Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry with Less Sugar
Eating out gets really expensive and we save those occasions for special foods that are complicated to make. For everyday eating we love making homemade meals like this beef and broccoli. It truly is easy to make and honestly, better than a restaurant because we omit a lot of the unnecessary sugar. It’s a diabetic friendly and GLP-1 friendly recipe for beef and broccoli. Enjoy this classic take-out dish from your own kitchen!
Less Sugar Beef and Broccoli Recipe
This is one of our personal recipes that everyone loves and asks why it’s so good. The answer is there is less sugar. It kills us every time we try to eat at an Asian restaurant that serves simple beef and broccoli that is so sweet. Why do restaurants feel like beef needs to be sweetened so much? It was always so frustrating until we started making this at home. Now we are sharing our recipe for less sugar beef and broccoli. It’s great for my blood sugars and type 2 diabetes. But if you prefer your stir fries to be sweeter, then add more sugar. Just know that there are different options for levels of sweetness.
Video: Less Sugar Beef and Broccoli Recipe
Different Types of Sugar Substitutes
We’re not always reaching for sugar substitutes. Usually there isn’t a need for us to sugar our savory or stir fry dishes. But sometimes a dish can benefit by adding a touch of sweetness to balance out acidity or spice. So we’ll add a touch of sugar substitutes or sugar free sweeteners. It’s not a lot so for us this is a win-win. We’re not dependent on the sweetness but appreciate the option of using something that won’t elevate our blood sugars.
Substitute 1:1 for sugar. We love the taste on this one the most for the sugar-free sweeteners. There is also an organic version and now one with allulose (no sugar alcohols).
Substitute 3/4 teaspoon for every 2 teaspoons of sugar. Great organic sugar-free option.
This splenda substitutes an equal 1:1 for sugar.
Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454 g) beef sirloin , top round, chuck steak, or flank steak, sliced thin for a tender bite
- 1 pound (454 g) broccoli florets , cut into bite sized pieces
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) water , optional for softer broccoli
- 3 Tablespoons (45 ml) vegetable oil , divided
- 1 small onion , diced
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 inch (2.5 cm) knob of fresh ginger , minced
For the Sauce:
- 2/3 cup (160 ml) water
- 1 Tablespoon (8 g) corn starch
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) brown sugar (or to personal taste) (or equivalent sugar substitute)
- 3 Tablespoons (54 g) oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) rice vinegar or distilled white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon (10 ml) sesame oil
- 1 Tablespoon (8 g) toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Make the sauce: whisk together the 2/3 cup water and 1 Tablespoon cornstarch until smooth. Whisk in the 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 teaspoons of brown sugar, 3 Tablespoons oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons rice vinegar, and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 Tablespoons of oil, onion, garlic and ginger. Cook until the onions are softened and lightly browned.
- Stir in the broccoli and cook until the broccoli is tender, stirring constantly (if you like your broccoli soft, add about 1/4 cup of water to the broccoli….
- …and then cover the pan with a lid while the broccoli cooks – the water should be absorbed and evaporated off by the time the broccoli is soft).
- Remove all ingredients from pan. Increase the heat for the pan to high heat and add remaining 1 Tablespoon of oil to pan.
- Add beef and sear until cooked through.
- Add broccoli back into the pan with the beef and stir.
- Whisk the sauce one more time to make sure the cornstarch is incorporated, then add the sauce to the pan with the beef and broccoli.
- Heat until the sauce is at a simmer and then cook for about 1-2 minutes to thicken the sauce, stirring to make sure all beef and broccoli is coated with sauce.
- Top with toasted sesame seeds. Serve warm over rice or noodles.
Video
Nutrition Information per Serving
More Broccoli Recipes
- Healthy Vietnamese Shrimp Salad is our go-to low carb lunch so we don’t fall asleep in the middle of the day
- Saucy Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry recipe
- Vegetarian grilled broccoli with lemon
- Roasted Broccoli Salad
- Grilled cheese sandwich with broccoli
- Broccoli and cheese galette
- here’s a great article on the supposed history of beef and broccoli
