Sesame Beef and Broccoli
May 26, 2022, Updated Feb 18, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Sesame Beef and Broccoli is the busy cook’s secret weapon! This ultra-quick sheet pan meal is made with juicy steak, fresh broccoli, and a finger-lickin’ sesame soy sauce. Goodbye, takeout, and hello, steak!
Takeout-Style Sheet Pan Dinner
On a busy night, do you find yourself looking at a takeout menu, wishing you could just zap a meal onto your table? I think we’ve all been there! But before you dial that number, take a look at this simple recipe for a takeout-style classic: tender chunks of beef and crisp broccoli florets, cooked in a sesame-soy sauce. Sound good? I think so, too!
But, even better is how quick and easy this is to make! If you have steak, broccoli, and a couple of pantry staples on hand, you can have dinner on the table in under 20 minutes, no lie. Throw some rice on the stove or in your rice cooker, and you will forget all about takeout as you bask in your homemade “stir fry” glory! This is the perfect nourishing, tasty, and easy meal for busy families.
What You’ll Need
Okay, let’s talk ingredients. Confession: as much as I love juicy steak and crisp-tender broccoli, I think the star of this show might just be the sesame sauce! It is just bursting with flavor, and so simple to make.
For the Sesame Sauce
- Soy Sauce: Low sodium soy sauce is my favorite, but tamari or coconut aminos also work.
- Sesame Seed Oil: This gives the sauce an addictively smooth, nutty taste, like your favorite stir-fry.
- Brown Sugar: To add a touch of sweetness and warmth. Raw sugar or honey could be used instead.
- Olive Oil: For texture and to help the broccoli and steak bake without drying out in the oven.
- Vinegar: I like to use white vinegar, but rice vinegar would be great, too.
- Sugar: In addition to the brown sugar, you’ll need a small amount of granulated sugar. Not a fan? Substitute more brown sugar, honey, etc.
- Salt: You might think that only soy sauce is needed to season the dish, but many stir-fries use both soy sauce and regular salt, to get the proper seasoning without overdoing the flavor of soy.
For the Beef and Broccoli
- Broccoli: You’ll want to use fresh broccoli florets here, not frozen. Even when thawed and drained, frozen broccoli contains a lot of excess moisture.
- Steak: My top choice is boneless sirloin steak. You can use other tender steaks instead, if you prefer. Cut the steak into 2-inch pieces
- Garnishes: Toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions make a fun and flavorful garnish.
- Cooked Rice: For serving.
How to Make Sesame Beef and Broccoli
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 425˚F. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame seed oil, brown sugar, olive oil, vinegar, sugar, and salt.
- Coat the broccoli and roast. Add the broccoli to the sesame sauce. Toss to coat, and transfer the broccoli to a baking sheet and roast for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Coat the Steak in the Sauce. Meanwhile, toss the steak pieces with the sauce. Pull out the broccoli and add the steak to the baking sheet.
- Cook. Roast the steak and broccoli for 8 to 10 more minutes, until the steak is cooked to your liking and the broccoli is fork-tender.
- Enjoy! Take the sheet pan out of the oven, scoop the steak and broccoli onto a serving plate, and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions. Serve with rice.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Steak substitutions: Top sirloin fillets, ribeyes, New York strip steak, chuck eye steak, or any tender steak about one inch thick is ok to use!
- The broiler trick: For the last minute or two of cooking, broil instead of bake to get a little caramelization and char going on the edges of the steak and broccoli.
- Add veggies: This dish doesn’t have to be all about broccoli! You can use mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, cauliflower, green beans, bok choy, you name it. I recommend sticking to tender vegetables, since potatoes and other dense root veggies take longer to cook.
- Use the Instant Pot: This dish can be cooked in the pressure cooker following the steps in my Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli recipe.
What to Serve with Beef and Broccoli
- Rice. To serve, I like to make a big pot of whatever rice I’m crushing on at the moment – jasmine rice, sticky rice, plain long-grain rice, brown rice, etc.
- Zucchini Noodles: Also known as zoodles, these long shreds of fresh zucchini are a delicious alternative to regular noodles.
- Oyster Mushrooms: My easy pan-fried oyster mushrooms are garlicky and satisfying, perfect with a hearty helping of sheet pan beef and broccoli.
- Cauliflower Rice: Check out this simple tutorial on how to make cauliflower rice, and see for yourself! It’s a low-carb favorite and makes a great substitute for regular rice.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
Sesame Beef and Broccoli
Ingredients
FOR THE SESAME SAUCE
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce, or tamari sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame seed oil
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
FOR THE BEEF AND BROCCOLI
- 4 cups fresh broccoli florets
- 1¼ pound beef sirloin steak, boneless, cut into 2-inch cubes
- toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
- green onions, sliced, for garnish
- cooked rice, for serving
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Grease a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
- Make the sesame sauce. In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, sesame seed oil, brown sugar, olive oil, vinegar, granulated sugar, and salt; whisk until thoroughly incorporated.
- Toss and roast the broccoli. Add the broccoli to the sesame sauce; toss to coat and transfer the broccoli to the prepared baking sheet. Roast them in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Toss and roast the steak. Then add the steak to the sesame sauce, toss to coat. Pull out the baking sheet from the oven and arrange the steak bites around the broccoli. Roast for 10 more minutes, or until the steak is cooked through and broccoli is fork tender.
- Serve. Remove from the oven and transfer the broccoli beef to a serving plate. Serve over prepared rice, garnished with sesame seeds and green onion.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Store and Reheat the Leftovers
- You can store leftovers for 3 to 4 days in the fridge or freeze them for 3 months, and thaw them in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheat over low heat on the stove, in a covered skillet or saucepan. If the beef and broccoli seem dry, add a splash of water or beef broth.
First off I am a broccoli and chicken/beef fanatic.
Made with chicken and sautรฉed in a wok.
I added a pinch of cornstarch to thicken the sauce a bit.
What I found was the broccoli absorbed the sauce, glad I doubled the sauce batch.
Absolutely delicious. I can’t wait to try it with beef.
So much better than the take out. Take out usually leaves me with feeling bloated with a somewhat upset stomach.
So glad I stumbled on this site.
That’s wonderful! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! ๐