This copycat Panda Express Beef and Broccoli delivers the same tender beef, crisp-tender broccoli, and glossy brown sauce you get from the restaurant. The key is slicing the beef very thin, giving it a quick cornstarch marinade for that velvety takeout texture, and lightly steaming the broccoli first so it finishes perfectly in the wok. Everything cooks fast, so you can have a Friday-night takeout-style dinner on the table in less time than delivery, using easy grocery-store ingredients and one pan.
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Why this beef and broccoli recipe works
This version tastes like Panda Express because it uses the same takeout technique: thin-sliced beef, a cornstarch-based marinade for tenderness, and a finishing sauce that thickens quickly into a glossy brown coating. Lightly steaming the broccoli first solves the most common home stir-fry problem: crunchy stems and uneven doneness. The result? Perfectly cooked beef, and crisp broccoli.
Ingredients
For the Finishing Sauce
- Oyster sauce – Provides the distinctive umami richness that defines Chinese restaurant dishes
- Water – Helps create the perfect sauce consistency
- Rice wine – Adds subtle sweetness and depth to balance the savory elements
- Brown sugar – Creates caramelization and balances the saltiness of the soy sauce
- Soy sauce – Contributes essential saltiness and classic Chinese flavor
- Cornstarch – Thickens the sauce to achieve that perfect glossy coating
For the Beef Marinade
- Flank steak – Offers the perfect balance of flavor and tenderness when sliced against the grain and thin
- Cornstarch – Tenderizes the meat and helps create a velvety texture
- Rice wine – Enhances the beef flavor while removing any gaminess
For the Stir-Fry
- Broccoli florets – Provide color, nutrition, and textural contrast
- Seasoned wok oil – Withstands high-heat cooking without smoking
- Minced Garlic – Adds aromatic depth and authentic flavor
- Fresh ginger – Brings warmth and a distinctive Chinese flavor profile
Some of these sauces, such as oyster sauce, may not be in your pantry. However, I promise that if you give it a try, you may find yourself making more stir-fry dishes to use in the future.
Rice wine is excellent for any stir-fry or to make Asian-inspired sauces. The remaining ingredients you should already have in your pantry.
How to make Panda Express Beef and Broccoli
I am going to suggest a slight change in the way to make Panda Express broccoli beef. I would like you to steam your broccoli slightly before adding it to the stir-fry. This will ensure your broccoli is thoroughly cooked. If you don’t have a wok, you can make this beef dish in a non-stick pan or choose one of your favorite conventional frying pans.
- Prepare the finishing sauce by combining oyster sauce, water, rice wine, brown sugar, soy sauce, and cornstarch in a small bowl.
- Cut the flank steak against the grain, and in thin strips, place it in a bowl. Mix cornstarch and rice wine, then pour over the steak.
- Marinate the steak slices for about 15 minutes.
- While the steak is marinating, steam the broccoli just until it turns bright green.
- Heat a wok or large skillet until it is hot.
- Pour in oil and swirl it around. Lay the steak slices in one layer and cook until browned.
- Turn over the steak slices, add the garlic and ginger, and stir-fry quickly.
- Add the broccoli.
- Give the finishing sauce a quick stir and pour it over the beef and broccoli.
- Stir everything together until the sauce thickens.
Serve this copycat Panda Express Beef and Broccoli with rice for a delicious dinner.
What you can serve with beef broccoli
You can serve this dish with so many sides, here are a few of our family’s favorite dishes. Panda Express Fried Rice, Cream Cheese Wontons, steamed rice, or even a fresh salad made with Benihana Ginger Salad Dressing. Want to make a fun family night? Be sure to pick up a box of fortune cookies.
Storage and reheating instructions
- Refrigerator Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Reheating Method: Reheat in a skillet over medium heat, adding a small splash of water to loosen the sauce, and stir until heated through.
- Freezing: Not recommended. Broccoli texture can become soft and watery after thawing.
