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Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It Now- Why You’ll Love This Keto Beef And Broccoli Recipe
- Is Beef And Broccoli Keto?
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How To Make Keto Beef And Broccoli
- Storage Instructions
- What To Serve With Low Carb Beef and Broccoli
- More Healthy Asian Recipes
- Tools To Make Keto Friendly Beef and Broccoli
- Keto Beef and Broccoli (20 Minutes) Recipe card
- Recipe Reviews
When you’ve got a craving for Chinese food takeout, this keto beef and broccoli stir fry recipe comes to the rescue! It’s a healthy dish full of flavor, packed with protein, and one of the easiest quick and healthy Asian recipes I make for weeknights. Serve it over cauliflower rice for a low carb takeout classic.
Why You’ll Love This Keto Beef And Broccoli Recipe
- Classic takeout flavor
- Simple ingredients
- Quick prep time — ready in 20 minutes!
- Made in one pan
- Just 8 grams net carbs per serving
- Naturally healthy, keto friendly, gluten-free, paleo, grain-free, and whole30
Is Beef And Broccoli Keto?
This beef and broccoli recipe is keto friendly. But if you are eating it from a restaurant, or using a traditional recipe, it would not be keto friendly. Cornstarch and sugar are typically found in beef and broccoli recipes, which quickly adds to many carbs.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here I explain the best ingredients for keto friendly beef and broccoli stir fry, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
For The Sauce:
- Coconut Aminos – This soy sauce substitute adds sweetness, flavor, and salt. Soy sauce is fine to substitute, but this is why I don’t use soy sauce.
- Fish Sauce – This helps give the stir fry great flavor. No fishy taste in the final dish!
- Ground Ginger – Ground ginger is convenient, you can also use fresh if you have it. If you opt for fresh, use 4 teaspoons fresh grated ginger in place of the 1 teaspoon ground.
- Crushed Red Pepper – Use more or less depending on how much spice you like.
- Olive Oil – Or avocado oil.
- Chicken Broth – For convenience, I opted for store-bought, but if you have time, make chicken broth from scratch. You can also use beef broth if you like, or bone broth for a richer flavor and extra nutrition.
- Gelatin Powder – Be sure to use unflavored. It’s the perfect cornstarch substitute that helps to thicken the sauce without any flour or other starches.
For The Stir Fry:
- Olive Oil – Or avocado oil.
- Broccoli – Buy a fresh head of broccoli or broccoli florets for convenience.
- Garlic – Use fresh cloves or jarred garlic for convenience.
- Flank Steak – You can also swap it for other beef cuts, like skirt steak or flat iron steak.
Garnish Options:
This dish is already flavorful and colorful enough not to require garnishes, but if you like, you can add:
- Sesame oil – Stir this in at the end for extra flavor.
- Sesame seeds
- Green onion
How To Make Keto Beef And Broccoli
This section shows how to make this keto recipe for beef and broccoli, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Slice beef. Slice the flank steak as thinly as you can.
TIP: Freeze beef for a short time to make it easier to slice thinly.
Place the flank steak in the freezer for 30 minutes before slicing, which will make it more firm and help you slice it more thinly. The thinner, the better!
- Mix marinade. In a small bowl, whisk together coconut aminos, fish sauce, ground ginger, and red pepper flakes.
- Marinate beef. Transfer 2 tablespoons of the marinade (which will also be the stir fry sauce) to a large bowl and whisk in olive oil. Marinate beef for at least 30 minutes.
- Stir fry steak. Heat olive oil in a saute pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook for a few minutes, until browned. Transfer beef to a bowl and cover to keep warm.
TIP: Don’t move steak around too much.
This will help it get a nice sear.
- Stir fry broccoli. Heat more olive oil over medium heat and add broccoli. Cover with a lid and cook until tender. Transfer broccoli to the bowl with the beef.
TIP: You can steam the broccoli if needed.
If the broccoli doesn’t cook through easily by just stir frying, you can add a couple tablespoons water, cover and cook for a few minutes to steam it. If you do this, make sure you drain any remaining water afterward.
- Bloom gelatin. Whisk chicken broth and gelatin into a small bowl until smooth.
- Saute garlic. Heat the pan over medium heat again and saute garlic until fragrant.
- Make sauce. Pour the sauce mixture into the pan and bring to a simmer. Stir occasionally, until mixture starts to thicken.
- Combine. Add beef and broccoli to the skillet and toss to coat. Stir fry until hot.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep leftover beef and broccoli in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Meal Prep: Divide cooked cauliflower rice among your meal prep containers, top with low carb beef and broccoli, and keep in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave for an easy low carb lunch.
