When nothing else is planned, this savory keto beef and broccoli is my default dinner. Restaurant versions lean on sugar and starch for that glossy sauce. I leave both out and I let toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, and a splash of apple cider vinegar bring the depth. One skillet, 10 minutes, 6g net carbs and 35g protein per serving.
Restaurant beef and broccoli often gets its sweetness and glossy texture from added sugar and starch. I leave both out. Soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and a splash of apple cider vinegar give my version its savory depth. The whole thing cooks in one skillet in 10 minutes.
Why I Use Ground Beef
Traditional stir fry calls for thinly sliced flank steak or sirloin. That works, but it adds real prep time. You need to partially freeze the steak, slice it thin against the grain, then sear in small batches so it doesn't steam. Ground beef skips all of that. Brown it, break it into pieces, and you're building the sauce in under 5 minutes. I always have ground beef in the fridge or freezer, which makes this my default dinner when I haven't planned anything. If you like ground beef one-pan meals, my hamburger helper uses the same pantry-ready approach.
The Sauce
Three ingredients: soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and apple cider vinegar. The soy sauce provides the salty umami base. The toasted sesame oil adds richness and a nutty aroma. The vinegar cuts through the fat so it does not feel heavy. I do not add cornstarch, oyster sauce, or sugar. If you want a thicker sauce, let it reduce for an extra 30 seconds before adding the broccoli.
I've tested this with fresh ginger and without. Most recipes online include it, and it does add warmth, but I prefer the version without because the toasted sesame oil comes through more clearly. If you want that ginger note, grate about a teaspoon into the skillet with the garlic.
This is the same flavor approach I use in my teriyaki chicken and hunan chicken. Once you're comfortable building Asian flavors from soy sauce and toasted sesame oil, you can adapt the ratios for almost anything. My cashew beef is the same idea with a different finish.
One Skillet, Start to Finish
Everything cooks in one 12-inch skillet. Brown the beef, add the sauce, toss in the broccoli, cover, and let it steam for 3 to 5 minutes. I start checking at 4 minutes because the broccoli keeps cooking in the hot pan after you pull the lid off. You want a little bite left. When it's fork-tender, dinner is done. One pan to wash.
Best beef cuts for keto stir fry
Ground beef is the fastest option because it needs no slicing or marinating. I always have it in the fridge or freezer, so this is the version I make most often. The recipe card’s 10 minute total applies to ground beef.
Thinly sliced top sirloin or London broil gives you a texture closer to restaurant style stir fry. Cook it in avocado oil over high heat until the edges crisp, then remove it before building the sauce so it does not overcook. If you marinate the strips for 15 to 20 minutes in a little of the measured soy sauce and toasted sesame oil, that time is not included in the recipe card. Leftover cooked steak works too. Chop it into bite sized pieces and add it with the sauce since it is already cooked.
Low carb vegetable swaps for stir fry
Broccoli is the classic pairing, but this stir fry works with other low carb vegetables too. The sauce coats them the same way, although changing the vegetables can change the cooking time and nutrition.
Quick cooking vegetables (3 to 4 minutes covered): bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, green onions, asparagus tips.
I swap in bell peppers when I want something closer to my sheet pan fajitas flavor, just with the soy and toasted sesame sauce. Onions add more carbs than most vegetables in this list, so I use only a quarter onion. For more volume, serve the dish over riced cauliflower. The recipe card’s four servings and nutrition cover only the beef and broccoli, not optional vegetables or sides.
Meal prep and leftovers
Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. I reheat in a skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes instead of the microwave. The skillet re-crisps the beef and keeps the broccoli from getting mushy.
This freezes well for up to 2 months. The broccoli texture softens slightly after thawing, but the beef and sauce hold up. I thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in a skillet.
For meal prep, I cook a double batch and portion into containers. The sauce absorbs into the beef overnight, so the flavor actually gets better on day two. On batch cooking days, I rotate this with my chicken stir fry so I’m not eating the same thing all week.
How to make keto beef and broccoli in 10 minutes
Brown the ground beef. Heat avocado oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high. Add ground beef, break into small pieces, and cook until browned with slightly crispy edges (about 4 to 5 minutes). Stir in garlic and onion powder for 30 seconds.
Build the sauce. Pour in soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and apple cider vinegar. Stir to coat the beef evenly. Let it simmer for 30 seconds so the flavors concentrate.
Steam the broccoli. Add broccoli florets, stir once, then cover the skillet. Let steam over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes until the broccoli is fork-tender but still has some bite.
Key ingredients
Ground beef. I use ground beef because it browns quickly without slicing or prep. The nutrition card is an estimate, and the fat percentage you buy will affect the final fat and calorie numbers. You can also use beef strips, chopped leftover steak, or beef tips.
Garlic. Two cloves minced, or substitute 1 teaspoon garlic powder. Skip garlic salt since the soy sauce already provides plenty of sodium.
Soy sauce. The salty, umami backbone of the sauce. For gluten-free, use tamari. Liquid aminos is gluten-free too, but it is made from soybeans, so it is not a soy-free swap. For soy-free, use coconut aminos (coconut aminos is slightly sweeter, so use the same amount).
