Weeknight meals just became exhilarating with this Beef and Broccoli recipe with coconut lime rice! Easy to prepare, positively packed with flavor, and ready in 30 minutes!
If you’re like me and you’re wild about takeout, and you are also careful about how you source ingredients, this amazing weeknight meal is for you!
Tender meat and al dente broccoli are swaddled in a sweet and savory sticky sauce and served over rice for a delicious complete meal that you may just want to put on repeat!
A cleaner version of classic Beef and Broccoli, this healthy recipe uses a couple of ingredient swaps for a unique twist.
The whole recipe can be made in 30 minutes if you multitask preparing the beef broccoli stir-fry and rice! Toss it together at a moment’s notice for a delicious dinner that comes together in a jiffy!
I love this easy beef and broccoli recipe with Coconut Lime Rice for an extra flavorful meal, but any kind of rice works. Make the rice up to 4 days ahead of time to break the recipe into parts!
In this easy recipe, the stir fry sauce can also double as a marinade for meat in any future application.
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for this easy broccoli beef recipe! The great news is you can find them at any grocery store.
Beef and Broccoli Ingredients:
Steak: We have options when it comes to the cut of beef. In my opinion, the best beef to use for beef and broccoli stir fry is NY strip steak, ribeye steak, top sirloin steak, beef stew meat, or filet mignon.
I typically go with New York strip steak or boneless ribeye because I enjoy the fat marbling and texture.
I don’t recommend using tougher cuts of beef like flank steak or skirt steak unless you are able to marinate it for hours in advance.
Fresh Broccoli: We need one large crown of broccoli or two small crowns of broccoli to pair with our sweet and savory steak.
Avocado Oil: We need a quality high-temperature cooking oil to stir fry the beef. I like using avocado oil because it has a high smoke point. Olive oil or peanut oil works too, but I typically steer clear of vegetable oil due to its omega 3 content.
Green Onions: Chop up one bunch of green onions and stir them into the meal once it has finished cooking.
Rice for Serving: Make my Coconut Lime Rice recipe, Cilantro Lime Rice, or steam up regular white rice or brown rice. Go with cauliflower rice for a low-carb option.
Stir Fry Sauce Ingredients:
Coconut Aminos (or soy sauce): Bringing umami flavor and sweetness, coconut aminos is an all star ingredient to provide both richness and natural sweetness.
Most grocery stores carry coconut aminos in the same aisle as the soy sauce.
Chicken Broth: We need more liquid for the sauce, but adding more coconut aminos (or soy sauce) can overwhelm the flavor. Therefore, we add chicken stock or beef broth to provide the needed moisture and some added flavor.
Toasted Sesame Oil: Sesame oil has an unmistakable flavor that is common in stir fry recipes. It is used as both flavor and the fat portion of the marinade.
Rice Vinegar: Adding a sour element to the sweet and savoy sauce, we need rice vinegar (or lime juice) for some tang.
Fresh Garlic Cloves and Fresh Ginger: Garlic and ginger provide a robust flavor profile! If you aren’t into ginger, skip it, but I think it adds something special to the meal.
Sriracha: Red chili paste such as sriracha adds a little spice to the meal. Don’t worry, this recipe isn’t spicy, although if you prefer mild food you can omit this ingredient.
Tapioca Flour (or cornstarch): A thickener for the sauce! Without a thickener, the sauce doesn’t stick to the meat and broccoli. I like using tapioca flour because it is naturally gluten-free and low-inflammatory.
Aside from the fact that the broccoli beef sauce is made with basic ingredients, it can also be used in so many applications! Add it to any stir fry to level up your experience, or use it as a marinade for any cut of beef.
Looking for ways you can customize this healthy dinner recipe? Here are some options.
Recipe Customizations:
- Swap out the coconut aminos for 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup or brown sugar.
- Rather than using tapioca flour, you can use corn starch, all-purpose flour, gluten-free all-purpose flour, or arrowroot flour.
- Add more vegetables like onion, bok choy, bell peppers, carrots, or zucchini.
- Substitute pork or chicken for steak.
- Marinate the meat ahead of time using all of the stir fry sauce.
- If you have oyster sauce or fish sauce on hand, you can one tablespoon of oyster sauce and/or 1 to 2 teaspoons of fish sauce.
How to Make Beef and Broccoli:
In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the ingredients for the stir fry sauce. You can also blend the marinade ingredients in a small blender such as a magic bullet (I often do this).
Chop the crown of broccoli into florets. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of avocado oil.
Transfer the chopped steak to the skillet and allow it to cook in a single layer for 3-4 minutes to get a great sear. Add the broccoli florets and the sauce and bring the mixture to a full boil.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli has reached your desired level of doneness and the sauce has thickened. Stir in the chopped green onions. Season the entire dish with sea salt and black pepper to your personal taste.
Serve beef and broccoli stir fry over coconut lime rice or regular white rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice. Add a sprinkle of sesame seeds if you’d like.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
If you’re looking for side dishes to serve with broccoli beef, here are some great options!
What to Serve with Beef and Broccoli:
- Coconut Rice
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Stir Fry Vegetables Recipe
- Carrot Noodles with Ginger Lime Peanut Sauce
- Crowd-Pleasing Roasted Vegetables
- Vegetable Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce
Love homemade takeout recipes that taste just like the restaurant version? Make my Orange Chicken and my Sweet and Sour Pork!
Enjoy this easy recipe any time you find yourself craving homemade Chinese food or some saucy beef!
Beef and Broccoli Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Stir Fry Sauce:
- ⅓ cup coconut aminos **
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar or fresh lime juice to taste
- 2 large cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp sriracha optional
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger peeled and grated
- 1 Tbsp tapioca flour or cornstarch***
- ½ tsp sea salt to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper to taste
Broccoli and Beef:
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 lb boneless ribeye steak cut into 1-inch cubes*
- 1 large crown broccoli chopped into florets
- 1 batch Coconut Lime Rice
Instructions
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the ingredients for the stir fry sauce. You can also blend the marinade ingredients in a small blender such as a magic bullet (I often do this).
- Chop the crown of broccoli into florets. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of avocado oil. Transfer the chopped steak to the skillet and allow it to cook in a single layer for 3-4 minutes to get a great sear. Add the broccoli florets and the sauce and bring the mixture to a full boil.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli has reached your desired level of doneness and the sauce has thickened. Stir in the chopped green onions. Season the entire dish with sea salt and black pepper to your personal taste.
- Serve beef and broccoli stir fry over coconut lime rice or regular white rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice. Add a sprinkle of sesame seeds if you’d like.
Nutrition
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