It turns out that when you purchase your husband’s childhood home from his parents, in addition to inheriting his collection of high school hockey paraphernalia and old report cards, you also acquire his list of favorite neighborhood restaurants. Today’s Healthy Beef and Broccoli is a dead ringer for the beef and broccoli stir fry at his family’s favorite Asian takeout joint.
When Ben’s parents moved to a lake west of the city, we bought his childhood home. While they are loving their lake life (and Ben and I are loving taking advantage of it), they still come back our way when a craving strikes for authentic Chinese beef and broccoli (among other Asian takeout favorites, like Broccoli Tofu Stir Fry).
Knowing that this restaurant is a favorite of theirs and thus that the beef stir fry standards were high, I shared two servings of this healthy beef and broccoli recipe with them and anxiously awaited the verdict…
FULL POINTS! Ben’s mom called to tell me that it was one of the most tender beef and broccoli dishes she had tried, both of them absolutely adored the sauce, and could I please share the recipe.
Today is the day!
About This Healthy Beef and Broccoli Recipe
I adore making lighter versions of restaurant favorites, and today’s skinny beef and broccoli recipe is an ideal example. I cannot, however, take credit for the recipe. It comes from my friend Lindsay’s beautiful new cookbook, Nourishing Superfood Bowls.
If you aren’t familiar with the idea of a “bowl,” it’s essentially one giant dish of healthy goodness coming together in a single serving. Vegetables, protein, healthy fats—the gang’s all here!
You’ll often see “nourish bowls” (also called “Buddha bowls,” “power bowls,” “glow bowls,” and probably other names I haven’t even heard of yet) on hip cafe menus, usually for a high price tag. Instead, I love making them at home.
These Whole30 Vegetarian Power Bowls are a healthy weekday lunch and breakfast staple, and now thanks to Lindsay’s book, I have 75 new bowl recipes to try!
Lindsay’s book is divided into useful chapters with bowls that span across meals, including breakfast and dessert. I selected this recipe, Sticky Mongolian Beef Broccoli Rice Bowls, from the Family-Style Large Bowls chapter, and I am incredibly glad I did. Once you have a bite, your immediate wish will be for a second helping!
As many times as I’ve cooked and eaten cauliflower rice (this Healthy Fried Rice is a prime example), the idea of doing the same process with broccoli didn’t occur to me until I received this book. It’s brilliant!
Serving this healthy beef stir fry with broccoli rice created the exact healthy beef and broccoli effect that I was after, without my needing to sauté the broccoli separately.
I’m excited to try broccoli rice with many existing healthy stir fry recipes, both for an extra serving of veg and as a refreshing change of pace from my standard brown rice. If you are following a low-carb diet, broccoli rice is a great option for you too.
Lindsay is a nutrition specialist for sports nutrition and gluten-free eating. All of the recipes in Nourishing Superfood Bowlsare gluten free, and she has included helpful tips and adaptations for other dietary needs and allergies too.
This healthy beef and broccoli uses sirloin, which is lean and tender.
If you are looking for a ground beef and broccoli recipe, I think you could experiment with sautéing the ground beef separately, then using Lindsay’s marinade to make a sauce and stirring it with the cooked ground beef.
Other Asian-Inspired Recipes
- Korean Beef Bowl
- Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli
- Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli
- Slow Cooker Asian Pulled Pork Tacos
Recommended Tools to Make Healthy Beef and Broccoli
- Deep nonstick skillet
- Splatter screen (not totally necessary, but it was helpful when I was cooking the beef)
- Food processor
Healthy Beef and Broccoli
Ingredients
MONGOLIAN SAUCE:
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce or tamari or tamari (60 to 80 ml)
- 1/3 cup chicken broth or water (80 ml)
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar (50 g) (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or sesame oil (15 ml)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
BOWLS:
- 1 pound beef sirloin (454 g) sliced thin, 1/4- to 1/3-inch (6- to 8-mm) thick
- 1 teaspoon avocado or sesame oil plus 2 tablespoons (30 ml) for frying
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch arrowroot starch, or potato starch, plus 1/4 cup (45 g) more (see notes)
- 1 head broccoli
- 1 tablespoon chicken broth or water (15 ml)
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 2 green onions sliced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Sesame seeds for garnish
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- To make the Mongolian sauce, whisk together the tamari, broth, and coconut sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, add 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, and grated ginger. Stir fry until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tamari mixture to the saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer on low until thickened, about 10 minutes.
