This Weight Watchers Beef & Broccoli is also a delicious copycat of my favorite Panda Express dish! A rich homemade teriyaki sauce and loads of fresh broccoli! This has quickly become a favorite because you can make it in about 10 minutes.
I have been on Weight Watchers since Jan 1 and have done pretty well – the points on this recipe are 8 points across the board – more on that later. But I can promise the non-WW folks – there’s no compromise on flavor here! It is delicious! Serve with regular or cauliflower rice and enjoy!
What’s in this Copycat Broccoli Beef recipe?
Here’s the ingredient list for Copycat Panda Express Broccoli Beef. Some of these are sort of Asian-centric so I provided swaps if you don’t have them. None of them are too expensive though – and you’ll be surprised how often you use them once they’re in the cupboard.
- Shaved steak (more on this below)
- Cornstarch
- Mirin – you can swap with dry white wine or rice vinegar – just add 1/2 tsp sugar for every 1 tbsp of your substitute
- Sesame oil – you can swap olive oil but the sesame oil adds so much flavor – even just a tiny bit!
- Garlic
- Broccoli – be sure to use fresh broccoli!
- Ground Ginger
- Hoisin and Fish Sauce – the flavors are similar but I used both in this recipe. If you don’t have one/both – just use one if you only have that – or swap with a combo of molasses and Worcestershire or soy sauce
- Water
- Stevia – I used Stevia because of Weight Watchers – but you can swap sugar or your fav sugar substitute
- Soy sauce
- Sesame seeds
What is the best cut of beef for broccoli beef?
I like to use Shaved Steak which I find at Kroger or Meijer – which I discovered when I made my Copycat Penn Station Philly Cheesesteak. If you can’t find that – I would recommend buying a good cut of steak with some fat to it (I recommend ribeye, NY Strip or potentially sirloin – don’t get the leanest cut – you need a little fat for tenderness). Then, either slice it super thin yourself – or you could even freeze it for a bit so it’s harder and then use a mandolin to make a similar “shaved” cut.
How to make Weight Watchers Broccoli Beef
This recipe comes together very quickly – which I love when I’ve been working all day – I don’t want to spend another hour cooking dinner just for me! Here’s the quick overview:
- Marinate your shaved steak in cornstarch and mirin for about 30 minutes before hand if you can
- While that’s going – prep your broccoli by partially steaming it
- Also – mix together your sauce (lots of goodies in there) – whisk it together so it’s ready to go for when you’re cooking
- Now – heat your skillet on high – you want it HOT before adding anything to the pan. Once you add your first ingredients – this recipe goes QUICK!
- Add your sesame oil – it should ripple and pop!
- Add your steak and garlic – sear for just 1-2 minutes until browned – stirring constantly
- Add in your broccoli – mix together and get the broccoli hot and a little browned
- Stir your sauce to make sure the cornstarch hasn’t settle and then pour it in the pan.
- Turn OFF the heat and quickly toss to combine. This sauce will thicken quickly and coat all the broccoli beef!
- Serve and sprinkle with sesame seeds for garnish.
Tell me more about Weight Watchers
I love that it’s good for weight loss because I’ve been on Weight Watchers since the beginning of the year. I actually got my first weight loss charm last week!!! They send them when you lose a certain number of pounds – today was just 5 but still psyched to get it! On WW, there are a lot of “free” foods which you can have as much of as you like – broccoli is one of them! This recipe is 8 points on all plans (green/blue/purple) and makes a great filling dinner!
What to serve with Weight Watchers Beef & Broccoli
You can serve this with cauliflower or regular rice – or even on top of zoodles if you like. It’s tasty no matter what! It really has everything all in one – but here’s my favorite recipes to make along side this recipe:
- Copycat PF Chang’s Fried Rice
- Copycat Panera Thai Salad (leave out the chicken for a great side salad)
- Air Fryer Grilled Pineapple
Weight Watchers Beef & Broccoli (Copycat Panda Express)
Ingredients
- 12 oz shaved steak
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp mirin or 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar + 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 tsp minced garlic or 3 cloves
- 2.5 cups broccoli florets
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 4 tbsp fish sauce or oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 4 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp stevia or sugar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Add the beef, 2 tbsp cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of the mirin together in a ziploc bag and squeeze the bag a few times to combine.
- Let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 min
- Partially steam broccoli florets for 2 min in microwave steamer (or bowl covered with plastic wrap) and 2 tbsp water
- In a separate bowl, combine ginger, hoisin, fish sauce, water, 2 tbsp mirin, stevia, soy sauce and corn starch and whisk together. Be sure cornstarch dissolves completely
- Heat a non-stick skillet on high – the hotter the better
- When pan is hot, add sesame oil to the pan – it should ripple and pop a little
- Add shaved steak and minced garlic
- Sear on high for 1-2 minutes – stirring so it doesn't stick
- Add in broccoli and toss gently
- Stir sauce in bowl to be sure corn starch hasn't settled. Then add to the pan with beef & broccoli
- Turn off the heat and quickly toss to combine – the sauce should thicken quickly and coat all of the beef & broccoli
- Serve with rice or cauliflower rice and top with sesame seeds for garnish
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