Name: Retro Chinese Style Broccoli | Homemade Takeout!
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 13 min
Ingredients: 1 lb broccoli 450 g; 3 Tablespoons oil 45 ml (for frying ); 3 cloves garlic; 2 Tablespoons soya sauce 30 ml (use tamari if you are gluten-free ); 1 teaspoon sugar 5 ml; ½ cup chicken 118 ml (beef, or vegetable stock ); 1 teaspoon cornstarch 5 ml

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I love this easy Chinese style broccoli. It is a simple and quick way to make delicious Chinese takeout at home! This quick and easy vegetable side dish can easily be made into a delicious main course meal by adding some thinly sliced chicken, or beef!

A plate of Chinese food. There is broccoli in the foreground and stir fried pork and veggies in the background.

While this dish is not a traditional Asian food, it is a classic American Chinese food restaurant broccoli side side dish. The broccoli is tender but not mushy and is coated in a savory, fragrant, garlicy sauce. It is actually pretty easy to emulate this classic restaurant style dish right in your own kitchen, just using a handful of ingredients you probably have in your kitchen right now!

Quick and Easy!

I love these retro recipes because they are often simple and require only everyday ingredients that people could easily find or already had on hand! Now that we have access to so many more things from all over the world, making things like Chinese takeout might require a trip to the international section of the grocery store or even an Asian market. While this might make a more authentic meal, I just don’t have enough space in my fridge for all sorts of ingredients that I won’t be using on a regular basis.

Stir Fry Broccoli

Most stir fry dishes are cooked in a wok. A wok is a large bowl shaped pan that did originate in China. This versatile pan is not used all over because of it’s easy heat distribution and high walled bowl shape. It is an idea pan for frying.

Does this mean that you need a wok to make Chinese style broccoli? Absolutely not! Any frying pan will work for this dish! It just needs to be big enough to hold, stir and fry your meal.

A plate of Chinese food. There is broccoli on the side and a stir fried pork and veggie dish in the main area of the plate.

What to serve with Chinese Restaurant Style Broccoli

When my grandmother made this recipe she always served with with perfectly cooked white rice and Sweet and Sour pork.

As mentioned earlier, you can easily turn this Chinese stir fried broccoli recipe into a main course meal by adding in thinly sliced beef or bite-sized pieces of chicken.

Vegetarian

Want to up the veggies in this recipe?

My very favourite veggie additions to this Asian style broccoli is by frying some mushrooms along with the broccoli. Mushroom have a meatier texture and really add to the savoury flavour of the dish.

To add a little pop of sweetness to this recipe, I love adding in some very thinly sliced carrots or even grated carrots. The natural sweetness of the carrots really balances out the flavour of the savoury garlic sauce.

Fresh or frozen?

You might be wondering, can I make this recipe year round by substituting frozen broccoli? Absolutely! This dish can be made with either fresh or frozen broccoli. You may need to add a few minutes to cook through your frozen broccoli but the taste will be exactly the same! Plus is you use frozen broccoli, no need to trim and cut your florets! Just open the bag and add the frozen spears right to the pan! They will defrost and cook through in a few minutes!

A man holding a fork with a spear of broccoli on it. There is a plate of Chinese food in the background.

How to Store Chinese style broccoli

Any leftover should be stored in the refrigerator in an air tight container for up to 3 days. When you are ready to reheat your meal, add the broccoli to a pan preheated to medium heat. Stir the broccoli until it is heated through. About 5-8 minutes, depending on how much you are reheating.

Alternately, you can place your broccoli in an oven proof container and place it in the oven at 400 ºF (200 ºC) for 8-10 minutes. Give everything a stir before serving.

You can similarly reheat your side dish in an air fryer for about 5 minutes, or until it is warmed through.

For longer storage you can freeze this meal in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

A woman pouring Tamari sauce into a mason jar.

Ingredients for Retro Chinese Style Broccoli

1 lb broccoli 450 g

3 Tablespoons oil (for frying) 45 ml

3 cloves garlic

2 Tablespoons soya sauce (use tamari if you are gluten-free) 30 ml

1 teaspoon sugar 5 ml

½ cup chicken, beef, or vegetable stock 118 ml

1 teaspoon cornstarch 5 ml

A mason jar with liquid and cornstarch on top.

A woman stirring a brown mixture in a canning jar.

Method

Wash and cut you broccoli in 1 in. (2.5 cm) pieces, if you are using fresh broccoli. If using frozen you can cut down any large florets.
In a large frying pan over medium heat add the oil.
Mince or grate the garlic and add this to the pan. Cook until softened and just starting to colour.
Add in the broccoli and fry stirring constantly for about 3 minutes.
In a small bowl mix together the soya sauce (tamari sauce), sugar, stock, and cornstarch.
Turn the pan to medium-high, and add the sauce to the broccoli.
Stir the broccoli and sauce mixture until it comes to a simmer and starts to thicken and becomes clear.
Remove from heat and serve!