We have been loving this Clean Eating Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry recipe this winter and I am so excited to finally share it with you today! It is made with lean grass-fed steak, broccoli and peppers and it has a sugar-free and gluten-free five spice sauce that will tickle your taste buds. It’s paleo and whole 30 approved!
I’m just going to come out and say it. I was wrong.
I was wrong in thinking that you need to add maple syrup or another sweetener to stir-fry sauces to balance them. And I was fully prepared to not like this recipe.
But I tried it with zero added sugar, and I was delighted to find it was in fact delicious (and sugar-free) which made me squarely wrong.
How To Make Sugar-Free Clean Eating Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry
- The Beef: I tested this with two different kinds of steak: Sirloin, and NY Strip. I actually preferred the NY strip a little better, because it was easier to cut into the correct sized pieces. But Sirloin is a little less expensive- so feel free to use that if you prefer.
- The Veggies: I used broccoli and peppers to make this super veggie heavy. I wanted this stir-fry over a serving of low carb cauliflower rice to be a hearty belly-filling meal, so I wanted to make sure the serving size was generous. A pound of broccoli crowns, plus 2 bell peppers was really generous!
- The Flavor: I used ginger, red pepper flake and garlic to really season the veggies. I also used Chinese Five spice which gave the stir-fry a lot of flavor and adds a sweet taste without any added sugar. I didn’t believe it was going to be enough, but it really balanced the other tastes beautifully!
- The Sugar-free sauce: I used Balsamic vinegar- which is both sour and sweet (from the naturally occurring concentrated grape sugars in the vinegar) plus a bit of broth and tapioca starch.
- The Thickener: I happened to have tapioca on hand for these gluten-free chocolate cookies and it works just like cornstarch, but it’s paleo and whole-30 approved!
OTHER RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
Clean Eating Curry Butternut Squash Soup
Tofu and Pepper Stir-fry with Cashews
Healthy Maple Tahini Chicken and Broccoli Stirfry
Skillet Pepper Steaks {paleo and low carb}
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Clean Eating Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry with Peppers and Chinese 5 Spice. Gather your ingredients, chop your veggies and stir your sauce before you start cooking, because this stir-fry comes together quickly once you start to cook! It is sugar free, paleo and whole-30 approved.
Ingredients
- 1 pound grass-fed beef NY strip steak or sirloin, patted dry with paper towels
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 ¼ cup reduced sodium chicken broth, chicken bone broth or home-made chicken stock, divided
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch or tapioca flour
- 2 teaspoons Balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
- 2 bell peppers, any color, cut into 1-inch squares
- 1 pound broccoli crowns, cut into small florets (about 6 cups)
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice
- ½ to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flake, or to taste
Instructions
- Cut beef into bite-sized strips, about the size of a small domino. Discard any large chunks of fat as you go. Sprinkle with salt and white pepper and turn to coat.
- Stir ¼ cup broth, vinegar and tapioca in a small dish.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add beef, in a single layer and allow to sear until browned on one side, 90 seconds to 2 minutes. Turn over with a spatula and let sear on the other side, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the beef, and any juices, to a plate and keep warm.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the wok or skillet and swirl to coat the cooking surface. Add peppers, broccoli, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly until the garlic starts to brown, about 1 ½ minutes. Add Chinese Five Spice and crushed red pepper and toss to coat. Add the remaining 1 cup broth, stir and cover. Cook, removing lid to stir occasionally, until the vegetabes are crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Re-stir the tapioca slurry and add to the stir-fry while stirring. Continue cooking and stirring until the broccoli just tender and the sauce is thickened. Stir in the beef and juices and cook until heated through, 2 to 5 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cups
- Calories: 279
- Fat: 11 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 31 g
These flavors sound great! I’ve never used tapioca as a thickener in a stir fry before (though I love how it works in pie filling!).
I hadn’t either. Making a slurry with it worked just like cornstarch and I am so pleased to know that it’s an option.
I would just love this for dinner right now! It looks amazing!
Aw thank you so much Patty!
What a yummy-sounding meal prep recipe! Easy, healthy, and delicious!
We’ve been loving it! Glad you agree. Have a great day.
Love the added veggies here – so pretty!
Honestly I had to hold my self back a bit. I wanted this to be 6 servings, but the wok go over-crowded. But to your point… yes to the yes on more veggies.
This looks absolutely delicious and I love adding a healthy mix of protein + veggies to my clean eats meal. I’d try this soon.
Yay Molly! Thanks for stopping by. Cheers!
Great clean eating recipe and it only takes 30 minutes to cook? Wow!
I love how quick stir-frys come together. They’re a go-to around here.
Hi- I made this the other night. HUGE hit with my husband who LOVES Chinese 5 Spice (he even puts it in his pancake batter), but the kids and I didn’t love the seasoning. Could you suggest other spices that would go with this stir fry? I definitely would like to make it again, but make it half with 5 spice in one pan and half with other spices. Love the veggies! Thanks.
Sure absolutely! I love this Szechuan Spice http://www.teenytinyspice.com/organic-szechuan-spice/ as an alternative- it’s spicy, but at only 1 teaspoon for 4 servings it should be okay for your kids. Just omit the crushed red pepper . If you’re not crazy about the licorice flavor of star anise (which is in both Chinese 5-spice and the alternative Szechuan seasoning I recommended) I think you could omit that ingredient all together for a more delicate flavor experience. I also have to say- I love white pepper, but it’s not for everyone. I actually hated it for a long time myself so I understand that. So if you aren’t a fan- you can sub in black pepper. Hope that helps. And one more thing, if you are okay with sweeteners in sauce I have several recipes on the site that are more kid friendly. Notably the Maple Tahini Chicken and Broccoli Stir-fry recipe linked above. It’s one of my favorite recipes of all time, and lives here on the blog and in my cookbook. It’s amazing!
Thank you for the different spice suggestions. I think the maple tahini chicken/broccoli stir fry is more the family’s speed. We’ll try it and comment!
You’re welcome. Please let me know if you enjoy the other stir-fry. Have a great day!