Beef with Garlic Sauce

Beef with Garlic Sauce is one of my all-time favorite quick dinners. The flank steak is so tender and juicy, and it soaks up all of that umami sauce. Not to mention the broccoli. It gives a little color and texture, making it way better than simple steamed broccoli. All the ingredients work together to create an unforgettable bite of food.

If you have picky eaters in your life, you should try serving them this Chinese beef recipe. I have found that picky adults AND kids have asked for seconds. Even if they skip the broccoli, it’s still a win! I promise it will be a winning meal either way.

If you like easy Chinese food recipes, you will love this General Tso’s chicken and stir fried shrimp.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It doesn’t take a lot of time: Cooking and prepping this beef and garlic sauce takes about 30 minutes. I love dinners that are delicious and don’t take hours of preparation to enjoy.
• It’s easy to prepare: This is a simple garlic beef recipe as well. You’ll spend some sauteing and mixing up the sauce, but that’s the bulk of the work!
• It’s versatile: You can serve this beef in garlic sauce with so many different side dishes. From more veggies to rice or noodles, you’ll never run out of ideas.

Ingredients

• Flank steak: This is a great cut of steak for stir-fry recipes. It’s very lean, which benefits from marinating and quick cooking. It’s one of my favorites to work with.
• Baking soda: I like to use this to tenderize meat. It helps to soften the muscle fibers of the flank steak for a softer bite. Just don’t get to rinse it off before you cook it!
• Broccoli and green onions: So the fresh broccoli will be steamed until tender, while the sliced green onions make a bright garnish. Beef and broccoli are a classic combination of Chinese cuisine.
• Garlic: You can’t have a good garlic sauce without plenty of fresh garlic. It adds bold flavor and aroma to the recipe.
• Cornstarch: This helps to thicken the sauce to the perfect consistency, where it coats the beef and broccoli almost like a glaze. Use more or less, depending on how thick you’d like it to be.
• Rice vinegar: I like that this adds a subtle sweetness and acidity to brighten the other ingredients. It’s not as sharp as cider vinegar, but it has a little bite.
• Soy sauce and oyster sauce: These two sauces are magic! Soy sauce is salty and sharp, while oyster sauce is thick and rich with a mild seafood flavor. Together, they create the perfect balance for this recipe for Chinese beef with garlic sauce.
• Sesame oil: A little goes a long way with sesame oil. It gives any dish that authentic Chinese takeout flavor with its deep nuttiness.

See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.

Variations

• Make it spicy: Stir in some sriracha or your favorite hot sauce to make the recipe spicy.
• Add orange: Use some fresh orange juice and zest to add a citrus zing.
• Add more vegetables: Try adding more veggies like sliced bell peppers, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, green beans, or bean sprouts.
• Gluten-free: Swap soy sauce for tamari and use gluten-free oyster sauce for a gluten-free version.

How to Make Beef in Garlic Sauce

Here are the instructions on how to make this easy beef and garlic sauce recipe. It’s so easy and quick to prepare and cook, even with the marinating process.

Step 1: Marinate the steak. Coat your strips of flank steak in the baking soda and let them sit for about 10 minutes. Then, rinse and pat them dry.

Step 2: Sear the steak. Cook the seasoned meat in a skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear for 2-3 minutes per side and then set it aside.

Step 3: Cook the broccoli. Put the broccoli in the same skillet with a splash of water. Cover and let it steam for 2-3 minutes or until fully cooked.

Step 4: Combine. Add the cooked beef strips back to the skillet.

Step 5: Prepare the sauce. Mix the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until combined.

Step 6: Add the sauce. Pour the sauce into the hot skillet with the beef and broccoli. Cook it for 2-5 minutes or until the sauce is thick and glossy. Serve hot and enjoy!

Enjoy these with some delicious vegetables on the side! We love these Asian mushrooms and glazed green beans and carrots. They go great with the garlic sauce.

Storage Directions 

• Storing: Store leftover beef and broccoli in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze the leftovers for up to 1 month.
• Reheating: You may reheat the leftovers gently in the microwave or a skillet on the stovetop over low heat.
• Make Ahead: I like to get the beef marinated ahead and the sauce ingredients combined up to 24 hours in advance to make the process even quicker.

Serving Suggestions

• You can’t go wrong with white rice or homemade chicken fried rice. Even noodles like these gochujang sesame noodles are amazing.
• Pick a refreshing side like cucumbers and onions in vinegar to balance the richness.

Beef with Garlic Sauce

Karin and Ken

This Beef with Garlic Sauce only requires 30 minutes of hands-on work. It’s so simple, yet it yields bold, savory flavors that pair with almost any side dish.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Tenderizing 10 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Servings 6 Servings

Calories 231 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Beef and Vegetables:

• 12-16 ounces flank steak or similar cut, thinly sliced against the grain
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cups broccoli florets
• 3 green onions sliced (use both white and green parts)

Garlic Sauce:

• ½ cup broth chicken or beef
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
• Tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 ½ Tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper optional
• Optional: Sesame seeds for serving

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Instructions

 

• Toss sliced steak with baking soda in a medium bowl and let sit for 10 minutes to tenderize.
• Rinse the beef thoroughly under cold water to remove baking soda, then pat dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
• Add the beef in a single layer and sear for 2–3 minutes per side until browned and just cooked through, then remove from the skillet and set aside.
• In the same skillet, add broccoli and a splash of water; cover and steam for 2–3 minutes until just tender.
• Return the cooked beef to the skillet and toss to combine.
• In a small bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients until smooth.
• Pour the sauce into the skillet and cook, stirring, for 2-5 minutes or until thickened and glossy and garlic is fragrant.
• Stir in green onions until coated in sauce.
• Top with sesame seeds if desired, remove from heat and serve.

Notes

• Store leftover beef and garlic sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
• If you use frozen broccoli, thaw it and drain the excess moisture before you cook it.
• The steak and broccoli cook at different rates, so don’t try to cook them together. Separately is better!

Nutrition

Calories: 231kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 23gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 6493mgPotassium: 597mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 488IUVitamin C: 56mgCalcium: 69mgIron: 2mg

Keyword Beef with Garlic Sauce

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This post was originally published in October 2022. It's been updated with new content and images.