- For the bowls, toss the beef in 1 teaspoon of oil and then 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. Place in a bowl or Ziploc bag with the Mongolian sauce and marinate in the fridge for 10 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Once marinated, remove the beef from the marinade to a clean bowl and lightly coat the beef strips in an extra 1/4 cup (45 g) cornstarch.
- Heat a large skillet with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of oil, then place the beef strips in the pan. Stand back to avoid the splatters, and use a splatter screen if you have one. Fry in the oil for about 1 minute on each side, browning each steak strip. Set the beef strips on a paper-towel-lined plate and drain the oil from the pan.
- Place the beef strips back in the pan with the Mongolian sauce. Reduce the heat, and then cook the meat for 1 minute, stirring to coat. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Cut the broccoli head into 3 or 4 parts. Working in batches, process in a blender or food processor until a riced texture is achieved. Place in a large microwave-safe bowl. Add 1 tablespoon broth, and salt and pepper to taste. Lightly steam in the microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute.
- Divide the broccoli rice among each of the bowls. Add the beef to each bowl and drizzle the sauce on top. Top with the green onions and red pepper flakes. Garnish with the sesame seeds and cilantro.
Notes
- For an extra-spicy bowl, add 1 sliced red Thai pepper to your sauce or to the beef when frying.
- The sauce also works great with coconut palm sugar or raw turbinado sugar.
- Honey will work in place of coconut sugar, but the beef will be stickier.
- For a Paleo option, use cornstarch.
Nutrition
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Oh how did I not know that you lived in Ben’s old house. so fun! And I’m glad you all enjoyed this. It LOOKS AMAZING!! THank you thank you!
Thank YOU For an amazing recipe and for letting me share it. Love your book! xoxo
So excited to make that broccoli rice and soak up that yummy sauce!! :)
I hope you love it!
Who needs takeout when you can make this stunning dish?!
Thanks, Gaby!
Since I live alone and only cook for one I would like to know which recipes can be made and then frozen? For instance can the broccoli rice be frozen and used in other recipes?
Hi Marian! I have freezing directions at the bottom of many of my recipes. Soups, casseroles, and stir fries all usually freeze well. For this, you can freeze the rice before it is cooked. It will become a little soggy when reheated, so I’d suggest lightly sauting it to warm it through. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
I made this tonight and served it over brown rice. Very delicious!
My husband said, “This dinner is so good, I just want to hug it”
Best compliment ever! I am so happy to hear how much you both enjoyed it. Thank you!
Made this tonight, yowza yummy! Doubled the sauce, did not rice broccoli (left as florets) and served with rice. Really fast, which is so nice. I used meat that was in the freezer so I pounded it thinner just in case it was tough. Scared the kitties, but that’s what they get for being on my counter!
Jenny, I am so happy this recipe was a hit. Thanks so much for letting me know!
I made this last night. The beef was absolutely DELICIOUS. Definitely going to be a repeat for me!
The broccoli rice, although it looked pretty, was really bland and dry, but that was probably my fault. Next time I’ll probably just make it with regular rice or regular broccoli, or both! Haha.
I’m so happy you loved the beef!! And I think the regular rice/broccoli rice sounds like a great combo. I hope you love the recipe even more next time around.
This. Was. AMAZING. I served this with brown rice for my husband and steamed broccoli florets for me – my husband has been begging to have this again so we’re having it this evening. Toward the end of the cook time for the beef, I . hit the pan with a splash of red wine vinegar which really kicked the flavour element up a knotch here. Love your recipes and this is certainly not a disappointment!
J’enay, I am SO please to hear this, thank you!
