Quick and Easy Skinny Beef and Broccoli Recipe

Get your Chinese takeout fix with this flavorful gluten free and low carb Asian beef and broccoli recipe! You’ll use less oil, less sugar and zero flour to create this easy dish.

This is my take on a simple beef with broccoli recipe that tastes just like your favorite Chinese restaurant version, but lightened up. It’s an easy beef stir fry recipe made with fresh, whole ingredients, so it delivers the same satisfying flavor with better-for-you ingredients.

Tyler could seriously eat Asian restaurant food seven days a week if I let him — he’s a man obsessed!

I love it too, but it’s not always the healthiest. Takeout can be super high in sodium, heavy in fat, and loaded with sugar. Probably why it’s so irresistible, lol! That’s why I love making Asian-inspired recipes at home with a healthier twist.

Beef and broccoli is a crowd favorite, and for good reason. Inexpensive ingredients come together simply for a filling, flavorful dish.

Not a broccoli fan? You can use this same sauce and beef combination with other vegetables — snap peas, green beans, or even cauliflower would all be delicious.

To make this recipe healthier than its takeout rival, we’re toning down the oil and sugar and removing any gluten from the sauce. You won’t miss a thing! Serve the beef and broccoli over white rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice for a super low carb meal.

Want more stir fry recipes? Try my Spicy Chicken and Cabbage Stir Fry, Red Curry Stir Fry With Ground Chicken, and Coconut Basil Beef and Broccoli.

How My Version Lightens Things Up

For the Beef

Use organic flank steak! It’s an inexpensive cut of beef that is tender and delicious when sliced against the grain and not overcooked.

For the Broccoli

I recommend two heads of broccoli as it shrinks slightly when cooked. You’ll blanch the broccoli first (boil for 10 seconds followed by an ice bath/cold rinse) then toss in sauté pan with sauce.

For the Sauce

Swap soy sauce for liquid or coconut aminos — both are gluten free and taste very similar. Use arrowroot (or gluten free flour) instead of cornstarch to thicken the sauce, and honey instead of brown sugar to sweeten.

Hope you enjoy this recipe! It’s a great one to have in your Asian food craving rotation 🙂

Ingredients

• 1 lb. organic flank steak
• 1 tbsp. avocado oil
• 2 heads broccoli chopped into florets
• ½ cup liquid or coconut aminos
• 1 tbsp. honey or agave
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tbsp. ginger paste or 1″ piece of ginger peeled + minced
• 1 tbsp. sesame oil can be toasted
• 1 tbsp. arrowroot powder or gluten free flour

for serving

• white sesame seeds, chopped green onions, steamed caulilfower rice

Instructions

• Bring a pot of water (big enough for all chopped broccoli) to a boil over high heat.
• Take your flank steak and slice it into thin strips *against the grain*. This will help to tenderize the meat! Season with pepper only.
• Stir together all ingredients for the sauce except the arrowroot: aminos, honey, garlic, ginger and sesame oil. Then slowly sprinkle in arrowroot powder and whisk to combine.
• When pot of water is boiling, add chopped broccoli and cook for 30 seconds. Then immediately pour into colander and run cold water over top to stop cooking.
• In a non-stick sauté pan, add 1 tbsp. avocado oil then when hot, add in strips of steak. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until cooked through but still slightly pink.
• Toss in drained broccoli and then add in whisked sauce. Cook for another 1-2 minutes or until beef is cooked through to your liking.
• Top beef and broccoli with sesame seeds and green onions! Serve over rice or on it’s own.

More Asian Inspired Recipes You’ll Love!

• Asian Glazed Sheet Pan Salmon
• Spicy Asian Pork Tenderloin
• Peanut Chicken and Asian Slaw Bowls
• Baked Asian Glazed Meatballs
• Teriyaki Salmon Grain Bowl
• Hibachi Style Chicken and Veggies
• Low Carb Dan Dan Noodles
• Spicy Ramen Slaw
• Red Curry Stir Fry with Ground Chicken
• Spicy Chicken and Cabbage Stir Fry
• Coconut Red Curry Chicken Meatballs
• Whole30 Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai

Serving Suggestions

Serve this simple beef with broccoli over fluffy white rice, jasmine rice, or noodles like lo mein. It’s also delicious with cauliflower rice for a lower carb option!

Storage + leftovers

Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently over medium heat in a skillet to keep the beef tender.

Savvy tips for the Best Beef and Broccoli

• Slice into thin slices against the grain for the most tender beef.
• Pat beef dry and let it come to room temperature before cooking.
• Work in small batches so the meat sears instead of steaming.
• Don’t skip the quick blanch on the broccoli — it makes for perfectly fresh broccoli that’s still crisp-tender.
• If it’s your first time making a stir fry, focus on high heat, quick cooking, and a flavorful stir fry sauce.

FAQs

I hope you love this simple beef with broccoli recipe as much as we do! It’s an easy recipe that’s healthier than takeout, quick to make, and always a family favorite. Serve it over rice, cauliflower rice, or enjoy it on its own — either way, this is one you’ll come back to again and again.

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