Healthy Beef and Broccoli
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This secretly Healthy Beef and Broccoli is the perfect weeknight dinner. Easy to make, naturally gluten free, high protein and delicious!
This Beef and Broccoli recipe is a healthy twist on the classic takeout favorite! Made with tender slices of lean flank steak, crisp broccoli florets, and a flavorful sauce, this dish is packed with protein, is naturally gluten-free, and contains no refined-sugar!
Served over cauliflower rice or white rice, this one pan dish is perfect for a quick, delicious, and wholesome dinner!
Liz’s Tips for the Best Healthy Beef and Broccoli
- If you prefer your broccoli to be softer rather than a little crunchy, you can add a splash of water to the skillet when cooking and then cover with the lid to steam.
- If the sauce is too thick, you can add a tbsp of water to thin it out.
- Once the broccoli is added to the pan with the meat and sauce, remove it from the heat. If the broccoli continues to cook it will release liquid into the sauce and it may become liquidy.
Ingredients:
substitutions
Olive Oil: You could use avocado oil or any neutral flavored cooking oil.
Flank Steak: Flank steak is tender, lean, and cooks quickly, making it the perfect stir fry meat. Remember to slice against the grain to ensure you get the most tender bite. Other cuts of meat that will work are sirloin, flat iron, skirt steak, or fillet.
Coconut Aminos: Coconut aminos are a great gluten-free soy-free soy sauce alternative to make gluten free beef and broccoli. Using a low sodium soy sauce will likely work, but it will change the flavor of the stir fry sauce slightly. If using this option, be sure to taste and adjust the ingredients if it is not sweet enough or too salty.
Hot Water: This is important to help the starch dissolve in the sauce and not get clumpy.
Coconut Sugar: Regular brown sugar can be used. We haven’t tried maple syrup or honey.
Sesame Oil: Toasted Sesame oil is added for flavor, and I don’t recommend replacing this ingredient unless you have an allergy or intolerance.
Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar adds a tanginess to the sauce. You can substitute white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
Ginger: I find that fresh ginger gives this recipe the best flavor, but you can substitute 1 tsp of ground ginger if you do not have fresh ginger on hand.
Arrowroot Starch: This is used to thicken the sauce. Cornstarch or tapioca starch may also be used.
Crockpot: If you would rather cook your beef all day, check out this Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli.
How to Make Healthy beef and Broccoli
- In a small bowl, mix the ingredients for the stir fry sauce until the sugar has fully dissolved. Set aside.
- Add oil to a skillet and heat over medium heat. Add broccoli and cover with a lid, and sauté for 5-6 minutes. Set aside the broccoli.
- Increase the heat to high and add the remaining oil and sliced beef to the skillet. Sauté for about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the sauce and reduce the heat to low/medium and simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.
- Add the broccoli and stir to combine. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately over cauliflower rice or white rice.
What to Serve with this Recipe:
There are lots of options for how to serve high protein beef and broccoli. Here are some ideas:
- Over regular rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice: Cauliflower rice is great if you’re needing a paleo beef and broccoli, watching your carbs or following a Whole30 diet.
- Over Fried Rice: We love our Instant Pot Fried Rice, Stove Top Fried Rice, or Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Over a bed of spinach or in lettuce wraps
- With Roasted Carrots
- On its own: The veggie + beef combo is so filling!
Flank steak is most commonly used in stir fries like beef and broccoli. This cut of meat is lean, quick cooking when sliced thinly, and stays tender even when cooked at high heat (as long as it is cut against the grain!). You may also see cuts like sirloin or skirt steak used, but flank steak is generally more affordable than sirloin and leaner than skirt steak.
storage
Storing: Store beef and broccoli leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 3-4 days.
Freezing: We haven’t tried freezing this beef and broccoli, but I wouldn’t recommend it. I think the sauce would separate when frozen/thawed.
other healthier Take-Out recipes:
Healthy Beef and Broccoli
Ingredients
- 1 lb flank steak thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces about 1/8-inch thick
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 6 cups broccoli florets about 2 large crowns
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds for garnish
Stir Fry Sauce
- ½ cup coconut aminos
- ¼ cup hot water
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ tablespoon grated ginger about 1-inch piece
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch or cornstarch
Optional for serving:
- 2 cups cooked rice or cauliflower rice
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients for the stir fry sauce in a small mixing bowl and stir together until the coconut sugar has fully dissolved. Set aside.
- Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the broccoli florets, cover with a lid, and sauté for 5-6 minutes, stirring several times until broccoli is tender but still crisp. Remove the broccoli from the pan and set aside.
- While the broccoli is cooking, thinly slice the flank steak into ⅛-inch slices. Cut against the grain, then cut the slices into bite sized pieces, and set aside.
- Increase the heat to high and add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the skillet. Add the sliced beef in a single layer and sauté for about 5-6 min, stirring throughout so that the meat cooks on all sides. Once the meat is fully cooked, drain any excess liquid from the pan if needed.
- Add the sauce to the skillet with the meat and reduce the heat to a low/medium. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Add the broccoli and stir to combine. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately over cauliflower rice or white rice.
Yummm
I was looking for a quick beef recipe and came across this one. Adjusted using only what was on hand – omitted the aminos, used powdered garlic, powdered ginger, brown sugar (half the suggested amount), and added 3 tablespoons water at the end to loosen up the sauce a bit; served with Jasmine rice. Entire meal was done in under 30 minutes. It was a hit with my family. Adding this to my rotation. Thank you.
Easy and delicious!!!
Fantastic and so easy to make. I added mushrooms like I do to everything.