Asian Broccoli Stir Fry Recipe (2024)

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Published: · Modified: by Geetanjali · This post may contain affiliate links · 3 Comments

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Asian broccoli stir fry recipe: Tender, crispy broccoli tossed with ginger, garlic, and a beautiful sauce glaze - a recipe that is easy, light, and totally delicious, and it's ready in just 25 minutes from start to finish.

Whether you are planning to serve this as a side dish or a main course this one pan Asian stir fry broccoli recipe will become a staple in your home.

Asian Broccoli Stir Fry Recipe (1)

Stir fry dishes are quick to make and always a hit and this one is no exception.

The recipe I am sharing is a simple, quick, and easy version of broccoli stir fry. No blanching or steaming is required to make this recipe. It's all done in one pan. And the sauce is just perfect to coat the broccoli nicely without making the stir fry saucy.

To make this recipe, all you need to do is saute the broccoli in a pan with oil until light brown edges appear, then steam cook with a splash of water until tender, and finish tossing it with aromatics and sauce mix. Stir fry is ready.

Be sure to have all your ingredients ready before you start cooking because the cooking goes very quickly.

Ingredients You'll need

Here are a few important notes about the ingredients with substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

Asian Broccoli Stir Fry Recipe (2)

Broccoli: fresh broccoli cut into roughly the same sized florets. So that they cook evenly at a similar rate. When choosing fresh broccoli, always look for a tightly closed, bright green with no browning edges. Fresh broccoli is best. But you can use frozen as well. If using frozen broccoli, do not thaw. Stir fry them straight from frozen.

Sesame oil: Sesame oil is used in Asian cooking for both cooking and seasoning. I am using sesame oil here. But you can use groundnut oil, canola oil, or any high smoke point cooking oil will also work.

Ginger and garlic: fresh

Fresh red chili: add a lovely kick of heat and flavor. You can use green chili instead. You can also substitute chili with crushed black pepper if you like.

Sea salt

Stir fry sauce

  • Soy sauce: use light soy sauce as we are not looking at color here.
  • Cornstarch: for thickening the sauce
  • Palm sugar: a little amount, to balance the flavor. I am using palm sugar here but regular white sugar, brown sugar, or honey will work too.
  • Water

Garnishes: This is optional but to enhance the taste even more you can sprinkle some green scallions and toasted white sesame seeds on top.

Preparations Step By Step

  • Whisk together water, soy sauce, cornstarch, and palm sugar in a small bowl until smooth and lump-free. Then set aside.
  • Heat a pan over high heat. Add oil and heat until the oil begins to smoke.
  • Add the broccoli florets and cook, stirring continuously for about 3-4 minutes until they get some scorch marks (but not too browned).
  • Add salt and a splash of water to steam the broccoli, and cook stirring occasionally until tender, for about 4-5 minutes.
  • Add garlic, ginger, and fresh red chili and cook, stirring constantly for about 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
  • Add the slurry and stir for about 30 seconds until the sauce thickens and the broccoli florets are coated.
  • Remove from heat. Sprinkle some green scallions and toasted sesame seeds on top, if desired and serve while hot
Asian Broccoli Stir Fry Recipe (3)
Asian Broccoli Stir Fry Recipe (4)

Stir-fried Broccoli Serving Suggestions

Serve these pan-fried tender, crisp broccoli bites over rice, noodles, pasta, or with any protein of choice for a complete meal.

Here are some options you can add to your meal with broccoli stir fry:

  • Flaky Scallion Pancakes
  • The BEST Easy Spanish Rice
  • 10 Minute Spicy Ramen
  • Mediterranean Yellow Rice
  • Hibachi Fried Rice
  • Vegetable Chow Mein
  • Cheese Ramen

Recipe Notes

  • Keep all your ingredients ready before you start cooking because the cooking goes very quickly.
  • When choosing fresh broccoli, always look for a tightly closed, bright green with no browning edges.
  • Cut the broccoli into roughly same sized florets. So that they will cook evenly.
  • If using frozen broccoli, do not thaw. Stir fry them straight from frozen.
  • Do not overcrowd the pan.

Recipe

Asian Broccoli Stir Fry Recipe (5)

Asian Broccoli Stir Fry Recipe

Tender, crispy broccoli tossed with ginger, garlic, and a beautiful sauce glaze - a recipe that is easy, light, and totally delicious, and it's ready in just 25 minutes from start to finish.

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: Asian broccoli stir fry recipe, Broccoli stir fry

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 3 people

Calories:

Author: Geetanjali

Equipment

  • Pan

Ingredients

  • 1 medium head broccoli cut into florets
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • ½ inch ginger minced
  • 2 fresh red chili diced
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • ½ teaspoon palm sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoons water

Instructions

  • Whisk together water, soy sauce, cornstarch and palm sugar in a small bowl until smooth and lump-free. Then set aside.

  • Heat a pan or skillet over high heat. Add oil and heat until the oil begins to smoke.

  • Add the broccoli florets and cook, stirring continuously for about 3-4 minutes until they get some scorch marks (but not too browned).

