Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry - Calorie & Ingredient Breakdown

Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry - Calorie & Ingredient Breakdown

Original recipe: Beef and Broccoli - The Woks of Life by Bill

The Recipe

Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry

Prep: 35 min | Cook: 15 min | Serves: 6

Ingredients

Directions

1. In a bowl, add the sliced beef along with the baking soda and water. Massage until liquid is absorbed, then mix in the cornstarch, oil, and oyster sauce. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Mix together the chicken stock, sugar, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper to make the sauce. Set aside.
3. Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the broccoli for 30 to 60 seconds. Drain and set aside.
4. Heat your wok over high heat until smoking. Add 2 tablespoons oil and sear the beef on both sides until browned (2-3 minutes). Remove and set aside.
5. Set the wok over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon oil with the garlic and ginger. Stir for 5 seconds, then pour the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok.
6. Add the sauce mixture and stir to deglaze. Bring to a simmer, then drizzle in the cornstarch slurry while stirring constantly. Simmer and thicken for 20 seconds.
7. Toss in the blanched broccoli and seared beef with any juices. Mix over medium heat until the sauce coats everything evenly. Serve with steamed rice.

Key tip: Velveting the beef with baking soda and a cornstarch marinade is the secret to restaurant-quality tenderness - don't skip the 30-minute marination time.

Nutrient Card

Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry (per serving)
Calories: 232
Protein: 19g
Fat: 13g
  Saturated: 4g
Carbs: 10g
  Fiber: 2g
  Sugar: 2g
Sodium: ~531mg
Cholesterol: ~45mg

Full Nutrition Breakdown

Here's every ingredient in this beef and broccoli stir-fry, broken down to show exactly what each one contributes to a single serving out of six.

Note: Totals may vary slightly from the recipe site's stated 232 calories due to differences in brand, oil absorption, and beef fat content. Not all cooking oil is absorbed - this estimate assumes roughly 70% absorption.

Where Your Calories Actually Come From

More than half your calories come from the beef itself, which isn't surprising for a protein-forward stir-fry. What might catch you off guard is that the cooking oil accounts for nearly a quarter of total calories despite being virtually invisible in the finished dish.

Macro Split

Despite looking like a lean, protein-heavy meal, half the calories in this stir-fry actually come from fat - mostly the cooking oil and the natural fat in flank steak. At 232 calories per serving, though, the overall calorie count stays remarkably low for a dish this satisfying.

Smarter Swaps (With Real Numbers)

1. Eye of Round instead of Flank Steak

A leaner cut that still holds up to high-heat searing.

2. Cooking Spray instead of 3 Tablespoons Oil

You need some oil for the sear, but the sauce does most of the flavor work here.

3. Double the Broccoli (8 cups total)

More volume, more fiber, more fullness - and broccoli's calorie cost is almost negligible.

4. Low-Sodium Soy Sauce

Same umami flavor with significantly less sodium - a smart move if you're watching your intake.

The Ultra-Lean Stack: All Swaps Combined

Fit It Into Your Day

Common Pairings and What They Add

A serving of beef and broccoli with a cup of steamed rice lands around 438 calories - a solid, filling meal that still leaves plenty of room in most daily calorie budgets.

How It Compares

This homemade version sits squarely between takeout and frozen options. You get restaurant-quality flavor at roughly two-thirds the calories of typical takeout, with meaningfully more protein per calorie than most frozen alternatives.

Recipe from The Woks of Life by Bill. Nutrition data sourced from USDA FoodData Central. Individual results vary by brand, cooking method, and portion accuracy. When in doubt, weigh your ingredients.