Beef and Broccoli Recipes for Comforting & Warming Homemade Meals

Beef and broccoli’s mismatched tastes and textures make them seem like an unlikely combination. That’s far from the truth, however.

The beef’s savoriness actually contrasts quite nicely with the broccoli’s earthy notes. Together, they highlight each other’s distinct flavors in a subtle yet unique way. Paired with the right condiments, these ingredients can make up dishes that will blow you away with their deliciousness.

For inspiration and instructions on ways to combine the two, check out our list of beef and broccoli recipes.

Best Beef and Broccoli Recipes

Simple, delicious, and healthy, these beef and broccoli recipes have everything you could possibly ask for in a homemade dish. Don’t hesitate to give them a try and discover a new go-to for an effortless and warming weeknight dinner.

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Beef Lo Mein Recipe

This remake of a restaurant Chinese dish will make you want to exchange your versatile menu for this treat throughout the week. The marrying of carrots, bell pepper, and ginger is utterly irresistible. You’ll soon realize you can only take so much goodness.

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Beef Teriyaki Recipe

The Teriyaki technique is among the most popular ways to prepare an Asian dish. It encapsulates a dark, glossy, and umami sauce with a tinge of sweetness that never fails to entice the taste buds.

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Salisbury Steak Recipe

We’re going to show you how to make something that looks like steak, eats like steak, and kinda sorta tastes like steak without having to use any steak cuts. And you’re going to love it.

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Mongolian Beef Recipe

If the dark glaze isn’t enough to win you over, the promise of a savory-sweet dynamic surely will. There’s nothing like contrasting tastes to create a meal of potent essence. That’s what you get with this spirited dish.

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Beef Stir-Fry Recipe

This recipe will become a top choice for down days. You need just 25 minutes to turn broccoli, carrots, and snow peas into allies for a quick yet satisfactory meal.

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Hunan Beef Recipe

When you bring a dish as dazzlingly colorful as this Hunan Beef to the table, your guests should expect it to be every bit as explosive in flavor. All in all, it’ll come down to their tastes. But you can still rest knowing that the effort you put into preparing it will count for something.

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Instant Pot Mongolian Beef Recipe

When the family is gathered around the dining table, you can’t go wrong with this Instant Pot Mongolian Beef. It’s the laid-back version that allows you downtime while it cooks. And a lovely meal right after.

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Ground Beef and Broccoli Recipe

Broccoli always makes a dish look effortless. Pair it with ground beef, and you get this trouble-free yet impressive meal.

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Beef Fried Rice Recipe

Fried rice is already a game-changer. With some beef added in, it turns more chunky and satiating. An easy crowd-pleaser.

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Can You Eat Beef and Broccoli Together?

Yes, you absolutely can. In fact, beef and broccoli is one of the most popular ingredient combinations in a lot of Chinese-American takeout dishes. It often makes appearances in stir-fried dishes where it’s drenched in an umami sauce and served over a bed of rice.

This seemingly simple combination is, if fact, loaded with addictive flavors and contrasting textures. The broccoli has an earthy taste that complements the beef’s delectable savoriness incredibly well. Thanks to the meat’s tenderness and the veggie’s crunchy bite, there’s never a dull moment when you’re enjoying a dish of beef and broccoli.

What to Make With

Chinese cuisine offers some of the best beef and broccoli dishes out there. Here are a few simple and easy ways to take inspiration for your own homemade version:

Stir-fries

Bring a homemade twist to the classic Chinese takeout dish. The beef and broccoli are drenched in a hearty and umami sauce, then served over a bed of rice or egg noodles. Since everything is stir-fried, it all comes together in less than 30 minutes with minimum effort—an ideal choice for casual weeknight meals.

Soups

Consisting of similar ingredients, the soup shares the same sweet-savory flavor profile as the stir-fried dishes. However, this one includes a hearty broth that guarantees to warm up all your meals. It’s often served with a steamy bowl of rice on the side to make for a light meal that’s full of comfort.

Slow-cooked Dishes

If you want something similar to the soup, but much richer in flavors and textures, consider slow-cooking. This method allows the meat to become unbelievably tender and juicy with beautifully intensified flavors.

The highlight, however, is the thick and glossy sauce that seeps umami and savory flavors into every part of the beef and broccoli. Every bite is a melt-in-the-mouth delight that makes it impossible to stop eating.

Common Types of Broccoli You Can Use

You may already be quite familiar with broccoli, but this cruciferous veggie is actually quite diverse. Here are a few varieties that are often paired with beef:

Calabrese Broccoli

Arguably the most common type of broccoli, this variety is recognizable by the dark green florets that pack tightly next to one another and form a round head.

This variety offers a mildly sweet taste and pleasantly bitter undertones. Texture-wise, it’s crunchy with a slight tenderness. The florets fall apart with every bite and leave you with tiny crispy pieces, making the eating experience incredibly exciting.

Chinese Broccoli (Kai Lan/Gai Lan)

Chinese broccoli, surprisingly, doesn’t bear too much resemblance to regular broccoli. It’s a leafy green with thick stems and tiny—often hidden—florets. However, it shares a lot of similar earthy and bitter notes with the common variety, but much stronger and more vibrant.

The leafy broccoli is most often used in stir-fried dishes, paired with aromatics like ginger and garlic and drenched in a sauce made from Chinese condiments. The soft leaves are often smothered by the thick sauce, absorbing all the gorgeously sweet and savory flavors it has to offer.

Broccolini

If you find the varieties mentioned above too strong in flavor, broccolini might be a better choice. This is a hybrid between regular broccoli and Chinese broccoli, distinguished by thin, long stalks and small, loose florets. It has a similar sweet and earthy flavor profile as the regular kind, only much more subtle and delicate.

The broccolini’s sweetness usually shows its full potential when cooked over high heat, resulting in a caramelized goodness that immediately elevates the dish. You can stir-fry or grill it with tender beef strips for a luscious and scrumptious dinner staple.