- Reheat: You can reheat in a hot skillet again, or the microwave, but the texture is better on the stove.
- Freeze: Store the stir fry in a heavy-duty freezer bag or airtight container in the freezer for 2-3 months.
What To Serve With Low Carb Beef and Broccoli
Traditionally, beef and broccoli would be served over rice, which is high in carbs. Here are a few low carb veggie options instead:
More Healthy Asian Recipes
If you like this keto beef and broccoli recipe, you might also like some of these other Asian recipes:
Tools To Make Keto Friendly Beef and Broccoli
- Ceramic Nonstick Wok – My go-to pan for stir fry, but a saute pan works as well.
Keto Beef and Broccoli (20 Minutes)
No one will know this is a keto beef and broccoli recipe! This easy, healthy beef and broccoli stir fry tastes like it came from a Chinese restaurant and takes only 20 minutes.
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.
Sauce/marinade:
Stir Fry:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut aminos, fish sauce, ground ginger, and crushed red pepper.
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Transfer 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of the coconut aminos mixture to a large bowl – this will be the marinade. Whisk in a tablespoon of olive oil.
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Add the beef to the large bowl with the marinade and coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
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Heat a tablespoon (15 mL) olive oil in a saute pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the beef and stir fry for a few minutes, until browned. Remove the beef, place in a bowl, and cover to keep warm.
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Heat another tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the broccoli. Cover with a lid and cook for 8 to 12 minutes, lifting the lid only occasionally to stir, until crisp tender.
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Remove the broccoli, place it into the bowl with the beef, and cover again to keep warm.
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Whisk the chicken broth and gelatin into the reserved marinade/sauce in the smaller bowl, until smooth. (To prevent clumping, sprinkle the gelatin over it instead of just dumping in, and whisk immediately.)
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Heat the pan again over medium heat. If the pan is dry, add more oil as needed. Add the garlic and saute for about a minute, until fragrant.
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Pour the sauce mixture into the pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until volume is reduced and it starts to thicken.
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Add the beef and broccoli to the pan, and toss to coat. Stir fry for another minute or two, until hot.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers (this also helps me continue to provide free recipes on my site), or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
Add Your Notes Your Notes
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© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.
Keto Beef And Broccoli Recipe
94 Comments
Ashley Swanner
0This is divine. My husband said “restaurant worthy.” So good we wanted it twice this week. Posted photo on Maya’s Facebook group! 😋
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Ashley! Wow, what a nice compliment from your husband. And thank you for sharing in our group! For other readers — if you want to join us (it’s free), you can find the group here.
Rich
0Can this recipe be adapted to prepare in a slow cooker?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Rich, I don’t have a slow cooker version of this recipe, but I do have slow cooker Mongolian beef.
Dorothy Beckner
0This stir fry Beef and Broccoli recipe was soooo good. It was better than what I have eaten in Chinese restaurants. I made it yesterday after a long day on the farm. My husband was raking and rolling hay bales and I was cleaning up flower beds. It was a real treat to sit down to this “later than usual” evening meal.
Mel
0The sauce was so salty I couldn’t use it. I’m lucky I didn’t ruin the steak by trusting the sauce without tasting it. I saved dinner with a very unketo teriyaki sauce. Two stars for the marinade though, very tender and tasty.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Mel, Sorry to hear this didn’t turn out like you expected. Did you by chance use regular chicken broth instead of reduced sodium? That would make the sauce very salty. Another possibility is a difference in coconut aminos brands, the one I use is linked on the recipe card above.
Kerry
0Delicious and easy! Thank you for this great recipe. The sauce makes it so good. My husband loved it and I’m adding to our weeknight dinner rotation.
Debbie
0So yummy! I let the steak marinade in the fridge overnight. This gave a wonderful deep flavor. I then cooked it in my Ninja Grill. It was very good! The only thing I would change, is to cut the steak in pieces before I marinade it vs afterwards. This will definitely be on a regular rotation.
Sheryl Schmidt
0Hello Maya, I made your Beef & Broccoli recipe last night. It was a big hit. We all loved it. I didn’t have any fish sauce, but the coconut aminos filled in nicely. I will definitely make it again. Thank you again!
Amber Egan
0Very delicious & flavorful. Will definitely make this again!
Diane
0Why do you use chicken broth instead of beef broth for this beef dish?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Diane, You can also use beef broth if you like, or bone broth for a richer flavor and extra nutrition.
