I have to be really honest here. I can’t even remember the last time that I ate regular, take out Chinese food. That stuff tastes great, but it really doesn’t make me feel good. My dad likes to joke that you just “rent” take out food for awhile, which is honestly so true (and gross). The stuff goes right through you, and you’re hungry again in an hour. Take out Chinese food is full of salt, MSG, vegetable oil and who only knows what else. But, not my Whole30 Beef + Broccoli!
Over the course of the last month or so, Mark and I have been making our way through a Piper’s Farm meat delivery box. It’s all grass-fed, pasture raised, organic meat, and it’s incredible. We decided to train a more sustainable source for our meats, and we really are loving it. It’s a bit pricier, but we just rearranged our food budget to make it work. Plus, it’s meant that I’ve had a chance to cook a few different cuts of meat than I normally would. Like this beef! (We also LOVED their chicken thighs in this Whole30 Chicken Cacciatore.)
I’m sure that the quality of the meat definitely improved the overall flavour of this dish, but any ole flank steak or skirt steak would do. This sauce would also be divine with chicken, pork or shrimp, so feel free to substitute whatever you have on hand + love!
What Makes This Whole30?
To make this Beef + Broccoli recipe a bit more friendly on my tummy, I decided to create a Whole30 version of the recipe. What that means is: no soy, grains, dairy, legumes, sugar or alcohol. And surprisingly, it wasn’t that hard! These foods are the most common allergy inducing foods and are known to contribute towards inflammation of all kinds in the body. Since I know my body isn’t absorbing iron properly, I’m doing my best to keep my gut happy + helping it soak up all of the nutrients that it needs without any of the nasties.
For the sauce, we’re simply swapping out coconut aminos for soy sauce. If you don’t have an allergy or don’t mind wheat/soy, feel free to use soy (or tamari if you’re gluten free). However, I feel like the coconut aminos add the most amazing hit of umami without all of the salt of traditional soy sauce. They also bring a much needed touch of sweetness to this recipe. A bit of sesame oil, vinegar and fish sauce all contribute to the tang and the richness of this gorgeous sauce.
Putting the Whole30 Beef + Broccoli Together
While the recipe below may look like it has a few steps, they’re all done in really quick succession. Start to finish, this entire recipe should take you less than 30 minutes.
- Mix up the sauce.
- Cook up the broccoli + the beef.
- Add the sauce + simmer.
- Serve over cauliflower rice.
- Boom. Done.
Tricks of the Beef + Broccoli Trade
This recipe is really hard to mess up, but one of the easiest ways to do it is to overcook your beef. Be sure that you really only sear it long enough to get a golden crust. It doesn’t need to be cooked till well done.
If you’re looking to shorten the prep time of this meal for weeknight cooking, you can absolutely chop + even cook your broccoli in advance. Instead of pan frying it, I’d chop it and quickly blanch it in hot water (maybe 3 minutes. Once it’s cool, you can store it with your pre-sliced beef + sauce in the fridge. All you’ll need to do the night of is to sear off the beef, throw in the sauce and reheat the broccoli. So easy!
This meal is a huge crowd pleaser. Your family wont believe that it didn’t come out of one of those little white boxes or that its good for them. I love to serve this over a bed of cauliflower rice that I sauté in a little extra sesame oil. However, its really good over traditional rice too or even as the filling for a baked potato.
If you give this recipe a try, I’d love to know what you think! Simply tag me in your photos on instagram or leave me a little note in the comments below. It really helps other people access my recipes! The photo below makes for easy pinning to Pinterest too so that you never lose access to this yummy dish. Happy cooking!
Whole30 Beef and Broccoli
Ingredients
- 1 head broccoli, chopped into florets
- 1 lb thinly sliced beef
- 1 tbsp arrowroot starch (can sub corn starch or tapioca flour)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
Sauce
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1/2 cup coconut aminos (can sub soy sauce or tamari)
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (white vinegar works too!)
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Toss the thinly sliced steak with 1 tbsp arrowroot starch and 1/2 tsp salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the coconut aminos, fish sauce and vinegar.
- In a large, hot skillet (medium high heat), sautee the chopped broccoli with 1 tbsp of sesame oil until crisp tender – approximately 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Add the remaining tbsp of sesame oil to the hot pan and sear the beef on each side until golden – approximately 1 minute per side.
- Remove the beef and add the garlic cloves to the skillet. Sautee until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the sauce ingredients.
- In a small cup, whisk together the remaining tablespoon of arrowroot with 1 tbsp of cold water. Add the water starch slurry to the pan and stir until the sauce thickens.
- Add both the beef and broccoli back in to the sauce and toss to coat. Turn off the heat.
- Serve the beef and broccoli over cauliflower rice to keep it Whole30. Garnish with sesame seeds!
One Comment