It’s no surprise this Healthy Beef and Broccoli recipe is a family fave, since it’s easy to make, absolutely delicious, and ready in just 15 minutes! This Beef and Broccoli is great for meal prep, is clean-eating, paleo, and keto-friendly, and is easily altered for GF diets.
This Healthy Beef And Broccoli recipe is one of our favorite family meals. And, when I say favorite meals, I mean we probably have it at least every other week. Ooh, and it makes a yummy meal prep lunch, too!
Not only is this delicious, it's also super fast to prepare and healthy, too.
If you liked Beef and Broccoli, then check out my Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe! The rich, slow-cooked flavors make it a great addition to your recipe collection.
While we often have this beef and broccoli just by itself, it's really yummy with some simple steamed brown rice. Serving it with rice is also a great way to make this recipe go further for more servings (hello, budget meal prep!).
If you liked Beef and Broccoli, then check out my Healthy Homemade Chili recipe! The rich, slow-cooked flavors make it a great addition to your recipe collection.
If you enjoyed this Beef and Broccoli recipe, then you'll also enjoy Sheet Pan Beef Kebabs, Healthy General Tso Chicken | Better Than Takeout!, and Healthy Meatloaf | With A Tasty Glaze.
If you’re a fan of my Beef and Broccoli, then my Healthy Broccoli Cheddar Soup is a must-try for a cozy, nutritious twist on a classic favorite!
In This Post You'll Find:
Reasons You'll Love It
- Great meal in 15 minutes.
- Another great meal prep idea.
- A healthy take on a favorite takeout.
- Fits many different diet preferences.
Watch Me Make Healthy Beef And Broccoli
Is Beef and Broccoli Healthy?
Unfortunately, restaurant-style beef and broccoli tneds to be
- very high in sodium
- contain added sugars
- fried in unhealthy oils
So, instead, let's make a healthier version of Beef and Broccoli:
- cook the ingredients in olive oil instead of deep-frying anything (less trans fats)
- use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar (less refined sugar)
- used low sodium soy sauce instead of regular soy sauce (less sodium)
- serve with steamed brown rice, not fried rice (but if you want fried rice that's actually healthy, you could check out this healthy cauliflower fried rice recipe)
For more healthy takeout options, check out my post on 3 Healthier Takeout Options to Make at Home!
How To Make Beef And Broccoli
Step 1: Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until well-browned, about 6-8 minutes. Once well-browned, remove from pan and set aside.
Step 2: In the same pan, add garlic, shallot and green onions to the beef drippings. Cook one minute, stirring frequently. Add broccoli and cover for 5 minutes.
Step 3: In a small mixing bowl, combine water and arrowroot starch and mix until no longer lumpy. Combine soy sauce, coconut sugar, ginger and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Add arrowroot starch mixture and stir to combine. Set aside.
Step 4: Remove cover from pan and add sauce. Cook until sauce starts to thicken, about 3-5 minutes. Add beef and stir to combine, cooking an additional 2-3 minutes.
Step 5: Serve over brown rice, if desired.
How To Make Beef Tender (Not Chewy)
I use flank steak because it is very flavorful and full of nutrients without too much fat. Because flank steak can be tough when overcooked, I really pay attention to when the meat is fully cooked through, and then I slice it very thinly across the grain. With any steak you choose for this recipe, however, you'll want to slice it ACROSS the grain.
Why do we do this? Slicing across the grain makes the beef more tender and not chewy. It means you're not eating the entirety of a muscle fiber but instead a bunch of cross-sections. This is the difference between very chewy meat and very tender meat.
Pro Tip: If you pop it in the freezer for 20-ish minutes and allow it to just start to freeze, you will more easily be able to slice the beef into thin slices. This is a technique I use with my Keto Philly Cheesesteak Peppers, too.
How To Store
This beef and broccoli stores very well in the fridge or freezer, making it a great make-ahead meal for meal prep. If properly stored in an air-tight container (like these meal prep containers), leftover beef with broccoli will last 5-6 days in the refrigerator.
You can also freeze your beef and broccoli to store it for longer. To freeze it, store it in airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags (I like these reusable storage bags). You can store beef with broccoli for up to 4-5 months in the freezer.
When ready to enjoy, allow to thaw overnight in the fridge, and then reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, or until heated through. You can also reheat thawed beef and broccoli on the stove in a fry pan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
Substitution Ideas
The good news is it's very easy to swap out ingredients for this recipe to suit your diet. As written, this recipe complies with clean-eating, paleo, Whole 30, and keto. Here are some common substitutions to help you out for other healthy lifestyles.
- Vegan or Vegetarian Substitutions: Replace steak with tofu or mushrooms.
