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This has always been one of my favourite things to order when we go out for Chinese food or order takeout. I love the salty, thinly sliced, tender strips of beef with the slightly crunchy, crisp taste of broccoli to balance it out. Such a winner. This was definitely a dish I wanted to master at home. I can only guess that the restaurant varieties are packed with excess sodium, oil, sugar, and MSG… not to mention the price of takeout! I’m happy to report that I’ve discovered the BEST method to making restaurant style Beef and Broccoli at home, and it all happens to be gluten, dairy, and refined sugar free!!! Takeout on a budget, without the stomachache :)!

The key step was something I learned from Sprinkle and Sprouts’ Beef and Broccoli recipe – letting the thinly sliced beef sit in baking soda for 15 minutes. This makes for the most tender steak, just like the texture you would get at a restaurant, even when using a less expensive cut of steak like flank, skirt, or sirloin! Just make sure to rinse the beef well after because the baking soda does NOT taste nice. Once I pat dry the rinsed steak strips, I coat them with some cornstarch (you could also use arrowroot powder), salt and pepper, which helps form a nice crispy exterior to the steak strips and will help thicken the sauce. I wanted to make a sauce without the extra sodium and refined sugar found in the pre-made sauces like oyster and hoisin sauce, and I’m thrilled to say I found the perfect combination that includes good for you ingredients like beef broth, coconut aminos, garlic, ginger, and coconut sugar for a touch of sweetness.

Don’t let the prep intimidate you. I find slicing up the beef goes nice and quickly if I use slightly frozen steaks (perfect for a procrastinator like me who always forgets to take the meat from the freezer out early enough in the day, haha!). The firmness makes is nice and easy to get evenly thin strips of beef. I buy the big bags of broccoli florets from Costco, so all I need to do is cut up any big pieces and the broccoli is ready to go. The sauce ingredients are simply shaken up in a jar, and the whole things cooks up in minutes! Piece of cake, you’ve got this!

I love serving this with jasmine rice, which I can throw in the Instant Pot on the rice cycle and forget about – such a game changer! For a super quick option, rice vermicelli noodles also work well, you just pour boiling water overtop, let them sit for a few minutes and they are ready to go! If you’re looking for low carb ideas, cauliflower rice, or even quickly sautéed cabbage or coleslaw mix with some coconut aminos would be the perfect bed to serve this Beef and Broccoli on. Let me know in the comments below how you served it and what you thought of it! One thing is for sure, this is going to be a hit no matter to whom and with what you serve it with :)!

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5 from 3 votes

Beef and Broccoli

This is the best beef and broccoli recipe – the secret is letting the beef sit in baking soda to tenderize it. It takes a bit of prep to chop the meat and veggies, but cooks up in minutes! This meal is also gluten, dairy, and refined sugar free. Better than takeout 100%!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Keyword beef and broccoli, broccoli, cheesesteak, Dairy free, gluten free, refined sugar free, stir fry, takeout

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Servings 6 people

Author Garnish at Home, Adapted from Sprinkles and Sprouts

Ingredients

Beef and Broccoli:

• 1 1/2 lbs flank, skirt, or sirloin steak
• 1 1/2 tbsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp peanut, avocado, or vegetable oil any high heat oil
• 1 1/2 lbs broccoli, chopped into bite size florets, stalks peeled and chopped if using

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup beef broth or water
• 1/3 cup coconut aminos or liquid aminos or soy sauce
• 2 tbsp fish sauce or sub more coconut aminos/soy sauce
• 2 tbsp coconut sugar or 1 1/2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried ginger or thumb size knob fresh ginger, grated
• 1/4 tsp Sriracha or pinch of red chili flakes

For serving:

• 2 cups jasmine rice or rice noodles, cauliflower rice, or sautéed cabbage
• 2 green onions, chopped optional garnish
• 1 tbsp chia seeds or toasted sesame seeds optional garnish
• pinch red chili flakes optional garnish for extra heat, if desired

Instructions

• Trim the fat and slice the steak as thinly as possible against the grain (it helps to use partially frozen steaks for quick and easy slicing). Add to a non-metal bowl (use glass, ceramic, or plastic) along with the baking soda and toss to combine. Let sit for at least 15 minutes (or up to 30).
  
• Put on a pot of rice if desired. I cook jasmine rice in my Instant Pot with a 1:1/12 ratio of rice:water and run the rice cycle with a quick pressure release when timer is up. Turns out perfect every time!
• Meanwhile, chop the broccoli and prepare the sauce by adding all sauce ingredients to a jar and shaking to combine (or whisk in a bowl). Set aside.
  
• After 15 minutes, rinse the beef well under cold water in a colander to get rid of all the baking soda (it will not taste good if you leave it on!).
• Pat the meat dry with paper towel and then toss with 1 tbsp cornstarch and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper.
• Heat a large skillet or wok with the oil until very hot.
• Stir fry the beef in batches, adding only enough to make a single layer in your frying pan (otherwise the beef will boil instead of sear). Let the strips sear nicely on one side, then toss to sear the other side until both sides are seared, a minute or two per side. Remove to a plate (do not overcook). If too much liquid is building up in the pan from the meat, drain it off quickly in the sink and return to the heat so it can sear properly. Repeat until all beef is seared.
  
• Add broccoli to the hot pan and stir fry for a minute or two until it turns vibrant dark green in colour. Add a splash of water to slow down the cooking if the pan is too hot/dry.
  
• Add the sauce to the broccoli and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or spatula. Bring to a boil and lower heat to simmer until broccoli is just cooked and sauce is slightly thickened, a minute or two.
  
• Add the beef to the broccoli and sauce and toss to combine. Turn off heat.
  
• Serve immediately over a bed of rice or rice noodles (sautéed cabbage or cauliflower rice would be good low carb options!). Garnish with chopped scallions, chia or toasted sesame seeds, and red chili flakes for heat if desired.
  

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This post includes affiliate links, meaning I made a small commission at no extra cost to you, should you decide to click through the links and purchase anything. These are my honest opinions and I would never recommend anything to you I didn’t absolutely love and use on a regular basis. Hope you find these lists helpful!

Lodge 12-inch Cast Iron Pan – My everyday go to, most used pan. I keep it on the stovetop because I use it so often there is no point in putting it away. I keep it nicely oiled and it is better than any non-stick pan I’ve ever had. It gives the best sear and I am happy knowing there are no weird chemicals or coating potentially going into our family’s food. The size is perfect for our large family. This is probably my number one staple piece of equipment in the kitchen.

Coconut Aminos – This is an excellent healthy substitute for soy sauce. It is gluten free, soy free, much lower in sodium than soy sauce, and packed with amino acids and active enzymes. And it tastes delicious, very similar to soy sauce.

Yupik Coconut Sugar – Coconut sugar is my go to dry sweetener. It has about half as high of an impact on the Glycemic Index (how much it spikes your blood sugar) compared with table sugar, and contains many beneficial nutrients derived from the coconut palm. I don’t notice any sacrifice in taste or texture when I use coconut sugar in my baking. This brand is a great price and they have excellent customer service. One time I received a bag that had ripped open in the box and spilled everywhere and they sent a new one out right away, no questions asked.

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