This is Better than take-out! healthy beef and broccoli stir fry with Juicy flank steak paired with fresh broccoli florets and tossed in a thick, and flavorful stir fry sauce. This recipe is not only delicious but is also whole30 friendly, paleo, gluten-free, and soy-free too.
Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry is one of my favorite comfort foods growing up. My dad has the best stir fry recipe!
Since I have been craving Asian food a lot lately, I had to recreate this beef stir fry and give it a healthy twist of my own.
Some other flavorful and healthy Asian recipes you may also love:
What’s your favorite when it comes to Chinese take-out food?
I love to eat stir fry because it’s a great way to incorporate a lot of vegetables in a tasty way, but the take-out versions are loaded with salt, fat, and refined carbs.
This healthy version of beef and broccoli stir fry is just as tasty as take-out (almost as good as my dad’s authentic version).
Even better? It is whole30, paleo, gluten-free, soy-free and easy to make too!
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Why Do I Love This Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry?
I have gotten asked a lot about what I’ve been craving during my pregnancy so far.
There have been a lot of cravings and aversions but one thing that I have been loving throughout pregnancy is Asian cuisine, my ultimate comfort food.
This healthy beef and broccoli stir fry is perfect during the cold weather months (or all year round really).
Moreover, it makes a balanced meal with both protein and vegetables that the whole family can enjoy.
Additionally, it’s easily customizable, so you can add any vegetables that you like and change them up so that you have a variety of options.
This stir fry can also be frozen, so this is a perfect meal prep recipe where you can make a large amount ahead of time and pull it from the freezer as you need it.
What’s better than healthy, tasty, easy comfort food?!
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Ingredients Needed to Make Healthy Broccoli Stir Fry
Flank steak- a flavorful piece of meat, very lean. Best when marinated.
Arrowroot flour- used for thickening the sauce; helps the sauce to stick to the beef and broccoli. Used in place of corn starch to make this recipe whole30 friendly.
Broccoli- full of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Carrots- loaded with vitamins including vitamin A, K, and C, along with potassium and fiber.
Garlic- great for immune support, reducing blood pressure, lowering the risk of heart disease, and is a good source of antioxidants.
Cooking oil- oils like olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil work best.
Coconut aminos- used in place of soy sauce for a whole30 friendly option.
Rice vinegar- great for using in marinades.
Garnish- sesame seeds and green onion.
*Optional: Whisky – It is the closest I can find in the US to replace “Huang Jiu” (Yellow Rice wine), one is my dad’s secret weapon in his Chinese cooking.
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How to Make Healthy Beef and Broccoli stir fry
First, marinate the steak with coconut aminos, salt, and pepper.
While the steak is marinating, sauté broccoli in a pan with cooking oil and remove when cooked thoroughly.
In the meantime, in a small dish whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce. (We are really multi-tasking here)
Next, sear the beef and garlic. Be mindful to not overcook the beef; if thinly sliced it will cook quickly.
After allowing the beef and garlic to cook for a couple of minutes, add the carrots to the pan.
Once carrots have cooked, add the broccoli back to the pan.
Lastly, add the sauce and stir until the sauce thickens and coats all ingredients evenly.
Tips on Making the Best Healthy Beef Stir Fry
1. What Kind of Steak Can I Use For Stir Fry?
While flank steak is my favorite beef to use and also seems to be one of the most popular choices, skirt steak, sirloin steak, and rump steak can work for stir fry as well.
Skirt steak- similar to flank steak, it just comes from a different area on the animal. Best when marinated.
Sirloin steak- also works best when marinated. Sirloin tips or center cuts are best.
Rump steak- lean, flavorful tender cut; cooks best when thinly sliced.
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2. What Other Vegetables Can I Use For Beef Stir Fry?
For variety, try adding different types of vegetables to your stir fry.
Some vegetables that I find work well with this recipe are:
- Broccolini
- Mushrooms
- Water Chestnuts
- Boy Choy
- Snow Peas
- Green Beans
- Red Peppers
The possibilities are endless!
Additional Tips for Perfect Stir Fry
- Slice beef very thin; place in freezer for ~10 minutes for easier cutting.
2. Prepare all of your ingredients before turning on the heat.
3. Add ingredients based on cooking time- vegetables that take longer to cook should go into the pan first.
4. Stir often to make sure all the ingredients are cooked evenly and stir fry sauce is coated thoroughly.
5. * Optional: I love adding 1 – 2 tbsp of whisky when marinating the beef. My dad always says meat needs alcohol to bring out the flavor. Additionally, the alcohol content significantly reduces underheat and ends up with a subtle sweet flavor.
