Broccoli and Beef

Broccoli and beef in a garlic butter cream sauce is a very quick and easy meal that’s perfect for weeknights.  Tough rubbery beef steaks will be a thing of your past.  This broccoli and beef is Keto friendly too!

You may also like these other keto friendly meals, crispy but tender smothered chicken with bok choy and mushrooms or maybe, cheesy spinach steak rolls, beef asparagus rolls, chicken in creamy arugula Parmesan sauce, or Italian dressing chicken (one of my favs).

If you’re a big fan of the traditional broccoli with beef then you will love this easy recipe that uses thin steak. If you aren’t a fan of beef and broccoli but love steak then I’m sure you’ll love this recipe.  Broccoli and beef has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. I’ve eaten so much that there are times when I get pretty bored with it.  That’s why I came up with this Asian/Southern fusion broccoli with beef recipe.  All you need is thin beef steak, broccoli, heavy whipping cream and butter, garlic, salt and pepper and a couple other ingredients (for the tenderizing marinade).

What type of steak to buy for broccoli with beef or any meal using thin steaks?

Everyone loves a good steak but they can get pretty pricey. If you can’t afford expensive cuts of beef but love steak then this beef with broccoli recipe is perfect for you. Use whatever cheap thin (quick) steak you can find. You should be able to easily find pre-cut thin steaks at your local grocery store. I was able to find a value pack of sirloin thin steaks out of impulse one day for only a whopping $6 and some change.

This beef with broccoli in a garlic butter cream sauce turned out spectacular! My picky 5 years old loved it and even ate all of his broccoli. He also asked for seconds. How shocking! I’m always relieved and ecstatic when he enjoys his meals. My other toddler is still a work in progress. He is way pickier than his brother.

You can use whatever thin steak you want. Some steak suggestions are flank, skirt, top sirloin.   Ask your butcher to slice the steak thin for you, or you can place the steak in the freezer to partially freeze it then cut it thinly. Honestly, any type of quick cooking steak will work but remember, make sure it’s thin. Secondly, tenderize it per the directions in the below recipe.

How to tenderize thin beef steak?

Rubbery tough steak is the worst! I told my friend that this steak is so stupid tender, you don’t need teeth to enjoy it. She “LOL’d.”  The steak is truly tender. I got the tenderizing trick from America’s Test Kitchen. You won’t ever try another tenderizing method once you try ATK’s method out. No need to use a store-bought tenderizer and no more pounding your steak madly.

This quick and easy method again works on any type of thin steak. To get the most tender beef steak ever, all you need is,  baking soda, cornstarch, water and an acid.  I used balsamic vinegar but you can use whatever vinegar you have available. Add the tenderizer ingredients to a ziploc bag. Add your beef steak and let it sit at room temperature for 30-35 minutes then pat them dry, lightly season the steaks with salt and pepper. That’s it. You must lightly season the beef steaks with salt and pepper. Please don’t want to go overboard with the seasoning.

How to cook broccoli with thin beef steak?

Since the steaks are very thin, you’ll want to cook them as quickly as possible. A quick sear is that is. Heat a skillet on high until its smoking hot. I used my cast iron skillet but a nonstick skillet works fine too. Add butter then add the beef steak in batches.  Do not overcrowd the skillet or your steak will steam and not sear. You want a nice quick sear on both sides of the steak so before you add the steaks to the skillet, make sure the skillet is VERY hot first.  Cook the steak for 30-45 seconds without disturbing or moving it around. If the skillet is hot enough then the beef steaks will sear quickly. Once the steak is done. Flip the steak and cook the other side for another 30-45 seconds.

How to cook broccoli with beef?

This beef and broccoli recipe is something I wouldn’t cook often but it makes a great every now and then dinner. Everything in moderation right?  To make it healthier, you can omit the garlic butter cream sauce. It’s still delicious either way. To think out the sauce just add a bit more milk.

After the steak is done, remove it from skillet and cover it in foil then make the easy garlic butter cream sauce. The cream sauce is pretty basic but so darn good. I like to use heavy whipping cream, butter, fresh garlic, salt, and pepper. That’s it. If you’re on a special diet and want to lighten up the cream sauce, you could use a combo of regular milk and heavy whipping cream. If you only use milk you won’t get that rich cream sauce flavor.

I love steak so I couldn’t resist adding a little richness to sauce plus it tastes amazing with the bright green broccoli. You can never go wrong with garlic butter cream sauce with beef and broccoli! It’s lip-smacking good!

Once the garlic butter cream sauce is done add the beef steaks back to the skillet with the broccoli and toss to coat the steak in the wonderful cream sauce.

Don’t forget to add the creamy mashed or baked potatoes on the side. So delicious. And there you have it. A delicious beef and broccoli with super tender mouth-water steak.  So easy to make with minimal ingredients.  With this tenderizing technique, you’ll make the most tender beef and broccoli or any quick thin steak meal cheap and fast!

Don’t forget to check out these other keto friendly meals., crispy but tender smothered chicken with bok choy and mushrooms or maybe, cheesy spinach steak rolls, beef asparagus rolls, chicken in creamy arugula Parmesan sauce, or Italian dressing chicken (one of my favs, keto friendly with keto Italian dressing).

Broccoli and Beef

April Boller Wright

How to take a cheap cut of thin beef steak and make extremely tender mouth-watering pan seared thin broccoli and beef in a garlic butter cream sauce. So quick and easy!

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3 tsp cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tsp any kind of vinegar. I used balsamic
• 1 lb any thin cut beef steak (I used thin sirloin)
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 garlic cloves minced

Cream Sauce

• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream or do half milk half heavy whipping cream
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• salt for taste
• pepper for taste

Broccoli

• 1 head broccoli
• 1/4 tsp red crushed peppers (optional)

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Instructions

 

• I didn't cut beef steaks but you can cut yours into smaller pieces if you like. To a ziploc, the first 4 ingredients then add the steaks. Make sure the tenderizer liquid coats all the beef steaks. Let the steaks sit at room temperature for 30-35 minutes. Remove the steaks and with a paper towel, pat dry. 

  In a small pot with 1/4 cup of boiling water over medium-high heat, add the broccoli. Cook for 3-8 minutes until your desired tenderness.  

How to cook beef and broccoli

• Heat a nonstick skillet or a cast iron skillet over high heat. Once the skillet is very very hot add 1 or 2 tablespoons of butter. Add two tablespoons of butter if you are cooking all of the beef steaks together and not in batches. If you are cooking the beef steaks in two batches, reserve one tablespoon of butter for the second batch of steaks.
• Give the skillet a twirl so the butter can coat the entire skillet. Add the steaks. You may have to add the beef steaks in batches. Do not overcrowd the skillet or the steaks may steam. Do not move or disturb the beef steaks. Let them cook for 30-45 seconds on each side. Remove the steaks and place them in foil and cover.

For the garlic butter cream sauce

• In the same skillet, heat the remaining butter over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted add the garlic and red crushed pepper. Cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the heavy whipping cream and stir scraping up the bits from the pan.  Add the beef steaks back into the skillet then add the broccoli. Toss to coat the beef steaks and broccoli in the garlic butter cream sauce. Serve immediately with mashed or baked potatoes. 

Notes

To lighten up this dish feel free to use half and half or a combination of heavy whipping cream and milk. 

*The recipe's total time from start to finish does not include the 30-35 minutes   tenderizer marinade time. 

 

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