This easy beef and broccoli recipe is a popular Chinese dish for a good reason. It’s so delicious and can easily be made gluten-free or in traditional style.
Asian food is one of my all-time favorite cuisines and we find ourselves cooking a stir-fry on a weekly basis. Much like sweet and sour pork and yaki udon, this beef and broccoli is a classic stir-fry favorite and one that my family loves. The recipe comes from my blogger friend Kristin (of Iowa Girl Eats) and is from her ebook Gluten-Free for Beginners: 30 Day Meal Plan and Guide for Gluten-Free Success. I’ve made this beef and broccoli countless times for my family because it’s easy, healthy, and so flavorful. It’s written as a gluten-free recipe but you can easily make the substitutions or not to fit your dietary needs. You quickly marinate flank steak (which takes just 20 minutes to work into the flank steak). And with a quick sear in my favorite wok, the beef still holds tons of flavor and yields tender beef. I love adding red bell pepper to this beef and broccoli for more color, plus, red bell pepper has 300 times the Vitamin C as a regular orange. This is just about one of the easiest Asian recipes to grace our dinner table.
What’s in this Beef and Broccoli Recipe
I love this recipe because other than the protein and maybe some of the produce, I almost always have these ingredients on hand. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Flank steak (hanger steak would also work great and is a more affordable sub)
- Gluten-free Tamari (you could also use soy sauce)
- Gluten-free sweet rice flour, for thickening the sauce (all-purpose flour would also be fine if you don’t need this to be gluten-free, and cornstarch would also work)
- Gluten-free chicken broth (regular is also fine)
- Brown sugar
- Rice vinegar
- Sesame oil
- Garlic
- Ground ginger
- Red chili pepper flakes
- Broccoli
- Red bell pepper
- Grapeseed or vegetable oil
- Rice (optional, for serving) — I like using long-grain white or brown rice
- Sesame seeds
- Green onion
How to Make This Beef and Broccoli Recipe
Marinate the flank steak. Slice the flank into bite-size pieces and add those, 2 tablespoons gluten-free Tamari, and 1 tablespoon Sweet Rice Flour to a large Ziplock bag then seal and squish to evenly coat. Place the bag into the refrigerator to marinate for 20 minutes.
Make the sauce mixture. Add the remaining ½ cup gluten-free Tamari, remaining 1-½ tablespoons Sweet Rice Flour, chicken broth, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ground ginger, and red chili pepper flakes to a bowl then whisk to combine and set aside.
Stir-fry the veggies. Heat a large wok or non-stick skillet over high heat then add water and the fresh broccoli florets. Stir fry until broccoli is crisp-tender, 2-3 minutes, then remove to a plate and set aside. Repeat the process with the red bell pepper.
Sear the beef. Heat 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil in the wok then add ½ the marinated beef in one layer. Let sit undisturbed until seared, 30 seconds, then stir fry until just barely cooked through (some pink still showing is ok.) Remove to plate with broccoli then cook remaining beef in remaining 1 Tablespoon oil, and then add to plate.
Stir fry everything together. Add sauce to the wok then simmer until slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes. Add cooked broccoli and beef back into the wok then stir to combine. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion. Serve over cooked rice.
Note: Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days.
What to Serve with This Beef and Broccoli
- I love seeing this with white or brown rice: How to Cook Rice Perfectly Every Time
- Instead of rice, you could make these slurpable sesame soba noodles on the side instead
- My sweet and sour Asian pickled cucumbers would be so yummy with beef and broccoli
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Beef and Broccoli
Ingredients
- 1- ¼ pound flank or sirloin steak , cut very thin against the grain
- 1/ 2 cup + 2 tablespoons reduced sodium gluten-free Tamari , divided
- 2- ½ tablespoons Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Sweet Rice Flour , divided
- 3/ 4 cup gluten-free chicken broth
- 1/ 4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1/ 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/ 2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes , or more or less
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 1 red bell pepper , seeded and sliced
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed or vegetable oil , divided
- Cooked rice , for serving
- Sesame seeds for garnish
- Green onion , chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Add steak, 2 tablespoons gluten-free Tamari, and 1 tablespoon Sweet Rice Flour to a large Ziplock bag then seal and squish to evenly coat. Place the bag into the refrigerator to marinate for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add remaining ½ cup gluten-free Tamari, remaining 1-½ tablespoons Sweet Rice Flour, chicken broth, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ground ginger, and red chili pepper flakes to a bowl then whisk to combine and set aside.
- Heat a large wok or non-stick skillet over high heat then add water and broccoli. Stir fry until broccoli is crisp tender, 2-3 minutes, then remove to a plate and set aside. Repeat the process with the red bell pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil in the wok then add ½ the marinated beef in one layer. Let sit undisturbed until seared, 30 seconds, then stir fry until just barely cooked through (some pink still showing is ok.) Remove to plate with broccoli then cook remaining beef in remaining 1 Tablespoon oil, and then add to plate.
