savory stir fry that combines tender slices of beef with crisp broccoli, all tossed in a rich, umami-packed sauce. It’s the perfect weeknight meal when you’re craving takeout flavors but want a healthier, homemade option.
Pair this delicious dish with steamed white rice to soak up all the tasty sauce. With simple ingredients and easy prep, it’s an easy dinner that delivers bold flavors in under 30 minutes, making it perfect for busy evenings!
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Ingredients
This Panda Express broccoli beef dish uses simple, everyday ingredients to create bold flavors and a satisfying meal.
Velveting beef:
- Skirt steak, sirloin tip, flank, or sirloin steak: Thinly sliced for tenderness and quick cooking.
- Soy sauce: Adds saltiness and umami to the beef.
- Fish sauce (optional): Deepens the umami flavor for a richer taste.
- Olive oil: Seals in moisture during marination.
- Black pepper: Adds mild heat to the marinade.
- Baking soda: Tenderizes the beef and keeps it juicy.
- Tapioca starch: Keeps the beef silky and creates a slightly crisp surface when stir-fried.
- Toasted sesame oil: Adds nutty richness to the marinade.
- Water: Massaging in a small amount of water keeps the beef moist and juicy.
Aromatics and veggies:
- Garlic, ginger, fresh broccoli florets, and avocado oil for stir frying
Beef and broccoli sauce:
- Light soy sauce: Adds salty depth to the sauce.
- Dark soy sauce: Gives the dish a richer, deeper color and a touch of sweetness.
- Oyster sauce: Adds savory-sweet richness to the stir fry.
- Sesame oil, chicken stock, Chinese cooking wine, and starch: Combined to create a thickened, flavorful sauce.
How to slice beef to paper thin?
- Beef selection: Choose lean cuts like flank, skirt, or sirloin tip, as these are easier to slice thinly compared to thicker cuts like ribeye.
- Knife selection: Use a sharp boning knife for its thin, narrow tip, which allows for better control. (see my step-by-step photo guide below).
- Slicing technique: Slice the beef against the grain into thin pieces (not strips). Hold the knife at a 45-degree angle and slice from left to right, rather than straight up and down.
How to make Panda Express beef and broccoli
Stir-frying is all about keeping things hot and fast! Here’s how to make this quick and flavorful broccoli beef from Panda Express.
- Slice the beef: Thinly slice the beef against the grain to keep it tender. Holding your knife at a 45-degree angle will make wider slices.
- Marinate the beef: Combine the beef with soy sauce, fish sauce, olive oil, black pepper, baking soda, tapioca starch, sesame oil, and water. Massage the marinade into the beef and let it sit for 15-30 minutes in the fridge.
- Prep the sauce and the broccoli: Trim the broccoli into florets and microwave with 2 tbsp water for 1-2 minutes until bright green and crisp. Set aside the broccoli beef sauce.
- Sear the beef: Preheat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add oil and sear the beef for 2 minutes, without disturbing, then flip for another 1 minute. Set aside.
- Sauté aromatics: In the same pan, sauté garlic and ginger for 15 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir-fry the broccoli and beef: Add the sauce and stir. Toss in the broccoli and return the beef to the pan, tossing everything together for about 10 seconds.
- Serve: Serve hot with your favorite rice or noodle side!
How to use baking soda to tenderize meat in stir fries
Baking soda is a quick and effective way to tenderize lean, tougher cuts of meat like flank or skirt steak. It helps break down the fibers, making the beef more tender and juicy when stir-fried.
- Use it for lean, tough cuts: Baking soda works best on cuts like skirt, or flank steak.
- Ratio: Use ½ tsp of baking soda for every 1 lb of meat.
- Marinate time: Only marinate the meat for 15-20 minutes. Any longer and the texture may become too soft.
See our guides on How to make beef stir fry and Beef stir fry marinade (velvet beef) for more info.
What to serve it with
This broccoli beef Panda Express dish pairs well with a variety of side dishes, making it versatile for any meal.
- Rice and noodles: Try it with Panda Express fried rice, white rice, or low-carb options like kelp noodles or shirataki rice.
- Vegetables: Serve with Panda Express super greens or Broccoli with garlic sauce for a healthy boost.
- Takeout favorites: Pair with wonton egg drop soup, rice paper egg rolls, or rice paper dumplings for a complete takeout experience at home.
ChihYu’s helpful tips
- Cookware type: Use a large 12-inch sauté pan or wok to give the ingredients enough space to cook evenly. Overcrowding the pan traps moisture, making the stir fry soggy.
- Types of beef to use: Choose lean cuts like skirt, flank, or sirloin tip. These cuts are easier to slice thinly and cook quickly.
- Knife slicing technique: Hold your knife at a 45-degree angle and slice against the grain for maximum tenderness. This technique helps break down the muscle fibers, making the beef tender.
- Timing is key: Preheat your pan properly—hot but not smoking. You should hear a strong sizzle when the beef hits the pan, which seals in the juices and creates a crisp exterior.
- Don’t over-marinate: 15-20 minutes is all you need when using baking soda to tenderize the beef. Any longer and the texture may become too soft.
