Fresh Asian-style broccoli with garlic sauce! A super easy Asian-inspired side dish featuring nutrient-packed broccoli drenched in a savory garlic sauce. (Plus it's done in only 15 minutes!)
We love this quick and easy Asian-inspired side dish packed with flavor.
The smell is heavenly when the garlic sauce hits the pan. It may even convince the pickiest eaters that broccoli is in fact... delicious!
This recipe makes about 4 side servings. (However I find it to be pretty darn tasty so it usually ends up as 2-3 servings for us.)
Ingredients for Asian-Style Broccoli
- Fresh broccoli florets: I have only used fresh broccoli with this recipe, but a few readers have reported mild success with frozen broccoli. (However it won't be as crisp and the sauce will probably be more watery.)
- Fresh garlic cloves
- Toasted sesame oil: This adds tasty flavor, but see notes below for an oil-free option.
- Tamari: Or substitute soy sauce, but I use tamari for gluten-free. Be sure to use low sodium if desired. Coconut aminos could also work.
- Vegetable broth
- Cornstarch: This is used to help thicken the sauce, but use your own favorite thickener if desired.
Note: A little freshly grated ginger is also a great addition!
Serving
Grains: This dish is great served on it's own, or on top of a fluffy bed of cooked brown rice or quinoa.
Garnish: Top your bowl with sesame seeds if desired. Or you can sprinkle red pepper flakes for a little heat if desired.
Love broccoli? Also try this Broccoli Cashew Stir-Fry (a reader favorite!)
For more inspiration, also browse all Asian-inspired recipes or broccoli recipes.
Broccoli with Asian-Style Garlic Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 cups broccoli florets (1 large bunch)
- 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil (*oil-free option below)
- Optional topping: sesame seeds, red pepper flakes
For the garlic sauce:
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 2 Tbsp. tamari (or soy sauce)
- 1 Tbsp. cornstarch (or arrowroot or thickener of choice)
Instructions
- Cut broccoli into bite-sized florets and set aside.
- Make the garlic sauce: mince garlic. Then in a small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients. Whisk to combine.
- In a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat, add sesame oil* and heat for a minute.
- Carefully add broccoli florets. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Then add garlic sauce. Stir well to coat broccoli.
- Cook for about 3 minutes, or until broccoli is desired tenderness. (The sauce will thicken and absorb into the broccoli.)
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)
Sodium content: This is omitted as I cannot provide an accurate number. I encourage you to calculate your own to provide a much more precise reading based on the exact ingredients, brands, and amounts you're using.
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Leah says
This was amazing! I love the texture and flavor of the sauce, and it's just so easy. Thank you!
Kaitlin says
So great to hear you enjoyed it, Leah! Thanks for giving it a try and coming back to share your very kind review - it's appreciated!
Stephanie says
Amazing!! I added 1/4 tsp ground ginger to the sauce. Will make this a regular go-to. Thanks for the great recipe!
Kaitlin says
Yay, Stephanie! So glad you enjoyed it and great thinking with the ground ginger - yum! Awesome addition. I appreciate you coming back to share your kind and helpful feedback. Thank you!
Donna l Casey says
I tried this tonight, and this was the worse sauce I have made the sauce tasted burnt.
Olivia says
I made this and now it’s my husband's favourite. He keeps asking me to make it again. Bean sprouts make a good addition too. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Kaitlin says
Aww, so wonderful to hear that, Olivia! Smart thinking with the bean sprouts, yum! What an amazing addition. Thanks for coming back to share your very kind and helpful feedback!
Frank says
This recipe is so delicious! Thank you very much! I cooked it several times and now I feel obligated to give you a very positive feedback.
Kaitlin says
I appreciate that, Frank! So glad you're enjoying the recipe and thanks for coming back to let me know!
Denise says
Perfect it was delicious. Will make it again.
Kaitlin says
Lovely to hear you enjoyed it, Denise! Thanks for sharing your kind feedback.
Jeffra Page says
So I made this recipe to go with orange chicken. I used frozen broccoli instead of fresh broccoli and it turned out perfect. Instead of sesame oil I just used some vegetable broth with water. I think next time I will use fresh minced garlic instead of the kind in the jar and fresh broccoli. Definitely a recipe I'll be using regularly.