- Add sauce to wok then simmer until slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes. Add cooked broccoli and beef back into wok then stir to combine. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion. Serve over cooked rice.
- Recipe from Iowa Girl Eats Gluten-Free for Beginners: 30 Day Meal Plan and Guide for Gluten-Free Success
More Easy Stir-Fry Recipes You’ll Love:
- Caramelized Salmon Stir Fry
- Yaki Udon Stir Fry with Sausage
- Healthier Sweet and Sour Pork
- Teriyaki Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Thai Garlic and Black Pepper Tofu with Mushrooms
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I made this tonight (Tuesday) and ended up having to open a bottle of wine it was so delicious and like a weekend meal. A thumbs up from us all and 4 clean plates. I added the chili flakes with the other seasonings at the end to cater to all tastes. Will definitely be adding to our list of go to meals.
Thank you Anita! I’m so glad you enjoyed!
I’m not gluten free so I used regular soy sauce and flour thank you for sharing that information in the introduction I would of not known to do that.Delicious making it again for the second time.Could not find flank so I used petite tender never heard of it but know days you buy whatever is out there and it was
Great
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Done 3 of these recipes loved every one!
my family loves this dish. I use much lesss brown sugar and still delish.
Hi. Just made this. We have no gluten issues so used regular broth and corn starch and added bean sprouts instead of red pepper. Also prepped the broccoli by pouring boiling water before the stir fry. It was excellent! Will become a standard. Thanks!
Sally, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It’s one of our faves too.
Made this recipe last night. A-mazing! The flavors are solid and the recipe was easy to follow. Way to go, Iowa Girl! And thanks for posting such wonderful recipes, Heidi!
Yep, love Kristin and her blog. I’ve been a long time fan, so I can’t wait to see her e-book.
I love Kristin, and her blog! I know she has helped so many people, and her recipes are loved by all. Thanks for a great feature, Heidi. Can’t wait to see her ebook!
Thank you SO much Heidi – for both the feature and for your incredible work. If anyone is on the fence about writing an ebook – Heidi’s your girl for putting it together! Thanks again!
Heidi, looking forward to this ebook and Kristin’s work. I’ve got my kids on less gluten and yes, me too but it doesn’t come easy! This recipe looks perfect for my family! Thanks for sharing!! xo
I’ve always admired Kristin, her recipes, and her blog. I just printed off this beef and broccoli recipe – my family’s gonna love it!
This is too great. Kristin is such a sweetheart, and I’m SO excited for the eBook!
lovely to hear more from Kristin! can’t wait to see the ebook!
Kristin and her recipes are simply the best!!! Six years is such a big deal in this world and I am in awe of her! Can’t wait to check out the ebook!
She’s done such a great job keeping her content fresh, too. Totally agree. Thanks TIeghan!
Tried this to day and everyone loved it. My boyfriend did not realize that it was gluten-free until after he ate it. He is of the belief that gluten-free means tasteless. Thank you for such a good recipe to prove my point.
Joanne that’s awesome! It is such a great recipe, and can easily be adapted to go either way! Thanks for the feedback.
Awesome choice for an interview- I have always loved Kristin’s blog! I’m excited to check out her ebook for my Mom- it’s tough for anyone to have to go gluten-free, but when you’re diagnosed with Celiac at age 70… it’s a lot tougher to adapt!
Your mom would TOTALLY love this ebook. It truly is a guide to being successful for going gluten-free and all the step by step tips and tricks to make it happen. It is hard to change old habits, but her recipes really make it so much easier to adapt.
I’m delighted to learn more about Kristin and her gluten free lifestyle. While I don’t have this challenge myself many friends do and I’m sure her blog will be a fantastic resource when entertaining.
A great introduction to Kristin! So happy to know her work. Recipes look awesome… especially this beef with broccoli.
I know a few people who would be super excited about this e-book!! Thanks for sharing – and that beef and broccoli has me drooling!!
You know how people say that the recipe is “SO GOOD”? This one totally delivers. Definitely one to try. Thanks!
I love Kristin’s blog and following her transition to gluten free eating and cooking over the past couple years has been inspiring. I can’t wait to check out the ebook. I have no doubt it will be incredibly helpful to countless people. It isn’t easy to make the changes, but with recipes like this, it can obviously still be delicious. What a great interview, Heidi.
I agree Mary! She transitioned to gluten-free at a really tough time, trying to balance her new motherhood and stay true to her readers. So glad she’s shared her story with all of us. Thanks Mary!
Love Kristin and her recipes!! Can’t wait to check out the ebook!
She has tons of great info in it. Seriously super packed.