Skip to content
KETOFOCUS.

Sweater weather calls for keto comfort food. Get Cozy →

Low Carb Cashew Beef

When I want takeout flavor, this 20-minute low carb cashew beef delivers. Rich, savory, and 14.3g net carbs with 38.9g protein. I reworked the sauce and swaps in Tieghan's Half Baked Harvest recipe to cut carbs from 47.9g to under 15g net per serving.
  • 14.3gnet carbs
  • 38.9gprotein
  • 20minutes
  • 6servings

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.

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 net 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.

A bowl of low-carb cashew beef with broccoli over coconut rice.

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.

A wooden spoon holding a serving of saucy cashew beef with broccoli.

How to cut the carbs even lower

Even after cutting the carbs by two-thirds, 14 grams per serving is still high if you’re eating strict keto. Here’s how I lower them further:

  • Use half the onion: I’ve tested this with a full onion and half an onion (split between the stir-fry and coconut rice). You can skip it in the rice without losing much. Saves 0.3 grams net carbs per serving.
  • Pull back on garlic: There’s a lot of garlic in this recipe, and I love it. But you can drop it from the cauliflower rice and still have plenty of garlic flavor from the beef. Saves 0.4 grams net carbs per serving.
  • Use less arrowroot powder: I kept Tieghan’s original amount, but since arrowroot has 7x the thickening power of flour, you really only need 1 teaspoon. Saves 0.7 grams net carbs per serving.
  • Skip or reduce the coconut rice: I love serving this over the coconut cauliflower rice, but it adds an extra 1.9 carbs per serving. The stir-fry is filling enough on its own.

With all of those tweaks, you’re down to 11.0 net carbs per serving. You can cut even more by reducing the cashews to 1/2 cup.

A low-carb version of the half baked harvest recipe for cashew beef in a bowl topped with cilantro and jalapeno over coconut cauliflower rice.

Storage and meal prep

I store the stir-fry in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. For longer storage, I freeze just the beef and broccoli (no rice, no cashews) in freezer-safe bags for up to 2-3 months, pressed flat so they stack. I thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stovetop over medium heat, then make fresh cauliflower rice and add cashews when serving. Keep the cashews separate until you’re ready to eat (they get soft in the sauce overnight).

For meal prep, I make a double batch of just the beef and broccoli on Sunday and portion it into containers. The coconut cauliflower rice only takes about 10 minutes, so I usually make it fresh during the week. Reheat the stir-fry in the microwave or on the stovetop. If you’re building out your weekly meal prep, my sheet pan chicken and veggies and sheet pan fajitas are my other go-to batch recipes.

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.

Discover more keto recipes on our channel Hundreds of keto recipe videos, with step by step instructions and the tips that make keto easy.
KetoFocus
The recipe

Low Carb Cashew Beef

Print Pin
Prep 10 min Cook 10 min Total 20 min Serves 6

Ingredients

Servings 6

Low Carb Cashew Beef Ingredients

Coconut Cauliflower Rice Ingredients

Step by Step Instructions

  1. Thinly slice the steak

    Slice steak into thin strips, against the grain.

    For this step

    • 2 pounds flank or skirt steak
    Flank steak cut into thin strips on a cutting board with a knife next to it.
  2. 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).

    For this step

    • 3 tablespoons avocado oil
    • 1 tablespoons arrowroot powder
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper
    Strips of flank steak searing in a skillet.
  3. 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.

    For this step

    • 1½ cups broccoli florets
    • 1/4 medium yellow onion, diced
    • 4 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 teaspoon ginger powder
    • 1 cup cashews
    A skillet with steak, broccoli, cashews and butter inside.
  4. Get saucy

    Stir in soy sauce, sweet chili sauce and rice vinegar. Cook until sauce slightly thickens. Remove from heat.

    For this step

    • 1/3 cup soy sauce
    • 1/3 cup sweet chili sauce
    • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
    Pouring soy sauce into a skillet with beef, broccoli and sweet chili sauce.
  5. 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.

    For this step

    • 1 medium cauliflower head
    Cauliflower florets sit next to a food processor with riced cauliflower inside.
  6. 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.

    For this step

    • 2 tablespoon avocado oil
    • 1/4 medium yellow onion, diced
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    A skillet with sauteed onion and garlic.
  7. Cook cauliflower rice

    Add the cauliflower rice and the salt to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3-5 minutes until tender.

    For this step

    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    Rice cauliflower cooking inside a skillet.
  8. 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.

    For this step

    • 1 cup canned coconut milk
    Pouring coconut milk into a skillet with riced cauliflower.
  9. Finish the dish

    Pour cashew beef mixture over coconut rice. Garnish with lime zest, cilantro and diced jalapeno.

    A bowl with cashew beef next to cauliflower rice and topped with cilantro.

Nutrition

Per serving: 1/6 of recipe

Calories
641
Fat
47.7g
Protein
38.9g
Total carbs
16.9g
Net carbs
14.3g

Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed. Brands vary, so check labels if you track closely.

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, once it reaches 165 degrees inside. 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, and what can I substitute for it?