Loved making this recipe but I was wondering what is the serving size
Ciara, I didn’t measure the exact amount, but you can estimate it to about 1/4 of the recipe. Divide the total amount in half twice, and you’ll have it!
Hi Erin, I love your recipes. I was looking to make a beef and broccoli dinner so I thought I’d search your site before resorting to google or Pinterest! I just have a question. In step 6, the Mongolian sauce mentioned, is it the same sauce that the beef marinated in? So it goes from.the Ziploc/container back into the pan? I’m very excited to try this!
Sarah, so nice to e-meet you!!! Yes, it is the same sauce as the marinade (you are getting twice the bang with it!). I hope you love the recipe!
Do you reserve some of the sauce for cooking? I’m assuming you arent reusing the marinating sauce. Is that correct? Looks wonderful!
Yes that is correct Shannon. I hope you love it!
I actually reused the marinading sauce and just made sure to raise the temperature to a boil when adding everything back together, by the way. I think it helped the sauce thicken more too, since I didn’t do a great job waiting for it to thicken the first go round. :)
Thanks for the tip!
I had a bit of a tough time with the frying and oil splatter, because I’m not used to it, but after eating this tonight, I guess I’ll have to learn how to deal! It was really tasty! Dinner was just me and my boyfriend, and I used a bigger cut of beef than the recipe called for. Didn’t matter, there was nothing left. I think next time I’ll probably experiment a little more with the broccoli rice, like adding garlic or sautéing instead of microwaving like I’ve seen with cauliflower rice, but the beef was absolutely phenomenal.
Jessi, I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this! And yes, practice definitely makes perfect. I hope you love it next time even more next time!
Are you supposed to marinade the beef while the mongolian sauce is still hot? Wouldn’t that start the cooking process?
Hi Jazmine, I’d recommend letting the sauce cool slightly!
Made this last night. Flavor of the beef was wonderful. My picky 6 year old even ate this! Here are a few thoughts about the recipe:
Next time I’m going to double or triple the sauce and use less cornstarch because it became too thick and globby and there was no extra sauce to coat the broccoli.
I had to put the sauce in the freezer for 15 minutes to cool down before marinading which added time I wish I had known about before doing the recipe.
If you mean that we should hold some marinade to add to the mixture later you should mention that in the recipe instructions. Doubling or Tripling the sauce is even more necessary if we are supposed to not reuse the juice that the meat had been sitting in. I just used the marinade from the bowl and boiled it on a low simmer for a bit and it came out fine.
I laugh whenever I see 1 teaspoon garlic or one clove garlic in a recipe. One is never enough. I used four large and healthy cloves of garlic. Also I agree with other posters, riced broccoli is a huge letdown and doesn’t add much flavor. Next time I’ll make additional sauce, use broccoli florets and put it over rice. Will definitely be making this again.
Hi Greg, thanks for chiming in! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Took a little bit of time but soooooooo worth it
Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review, Kay! I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit!
I have that book!!!
Hi Amy! It’s such a wonderful book!
Does the 11 fat grams include the 4 saturated fat grams or is there a total of 15 fat grams?Also, does the 21 grams of carbs include the 15 grams of sugar or is there a total of 36 grams of carbs? Would love to try this recipe but need answers to the above. This matters to people with heart conditions and diabetes.
Hi Carly! The saturated fat and sugar amounts are separate from the other two. I hope this helps!
I was planning to make this . . . then I saw your instant pot beef and broccoli . . . which one to make??? I don’t need fast, I need delicious! Which sauce is better in your opinion?
I used half my beef to make your teriyaki beef earlier this week, so I’m wondering if I cut the recipe in half due to not having as much beef on hand would it alter the instant pot cooking time or process at all (sometimes the thing turns to “burn” if I reduce recipes)
Thanks for any answers you can give and thanks for posting recipes!
Hi Erin! Just to be clear, are you wondering if the cook time would change on this recipe or a different one if using half the beef? And I equally like both sauces. Thanks!
Delish! I didn’t know beef and broccoli could be “light”, but this hit the mark! Thank you Erin.
Hi Jamie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review.