This Beef and Broccoli recipe is an easy and simple stir fry, flavored with fresh ginger and orange with almost no store-bought condiments- skip the takeout and try this homemade beef and broccoli!
cooked white or brown rice, cauliflower rice, or noodlesfor serving (optional)
sliced green onions and more sesame seedsfor serving (optional)
Instructions
Mix the sliced flank steak (1 lb.) with the half of the soy sauce (2 tablespoons) in a bowl. Set aside to sit for a minute or two.
Whisk together the corn starch (2 tablespoons) with the remaining soy sauce (2 tablespoons) in a small bowl or glass measuring cup until it's smooth and there are no lumps remaining. Add the brown sugar (2 tablespoons), crushed red pepper (1/4 teaspoon), orange juice and zest, minced fresh ginger (1 tablespoon), minced clove of garlic, sesame seeds (1 teaspoon), and water (2 tablespoons). Whisk together until well combined and sugar has dissolved a bit. Set aside.
Heat the canola oil (2 tablespoons) in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
Add the sliced onion to the skillet and cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes.
Turn the heat down to medium and add the marinated beef to the skillet. Continue to cook until beef is browned a bit on the outside but NOT cooked through, stirring occasionally (about 2 minutes).
Add the broccoli and sauté for one more minute, until it begins to turn bright green.
Pour the sauce into the skillet. Cook for about 2 more minutes, stirring frequently, until sauce is thickened and beef is fully cooked. If sauce gets too thick too quickly, you can add more water. If it takes too long to get thick, turn up the heat a bit.
Serve beef and broccoli on top of cooked rice or noodles and garnish with chopped green onions and more sesame seeds, if desired.
Notes
Time saving tip: Precook the rice over the weekend or buy frozen, pre-cooked rice from the store.
Money saving tip: Flank steak is already inexpensive, but you can use a cheaper non-beef alternative, such as chicken thighs or tofu, if you prefer. You can also omit the orange zest and juice, or use bottled OJ as an alternative.
Make it paleo/grain free: Use arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch, and use honey or maple syrup in place of the brown sugar. And be sure to use coconut aminos or another soy sauce substitute.
I used regular sodium soy sauce for this. If you use low sodium, I recommend replacing the 2 tablespoons of water with more soy sauce so it's salty enough.
The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.