I use it to thicken the sauce and help the steak get a better sear. I prefer it over cornstarch because arrowroot stays glossy. Cornstarch gets gluey as it sits, especially in leftovers, but it works as a straight swap at the same 1 tablespoon if that's what you have. Tapioca starch is the closer match if your store carries it.

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.

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.

Browse by ingredient
Similar recipes

People who cooked Low Carb Cashew Beef also made

Reviews

Tap to rate

4.7 from 23 ratings, 14 written

Made this recipe?

Replying to Min Y.

Your rating

Gene

This tasted just like the takeout I gave up two years ago! SO good, and the sauce was the best part.

Reply

Camila

Sweet chili sauce is what makes this one work. Most keto stir-fries drop it or fake it with sweetener, and you can tell. The ratio here keeps carbs under 15g but still gets the sauce sticky. I sliced the flank as thin as I could and the sear gave it something to grip.

Reply

Donna

Annie, cashew beef is one I’d given up on. Figured keto couldn’t get that sauce right. The arrowroot is what does it. 14 grams and I stopped doing the math.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Arrowroot is the whole trick. I prefer it over cornstarch because it stays glossy instead of going gluey, and you only need a tablespoon. 14g for a sauce that clings like that is hard to argue with.

Reply

Kelly

didn’t know I could still have this. four stars.

Reply

Brittany

I’m making this for my mom’s visit next weekend, she’s been doing low carb too.

Reply

Stephanie

Anyone know what I can sub for arrowroot powder? Can’t find it at my usual store.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Stephanie, cornstarch is the easiest sub, same 1 tablespoon. Sauce comes out a little gluey instead of that glossy finish arrowroot gives, but the flavor is the same. Tapioca starch is actually the closer match if your store carries it.

Reply

Mike

One thing I stumbled on: toast the cashews in the butter for a couple minutes before adding anything else. They go golden and pick up this deep nutty crunch that holds up even under all that sauce. Night and day from just stirring them in at the end. Also swapped the broccoli for snap peas last time because that’s what I had, and honestly they work even better here, they don’t go soft as fast.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Toasting the cashews in the butter first before anything else goes in, I’ve never actually done it that way. Makes sense though. The butter picks up the nutty flavor and the cashew gets a crust before the sauce can weigh it down. The snap peas thing tracks too. They hold their bite way better than broccoli when you’re not babysitting the heat, broccoli goes limp fast in a stir fry.

Reply

Mike

Yeah that tracks. The sauce can’t soften what’s already got a crust on it.

Reply

Holly

Neighborhood potluck last Saturday and a friend who cooks for a living spent a while examining the rice before asking what kind it was. I waited until she’d finished her plate to say it was cauliflower. The sauce is sticky enough to coat everything evenly and holds together on a platter without looking like a mess. She laughed and said the arrowroot suddenly made sense. I’d push the garlic higher next time but this is going on the regular party rotation.

Reply

Annie Lampella

The chef cracking the arrowroot before the cauliflower reveal is the best part of that story. Six cloves next time, the sauce holds up to it.

Reply

Todd

Made this Saturday because it was too hot to think about turning on the oven. My wife usually ignores whatever keto thing I’m testing, but she finished her plate and then I caught her picking the cashews out of what was left in the pan. When I asked what she was doing she just said they were too good to leave. The steak seared up fast at that high heat and the sauce came together in just a few minutes, so we were eating in under 25 minutes total. One thing I’d tweak is adding more broccoli since it shrinks down more than I expected. Going into the summer rotation for sure.

Reply

Min Y.

My son picked every cashew out and ate them separately, which I took as a compliment. He normally leaves anything with broccoli on the plate, so watching him work through the whole bowl told me something about that sauce.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Cashew picker means it worked. Broccoli cleared too, that’s the real review.

Reply

Quinn

Six batches in and I finally nailed it: coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, double the ginger. The sauce goes from good to embarrassingly good over cauliflower rice.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Yeah, coconut aminos is a touch sweeter than soy so the double ginger makes sense. Embarrassingly good over cauliflower rice is a high bar.

Reply

Danielle

I didn’t have arrowroot powder so I used a teaspoon of cornstarch instead, fully expecting something to go wrong. But the sauce still thickened up around the steak just fine. I also had some snap peas in the fridge that needed to go, threw those in with the broccoli, and the crunch they added against the cashews was actually a really nice surprise. Going in the weeknight rotation for sure.

Reply

Annie Lampella

snap peas with cashews, crunch on crunch. cornstarch works fine, arrowroot just stays glossier as it sits. not enough difference to matter on a weeknight.

Reply

Olivia

My daughter refuses broccoli in literally any other form and she ate every floret. That’s the review.

Reply

Annie Lampella

That sweet chili sauce on the broccoli is sneaky. Hard to say no to it.

Reply

Riley Y.

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.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Yeah, flank steak forgives almost nothing when it’s too thick. Second batch is the one that counts.

Reply

Heather

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.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Ha. Kid votes are the most honest ones. The sauce soaks into the cashews and they just kind of disappear. Double them.

Reply

Keep going

More Dinner Recipes

See all 172 Dinner recipes

Get new recipes from Annie

One email a week. Unsubscribe whenever you like.