This 15 minutes Stir-Fried Broccolini (Tenderstem Broccoli) is such a simple and flavourful recipe. It's my favourite version of pan fried broccolini because it's topped with an easy 7-ingredient Thai-inspired sauce. I love to serve it as a side dish or as a main dish with rice and a fried egg. It's a really quick and comforting mid-week dinner option. I hope you enjoy it!
The cooking steps for this recipe are so straightforward. Simply stir-fry your broccolini in a bit of sesame oil and then add in some chopped garlic and ginger. Pour in a bit of water to steam the tenderstem broccoli slightly and then it's ready! Meanwhile you just make your sauce which includes cilantro (coriander), red onion, sesame seeds, lime, sugar, chili flakes, and fish sauce. It's totally addictive and great on anything from this stir-fried broccolini to pan-fried chicken thighs!
If you're looking for some more simple flavourful vegetable recipes, then check out my gochujang eggplant skewers recipe that is SO delicious. Another dish if you're looking for something with more "main dish" energy, my butterbean and spinach curry is always a go-to of mine.
For those of you who are looking for some meat protein, my 20-minute scallion chicken is a quick and easy dish to make when you're short on time, or my teriyaki chicken stir fry!
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Why you'll love this recipe
Few ingredients: You only need broccolini for this stir fry, plus garlic and ginger and a 7 ingredient sauce using accessible ingredients.
Versatile: I love making this dish as a side to serve it along with a main and side, or as a main dish served with a bowl of sticky rice and a fried egg.
Flavour town: This stir-fried broccolini is packed full of delicious punchy flavours. The tangy slightly spicy Thai-inspired sauce is such an incredible condiment to make from scratch and works so well with tenderstem broccoli.
For those of you who don't want to serve this with rice, my Wagamama pad Thai recipe is a good option.
Ingredients & Substitutions
For the 7-ingredient Thai inspired sauce
Cilantro (coriander): fresh coriander/cilantro adds a lovely herbiness to the sauce. If you don't like coriander, you could substitute it with parsley or basil. The flavours won't be the same but you'll still get a lovely tasting sauce.
Red onion: finely chopped red onion is great for this recipe. You only need a bit. You could also use shallots too.
Chilli flakes: your regular store-bought chili flakes will be perfect for this recipe. I've provided exact measurements in the recipe card at the end of this blog, but if you like things more or less spicy, feel free to adjust the quantities.
Toasted sesame seeds: I've used white toasted sesame seeds. You could also use toasted peanuts and then crush them slightly.
Fish sauce: for a lovely tang, fish sauce is the perfect ingredient. If you want to keep this veggie, feel free to use vegan fish sauce.
Sugar: caster sugar is great for this. You could also use honey or agave if you like.
Lime: for freshness and a zesty tang, lime juice adds the perfect balance of flavours. If you don't have lime, try out using some rice wine vinegar or lemon. Taste as you go!
For the broccolini
Tenderstem broccoli (broccolini): did you know that tenderstem and broccolini are both trademarks? I did not know this!! They're also known as aspirations. Just get yourself a bunch of these long-stemmed broccolis and slice them into strips.
Sesame oil: to cook the broccoli, we'll be using sesame oil despite it having a high smoke point. If you don't have sesame oil, just use sunflower oil or another nut oil.
Garlic: freshly chopped garlic to add extra flavour to the broccolini. You could also use garlic granules if you like.
Ginger: freshly chopped ginger to add extra flavour to the stir-fried broccolini.
Step by step instructions (with photos)
Step 1: First up, you want to make your sauce. Combine finely chopped coriander, red onion, chili flakes, toasted sesame seeds, fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice in a bowl. Give it a good stir and then taste. Season accordingly with more of each ingredient.
Step 2: Slice up your broccolini into thin strips.
Step 3: Place a pan on medium heat and drizzle with sesame oil. Add in your broccolini. Feel free to use a lid to cover the vegetables as the oil can splatter upwards. Stir-fry for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 4: Once your broccolini has browned on parts, add in the garlic and ginger. Pour in 50ml water and fry for a further 3 minutes until the water has evaporated and the broccolini has softened slightly (to your liking).
Step 5: When your broccolini is cooked to the "al dente" of your liking, serve up and drizzle over your sauce.
Step 6: Either serve up alongside other dishes, or serve with sticky rice and a fried egg. Enjoy!
Top Tips!
- I always use a pan lid when frying off vegetables on a medium/high heat because the oil can splash back and burn you slightly.
- You want to add your ginger and garlic into the pan about 3-5 minutes before your stir-fried broccolini is ready. If you add it at the start, it will burn and char, which we don't want.
- If you're a saucy person, make sure to double the quantities of sauce to ensure you've got plenty!!
What to do with leftovers
Storage: If you've got any leftovers, make sure to leave them to cool. You can either store the broccolini in an airtight container with the sauce, or you can keep them separately. Place in the fridge and store for up to 3 days.
Freezing: I wouldn't recommend freezing these vegetables, but if the other option is throwing them away, then place them all in an airtight container or zip bag and into the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. The stir-fried tenderstem broccoli may change texture from freezing, so although it'll still taste good, it might feel different.
Reheating: Leave the lid of the Tupperware slightly ajar and place into the microwave until piping hot.
FAQs
No, you don't. Simply stir fry the broccolini for 5 minutes and then to add a bit more moisture, we pour in around 50ml water to soften the veggies slightly.
I like to slice my broccolini into strips with the florets at the top. These end up being quite big in length, so if you're wanting an easier bite, slice the strips in half once again lengthways.
I love serving broccolini with rice and a fried egg. If you're looking for some extra protein, making my stir fried scallion chicken thigh recipe is a great option. There are so many options! This broccolini also works great with noodles.
Other recipes you might enjoy!
If you tried this Stir-Fried Broccolini recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thank you!
Stir-Fried Broccolini (My Favourite Version)
Ingredients
For the 7 ingredient sauce
- 5g cilantro finely chopped
- ¼ red onion finely diced
- 2 teaspoon chili flakes more or less depending on your spice tolerance
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 2-3 teaspoon sugar more or less depending on how sweet you'd like your sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce feel free to add more if you like
For the stir-fried broccolini
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 300g broccolini (tenderstem broccoli) sliced into strips
- 1-2 garlic clove minced
- ½ inch ginger minced
Instructions
- First up, you want to make your sauce. Combine finely chopped coriander, red onion, chili flakes, toasted sesame seeds, fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice in a bowl. Give it a good stir and then taste. Season accordingly with more of each ingredient.
- Slice up your broccolini into thin strips.
- Place a pan on medium heat and drizzle with sesame oil. Add in your broccolini. Feel free to use a lid to cover the vegetables as the oil can jump out the pan. Stir-fry for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Once your broccolini has browned on parts, add in the garlic and ginger. Pour in 50ml water and fry for a further 3 minutes until the water has evaporated and the broccolini has softened slightly (to your liking).
- When your broccolini is cooked to the "al dente" of your preference, serve up and drizzle over your sauce.
- Either serve up alongside other dishes, or serve with sticky rice and a fried egg. Enjoy!
Notes
- I always use a pan lid when frying off vegetables on a medium/high heat because the oil can splash back.
- You want to add your ginger and garlic into the pan about 3-5 minutes before your stir-fried broccolini is ready. If you add it at the start, it will burn and char, which we don't want.
- If you're a saucy person, make sure to double the quantities of sauce to ensure you've got plenty!!
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