I love Chinese take-out nights when I don’t have to do much and still get great-tasting food. What I don’t always love about it is the price tag of feeding a big family with takeout. So the easiest way for me to get the take-out food without the take-out money is to make the dishes myself. One of my favorite choices off the menu is Beef & Broccoli!

This dish is super simple to make and will have the whole family thinking you got them takeout. Pair it with some white or fried rice and possibly some eggrolls and mom gets an easy win for dinner tonight!

First things first, you’ll need to make sure you have all your ingredients! For this dish you will need the following:

• 2 lbs beef
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 cups water
• As much or as little broccoli you want (fresh or frozen)

My family are huge broccoli people, so for us, I end up using about 2 bags of frozen broccoli florets. But like I said, go big or go small it’ll still be as delicious.

Step By Step:

Prep: You want to start by thinly slicing the beef into about 1/2-inch strips. Add those to a mixing bowl and then mince the 4 cloves of garlic. Add garlic, ginger, sesame oil, brown sugar, and soy sauce into a mixing bowl. Toss beef strips covering them with the marinade. Let sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Cook: Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Using tongs, place only the beef into the skillet and reserve the remaining marinade. Sear the beef and once halfway cooked, add 2 cups of water and the rest of the marinade. Stir to mix all ingredients in the skillet. After 2 minutes add in broccoli and cover. Slightly reduce heat and cook for 20 minutes or until broccoli is soft.

Serve: I typically serve beef & broccoli with white jasmine rice, but fried rice can also be used as well.

Eat and enjoy!

Other methods to cook: This dish is very versatile and can be made on a stovetop or with a crock pot. If you want to make it a crockpot dish, simply dump all the ingredients into the pot and cook on high for 4 hours.

Freeze: Dump all the ingredients into freezer safe bag and store for up to 3 months. When ready to cook, pour your bag of ingredients into either the skillet or crockpot and serve when ready!