Healthy Beef and Broccoli Recipe

This healthy beef and broccoli recipe is better than takeout! It’s quick and easy to prepare, and combines flavorful seared steak with crisp tender broccoli. Serve alone or over rice or cauliflower rice.

When it comes to getting a healthy dinner on the table, I always go straight to beef and broccoli. It’s a quick and easy asian-inspired dish that’s better than takeout!

Making takeout dinners at home has become one of my favorite inspirations for recipes. Whether it’s Healthy Orange Chicken or Chicken Tikka Masala, I am all about making flavor-packed restaurant dishes at home with healthier ingredients.

As a mom of two, it’s hard to find dishes that the whole family will eat. This healthy beef and broccoli recipe is one that everyone will gobble up. It’s got just the right amount of seasoning, and the sauce is a little salty, savory, and sweet.

And best of all, it’s a one-pan meal! I love when I only have one skillet to clean. With prep work, the whole thing comes together in just 30 minutes. It also fits a variety of needs. Serve it over cauliflower rice for a paleo beef and broccoli recipe!

Simple Ingredients

There are just a few simple ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe. The ingredients are fresh, healthy, and super flavorful. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Beef – For tender steak, use sirloin, skirt, or flank steak.
• Cooking oil – I like avocado oil because it’s neutral and has a high smoke point.
• Broccoli florets – Chop these into equal-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
• Water – Make sure to use filtered water.
• Sea salt – I like to use an unprocessed sea salt like Real Salt.
• Black pepper – I like to use freshly ground black pepper for the best flavor.
• Green onions – This adds a bit of texture and flavor. Use just the greens for this recipe.
• Sesame seeds – This is an optional garnish! You can often find these in the spice section.
• Rice or cauliflower rice – Optional, for serving.

• Coconut aminos – This is a savory seasoning sauce made from the fermented sap of coconut palm trees. It’s a great healthy alternative to soy sauce.
• Toasted sesame oil – Make sure to use pure toasted sesame oil without any added ingredients.
• Red Boat fish sauce – Balances out the sweet flavors and adds a bit of salty seasoning.
• Garlic – Adds a lightly sweet and nutty flavor to the sauce.
• Fresh ginger – Adds a wonderful warm, sweet and peppery flavor.
• Arrowroot flour – Helps to thicken the sauce. You can use cornstarch in its place.
• Red pepper flakes – Great for adding a nice kick of heat.

How to Make Healthy Beef and Broccoli

It’s so easy to make a healthy meal with this recipe! Just prep your beef, cook the broccoli and steak, and toss it in the sauce! Here’s how to make it:

1. Prep: Thinly slice the beef into bite-sized strips, about ¼ inch thick (see tip).
2. Cook the Broccoli: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the broccoli florets, 1/4 cup water, and a pinch of sea salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the broccoli is bright green and slightly tender. Remove from the pan and set aside. 
3. Make the Sauce: While the broccoli is cooking, whisk together all of the ingredients for the sauce. Set aside.
4. Brown the Beef: Increase the heat to medium-high and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet. Season the steak with the salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, add the steak slices to the pan in a single layer and cook until browned, about 2 minutes each side. Cook the beef in two batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Add more oil when doing a second batch.
5. Combine: Once the steak is cooked, add all of the steak pieces back to the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Pour the sauce into the pan, stir, and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Once the sauce has thickened, add the broccoli and green onion to the pan and toss to combine. Cook for another minute.
6. Serve: Serve with a sprinkle of sesame seeds over rice or cauliflower rice.

What Kind of Beef is Used for Stir-Fry?

Most tender cuts of beef, including flank, skirt, and sirloin, are best for stir fry recipes. When stir frying steak, thinly slice the steak against the grain into strips that are about 1/4 inch thick. If you have a steak that’s on the larger side, you can cut the strips at an angle, or cut longer strips and then cut them in half. Ideally, you want the strips of beef for stir fry to be about 3 inches in length.

Is Beef and Broccoli Healthy?

If you’re looking for a quick and simply healthy meal, beef and broccoli is a great option! It’s a healthy dinner because it contains a good dose of protein and is packed with green vegetables. The savory stir-fry sauce is low in sodium and contains fresh ingredients. One serving has 28 grams of protein and only 2.2 grams of sugar.

Searing Tips

For the perfect golden color, make sure your pan is hot before adding the beef. When you place the beef in, you should hear a sizzling sound. Sear the beef in one layer without disturbing it for about 2 minutes, and then flip to the other side. Stay close—you want the golden color to appear, and then get it out of the pan.

I highly recommend cooking the beef in two batches. This will cut down on cooking time, and allow the beef to get a nice sear without overcooking it. From my experience, this is best done in a stainless steel pan. While I typically use ceramic cookware, I have a large 12-inch stainless steel skillet for searing dishes just like this one!

Storage, Freezing, & Reheating

TO STORE: Store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight storage container for up to 5 days.

TO FREEZE: To freeze, let the mixture come to room temperature, then place it in an airtight storage container or freezer safe zip-top storage bag. It will keep in the freezer up to three months. Let it defrost in the refrigerator before reheating.

TO REHEAT: For the best texture, I recommend reheating in the skillet with a little oil over medium heat until warm. You can also reheat it in the microwave in 15-20 second intervals until warm.

Paleo Beef and Broccoli

Looking for a low carb or paleo beef and broccoli recipe? This is it! Because the ingredients are simple, both the stir fry and sauce are paleo friendly. If you have a different fish sauce other than Red Boat fish sauce, check the ingredients to make sure there are no sugars or other additives. When serving, skip the rice and serve it alone or over cauliflower rice. Here’s a great video tutorial for how to make cauliflower rice.

Can I Make Substitutions?

Sure can! However, this is where I make that special note that you won’t get the same consistent results if you vary from the original recipe. But, if you find yourself short, here’s a few swaps you can make:

• Coconut aminos: Coconut aminos is a delicious alternative to soy sauce that is gluten free and soy free. It’s made from the sap of the coconut palm. You can swap this for soy sauce, however, soy sauce has about 60-70% more sodium than coconut aminos. Because of this, you’ll need to use only 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and 3 tablespoons water in place of the coconut aminos. For other alternatives to coconut aminos, check out these coconut aminos substitutes.
• Toasted sesame oil: Use olive oil instead.
• Arrowroot flour: You can swap this for tapioca flour or cornstarch.
• Garlic: Swap out the fresh garlic for 1/4 tsp garlic powder.

Cooking Tips + Tricks

• Skirt steak, flank and sirloin work best in when cooking beef in the skillet.
• To make it easier to cut the steak thinly, freeze the thawed steak for 30 minutes prior to cutting the slices.
• The strips of steak should be about three inches in length.
• I highly recommend using avocado oil for this recipe as has a high smoke point.
• Make sure to use coconut aminos for the sauce, not liquid aminos.
• For the perfect golden color, make sure your pan is hot before adding the beef. Sear the beef in one layer without disturbing for about 2 minutes, then flip to the other side.
• When searing the beef, don’t overcrowd the pan. Even with a larger 12-inch skillet, you’ll get better results working in two batches.
• Swap out the fresh garlic for 1/4 tsp garlic powder.
• Don’t pack in the freshly grated ginger when making your measurement. It will compact down and release water and you’ll end up overdoing it.

Other Recipes You’ll Love

• Healthy Baked Orange Chicken
• Homemade Healthy Sloppy Joes
• 15-Minute Egg Roll in A Bowl
• Healthy Chicken Tikka Masala
• Healthy Zuppa Toscana

What did you think about this healthy beef and broccoli recipe? Let me know in the comments below!