Kiera
0Hey there, so I see this recipe makes 4 servings at 8g carbs per serving. I am looking at the ingredient list and wondering where all the carbs are coming from! Is it mainly the broccoli or do coconut aminos and fish sauce have more sugar in them than I would have thought? Where do the majority of carbs from? Thanks!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Kiera, Yes, broccoli has the majority of the carbs in this dish.
Taylor
0Really good! I used soy sauce instead of coconut aminos… it was a little too salty. But I cut the salt with a dash of lemon juice. Very delicious!! 😀
Paula
0I made this tonight and it was delicious!!
Christy
0I’m using beef stir fry pieces that came with my 1/2 cow share. Between these and the beef stew pieces, they are always so tough. I rarely use these cuts or only use when I’m desperate and trying to clean out the deep freezer. I saw online where it’s suggested to use baking soda to help tenderize the meat before using in a stir fry, but you need to rinse the meat when you are done. Do you know anything about this and when I would use it in your recipe? Would I need to use the baking soda method, rinse, then do your marinade for the meat?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Christy, I have never used the baking soda method.
Christy
0No matter how many videos on YouTube tells you baking soda is the secret ingredient to tenderize tough cuts of steak, do not believe them. It’s terrible. All 3 of us couldn’t get past the texture, and it ruined your lovely marinade.
Christy
0I’m going to give it a try, see how it turns out, and I’ll let you know.
Brenda
0Can arrowroot powder be used in place of gelatin? I would prefer not to buy several different thickeners for one time uses.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Brenda, Yes, that should work.
maryb
0Wonderful flavor.
Cate
0What a great recipe! It replicates take out so well that I had to double check my coconut aminos and fish sauce for sugar. The sauce was that luxurious.
The kids all ate it and my spouse asked to make a double recipe next weekend for lunch prep.
This is one recipe that will absolutely be added to our usual rotation.
D
0YUUUUMMMMM!! the kids went nuts over it!
pashtx
0This was absolutely delicious. Will make it again and again. Thanks!
Nancy Norris
0Can I use other cuts/kinds of steak. I have top sirloin steak in the freezer that was given to me ?❤️
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Nancy, Yes, you could use the top sirloin steak that you already have at home.
Sarah
0I have been missing Beef and Broccoli since starting Keto. Thank you so much for sharing! Brilliant to use gelatin instead of cornstarch! This DEFINITELY satisfies my Chinese take out craving!
Rebekah Kuk
0Broccoli and beef are one of my favorite combos, and I absolutely love this keto version. Especially the gelatin in the recipe. It adds a nice texture to the sauce that I don’t get when I try to just “keto-ize” standard Chinese stir fries. Thanks for the recipe!
Mandy Applegate
0One of the best keto meals I’ve tried – my whole family loved the beef and the broccoli was perfect!
Glenda
0This recipe was easy, delicious and very eye-appealing! It was nice to know something my family loved so much was also healthy. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Jennifer
0Love this recipe! I love the flavors and how easy it is to make! I made it with cauliflower rice and it was sooo good!
Veronika
0The marinade was the best part! It made the beef and the entire dish super flavorful. I’ll definitely make this again soon!
Gwynn
0This is such a delicious recipe and so easy to make. My family loved it and I will definitely be making it again.
Ann
0I love how you can make this dish in 20 minutes! Perfect for a busy weeknight meal! It sounds delicious too! Excited to give it a try!
Daniela
0This has become my quick and easy go-to dinner! SO good and simple to make.
Bernice
0Interesting! I don’t follow a keto diet but I see that you added gelatin in place of cornstarch in the sauce. I will give this a try for my next stir fry.
Elizabeth Bond
0I used half as much Xanthan Gum (1/2Tbsp), but I made the mistake of adding the chicken broth and XG to the sauce at the start of steaming the broccoli. WELL, it turned the “sauce” into a gummy mess! OTOH, it is the first time I have ever had XG thicken anything, so now I know it just needs some time! (PS I did not like the fish sauce — too strong. Will use a 1/2Tbsp or even a teaspoon next time.
I won’t downgrade my stars bc I made quite a few substitutions, and I use a lot of Maya’s recipes successfully! (I used organic soy sauce instead of aminos, ground beef instead of flank steak, and XG instead of gelatin! plus the timing issue…)
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Elizabeth, This recipe calls for gelatin powder for thickening, not xanthan gum. If you substitute xanthan gum, you’d need much less, maybe 1/4 teaspoon, so 1/2 tablespoon would definitely make it have a too-thick, gummy, unpleasant texture. You can read more about the differences in my post about cornstarch substitutes. I hope you’ll get the chance to try this recipe as written. 🙂
Sarah
0Our whole house loves Asian inspired food and I was so excited to find a Keto friendly version! My husband is doing the Keto diet and I wanted to find recipes that all of us could enjoy. This definitely fits the bill! Thank you!