Try these Panda Express copycat recipes!
- Honey Walnut Shrimp Recipe
- Cream Cheese Rangoon Recipe
- Panda Express Chow Mein
- Panda Express Orange Chicken
- Panda Express Firecracker Chicken
- Panda Express Mixed Vegetables
Favorite Chinese food recipes
- Hunan Chicken
- How to Make Sweet and Sour Chicken
- PF Chang’s Lettuce Wraps Recipe
- Authentic Egg Foo Young Recipe
- Mongolian Beef Recipe
- Teriyaki Beef Stir Fry
- General Tso Chicken
- Chinese Spare Ribs
- Chinese Cookies
Be sure to check out my easy Chinese food recipes and the best fast food copycat recipes.
Panda Express Beef and Broccoli: Better-Than-Takeout Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Beef and Broccoli
- 1 pound flank steak
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons rice wine
- 1 pound broccoli florets
- 2 tablespoons seasoned wok oil, or other high heat oil such as grapeseed plus a splash of sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- Cooked rice, for serving
Instructions
- Instructions Prepare finishing sauce by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside. Cut the flank steak extremely thin and place in a bowl. Mix together the cornstarch and rice wine and pour over the steak pieces. Stir well to coat all the meat. Marinate the meat for about 15 minutes.
- While the steak is marinating, steam the broccoli just until it turns bright green. Remove the broccoli from the steamer. Do not cook it all the way to tender; it will finish cooking while it is stir-fried. Heat wok or large skillet until it is hot. Pour in oil and swirl it around. Lay out meat in one layer and let it cook until browned. Turn over the beef slices, add the garlic and ginger, and mix around quickly. Add the broccoli. Give the finishing sauce a quick stir and pour it over the beef and broccoli. Stir everything together until the sauce thickens. Serve over rice.
The recipe was good with exception to the addition of the brown sugar. This gave the recipe an overwhelming sweet taste. Panda Express Broccoli Beef is not sweet. I would make this again, but exclude the brown sugar.
Can you use a different kind of steak instead of Flank steak
You could, but make sure it is tender!
No measurements were given in the video and the website had no recipe/instructions…very disappointing…
Click on the little tag that says “PRINT RECIPE” and all will be revealed. That’s just basic browsing knowledge.
Panda Express deep fry the beef and chicken
I was not confused at all. It must have made perfect sense to me because my wife says I’m always confused.
I made this tonight and served over noodles. I really enjoyed this, and so did my picky family. I probably used a little extra rice wine marinating my meat, as I didn’t measure for the marinade. I cooked it with coconut oil, but added a splash of sesame like it said, and it wasn’t coconutty at all. I plan to use this recipe again, and will likely try it with variety of vegetables, too, for the days that I don’t want meat.
Thanks!
For those who are confused, this is how it should be…
Finishing Sauce:
———————————————
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon rice wine
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Beef and Broccoli:
———————————————
1 pound flank steak
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons rice wine
1 pound broccoli florets
2 tablespoons seasoned wok oil, or other high heat oil such as grapeseed plus a splash of sesame oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
Cooked rice, for serving
Seems perfectly clear to me!
LoL , cooking wine is listed THREE times ! And corn starch twice …
It’s used in multiple steps.
You must have some very begining cooks reading your recipes. Bv)=
This recipe was very clear to me and I had no problem. It’s also very closer to what I have made at home since the 1960s.
Also, cooking wine is listed twice in the ingredients list but “rice wine” is never listed, yet mentioned in the instructions. And a “splash of finishing sauce” is called for on the list, but it hspas to be prepared first by using other ingredients from the list. Please be more thorough!
I am so confused. In the ingredient list soy sauce is mentioned once, at 1 Tbls. Directions though, call for soy sauce in the marinade and then again later in the recipe. What gives?
I made a mistake Nikki. No soy sauce in the marinade. It is used only in the finishing sauce.