Better Than Take-Out Beef With Broccoli Recipe

beef recipes Sep 16, 2022

Chinese food was probably one of my favorite foods growing up. I’ve always been a sucker for beef and broccoli, so I had to make a lower-calorie, healthier version. This beef and broccoli dish is paired with a thick, flavorful sauce that will kick your craving for Chinese take-out. Serve it over white rice, cauliflower rice or low-carb noodles to absorb all that tasty sauce.

Beef and Broccoli Recipe

Makes 4 Servings

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Nutrition Per Serving (not including rice): 355 calories, 38 protein, 26 carbs, 11 fat

Ingredients

For the sauce:

1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup soy sauce (or coconut aminos, liquid aminos or tamari)
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar (or brown sugar substitute)
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 tablespoons arrowroot powder (or corn starch)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger (or ½ teaspoon ground ginger)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

For the beef and broccoli:

2-3 cups broccoli florets
1 pound beef sirloin or flank steak, sliced thinly across the grain
1-2 tablespoons ghee or other high-heat cooking oil (THIS is the best ghee out there and is SO flavorful)
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
Slice your beef and place it in a medium bowl. Pour 1/4 of the sauce over the beef and make sure it's evenly coated. Set aside.
Set up your pan or pot to steam the broccoli florets. I LOVE my Always Pan because I can make this entire dish in one pan with minimal cleanup!
Steam the broccoli florets for 4-5 minutes, just enough to cook them slightly but not all the way through (or you'll end up with mushy broccoli in the end and nobody wants that). Transfer the broccoli to a bowl with ice and cold water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.
In a large pan, melt 1 teaspoon of the ghee over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 of the beef and let brown for 1 minute. Flip the meat and cook for another 1 minute and then transfer to a bowl. Repeat this step two more times for the remaining beef, using 1 teaspoon of ghee for each batch you cook.

*Tip: In between batches, deglaze the pan with a tablespoon of the sauce and pour it into the bowl with the cooked meat before cooking the next batch (this will prevent the pan from burning in between batches).

*Also, don't overcook the beef in this step because it will continue to cook through once you add it back to the pan in the upcoming step.
Once all of the beef is cooked and set aside in the bowl, add 1 more teaspoon of ghee to the pan and toss in the onions. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Turn the heat to medium-low and pour the remaining sauce into the pan with the onions. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to incorporate all the tasty bits into the sauce. Let the sauce simmer for 3-5 minutes to thicken.
Add the semi-cooked broccoli florets to the pan and stir to incorporate. Let simmer for another 3-5 minutes, then add the meat back into the pan, stir to incorporate, and simmer for another few minutes until the meat is cooked through.
Serve over white rice, cauliflower rice, noodles, or low-carb noodles to absorb all that tasty sauce. I like to do a combo of white and cauliflower rice to cut down on the calories/carbs a bit while still getting all the mouthfeel of regular rice!
Top with sesame seeds if desired and enjoy!

Nutrition Per Serving (not including rice or noodles): Calories: 355; Protein: 38g; Total Carbs: 26g; Fat: 11g

Check out my Amazon Store for ingredients.

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