- Gluten-Free Substitutions: Replace low-sodium soy sauce with liquid aminos or GF soy sauce.
- Red Meat Substitutions: Replace steak with chicken, shrimp, tofu, or mushrooms.
Did I miss a substitution you need? Add a comment below and let me know!
Beef Meal Prep Ideas
- Sheet Pan Beef Kebabs
- Keto Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers | Keto Meal Prep
- Easy Meal Prep Salisbury Steak Recipe
- How to Marinate Tri Tip
- 7 Best Steak Marinades
- 7-Day Meal Prep For Weight Loss
15-Minute Healthy Beef and Broccoli
Equipment
- Skillet
- mixing bowl
*This post may contain affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 1 ½ lbs flank steak, very thinly sliced across the grain
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- 4 cups broccoli florets, about 2 small crowns
- 2 tablespoon arrowroot starch
- ¾ cup water
- ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until well-browned, about 6-8 minutes. Once well-browned, remove from pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, add garlic, shallot and green onions to the beef drippings. Cook one minute, stirring frequently. Add broccoli and cover for 5 minutes.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine water and arrowroot starch and mix until no longer lumpy. Combine soy sauce, coconut sugar, ginger and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Add arrowroot starch mixture and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Remove cover from pan and add sauce. Cook until sauce starts to thicken, about 3-5 minutes. Add beef and stir to combine, cooking an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Serve over brown rice, if desired.
Kinsee
My family loved this dish, would definitely recommend. Thanks for the tips for tender meat!
Lacey Baier
So glad you found the tips helpful 🙂
Brandi Burrows
Made it with Flank Steak and then another time with Chicken! Kids ask for it all the time!! Delicious!
Lacey Baier
Woohoo! That's awesome.
Carolyn
Great recipe! Thank you! My husband hates broccoli so I used broccoli rabe instead. I also added a squeeze of fresh lemon before serving.
Lacey Baier
I love the changes - I am glad you enjoyed with alterations.
Katie
Wow! Just made this tonight for my family and everyone loved it...even my extremely picky eater. It’s super easy to adjust with what you have on hand...left out the green onions and used top sirloin. I bet it would also be amazing with chicken breast pieces. This will definitely be one of my go to weeknight recipes. Thank you so much!
Lacey Baier
That's so cool! Love converting a picky eater with healthy food 🙂
Emily
This recipe is delicious!! I also added mushrooms to amp up the veggies and served it over wild rice. I will definitely make this easy and yummy recipe again! Thank you!!
Lacey Baier
LOVE hearing that, Emily!! 🙂
Liesa Nichols
Looking around our dinner table tonight and seeing 4 totally empty bowls says it all - this recipe is a keeper and expands my stir-fry repertoire. Thank you! Highly recommend!
Lacey Baier
Yes! That's my fave 🙂 xoxo
Jonathan
I made this and it was super easy to make and super delicious.
Lacey Baier
Wooot! Thanks for letting us know 🙂
Jennifer
The dish was very good. I did add a quarter of a jalapeñ0 (no seeds), as we like a little more spice in our dishes. Next time I make it, I plan to add a little sesame oil when frying the meat. I will also salt & pepper the meat right before frying. I also plan to add some celery and mushrooms to get some more veggies in there. I used gluten-free, low sodium soy sauce. Lastly, I think I will toast some sesame seeds ahead of time to add before serving. Just my thoughts. But great dish overall. We enjoyed it.
Lacey Baier
Thanks for the suggestions, Jennifer!!
Roxanne Castillo
Ive made this at least 5 times. LOVE IT!! 10/10 highly recommend! Easy, quick and healthy- everything I wanted from a recipe!
Lacey Baier
Thanks so much for the great review, Roxanne!
Phillip Adams
I tried this last week. It was amazing! It tasted better than what you get at a restaurant and is very healthy. Thanks for posting this receipe!!
Donna Moss
This dish is so delicious
Aaron
2 options, reduce the heat a bit or add a tbsp or so of water before you cover. It'll add moisture and prevent it from burning, second option is what I do.
Julia
Hi, silly question here- how do I keep the aromatics from burning when I add the broccoli to the pan and put the lid on? After four minutes there was a burnt mess on the bottom of my pan. While the recipe still tasted good, it had a burnt, bitter undertone from the overdone garlic and shallots. Thanks!
Kid Chef
This was amazing! And, I used Braggs Liquid and it was still delicious. I made it for my family, and they all loved it too! Thank you, I’ll definitely be making this again!
Melissa
I had some leftover steak bites, so I decided to try making this dish. I used fresh broccoli and some leftover roasted green beans. Even though I used some leftovers...it was delicious! The sauce is AMAZING!!! This one will definitely go in my recipe box. Thanks so much for sharing!