Broccoli Stir Fry Recipe (20 Minutes)
This classic Chinese-inspired Broccoli Stir Fry recipe is great to prepare as part of a satisfying meal in under 30 minutes. Flavorful and nutritious broccoli is perfect to stir fry for a quick, delicious, and healthy side dish. Here you’ll find step-by-step photos and instructions to make savory vegetarian and vegan stir-fried broccoli for dinner tonight!
About Broccoli Stir Fry Recipe
Broccoli stir fry is a Chinese inspired dish that I like to make often as a healthy and tasty side. Fresh broccoli is quickly cooked with vibrant aromatics – like onions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and pepper – so the florets are perfectly cooked while still keeping a nice bit of crunch.
Stir frying the broccoli not only helps keep the florets firm and not mushy, it also helps to sear in those delicious flavors.
Each bite is bursting with umami without being too overpowering. So it’s great to serve as a side dish with your favorite mains, or simply pair with rice or noodles for a light yet satisfying meal.
And start to finish you need less than an hour to prep and make this easy recipe. Give this stir fried broccoli a try for a relaxing and nearly effortless dinner any night of the week!
How to Make Broccoli Stir Fry
Prepare the Broccoli and Sauce
1. First, prepare the fresh broccoli. Cut the florets from 1 medium broccoli head (415 grams) and rinse them well in water. Set aside.
If you want you can even blanch the broccoli florets in hot water for 1 to 2 minutes. This makes stir frying time shorter and helps keep that vibrant green color.
Finely chop 3 to 4 medium garlic cloves, 1 inch ginger, 1 green chili, 1 small celery stick and slice thinly 1 medium onion. You will be needing:
- ⅓ cup sliced onions
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped green chillies or serrano pepper
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped celery
2. In a small bowl, add the sugar and spices:
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar or raw sugar
- ½ teaspoon edible rock salt or ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt, add as per taste
- ¼ teaspoon crushed black pepper or add as required
3. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce or Braggs liquid aminos.
4. Mix very well and set aside.
Cook the Aromatics
5. Next, heat oil in a heavy wok or deep pan. Turn the heat to medium-low or medium. Add the sliced onions and finely chopped garlic, ginger, celery, green chillies.
You could use any neutral flavored oil or sesame oil that is not toasted.
6. Stir and mix well.
7. Next, add the chopped broccoli to the pan.
8. Mix very well.
Stir Fry Broccoli
9. Now it’s time to stir fry the broccoli: Increase the heat to medium-high or high, and cook the broccoli for 3 to 4 minutes in the scalding hot pan.
10. Continue to toss and stir the ingredients so that they cook evenly without getting burnt.
11. After stir-frying for 3 to 4 minutes (the broccoli should still be firm) lower the heat and add the prepared sauce mixture.
12. Stir to combine and mix evenly.
13. Increase the heat to medium-low or medium. Continue to stir fry the broccoli until the liquid has evaporated and the broccoli is slightly soft.
However, be careful to not overcook the veggies so that they become soft and mushy – there should be a good bit of bite still in your broccoli.
14. Now turn off the heat, and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro or parsley if you like. Mix very well.
15. Sprinkle some white sesame seeds (raw or toasted) while serving. You can also drizzle some lemon juice for an added tang while serving.
FAQs
How can I make this recipe spicy?
Feel free to increase the ginger, garlic, black pepper and/or green chilli to make this dish as spicy as you like.
What should I serve with this dish?
Enjoy with fluffy rice or Chinese noodle dishes, or as a side with any of your favorite Indochinese mains like Fried Rice or Veg Noodles or Hakka Noodles. You can also serve with simple roll or flatbread for a light lunch or healthy snack.
How long does stir fried broccoli last?
This dish is certainly best when enjoyed freshly made. However, you can store leftovers in a sealed container and keep them in the fridge for up to 1 day. Reheat in a microwave or on the stovetop, but be careful to not overcook and turn the broccoli mushy.
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil or any neutral oil
- ⅓ cup onions – thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon garlic – finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger – finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons celery – finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon green chillies – finely chopped, can use serrano pepper instead
- 415 grams broccoli
- 1 to 2 tablespoons cilantro – chopped (coriander leaves) or swap with parsley
For the Sauce
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar or raw sugar or palm sugar
- ½ teaspoon pink salt or ¼ to ½ teaspoon regular salt, add as per taste
- ¼ teaspoon crushed black pepper or add as required
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or Braggs liquid aminos
Instructions
Make the Sauce
- In a small mixing bowl take the coconut sugar, salt, black pepper and soy sauce.
- Mix well and set aside.
Make Broccoli Stir Fry
- Heat the sesame oil in a heavy wok or pan.
- Keep heat to medium-low or medium.
- Add sliced onions, garlic, ginger, celery and green chillies. Mix well.
- Add broccoli and mix again very well.
- Increase the heat to medium-high or high and stir fry broccoli for 3 to 4 minutes. Toss and stir often while stir-frying.
- Towards the end of 3 to 4 minutes, stir often, so that the onions or garlic or ginger do not get burnt.
- Lower the heat and add the prepared sauce mixture. Stir to combine and mix.
- Increase the heat to medium-low or medium.
- Stir fry till all the liquids have evaporated and the broccoli is tender. Do note that the florets will shrink and leave their juices. The end result should be dry with no water or liquids. .
- The broccoli florets should be tender but have some bite to them.
- Turn off the heat and add cilantro or parsley. Mix again very well.
- Sprinkle some sesame seeds while serving.
- Serve Broccoli Stir Fry with rice, noodle or even with a bread roll or flatbread.
Notes
- You could use any neutral tasting oil or sesame oil that is not toasted.
- Feel free to add less more of the soy sauce, black pepper and green chillies according to your taste preferences.
- Remember that the broccoli must not be cooked completely. The florets should have some bite to them.
Nutrition
Broccoli Stir Fry recipe from the archives was first published on June 2011.
Your blog is extremely wonderful and helpful!
thanks rushali
Can we use dried basil leaves for this recipe?..
yes you can use dry basil.
Thanks Dassana..Tried the recipe using dry basil leaves…This was my first try with brocolli..had an Italian taste and was yummy 🙂
welcome divya and thanks for the positive feedback.
Enjoyed your Punjabi karela sabzi. Thanks a lot for sharing!
Do you have green bean recipe, say with tomato, garlic etc that goes with rice or roti?
thats good… yes i do know green beans recipe with tomato garlic etc. will try to make one and update it on the website.
Very Nice Pass me some:)
ok….. here u go 😉
Hi,
Thanks for the healthy recipe. Will try for sure. I started following the blog recently. Nice work
thanks priya. do try…. its too good.