Low Carb Cashew Beef
Published July 8, 2024 • Updated March 9, 2026
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This 20-minute low carb cashew beef is my go-to when I want takeout flavor without the carb hit. Inspired by Tieghan's recipe from Half Baked Harvest, I reworked the sauce and swaps to cut the carbs from 47.9g to under 15g per serving.
I first made this after falling in love with Tieghan’s version from Half Baked Harvest. Her original cashew beef is incredible, but at 47.9g total carbs and almost 800 calories per serving (not counting the mango jalapeno salsa), I knew I had to rework it. I got it down to under 15g carbs and 641 calories per serving without losing the sweet-spicy, gingery sauce that makes the whole dish work.
The biggest win was the sweet chili sauce swap. The original uses a brand with 7g carbs per tablespoon, made with cane sugar and fructose. I use a brand sweetened with real fruit juice that has only 1g carb per tablespoon. That single swap cuts almost half the sugar from the sauce.
I also swapped shallot for yellow onion. Shallot adds that garlicky-onion depth, but it runs higher in carbs (16.8g per 100g vs. 9.3g for onion). I combine yellow onion and garlic for similar flavor at fewer carbs.
The coconut cauliflower rice ties the whole plate together. Jasmine rice has about 45g carbs per cup. Cauliflower rice has 8g total carbs and 4g net carbs per cup. I cook mine in canned coconut milk until it turns creamy and slightly sweet, which pairs perfectly with the spicy ginger sauce on top. If you like this style of stir-fry, try my keto beef and broccoli or my chicken stir fry for more weeknight options.
One thing I’ve learned after making this low carb cashew beef a dozen times: sear the steak in batches. If you crowd the pan, the beef steams instead of getting those crispy, caramelized edges. I heat the oil until it shimmers, lay the strips in a single layer, and let them sit untouched for a full minute before flipping. That patience makes a real difference in texture.
The cashews go in toward the end so they stay crunchy in the pan. If you’re planning on leftovers (and you should, because this reheats well), keep the cashews in a separate container and toss them on right before eating. I started doing this after a reader, Gina, mentioned the same trick, and she’s right. They get soft and chewy after sitting in sauce overnight. For more low carb beef dinners, check out my beef tips and noodles or my keto hamburger helper.
How to get the perfect sear
The sear is everything in this stir-fry. I heat avocado oil in a large skillet (or a wok if you have one) until it shimmers, then lay the steak strips in a single layer without touching. Don’t move them for at least 60 seconds. If you crowd the pan, the meat steams and you lose those caramelized edges. I work in two batches even though it takes a few extra minutes. A wok gives you slightly crispier results because of the concentrated heat at the bottom, but my 12-inch skillet does the job every time.
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Low Carb Cashew Beef Ingredients
2 pounds flank or skirt steak -
3 tablespoons avocado oil
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1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
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1 teaspoon black pepper
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1½ cups broccoli florets
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1/4 medium yellow onion. diced
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3 tablespoons butter
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4 cloves garlic, minced
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1 teaspoon ground ginger
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1 cup cashews
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1/3 cup soy sauce, tamari or liquid aminos
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1/3 cup sweet chili sauce
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2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Coconut Cauliflower Rice Ingredients
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1 medium head cauliflower (enough to yield 4 cups of riced cauliflower)
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2 tablespoons avocado oil
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1/4 medium yellow onion, diced
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1/4 teaspoon salt
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1 cup canned coconut milk
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Thinly slice the steak
Slice steak into thin strips, against the grain.
- 2 pounds flank or skirt steak
Sear the steak
In a large skillet, heat avocado oil to medium-high heat. Add sliced steak, arrowroot powder and black pepper. Stir to combine. Let cook over until seared (about 5 minutes).
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 tablespoons arrowroot powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Add the veggies and nuts
Add broccoli florets and diced onion to the skillet. Stir to combine. Mix in butter, minced garlic, ground ginger and cashews. Let cook for 2 minutes or until the steak starts to get crispy.
