Gluten-Free Beef & Broccoli
One thing I missed when moving to a gluten-free diet is Asian cuisine, especially when it comes to all the delicious sauces. With my husband half Chinese and my mother an excellent cook who made many Asian-inspired meals as I grew up, I needed that flavor back in my life.
After playing in the kitchen and testing some gluten-free versions on my WTH GF Quality Control Team (family), I came to this delicious option of Beef and broccoli, or really Beef & any veggies. You may see I also added carrots and celery to mine since they needed to be eaten.
If you are looking for something that’s easy and full of flavor, that can be whipped up in about 30 minutes, then you’ll want to try this dish. As I said, it’s so flexible and can be used with pretty much whatever you have in your kitchen. I’ve even done it with chicken instead of beef, and it was tasty!
Prepare Gluten-Free Beef & Sauce
To prep the beef, slice it into strips, then salt & pepper a bit to your taste. A quick reminder is we add soy sauce later which has some saltiness to it, so just be aware when adding salt to the beef beforehand.
Instead of gluten-free flour, I have found using cornstarch gave this meal some richness as it will help thicken your sauce later.
I have used a deep bowl or even let my little man shake it in a (SEALED) plastic bag to ensure all your beef strips were well covered. Cook these strips with a mix of vegetable and sesame seed oil, flipping every ~1 minute to cook all sides.
When making your sauce, use a deep pan or a wok as you will later bring everything to the sauce. This will give you room to stir the beef and veggies well, ensuring good coverage of that tasty sauce you made.
For the sauce, you want to cook the lighter color of green onions, along with the ginger and garlic. Cook until fragrant in the oil, then add in the gluten-free soy sauce and some brown sugar. If you want some heat, you can also add Siracha or red pepper flakes here.
Make sure the brown sugar is dissolved and then you can turn the heat off while you finish with the beef and veggies.
Cooking Beef & Veggies
When cooking the beef in the step above, I actually use the same pan for the beef as I do later for the broccoli or veggies. Fewer dishes, but also some of that flavor gets cooked into the veggies as well.
Once your beef and veggies are cooked, bring them back to the sauce over medium heat, and cook for about 1-2 minutes. I recommend first adding the meat, then the veggies so the cornstarch can start its thickening magic.
Gluten-Free Dish Up!
This is great when dished up with some brown or white rice, but we’ve also had it with Soba noodles and my son also loves it with ramen noodles. For gluten-free options, we really like the Lotus Foods brand.
You can then top it with green onions, sesame seeds, and for more spice, Siracha or red pepper flakes.
Asian Beef & Broccoli (Gluten-Free)
Equipment
- 2 Pans
- Cutting Board
- Sharp Knife
- Stove
Ingredients
- 1 lb Flank Steak
- 1 cup Cornstarch
- 4 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 2 - 4 Green Onions Chopped with green and white parts separated
- 1 tsp Garlic minced
- 1 tsp Ginger fresh, grated
- 6 Tbsp Gluten-free Soy Sauce Like La Choy
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar packed
- 2 cups Broccoli chopped
- 2 Tbsp Water
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
- Sesame Seeds (optional)
- Saracha Sauce (optional)
Instructions
Prepare the Beef
- Slice the beef into about ¼ inch strips1 lb Flank Steak
- Salt and pepper the strips, toss to even distribution of the seasoningSalt & Pepper
- Put the cornstarch in a bag or a deep bowl1 cup Cornstarch
- Toss the beef strips in the cornstarch until they are fully covered
- I sometimes divide the beef up and do this in two parts to ensure full coverage
Prepare the Sauce
- Using a medium nonstick pan or wok, add 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil and 1 Tbsp sesame oil over medium-high heat4 Tbsp Vegetable Oil, 2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- Add the white parts of the green onions, ginger, and garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes until you can smell the delicious scents coming together2 - 4 Green Onions, 1 tsp Garlic, 1 tsp Ginger
- Add the gluten-free soy sauce and brown sugar, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat once the sugar has dissolved.6 Tbsp Gluten-free Soy Sauce, ¼ cup Brown Sugar
Cook Beef & Veggies
- In a separate pan, add the remaining 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil and 1 Tbsp sesame oil over medium heat. Add the beef strips and cook each side (about 1 minute each side)
- Once all the beef strips are cooked, remove them to a plate or bowl
- Add the broccoli, or vegetables of choice, and 2 Tbsp of water and cover2 cups Broccoli, 2 Tbsp Water
- While the veggies are cooking, turn the heat back on for the sauce
- Once it’s starting to boil, add the beef, stirring in to ensure it’s completely covered. Do the same with the cooked vegetables. The sauce will thicken.
Dishing it up!
- Top with the green parts of the green onion
- For some heat, top with red pepper flakes or Saracha
- You can also add these earlier when making the sauce if you really like some heat.
- Serve with rice or your favorite side dish.
Make Ahead/Quick Tips
- Prep and cook veggies in advance
- Use frozen stirfry veggies, whether prepped or from your store’s frozen section
- Prepping the sauce in advance will help the flavors meld further. Just make sure you bring it back to a boil before adding the meat and later veggies to coat.
- Buy your meat pre-sliced
- Put your kids or partner to work 🙂
