Beef and Broccoli Noodles

Beef and broccoli noodles, a classic flavour combination that is just absolutely delicious! Tender, flavourful, glossy beef strips with perfectly cooked broccoli and satisfying no-cooking required thick noodles.

Takes just 10 minutes to cook, this noodle stir fry is the perfect option for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.

Love the sound of this? You're going to want to see the sister recipe, beef noodle stir fry, starring sauteed mushrooms and snow peas instead of broccoli.

For more noodle recipes, check out my chicken noodle stir fry, vermicelli stir fry and wonton noodle soup or the whole noodle category!

• Beef strips - Any cut will work, depending on your budget. Think rump, flank, scotch, porterhouse, chuck, topside etc. However, since the velveting method (learn about the velveting method at my beef noodle stir fry recipe) is used, the budget cuts are perfect to use (for the wallet and taste!). Otherwise, some supermarkets sell beef stir fry strips which is quite convenient.
• Hokkien noodles - available at most Asian/Chinese supermarkets, in the fridge section, usually where tofu and dumpling wrappers are. Substitute: egg noodles, udon or thick rice noodles (aka ho fan).
• Broccoli - can use Chinese broccoli (gai lan) instead for an even more authentic touch!
• Cornstarch/corn flour - a key marinating ingredient for the most tender, 'velvety' beef! Cornstarch binds the marinating ingredients to the beef and produces a glossy, silky coating.
• Oyster sauce - adds flavour, enhances and brings out the umami flavour of foods. Perfect for stir-fries and flavour-rich dishes (like my Chinese broccoli, cashew chicken and green beans with pork!)
• Oil - in Chinese cooking, most dishes are made with neutral-tasting oils (such as canola, grapeseed or sunflower). An exception is peanut oil as the nutty flavour is almost always welcomed. However, I love using olive oil and honestly can't taste the olive oil in the finished dish. So use whatever oil you like!

The beauty of a stir fry is that it's quick, convenient and big on flavour.

Stir-frying involves cooking on high heat, fast. As a result, it produces flavour and complexity through the caramelisation of ingredients.

When doing anything quickly, the key to success is preparation. So, before you turn the stove on, prepare & marinate the ingredients. This will ensure a smooth and straightforward cooking experience!

To learn more about the art of stir-frying and the Chinese cooking velveting technique, head on over to my beef noodle stir fry where I explain the benefits, importance and how-tos of both.

Prepare and marinate

First, wash and cut 1 large head of broccoli into small, bite-sized florets.

Do you eat broccoli stems? If not, you're missing out! They're quite sweet and tender. Just make sure you trim off the outer layer/skin which is the tough, woody part that's hard to chew.

I always prefer to use chopsticks to loosen Hokkien noodles over a fork. It's more gentle and prevents noodle breakage.

Drain noodles and set them aside.

Mix the beef well and for best results (hello tender and flavourful beef), massage the marinade into the beef with one (clean!) hand.

Marinate beef for 15 minutes (or longer if you've got the time).

To begin, steam cook broccoli. There are 2 quick options:

• Stovetop option - add broccoli in a small saucepan with ~¼ cup of water and a sprinkle of salt. Cook on medium heat for ~2 minutes with the lid on.
• Microwave option - add broccoli to a microwave-safe container with a generous splash of water and a sprinkle of salt. Microwave for ~2 minutes covered (I usually use a plate or bowl and cover with a paper towel).

Once cooked, drain (if there's any leftover water) and set aside.

Now, saute thickly sliced onions with minced garlic with a little oil in a large non-stick pan (or wok) for ~1 minute on medium heat.

Increase heat up to high and add marinated beef. Spread the beef strips out into a single layer so that every piece gets direct heat from the pan.

Flip the beef after ~1 minute and cook the other side for 1 minute. There should be a thin, caramelised glossy, velvety coating around each piece of beef.

Once the beef is all caramelised and delicious looking, add steamed broccoli. Mix well.

If you just stop here, you'll have a plate of delicious beef and broccoli stir fry. But we want noodles. So we continue.

Add drained, loosened Hokkien noodles into the pan. Season with dark soy sauce (for flavour and colour), sugar and lots of black pepper. Beef and broccoli with black pepper just make sense.

Toss the noodles through with two spatulas or like I did, with one spatula and a pair of chopsticks.

About 2 minutes on high heat will do the trick. This is enough time for the ingredients to sizzle in the pipping hot pan, creating depth and complexity. Which means flavour.

Give the noodles a taste. Does it need more black pepper? Perhaps a little sesame oil?

And that's it! Super quick and easy beef and broccoli noodles done in 35 minutes (quicker if you move swiftly).

Useful tips and tricks

• The longer you marinate the beef, the more tender and flavourful it becomes. 15-minutes is the minimum. You can always marinate the day before to cut down on wait time on the day of cooking.
• Sizzle the beef in a single layer on high heat to maximise deliciousness. This is the secrete to tasty and velvety beef!
• Buy fresh Hokkien noodles from Asian supermarkets (from the fridge section). This one may seem like an odd one but I find the vaccum-sealed ones that sit on the shelves of supermarkets just don't taste that good. They also break very easily (the same goes for udon - see my yaki udon recipe).

Good to know (FAQs)

Leftovers/storage

Store in airtight containers for up to 4 days in the fridge and 2 to 6 months in the freezer.

Made this recipe? Let me know your thoughts or questions by dropping a note in the comments section below! I'd love to hear from you. 🙂

Cheers, Gen