Katerina
0We made this the other night and it was incredible!! Everyone enjoyed it!
Taylor
0This meal was a HUGE hit with my family! The sauce is so flavorful and is the perfect compliment to the beef and broccoli. Served over cauliflower rice which was just perfect!
Donna Batrone
0WOW! My family loved this. No more takeout for us!
Anna Jacobs
0I’m allergic to fish/seafood, so can’t add fish sauce or anything similar. What would you advise as a swap?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Anna, You can omit the fish sauce.
Debbie
0Love it – make it at least once a week. I just marinate longer to make the meat melt in your mouth tender.
Kellie
0We absolutely love this dish! So healthy. It’s one of our most favorite go to suppers now!
Bob
0Made this for dinner last night using a sirloin steak. Was the closest thing to restaurant quality I have had. Going in my favorites.
Gloria
0Loved this! Tasted just like Take Out! Will be making my meal rotation. Thank you so much for sharing! I love Wholesome Yum
M A Davis
0Thai Kitchen makes a fish sauce. It is more reasonably priced than Red Boat. I am trying this recipe tonight!
Leandra
0THANK YOU. I haven’t tried it yet, but you are the first recipe for PALEO beef broccoli stir fry that DOESNT include sesame oil and seeds – which aren’t even paleo. I feel like they were just following the fad, whereas you actually knew your stuff.
Megan
0Yum! Even my picky kids ate this!!
Dawn
0Wow! This was great. I did add a splash of rice wine vinegar and sesame oil. I’ve used this sauce recipe for chicken lettuce wraps also and chicken crack slaw. Thanks for the awesome recipe! And thanks for the great informative site!
Wholesome Yum A
0This turned out great! I subbed the gelatin for 3/4 TBS of cornstarch and added some sesame oil. I also added some confectioners sweetener to the sauce to balance out the saltiness.
Callie
0Can I use cornstarch instead of gelatin?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Callie, Yes, but keep in mind that cornstarch is not a keto ingredient if you are concerned with that.
KIM FORBES
0Hi, this looks great but could you use cornstarch instead of the gelatin? Or where would you find the gelatin in the grocery store? Thank you
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kim, Cornstarch is not low carb. I suggest buying gelatin and giving it a try. You can usually find it in the baking aisle or in the canning section (if your store has one).
Lesia Stefaniak
0You mentioned avocado oil in your instructions, but the recipe calls for olive oil. I’d like to use up my avocado oil before it’s wasted.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lesia, Either oil is fine to use in this marinade. Avocado will be the more neutral of the two flavor wise.
Linda
0This was really delicious but I’m confused by the gelatin as a thickener. I used the gelatin but it never did thicken up. No matter, it was good anyways. But then after my bowl sat with the sauce for awhile, it was thick, very thick. Which made me think, isn’t gelatin for thickening upon cooling (like jello?)…just wondering if it only happened for me and I’m missing something?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Linda, Yes! Gelatin = Jello! Gelatin can also act as a great thickener for hot foods too. Not to mention it’s super healthy!
Linda
0Oh my GOODNESS!!! I even got my family to eat this and ask for seconds and thirds!
I did modify it a bit and add carrots and cauliflower to the recipes as my kids really love those veggies!
As an Asian, I have to say THANK YOU!!! this was the best! This makes me excited to try the Mongolian Beef. 🙂
Rachel
0I’m very interested in making this dish but I can’t seem to find fish oil anywhere. Is there something I could substitute for it or could I just leave it out? Please let me know. Thanks 🙂
Wholesome Yum
0Hi Rachel, you can find fish sauce in most Asian food sections in the grocery store. Don’t get it confused with fish oil, a popular supplement. 🙂 There’s no real good substitute, unfortunately.
Samantha
0I would also love to try this recipe, but unfortunately there isn’t a single store within miles that carries a fish sauce without sugar 🙁 I’d buy off of Amazon, but they’re very pricey and it would take forever for me to use an entire bottle! Is the fish sauce an absolute must for this recipe? I assume it adds a ton of good flavor, but I am hoping the recipe will still be flavorful without it. Anyone have any thoughts?
Wholesome Yum A
0Hi Samantha, I would definitely recommend it for the flavor, and the one I linked has no added sugar and is common in many grocery stores. However, omitting it won’t dramatically change the outcome of the recipe otherwise.