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How to Serve Beef Stir Fry with Broccoli
Serve your delicious beef and broccoli stir fry over your favorite rice or cauliflower rice if you want to keep it low carb and whole30 friendly!
You could also add an extra serving of vegetable stir fry if you need to get more veggies in for the day.
How to Store Healthy Beef and Broccoli
You can store your beef and broccoli in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop for best results.
Guess what!? You can freeze it too!
This healthy stir fry will last up to 1 month in the freezer, so go ahead and get your meal prep on. To serve, leave it on the kitchen counter to thaw for a few hours then reheat in a microwave or stovetop.
What’s your favorite thing to add to stir fry? Leave a comment below!
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR CREATIONS! YOU CAN USE “TRIED IT” ON PINTEREST OR SHARE ON INSTAGRAM BY TAGGING #SHUANGYSEATS
You May also love these easy Whole30 Meal Recipes:
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1. Chicken Pad Thai (Whole30)
2. Healthy Bolognese Sauce (Whole30, Keto)
3. Crispy Teriyaki Glazed Salmon {Whole30}
4. One-Pan Pineapple Chicken Teriyaki (Whole30)
Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry (Whole30)
Ingredients
Beef Stir Fry
- 1.2 – 1.5 lb Beef Flank Steak
- 1/4 cup cooking oil divided for stir-frying
- 1/2 head of broccoli
- 1 carrot cut into slices
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 2 -3 tbsp coconut aminos beef marinate
- salt or to taste – beef marinate*
- 1 tbsp arrowroot flour beef marinate
Stir Fry Sauce
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- 1/4 cup water or beef stock **
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 heaping tbsp arrowroot flour
- 2 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
- Cut the flank beef steak into medium/thin strips, marinate with coconut aminos, salt, and arrowroot flour. (Marinate while doing next steps- or for 20 minutes prior)
- While the beef is marinating, clean then chop broccoli into small florets, lightly sauté with 1 – 2 tbsp of cooking oil for 3 – 4 minutes (while they still appear to be bright green).
- In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the stir fry sauce. Set aside.
- Heat 2 – 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sautee the marinated beef and minced garlic for 3- 4 minutes then add sliced carrots. Continue to stir and cook until the beef is close to cooked through (another ~2 – 3 minutes depending on how thin you cut the beef).
- Stir in broccoli then the stir fry sauce.
- Turn the heat to low and stir gently until the sauce becomes sticky and thoroughly coat the beef and broccoli stir fry.
- Serve the beef stir fry on a bed of rice and garnish with sesame seeds or chopped green onion (optional).
Notes
- * When salting the chicken, take into consideration that the coconut aminos is salty itself.
- ** Use a little less water or stock if you are working with less beef . 1/4 cup is for 1.5 lb of beef for this stir fry.
- *** Check out my ONE secret ingredient under "Tip for the Best Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry".
- For a more flavorful dish- you can marinate and let sit in the fridge the morning of the day you will cook this dish
Recommended Products
Nutrition
The Nutrition Facts above are specific to the ingredients I chose to use for this recipe, which may vary.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This does not result in any extra cost for you, but it does mean that I make a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Looks delicious! Should try this once if you are non-vegeterian. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Rahul,
Thank you for the kind comment- this is one of our favorite dishes!
-Constance
You’re most welcome, Constance! 🙂
Why do the notes say chicken? Lol
Hi there, thank you for catching that! We have updated that accordingly 🙂
Best,
Constance
How long can I marinate steak for?
Hi Kimberly,
You could either marinate overnight in the fridge- or for this specific recipe, I just marinate the beef while I prep everything else to cook. Once you are done prepping you can begin the remaining steps until you are ready to cook the beef 🙂
Hope this helps!
-Constance
Hi! I just made this for the first for my family. It was a big hit!! Thank you!!!
Hi Carrie, That makes us so happy to hear! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
– Emmelie
Really enjoyed making this recipe. It was orderly and so easy. I was really pleased how quickly it all come together while being so tasty and filling. Great recipe! Thank you!
Wow this was delicious. Tasted like the real thing! Even my husband loved it who is will flinch at even the sight of a vegetable. It is now a staple in our house. Love it!
A favorite in my house lately! So so good and so simple!
So so good and easy. Coconut aminos are 1000 times better than soy sauce. Never going back.
This was so yummy !! We’re newly gluten free and I’ve been having a hard time finding things that actually taste good but this was awesome!! Even my picky two year old ate it he loved the cauliflower rice and broccoli ” in sauce ”
Thanks so much! We look forward to trying more of your recipes
Hi Ashleigh,
I am so glad your family loved it. It is one of my family’s favorite as well 🙂
Shuang