Beef with Gai Lan (AKA Chinese Broccoli) is an iconic Chinese dish consisting of tender Gai Lan and velvety beef, all thrown together in a dreamy umami-packed sauce.

We’ve already shared our Beef and Broccoli recipe with you all, and this one is similar, but instead of regular broccoli, it makes use of Gai Lan, also known as Chinese broccoli.

Chinese broccoli is longer and leaner than its Western counterpart, with a lengthier, softer stem, and big leaves instead of florets. It is commonly consumed with oyster sauce (like in this Gai Lan with oyster sauce recipe), or with beef, like in this one!

Much like other takeout classics like sweet and sour chicken balls, kung pao chicken, or ginger beef, the beef and broccoli we know and love in North America isn’t as common in China as we might think. In fact, beef with Gai Lan is much more common, which should be compelling reason enough for you to give it a try.

… but other reasons include its addictive flavour, and relative ease of preparation.

Yes, the ingredients list may look long and intimidating, but I promise this dish actually comes together really quickly once you do all the prep.

So, keep scrolling for our foolproof Beef with Gai Lan recipe. You’ll want to check it out beef-ore you get too hungry!

Ingredients for Our Beef with Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) Recipe

For the beef:

• 250g sirloin or tenderloin beef 
• 1 tsp soy sauce 
• 3 tbsp water 
• 1 pinch white pepper
• 1 tsp cooking wine
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp baking soda 
• 1 tbsp oil 

For the sauce:

• 1 tbsp oil 
• 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce 
• 1/2 tsp soy sauce 
• 1/2 tsp oyster sauce 
• 1 tsp cooking wine 
• 1/2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp water 
• 1 pinch white pepper powder 
• 1 tsp sesame oil 

For the Chinese broccoli (Gai Lan):

• 250g Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp baking soda

For the rest of the dish:

• 1/4 tsp salt 
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp chicken powder 
• 1 tsp sliced ginger
• 1 tsp sliced garlic 
• 1 stalk green onion
• 4/6 pieces sliced carrot 

Step by Step Instructions for Our Beef with Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) Recipe

This tasty dish is easy to whip together for a satisfying dinner. Here are the step by step instructions!

To prepare your beef, start by slicing it against the grain into thin slices.

Then, mix the slices in a bowl with 1 tsp of soy sauce, a pinch of white pepper, 1 tsp cooking wine, 1 tsp cornstarch, 1/2 tsp baking soda, along with 1.5 tbsp water. Set it aside for 30 minutes, then add another 1.5 tbsp water. After an hour and a half, add 1 tbsp of oil and set it aside.

To prepare your sauce, grab a bowl and mix together your 1 tbsp oil, 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce, 1/2 tsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp cooking wine, 1/2 tsp cornstarch, 1 tsp water, a pinch of white pepper powder, and 1 tsp sesame oil. Set aside.

To prepare your Gai Lan, trim the ends and any bits that look wilted. Trim them to (more or less) an equal length, about 5”.

Bring a pot of water to boil, with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp vegetable oil. If using, add 1/4 tsp baking soda at this time as well.

Add your Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) and let it boil for about 1 minute, until done to your desired tenderness. NOTE: This may take less time if you’re using baking soda as that will make the veggies tenderize quicker.

Run it under cold water, and set aside. 

Heat a wok/pan up to medium heat. 

Add a tbsp of oil and add your beef, using chopsticks or a wooden spoon to move the pieces around and separate them.

Let the beef cook for a minute until it is about 80% done (a little pink still), then set it aside.

Add your ginger, garlic, green onion and carrot and cook until fragrant for a minute.

Then add your Gai Lan, salt, sugar, and chicken powder. Stir for thirty seconds.

Add the beef back in.

Add your bowl of pre-mixed sauce and stir everything around, until well mixed.

Give the pan a good toss, to ensure everything is well combined.

Finally, add 1 tbsp sesame oil and serve with rice.

We Hope You Enjoy Our Beef with Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) Recipe!

Let us know in the comments if you have any questions, or be sure to let us know if you’ve tested the recipe out. We’re always looking to improve our recipes and make sure they taste great for everyone.