Kaitlin says
So happy to hear you enjoyed, and glad it worked out with the frozen broccoli! Thanks for sharing your kind and helpful feedback!
Shelley says
Delicious! My dad even ate two servings and he is NOT a fan of broccoli. I was making "Chinese Food" for my mom's birthday dinner (her fave) and was scrambling a bit because I was trying out all new recipes so I accidentally forgot the cornstarch. Even so, there were no leftovers! I'm making it again tonight because my son missed out last time. I will definitely remember the cornstarch this time.
Kaitlin says
Hi Shelley! I love the Chinese food birthday theme idea! So fun. Thrilled to hear your family enjoyed this recipe, and hope you love it even more thickened up with the cornstarch next time. Thanks for the very sweet comment and have a beautiful rest of the week!
Kelly says
Just a suggestion/question... why add the cornstarch at all if you enjoyed the dish without it? Cornstarch adds no flavor but does add unnecessary carbs and has no nutritional benefit. This recipe sounds delicious, and I plan on making this tonight...sans cornstarch. 🙂
Roberta says
Very delicious. Had only a small head of broccoli so added some sliced carrots. Didn’t have sesame oil so used neutral oil and still came out quite flavorful. Thanks.
Kaitlin says
Wonderful to hear, Roberta! Great idea adding carrots. So glad you enjoyed and thanks for the very kind feedback!
Adri says
SOOO tasty! Deviated based on what I had. Heated little less than half canola and half sesame chili oil, and added white sesame seeds to oils. Used chic (vs. veg) broth powder in sauce, but a bit less due to salt (w/ tamari). Used small amount of broccoli, 1/2" asparagus pieces (tops reserved for last minute), 1/4 wedge-sliced onion, 1 stalk celery sliced; a bag of precooked Yakisoba noodles, 2 handfuls spinach & asparagus tops. And finally, the sauce. Splashed a bit of white vinegar on top and tossed. Couldn't get enough of that sauce with heavy fresh garlic! Adding shrimp to tomorrow's leftovers! Thank you & you rock!
Kaitlin says
That's awesome, Adri! Really love your creative additions to this - it sounds fantastic. So glad you enjoyed and thanks for sharing your helpful feedback!
Cris A says
I really loved the flavor on this recipe! I did opt to use 1/2 the sesame oil and replaced the other 1/2 with veggie broth. It delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
Kaitlin says
Wonderful to hear! So glad you enjoyed the flavor and thank you for giving it a try!
John Coyle says
I added bamboo shoots and mushrooms to make this a vegetarian meal to put over rice. I also used mushroom broth for the sauce. It tasted terrific turned out great and I topped it with some sesame seeds when I served.
Kaitlin says
Really great idea, John. Appreciate you taking the time to leave your helpful feedback. So glad you enjoyed it!
Leslie says
Cooked the broccoli for one minute in the sesame oil in a wok and then added 1/2 cup of water and covered, stirring periodically to steam. Added about a tsp of sesame oil to the liquid mix and cooked per recipe for four minutes. The broccoli was cooked just right - nice and crisp, but the sauce stayed very liquid and soupy. Any suggestions?
Kaitlin says
Hi Leslie! The directions don't indicate to add 1/2 cup water in addition to the 1/2 cup vegetable broth (in the sauce), so if there was any water remaining in the pan after you steamed it, then the sauce would definitely be too thin and watery. (I've updated the wording of this recipe to hopefully make it a bit more clear, so thank you for your feedback!)
Claudia Torres says
This is the recipe I've been looking for my whole life!!!! Absolutely delicious and easy! Thank you!!!
Kaitlin says
Great to hear, Claudia! So glad you're enjoying - thanks for sharing your kind feedback!
Michelle says
What do we do with the garlic. Slice, chop, mince?
Kaitlin says
Hello! Step 2 of the instructions says to "mince garlic" as you're making the sauce.
JoAnna says
This was great! I added about 1 teaspoon of minced ginger, and used 16oz frozen broccoli. I also used beef broth (because I had it in the refrigerator). I under cooked the broccoli so it would maintain a crunch, and it totally worked. Hubby approved. Thanks!
Kaitlin says
Wonderful to hear, JoAnna! Thanks for sharing your kind & helpful feedback!