  • Add salt and a splash of water to steam the broccoli, and cook stirring occasionally until tender, for about 4-5 minutes.

  • Add garlic, ginger, and fresh red chili and cook, stirring constantly for about 2-3 minutes until fragrant.

  • Add the slurry and stir for about 30 seconds until the sauce thickens and the broccoli florets are coated.

  • Remove from heat. Sprinkle some green scallions and toasted sesame seeds on top, if desired and serve while hot.

Notes

  • Keep all your ingredients ready before you start cooking because the cooking goes very quickly.
  • When choosing fresh broccoli, always look for a tightly closed, bright green with no browning edges.
  • Cut the broccoli into roughly same sized florets. So that they will cook evenly. If using frozen broccoli, do not thaw. Stir fry them straight from frozen.
  • Do not overcrowd the pan.

More Chinese Recipes

  • Flaky Scallion Pancakes (Chinese Scallion Pancakes)
  • Easy Egg Fried Rice (Chinese Style Takeout Recipe)
  • Salt and Pepper Chicken (Chinese Inspired Recipe)
  • Spicy Garlic Chili Oil Noodles Recipe

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply

  1. amanda

    Such a tasty recipe and so easy too!

    Reply

  2. Marcellina

    Great flavor combo and one of my fav broccoli recipes!

    Reply

  3. nancy

    i love broccoli and this is a wonderful way to eat them

    Reply

Asian Broccoli Stir Fry Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do Chinese restaurants get broccoli so crispy? ›

The Chinese broccoli needs to cook as fast as possible, so that the nutrients and color don't have as much opportunity to leach out into the water. It's best to start with as much boiling water as you can. Restaurants serve amazingly green and crunchy Chinese broccoli because they use huge amounts of boiling water.

Should you boil broccoli before stir-frying? ›

Blanch vegetables before stir-fry

To prepare vegetables for stir-frying, blanching is the perfect way to jump-start the cooking process, especially for dense vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower (which usually take a while to stir-fry and often get soggy).

What are the 3 rules of stir-frying? ›

The first is to cook your protein and your vegetable separately, and combine them only after both are fully cooked. A second rule of thumb for stir-frying: Choose one vegetable per stir-fry. Finally, always remember to add liquid only after everything is more or less finished cooking.

What is the secret of stir-frying vegetables? ›

The key to stir-frying is to constantly stir. Your veggies must have enough room to move around in the wok. A -crowded wok will lead to veggies that are soggy instead of crunchy. If your wok is getting too full, cook your meat and then veggies in batches.

Why does Chinese restaurant broccoli taste so good? ›

Chinese restaurants often incorporate garlic, ginger, and soy sauce to add depth and flavor to the broccoli. You can also add a dash of sesame oil or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for an added kick.

Why do you add salt to broccoli when boiling it? ›

By adding salt to the water you make the water closer to the solution concentration of the plant cells and, in doing so, reduce the tendency for them to expand due to osmosis. As a result you end up with less mushy vegetables that, as a side benefit, also have more flavor.

What do you soak broccoli in before cooking? ›

Fill a large bowl with 2 ⅔ cups cold or warm water and ⅓ cup white vinegar. Allow it to soak for 2 minutes, then dump the broccoli into a colander. Rinse the vinegar-treated broccoli very well under running water.

What is the secret ingredient in stir-fry? ›

Ketchup Is The Secret Ingredient For A Top-Notch Stir Fry - Yahoo Sports.

What is the best oil for stir-frying? ›

So many different oils, the good news is you can stick with what you know – canola is great! The best oils for stir frys are the oils with the higher smoke points. These tend to be the “thinner” oils such as peanut, grapeseed or canola.

What makes stir-fry taste better? ›

A great stir-fry typically consists of four important components: protein, vegetables, aromatics, and sauce. Standard stir-fry starts with one pound of protein and two pounds of vegetables, and a basic stir-fry sauce (recipe below). You can add aromatics or herbs to change the flavor profile of your dish.

When to add garlic to stir-fry? ›

We heat the wok until it's just smoking, add the oil (remember, “hot wok, cold oil”), followed by the garlic, and then pretty much immediately add the vegetables to avoid any burning garlic and to preserve a fresh taste.

What is the crunchy stuff in Chinese food? ›

What are those crunchy things in your stir-fry? They're water chestnuts, and they're surprisingly good for you! You probably already know a few things about water chestnuts. They're white and crunchy, and you'll find them in a ton of Asian-style stir fry dishes.

How do you crisp up broccoli? ›

You can soak the broccoli in a bowl of ice water for 30 minutes or more to help it regain its firmness. Another method is to slice off a portion of the stem and place the remaining stem and crown in a pot with a cup of water. Store it in the fridge overnight, and the broccoli will be crisp and fresh in the morning.

How to get stir fry vegetables crunchy? ›

Heat the pan over high heat. No medium-high heat here; it's the high heat that gives you quickly cooked veggies that are crisp, tender and bright. Heat the pan for a few minutes before adding the oil.

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