Two takeout favorites join forces in a 25-minute recipe for Orange Beef and Broccoli starring thin slices of tender beef and crisp broccoli florets tossed in a sweet and tangy orange sauce.
Few foods are as adored in my house as Orange Chicken and Beef and Broccoli. My homemade spins on both takeout favorites are regularly requested by my small army of tiny taste-testers. Ever on a mission to mix up our weekly meal routine, I decided it was about time I put these two dishes together into one seriously flavor-packed recipe. Welcome to my recipe repertoire, Orange Beef and Broccoli!
How to Make Orange Sauce (for Chicken or Beef)
The secret to mastering orange chicken (or in this case, beef!) sauce at home comes down to simplifying the ingredient list. I use Florida’s Natural® Orange Juice as the base of all of my orange chicken sauces because it has the perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess.
My love for the Sunshine State’s best orange juice runs deep. I’ve spent more than 15 years traveling to southern Florida to visit my husband’s family, including one extra-memorable trip to none other than the Florida’s Natural Grove House (check out the pics, plus my favorite recipe for Orange Ricotta Pancakes!). I love supporting Florida’s Natural because it is a farmer-owned cooperative with more than 85 years of dedication to the Florida citrus industry.
How to Thinly Slice Beef
After mastering homemade orange sauce, the key to beef and broccoli success comes down to very thinly slicing the beef so that it cooks quickly and remains tender.
The trick to paper-thin slices of beef? Wrap your steak of choice in plastic wrap and pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes. The meat will firm up just enough so that your sharpest chef’s knife can glide right through it for thin, even slices.
If you’re ready for a dynamic dup of takeout-inspired dishes, grab the orange juice and fire up the flames for this fast, flavor-packed recipe that’s easy enough for weeknight meals but impressive enough for weekend dinner parties.
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In a large bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Add the sliced beef and toss to combine.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch with the orange juice, orange marmalade, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Set the sauce aside.
Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the beef and cook, stirring constantly until the beef is almost cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a plate and leave all drippings in the skillet.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the pan and once it is hot, add the broccoli florets and cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is tender, about 4 minutes.
Return the beef and any juices to the pan then add the sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until the sauce thickens to a syrupy consistency. Serve over rice or noodles.
Disclosure: I’ve partnered with Florida’s Natural for an exclusive endorsement of Florida’s Natural® Orange Juice. This blog post is sponsored by Florida’s Natural. All opinions are my own.
