Black Bean Sauce Beef and Broccoli. Tender juicy beef stir fried in a delicious savoury black bean sauce with broccoli and bell peppers. This black bean and broccoli stir fry with beef only takes 30 minutes to make and it is absolutely delicious with steamed rice. Perfect for dinner or lunch as leftovers.
This is a popular beef stir fry that is often served at Chinese restaurants and one that my mom would cook every month. Our whole family would enjoy it. She would serve it with a bitter melon but I know not everyone is a fan of that vegetable because it can be very bitter if you don’t prepare it properly. So I’m going to share my version with vegetables that most people enjoy – broccoli, peppers and onion.
I love beef stir fries and how easy they can be. They are the perfect weeknight meal especially when time is of the essence. This black bean beef stir fry is very saucy and delicious. It’s also fool proof if you carefully follow my instructions and tips below.
Easy to make!
This beef and black bean stir fry is very easy to make at home. You are simply marinating your beef in a simple and quick marinade for about 20 minutes or overnight (this will result in very tender beef!), whisking your stir fry sauce and preparing your veggies.
Then you’ll simply fry everything in one wok or pan starting with the marinated beef first, then veggies and then your stir fry sauce. That’s it! I told you it was simple.
What is the secret ingredient to making this beef tender?
There are two ingredients: Baking soda and cornstarch. But just a little of each. The baking soda breaks the meat bonds and the cornstarch holds the moisture in the meat along with the marinade.
Tips for Beef Black Bean Broccoli Stir Fry
Below are tips on making the best beef and broccoli with black bean garlic sauce:
- Get the store-bought black bean sauce with garlic that has already been fermented. You can prepare your own but this takes much longer to do.
- Buy flank steak or a beef cut without much fat marbling around the edge or internally. That fat pieces when fried over high heat make the beef very tough and hard to chew.
- Cut your vegetables into bite size pieces and slice your onions thinly so you’re not chewing on chunks of onion.
- Pre-whisk your stir fry sauce ahead of time so your ingredients do not overcook in the pan
- Use water to help hurry the cooking process of the veggies along with a lid to cover the wok or pan.
- To make the stir fry sauce thick, raise the heat to medium high before you pour it in and allow it to simmer as you stir it. The rate of reaction helps to thicken it faster without overcooking your other ingredients.
FAQ
Below are frequently asked questions about this beef and broccoli with black bean sauce recipe:
What cut of beef should I use?
For this beef and broccoli with black bean garlic sauce, use Flank steak or any steak without much fat or marbling through it. Large pieces of fat will make the beef more tough to chew on when fried at high heat.
Can I use any vegetables?
Yes, feel free to use vegetables that are crunchy like carrots or even Chinese leafy greens will work too.
Where can I buy black bean sauce with garlic?
It comes in a jar and found in most Asian grocers in the sauce aisle. I buy the one called “Black Bean with Garlic” sauce. I use the one by Lee Kum Kee.
Other recipes you may like!
If you enjoyed my recipe for beef and broccoli in black bean sauce please check out my other recipes:
CHINESE BEEF TOMATO STIR-FRY
CHINESE STYLE SATAY BEEF
HOISIN BEEF NOODLE STIR-FRY
CHINESE BEEF NOODLE STIR-FRY
CHINESE BEEF AND BROCCOLI
BLACK PEPPER BEEF UDON
For this recipe
You will need the following ingredients for this black bean sauce beef and broccoli:
- 286 grams flank steak, sliced thinly against the grain or beef without any fat surrounding the edges
- 2 cups Broccoli florets
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 orange bell pepper, chopped
- ¼ cup water to cook veggies and beef
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
Beef Marinade:
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ⅛ tsp Black pepper
- ¼ tsp Baking soda
- 1 tsp Cornstarch
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce
- ½ tsp Sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- ¾ tsp garlic, minced
Stir-fry Sauce:
- 3 tbsp black bean sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup water
How to make beef and broccoli stir fry
- Marinate your sliced flank steak with the marinade ingredients for at least 20 minutes or overnight for ultra tenderness.
- In a bowl, add your stir fry sauce ingredients and whisk together.
- Prepare your vegetables cutting the broccoli into florets, bell peppers into bite size triangles and onions into slices.
- In a hot pan set over medium heat, add cooking oil and your beef. Fry until it’s 50% cooked, so still a bit red. Then throw in your veggies and mix with beef.
- Pour in ¼ cup water and mix and cover the pan with a lid to allow the onions to become translucent and veggies to become vibrant.
- Raise heat to high and pour in the stir fry sauce, stirring constantly until your sauce is thickened and reduced – a couple of minutes. Transfer to a serving plate and serve hot. Enjoy!
Give it a try!
Well, I hope you give my XXX a try! It always excites me when you guys make my recipes and I hope this is one you try.
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Christie
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Chinese Black Bean Sauce Beef and Broccoli
Ingredients
- 286 grams flank steak sliced thinly against the grain or beef without any fat surrounding the edges
- 2 cups Broccoli cut into florets
- 1 yellow onion sliced
- 1 orange bell pepper chopped
- ¼ cup water to cook veggies and beef
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Beef Marinade:
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ⅛ tsp Black pepper
- ¼ tsp Baking soda
- 1 tsp Cornstarch
- 1 tbsp regular soy sauce not light or dark!
- ½ tsp white granulated sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- ¾ tsp garlic minced
Stir-fry Sauce:
- 3 tbsp black bean sauce
- ½ tbsp oyster sauce
- ½ tbsp regular soy sauce
- 1 tsp white granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Marinate your sliced flank steak with the marinade ingredients for at least 20 minutes or overnight for ultra tenderness.
- In a bowl, add your stir fry sauce ingredients and whisk together.
- Prepare your vegetables cutting the broccoli into florets, bell peppers into bite size triangles and onions into slices.
- In a hot pan set over medium heat, add cooking oil and your beef. Fry until it’s 50% cooked, so still a bit red. Then throw in your veggies and mix with beef.
- Pour in ¼ cup water and mix and cover the pan with a lid to allow the onions to become translucent and veggies to become vibrant.
- Raise heat to high and pour in the stir fry sauce, stirring constantly until your sauce is thickened and reduced – a couple of minutes. Transfer to a serving plate and serve hot. Enjoy!
This beef stir fry looks so flavorful! I love the choice of veggies, too!
This is such a great dinner idea for back-to-school meal planning! Your homemade sauce is fantastic and the minimal prep is ideal for busy weeknights!
Easy, delicious and light-- enjoyed it!
Happy to hear this! Thanks for making my recipe Susan!