- Make-ahead tip: You can marinate the beef up to 1-2 days in advance to save time on cooking day.
FAQs
What is the best type of beef to use for stir fry?
Lean cuts like flank, skirt, or sirloin tip are ideal because they’re easy to slice thin and cook quickly. Avoid thicker cuts like ribeye, as they’re harder to slice paper-thin and contain too much moisture.
How do I avoid soggy stir fry?
Use a large pan (12 inches) to prevent overcrowding, and make sure the pan is hot. Sear the beef for 2 minutes on one side, flip, and cook for 1 more minute for a crispy texture.
How do I reheat Beef and Broccoli?
Reheat leftovers in a pan over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. You can also microwave it in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, to avoid overcooking the beef.
More Panda Express recipes you might like
Craving more takeout-inspired dishes? Try these other popular Panda Express copycat recipes!
- Panda Express Honey Walnut Shrimp: A sweet and savory shrimp dish topped with toasted walnuts and honey walnut sauce!
- Panda Express Honey Sesame Chicken: Crispy chicken tossed in a sweet honey sauce with crunchy sesame seeds.
- Panda Express Mushroom Chicken: Tender chicken stir-fried with mushrooms and zucchini in a light soy ginger sauce.
- Panda Express Orange Chicken: The famous crispy chicken coated in a tangy and sweet orange sauce.
Panda Express beef and broccoli recipe
Skip the takeout and make Panda Express Beef and Broccoli at home! Tender beef, crisp broccoli with extra sauce. Ready in under 30 minutes.
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Ingredients
For the beef:
- 1 lb. skirt steak, or sirloin tip, flank, sirloin steak
- ½ tbsp soy sauce, or 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- ½ tbsp fish sauce, optional but adds extra umami
- 2 tsp olive oil
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
- ¼-½ tsp baking soda
- 2-2.5 tbsp tapioca starch, or arrowroot starch
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1.5 tbsp water
Aromatics and veggies:
- 1 oz garlic clove, finely minced, 5 large
- 0.4 oz ginger, finely minced
- 12 oz broccoli florets
- 1.5 tbsp avocado oil, for stir frying
Sauce:
- 1.5 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine, or gluten-free sake, optional
- 2 tsp starch
Instructions
- Thinly slice beef: Hold your knife at a 45-degree angle will make the slice wilder and more flat. Slice the beef against the grain into thin pieces at about ⅛” thin.
- Tenderize and marinate beef: In a bowl, add the beef and season with ingredients from soy sauce to sesame oil. Add in the water little-by-little while messaging the beef until the water is absorbed. Cover the bowl and marinate the meat for 15 to 30 minutes in the fridge or up to 1 day in advance. Your beef is ready for stir frying!
- Broccoli prep: Trim broccoli into similar size florets. For larger ones, slice in half. Add to a microwave safe bowl with 2 tbsp water, Microwave on high for 1 minute, stir, and microwave further for 30 seconds to 1 minute. The broccoli should be crisp and not completely cooked and the color is bright green. Set aside to drain well.
- Aromatics and sauce: Mince the garlic and ginger, and set aside the sauce.
- Sear beef: Preheat a large saute pan over medium heat until it feels quite hot, add 1 tbsp oil. Add the beef and quickly spread it out into a single layer. You should hear a sizzling sound. If not, turn the heat up higher. Pay sear for 2 minutes without disturbing or until you see the bottom turns crisp brown. Flip and sear the other side for 1 minute. Transfer out along with the pan juice to set aside.
- Saute aromatics: While the pan is still hot, add the remaining 0.5 tbsp oil. Saute garlic and ginger with a small pinch of salt over medium heat for 15 seconds.
- Sauce, Broccoli, Beef: Pour-in the sauce. Stir to combine with the aromatics for 10 seconds. Turn heat up to medium-high. Add the broccoli, toss for 10 seconds. Return beef to the pan, toss for 10 seconds to combine.
- Serve: Transfer to a large serving plate. Serve hot with rice or fried rice!
Notes
- Cookware size: Use a large sauté pan or wok. A 12-inch (31cm) pan is ideal.
- Use a splatter guard: Not a lid. A lid traps moisture and can make your stir fry soggy.
- Stir fry beef selections: Choose lean cuts and thin pieces of steak like flank, skirt, or sirloin tip. These are easier to slice thinly than thicker cuts like ribeye.
- Knife selection: I recommend a sharp boning knife for its thin, narrow tip, which is easy to control.
- Knife slicing technique: Slice the beef against the grain into thin pieces, not strips. Hold your knife at a 45-degree angle, moving from left to right instead of straight up and down.
- Temperature & Timing: Preheat your pan properly—it should be hot but not smoking. You should hear a sizzle throughout the cooking process.
- Make-ahead: You can slice and marinate the beef (velvet beef) up to one or two days in advance to save time.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 339kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 71mg, Sodium: 1251mg, Potassium: 713mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 540IU, Vitamin C: 78mg, Calcium: 69mg, Iron: 3mg
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