Broccoli with Garlic Sauce and Bacon Recipe
A flavorful and savory dish of tender broccoli florets tossed in a garlicky sauce with crispy smoky bacon, perfect as a hearty side or light main. The garlic sauce, thickened with cornstarch and enriched with soy and oyster sauces, beautifully coats the broccoli and bacon for a delicious, umami-packed meal.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 1 broccoli (cut into small pieces)
Meat
- 2 strips bacon (cut into small pieces, more or less to your liking)
Sauces & Oils
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
Other
- 4–5 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/3 cup water
- Pinch of salt
- A splash of olive oil (for boiling broccoli)
Instructions
- Boil Broccoli: Add a pinch of salt and a splash of olive oil to boiling water. Boil the broccoli pieces for 3-5 minutes until just tender, then drain thoroughly to prevent excess water in the sauce.
- Fry Bacon: Heat oil in a frying pan and add the bacon pieces. Cook until they are crisp and golden brown, then set aside to keep the rendered fat and avoid mixing with garlic initially.
- Prepare Garlic Sauce: In the same pan with remaining oil and bacon fat, add the finely chopped garlic and fry until golden brown to release its flavor. Meanwhile, mix soy sauce, oyster sauce, cornstarch, and water in a bowl to create the sauce.
- Add Sauce: Stir the sauce mixture well and pour it into the frying pan with garlic. Stir continuously for about 10 seconds to thicken the sauce slightly.
- Toss Broccoli and Bacon: Add the drained broccoli to the pan and toss thoroughly to coat with the garlic sauce. Then add the crispy bacon pieces back in, mix gently, and remove from heat. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Chopping broccoli into smaller pieces helps it cook faster and allows the sauce to coat more evenly.
- Finely chop garlic to release maximum flavor and consider batch-frying it ahead for convenience.
- Use smoky bacon for the best flavor; prosciutto is a premium alternative but more costly.
- Do not fry bacon with garlic to avoid excess water release and soggy garlic.
- Oyster sauce replaces MSG in modern Chinese recipes; if unavailable, substitute with equal soy sauce.
- Cornstarch thickens the sauce for better coating—stir well before adding.
- Adjust soy sauce quantity if adding more bacon to prevent oversalting.
- Drain broccoli well to keep sauce from getting watery.
- Add chili flakes or a touch of sugar to enhance flavor if desired.
Keywords: broccoli with garlic sauce, bacon broccoli recipe, Chinese broccoli side dish, garlicky broccoli, easy bacon stir fry, quick vegetable stir fry