Toasted sesame oil. This is what gives the dish its nutty, toasted aroma. Use the full 1/4 cup in the recipe card and stir it in with the soy sauce and vinegar.
Apple cider vinegar. A small amount of acid balances the richness of the toasted sesame oil and beef fat. White vinegar or rice vinegar work as substitutes.
Broccoli florets. I use fresh florets from a bag to skip the prep. Frozen broccoli works, but it can need 1 to 2 extra minutes because it releases more water, so the card's 10 minute total applies to fresh broccoli.
Add avocado oil to a skillet and heat over medium high heat. Add ground beef and break up into small chunks. Cook, stirring occasionally until beef is browned and slightly crispy. Add onion powder and garlic. Stir for 30 seconds.
For this step
Avocado oil
Ground beef
Onion powder
Garlic (minced)
2
Add liquid flavor
Stir in soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and vinegar.
For this step
Soy sauce
Toasted sesame oil
Apple cider vinegar
3
Steam broccoli
Stir in broccoli florets. Cover and let steam over medium heat until broccoli is fork tender (3-5 minutes).
For this step
Broccoli
Nutrition
Per serving: 1/4 of recipe
Calories
667
Fat
56g
Protein
35g
Total carbs
8g
Net carbs
6g
Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed. Brands vary, so check labels if you track closely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use steak instead of ground beef?
Yes. Flank steak, top sirloin, and skirt steak all work. Slice the steak about 1/4 inch thick against the grain, then sear it in avocado oil for 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove it, build the sauce, and return it at the end so it does not overcook. The 10 minute total on the recipe card applies to ground beef. Steak adds about 5 minutes, plus any time you spend chilling or marinating it.
Do I need to drain the ground beef before adding the sauce?
You do not have to drain it completely. If the pan has a deep pool of rendered fat, spoon out the excess and leave a thin coating. The recipe card does not require draining, and the final fat and calories will vary with the leanness of your beef and how much fat you remove.
When should I add the toasted sesame oil?
The recipe card adds the full 1/4 cup of toasted sesame oil with the soy sauce and vinegar. That full amount is reflected in the nutrition. If you want a stronger aroma, reserve 1 teaspoon from that measured amount and stir it in after taking the skillet off the heat.
Can I add other sauces to this?
You can, but additions are not included in the recipe card's nutrition. Sriracha, fish sauce, hoisin sauce, and similar condiments vary by brand, so check the label and start with 1 teaspoon. I keep the card's soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and vinegar base unchanged when I add anything.
What should I serve with this?
I usually eat it as written. Riced cauliflower is my favorite base when I want more volume, and a fried egg makes the sauce richer. Both are optional. The recipe card's four servings and nutrition cover only the beef and broccoli, not a side or topping.
I had the sauce going and the broccoli steaming when my son and his friend worked through half the pan. I make a double batch now, four servings goes fast here. Your ten minutes is honest, thank you. ❤️
I stood there with the vinegar bottle over the pan, sure four teaspoons would make this sharp. It doesn’t. The vinegar cuts the soy sauce so that half cup never reads as salty, and that’s the whole trick. Other keto stir fry sauces I’ve made tasted like salt and sesame and nothing else. This one’s balanced. I made it on a hot night when I didn’t want the oven going, ten minutes start to finish. Annie, yours is the only site I still bother checking.
Laura, same. I think I ordered actual takeout twice this year. A teaspoon of fish sauce adds more umami if you want it. Check the label because the carb count varies by brand.
Fresh ginger was in an early version. I left it out because the toasted sesame oil comes through more clearly without it. If you want the warmth, add about 1 teaspoon with the garlic.
I don’t really cook, like at all, so I went into this fully prepared to mess it up somehow. But I got the ground beef going in the skillet, added the soy sauce and sesame oil, and the smell that came off that pan was so freaking close to takeout that I had to look at my phone to make sure I was following the right recipe. The broccoli steamed up in maybe five minutes and I just stood there eating it out of the pan. Making this again Tuesday.
Added a teaspoon of fresh grated ginger to the sauce and the whole thing shifted. The sesame oil and vinegar really pop with it. Worth trying before you decide the recipe is missing something.
Ginger shifts it. I tested with and without, went without so the sesame comes through clean. But that brightness you’re getting is exactly why most versions use it.
Hold the sesame oil until the skillet is off the heat, not mid-cook. Tried it both ways and the difference in aroma is real, that toasted note comes through so much stronger. Four stars as written but that small change pushes it over.
The recipe card adds the full 1/4 cup with the soy sauce and vinegar. Reserving 1 teaspoon from that measured amount for the end is optional if you want a stronger toasted aroma.
Used frozen broccoli instead of fresh because that’s what I had, added an extra two minutes on the steam, and it came out tender without going mushy, which I honestly wasn’t sure would work.
Made this maybe eight times and switched to liquid aminos around batch four. Less sodium, and the sesame oil actually comes through more without the soy saltiness competing.
Liquid aminos changes the flavor, but it is not automatically lower in sodium than soy sauce. Compare the labels if sodium matters. I list both as options in the recipe card.
The recipe card uses toasted sesame oil for flavor. If you cannot use sesame, a neutral oil can replace the same volume, but the flavor will change and the published card no longer describes that variation.