Christine says
This is my daughter's favorite meal. Faster to make than roasted & delicious! Thank you!
Kaitlin says
So great to hear!
Lara says
This was great and easy to make! My sauce thickened up a little too much so added more liquid, but other than that, it was perfect - thank you!
Kaitlin says
Hi Lara! That's awesome, glad you were able to adjust the sauce. Thanks so much for giving it a try and sharing your kind feedback!
Janelle says
Good! Like Chinese takeout except, healthier!
Kaitlin says
Great to hear!
Alf says
Hello, just wondering, can I use frozen broccoli for this recipe?
Kaitlin says
Hello! I've never tried this recipe with frozen broccoli, but I think that could work as well. The texture might be a bit softer however and not as crisp. Would love to hear if you give it a go!
Alf says
I forgot to reply back, sorry! I did end up trying it with frozen broccoli. You guessed it, it def wasn't as crispy. There was quite a bit of sauce also because of the extra water from the frozen broccoli. But the flavor was still amazing. My husband and our guests were still going back for seconds until it was gone!
Kaitlin says
Good to know! Thank you so much for testing it and kindly reporting back with your findings - very appreciated. Wishing you and your husband a lovely weekend!
Cindy says
I had to add some sweetener for my taste but my hubby liked it.
Kaitlin says
Wonderful to hear, Cindy!
Sonja says
Made this and the family loved it! I now make it at least once a week! I add more garlic and occasionally use chicken broth instead of veggie because that’s what I have in hand. Great recipe
Kaitlin McGinn says
Hi Sonja! So great to hear you gave this a try and your family enjoyed. Thanks so much for the kind feedback!
Marlene says
Tasted better than take out! Had to substitute beef broth and added 1 tsp red pepper flake for a little more flavor. Amazing and husband approved!
Kaitlin McGinn says
Great to hear, Marlene! Thanks for giving it a try!
Beth A Yocum says
Made this for lunch today and loved it! Very little left over for dinner tonight! Have another head in frig.....may make again for lunch tomorrow! A Definite Keeper! May sprinkle with some chopped peanuts??? Thanks for the recipe!
Kaitlin McGinn says
So great to hear you enjoyed it, Beth! Thanks for giving it a try and sharing your kind feedback. I agree - peanuts, cashews, or almonds would be great on top!
andrea says
This was delicious! Thank you! My new favorite easy vegan meal. I love extra spicy so I whisked in some crushed red pepper into the sauce too. Wonderful recipe, thank you so much.
Kaitlin McGinn says
So great to hear that Andrea. Love that you modified it for a spicy version, yum! Thanks so much for sharing your kind feedback & recipe rating - very appreciated!
jody says
So yummy, you captured a dish we always order out. Made us feel like we are out as we are under lock down.
Kaitlin McGinn says
Awesome to hear you gave this a try & enjoyed! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know (and for leaving a recipe rating). Very appreciated!
Lee McCartney says
This was DELICIOUS
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
So great to hear!
Burke Family says
Yum!!!!!!!! Made this for the first time but with water chestnuts, carrots, and chicken. Served with rice. AMAZING!!! Will add this to the "make again - LOTS" list!!!!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Thanks for sharing!
Monica Sauer says
Can I sub the veggie broth with anything? Or go without?
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
You could substitute with water if you'd like, though it'll be slightly less flavorful.
Priscila De La Torre says
This is the perfect vegan recipe. Just like broccoli and beef minus the beef. Yuuummm!!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Thanks Priscila! That's an awesome comparison - thanks for sharing!
Raw Raw Raw says
My daughter asks for this as an entire meal on a regular basis. Have to always have broccoli in the house because never know when the mood will strike her. Making it for her breakfast right now over rice. Thanks!
Anonymous says
Thanks for the recipe! I loved it and have made it more than once. Since then, I started using the same sauce but adding other ingredients to the stir fry (snow peas, carrots, green pepper, water chestnuts, pineapple, onion, cabbage, celery, and sometimes a few habaneros). Turns out great every time and, like you said, I can't help but eat more than one serving at a time!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
So fantastic! Thanks for your helpful feedback!
Anonymous says
Just made this tonight. It was easy, healthy, and delicious. Thank you for the recipe!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
So great to hear!