- 1½ cups broccoli florets
- 1/4 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 cup cashews
Get saucy
Stir in soy sauce, sweet chili sauce and rice vinegar. Cook until sauce slightly thickens. Remove from heat.
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup sweet chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Make cauliflower rice
Cut the cauliflower into small pieces, removing the stems. Working in batches, place 1 cup of the cauliflower pieces in the food processor at a time and pulse until it looks like rice. Empty into a bowl and repeat processing until you have 4 cups.
- 1 medium cauliflower head
Flavor components for coconut rice
Heat 2 tablespoons avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the remaining onion and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Mince the remaining garlic and add to the skillet. Sauté for an additional minute, stirring so it doesn’t burn.
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1/4 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Cook cauliflower rice
Add the cauliflower rice and the salt to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3-5 minutes until tender.
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Finish coconut rice
Add coconut milk to the rice and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the cauliflower rice is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.
- 1 cup canned coconut milk
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use chicken instead of beef?
I've made this with thinly sliced chicken thighs and the sauce works just as well. Cut them about 1/4 inch thick and sear the same way. Chicken cooks faster, so pull it at 3-4 minutes instead of 5. If you're looking for more chicken dinners, my keto teriyaki chicken has a similar flavor profile.
Can I make this dairy-free?
The only dairy is the butter. I've swapped in ghee and it tastes almost identical (same rich, nutty flavor). Coconut oil works too, or you can skip the added fat entirely. The sauce has enough body on its own.
What does arrowroot powder do in this recipe?
I use it to thicken the sauce and help the steak get a better sear. Arrowroot has 7x the thickening power of flour, so you need very little. I prefer it over cornstarch because arrowroot stays glossy. Cornstarch gets gluey as it sits, especially in leftovers.
Is this recipe gluten-free?
It is if you use tamari or coconut aminos instead of regular soy sauce. Regular soy sauce contains wheat. I use tamari most of the time because the flavor is nearly identical, and coconut aminos work if you want a slightly sweeter, soy-free option.
How do I keep the cashews crunchy for leftovers?
I keep them in a separate container and add them right before eating. They get soft and chewy after sitting in sauce overnight. My reader Gina figured out the same trick after making this four times, and I do it every time now.
Can I use frozen broccoli?
I do when I'm short on time. Thaw it first and pat it dry with a paper towel, otherwise the extra water steams the beef instead of letting it sear. Fresh broccoli gives you slightly crispier edges, but frozen works in a pinch.
What's the best way to freeze this stir-fry?
I freeze just the beef and broccoli (no rice, no cashews) in freezer-safe bags, pressed flat so they stack. It keeps for 2-3 months. I thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stovetop over medium heat. The sauce comes back together perfectly. Make fresh cauliflower rice and add cashews when you serve it.
My daughter refuses broccoli in literally any other form and she ate every floret. That's the review.
Swapped soy sauce for coconut aminos since I was out, and the sauce came out sweeter, which actually worked great with the sweet chili sauce. Also threw in some snap peas with the broccoli and they held up fine through the stir fry, still had crunch. Might just stick with aminos going forward. Four stars because I cut the steak too thick the first time and couldn't get the sear right, but thin slices against the grain on the second batch made all the difference.
First time making this style of stir-fry with arrowroot instead of cornstarch and the sear on the steak was completely different, those edges got this real caramelized crust I could never get before. Sweet-spicy sauce over cauliflower rice was freaking good and now I'm kicking myself for waiting so long to try it. Does the arrowroot keep the sauce from getting gluey or is that just what the butter base does?
Arrowroot mostly. Cornstarch gets gluey as it sits, arrowroot stays glossy. Butter helps it stick to the beef but doesn't really thicken.
My son picks around everything in a stir fry but ate every cashew in the pan and then asked why there weren't more. Doubling them next time.
Ha. Kid votes are the most honest ones. The sauce soaks into the cashews and they just kind of disappear. Double them.
Fourth time making this. Keep the cashews on the side for leftovers so they stay crunchy
Smart move. I do the same thing now. The cashews get kind of sad and chewy when they sit in the sauce overnight.