Beef and Broccoli Noodle Bowls ~ these lightning fast stir fry bowls are so vibrant and full of flavor you’d never guess it’s a 30-minute meal!
beef and broccoli noodle bowls
30 minute meals are great, but they don’t exactly inspire a stampede to the dinner table. No worries, though, my authentic beef and broccoli noodle bowls are here to breathe new life into your quick workday meal plan. And for all this speed and convenience you aren’t sacrificing flavor or nutrition! That flash cooking is the very thing that makes stir frys so wonderful. The veggies stay bright and crisp, and the meat, which is sliced wafer thin, only has to dance across a blazing hot wok to cook through.
tips for easy stir frying
If you could only master one type of cooking in your life, I’d vote for stir frying…there are so many ways you can mix and match the protein and vegetables to keep in step with the seasons. I’m rediscovering them this year and we’re eating better because of it. I’d say a stir fry of some sort deserves a weekly spot on your menu ~ try my shrimp pad Thai for a completely different flavor profile.
TIP: Keep it simple and choose just one or two vegetables to star in your stir fry, then prep them along with your meat, chicken, shrimp, or tofu and sauce the night before, or in the morning before work.
As you can probably tell from the blog, I don’t eat a ton of red meat, and I tend to be picky about it when I do. Top sirloin steak is the perfect cut for this dish, it slices easily, and when you cut it across the grain it becomes super tender. A pound serves 4 people, which makes it economical, and a healthy portion, too.
TIP: Put the package of meat in the freezer for an hour before cutting ~ that firms up the meat and makes it easy to get extra thin slices. Do this for stir fry, Philly cheese steak, steak salad, etc.
TIP: It takes just a minute to flash cook steak when it’s cut this way. The key is to get your pan (preferably a wok) really smoking hot. I let the meat sit on one side without moving it for about a minute, then stir it around just to where there’s no more pink in the meat.
the sauce is a key component in a beef and broccoli recipe
Have you ever noticed there never seems to be enough sauce in Asian recipes? I made sure there’s plenty to go around (and coat those noodles) in this one.
The sauce has lots of flavor, but isn’t too complicated, and, with the exception of fresh ginger, it’s stuff I always have around. One of the key flavors in the sauce comes from fortified wine. Fortified wines are wines that have a distilled spirit added to them, so their alcohol content is higher and their flavor is more concentrated. They’re used in all sorts of recipes from all around the globe, and I always have one or two types around (I use them pretty much interchangeably.) Fortified wines can take a recipe from good to great, and they add that restaurant flair to the flavor that can sometimes be hard to achieve. They’ll keep in a cupboard for a very long time, even after opening, so stock up!
Fortified wines:
Sherry
Port
Madeira
Marsala
Vermouth
Of course you can serve this stir fried Beef and Broccoli over rice, but I thought noodles would make a nice change. I love the texture, and Asian noodles are super easy to cook. There are tons of varieties, and honestly you can use any of them, just follow the package instructions to prepare, some don’t even need to be cooked, just soaked!
which kind of noodle is best for this recipe?
I tested this recipe twice, once with ramen noodles and again with udon noodles, and both worked well. I like the Hakubaku brand, they’re an authentic Japanese noodle company based in Australia! The noodles come in handy bundles, and lots of varieties. If you can’t find them in the Asian section of your store, you can check them out on Amazon, here. (In this case Amazon has a much better price than my grocery store!)
invest in a wok if you love to stir fry
If you want to stir fry, you have to invest in a wok, and luckily these beautiful pans aren’t expensive…but don’t be tempted by non-stick surfaces, they’ll eventually corrode. I like steel, cast iron, or hard anodized aluminum.
Reader Rave ~
“I stop by your site regularly and invariably get inspired for my nightly supper!
Again, I made this tonight and it was a big hit. I liked the idea of making the sauce with all ingredients added together – turned out really well…thanks.” ~ Frances
Beef Broccoli Noodle Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 lb top sirloin steak
- 1 lb broccoli
- 2 bunches green onions, about 10
- 8 ounce can of water chestnuts either whole or sliced (I like to slice them myself)
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil possibly a little more
sauce
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1/2 cup sherry
- 6 Tbsp Tamari soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp Sriracha or chili sauce optional
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tbsp fresh minced ginger
noodles
- 9.5 oz package of udon or ramen noodles
Instructions
- Put the steak in the freezer for an hour so it will be easier to slice very thinly.
- Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Trim the ends of the stems from the broccoli. Cut it into bite sized pieces. I chop the stems, too. Trim and slice the green onions into 1 inch pieces, white and green parts.
- Slice the cold steak into 1/8 inch slices, cutting against the grain.
- Heat a tablespoon of the oil in a wok or large saute pan over high heat. When the oil is very hot, brown the beef, working in batches. I let the first side cook, undisturbed, for about a minute, then flip and cook just until there is no more pink. That way you'll get some nice color for extra flavor. Note: don't do all the meat at once, or it won't brown. Add more oil as needed. Remove the beef to a plate.
- In the same pan heat the remaining oil and stir fry the broccoli for about 5 minutes until it is bright green and crisp tender. I will sometimes add a splash of water and cover the wok for a minute or so to get the broccoli a little more tender. Stir in the green onions and remove all to a plate.
- Whisk the sauce well, and add to the same pan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until it darkens and turns glossy and thick.
- Add the meat and veggies back into the sauce and combine well. Heat everything through.
- Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Divide the noodles between 4 bowls. Top with the stir fry, and garnish with sesame seeds.
Nutrition
Make it Your Own ~
- Use rice noodles for a gluten free dish.
31 Comments
Amber
April 17, 2021 at 12:29 pmHi Sue!
We don’t do alcohol in our house, is there anything I can substitute the sherry with?
Sue Moran
April 17, 2021 at 12:46 pmThere is so much flavor going on here I don’t think you’ll miss the sherry, just use more broth 🙂
Cindy
January 2, 2021 at 5:12 amAnother tasty sounding recipe! I can’t wait to try it! And I have everything but the meat and noodles.
Thanks Sue!
Scotty Middleton
December 18, 2020 at 2:16 pmSorry what kind of sherry? Cooking, dry? Regular?
Sue
December 18, 2020 at 4:06 pmI use drinking sherry, dry.
Genny
May 16, 2020 at 12:01 pmI really appreciated that you showed me what to do in a step by step process so that I wasn’t trying to get everything chopped and mixed at the same time. It was so easy once I had everything ready to go. We ate this up! The udon noodles cooked so fast and the rinising is key to them not sticking together. Thank you for getting my family out of the quarantine rut.
Sue
May 16, 2020 at 1:32 pmYou’re so welcome Genny, hopefully we’ll get through this soon!
Claire Linn
October 6, 2018 at 11:10 pmI just made this for tea. Fabulous! Will be a regular on our menu! Thanks
Sue
October 7, 2018 at 8:57 amThanks Claire!
Frances
June 20, 2017 at 5:19 pmI stop by your site regularly and invariably get inspired for my nightly supper!
Again, I made this tonight and it was a big hit. I liked the idea of making the sauce with all ingredients added together – turned out really well…thanks.
Frances
Sue
June 20, 2017 at 6:02 pmI love that Frances, I’ve started to do more ‘dinner’ type recipes with just this in mind, and I’m glad you liked the noodle bowls. I’m going to do more of them, for sure!
Patty
June 20, 2017 at 1:02 amSo tempting, crazy for Udon Noodles and your beef looks wonderful, love your recipe!
Sue
June 20, 2017 at 3:35 pmThanks Patty!
Brian Jones
June 19, 2017 at 10:51 pmWhat a glorious recipe, I love using water chestnuts although they are a real pain to find here so when I do get them they don’t last long 🙂
Sue
June 20, 2017 at 3:35 pmI have to remember to buy extra, I could literally eat a can for lunch!
Laura | Tutti Dolci
June 19, 2017 at 10:44 pmI love a good stir fry, and I’m always a huge fan of a 30 minute meal! 🙂
Dahn
June 19, 2017 at 9:10 pmoooh I just love eating like this, a great noodle bowl is my favorite way to lunch, I gotta have it with the udon noodles… and just a slightly pink sirloin steak 🙂
Brandi Crawford
June 19, 2017 at 8:08 pmThis looks absolutely delicious. Can’t believe it only takes 30 minutes.
Sue
June 19, 2017 at 8:08 pmStir fries are amazing that way, Brandi!
Jenn
June 19, 2017 at 7:55 pmCan’t beat a 30 minutes meal and noodle dishes are a favorite around here! I want to steal those water chestnuts right off that plate! Yum!
Sue
June 19, 2017 at 8:08 pmIt seems like we’re not alone in loving water chestnuts, Jenn 🙂
Milena | Craft Beering
June 19, 2017 at 1:57 pmI’d love to make this recipe with sherry. It smells so good when deglazing, I’m sure it infused the sauce here with its characteristic sweet and tangy flavors.
cheri
June 19, 2017 at 11:42 amStir-frys are my favorite way t cook too, and broccoli and beef is such a wonderful combo, LOVE the sauce!!
Susan
June 19, 2017 at 9:15 amThis sounds wonderful. I’ll need to find some sherry I don’t mind using for cooking – NO WAY will I use the cream sherry we just bought in Spain! I’m guessing one would use dry sherry for cooking anyway.
Sue
June 19, 2017 at 9:20 amI experiment quite a bit with different fortified wines after I realized how much they can add to a recipe. I don’t usually like them for drinking, but I love what they do for food! I bet your Spanish sherry is pretty great to drink, though!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
June 19, 2017 at 6:10 amNoodle bowls are my favourite quick and easy dinners, so I’ll be adding this one to the dinner menu soon! Love the beef and broccoli combination 🙂
Tricia @ Saving Room for Dessert
June 19, 2017 at 4:08 amOh my goodness – this is a must make for my family. You created an absolutely gorgeous bowl of beef and broccoli and my favorite – water chestnuts! Nobody uses them anymore – but I say we should! We haven’t been able to find our wok since the last move – and you have convinced me I really need to buy another one now!
Sue
June 19, 2017 at 7:07 amThank you for saying that about the water chestnuts, they are the BEST. I actually end up snacking on half of them before they go in the pan!
Chris Scheuer
June 19, 2017 at 3:52 amI haven’t had breakfast yet but I’m drooling over this wonderful stir fry and craving Asian food. See what you do to me!!
[email protected]'s Recipes
June 19, 2017 at 3:08 amThe beef slices are succulent and tender!
Sue
June 19, 2017 at 7:11 amI needed you there when I was writing this post, succulent is the PERFECT word for that beef 🙂 Thanks for stopping by Angie.