A savory dinner that comes together in 25 minutes, this Korean ground beef and broccoli recipe is great for busy weeknights. A budget-friendly twist on the traditional recipe, this ground beef version has the same comforting flavor but with a great price cut.
Trying to find ways to use up the ground beef you got on sale in your freezer? Along with a gluten-free egg roll in a bowl, gluten-free mini meatloaf, and slow cooker taco meat, this Korean beef and broccoli is a must-try.
As a Certified Nutrition Coach, I love being able to get my clients to eat a high protein diet (that they don’t hate) while saving money. And this beef and broccoli recipe helps them do just that (learn more about buying meat on a budget to help you out!).
This gluten-free weeknight dinner recipe gives you the best of both worlds: punches of comforting flavor and a quick and easy meal that the family will love.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Quick: This Korean ground beef and broccoli whips up in just 25 minutes making it a simple dinner on busy nights.
Healthy: With some easy swaps this recipe is dairy-free and gluten-free though you can make it paleo-approved as well.
Versatile: Serve the beef and broccoli over rice or something lighter like spaghetti squash to switch it up. It makes for wonderful meal prep.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Below is a quick shot of the ingredients you need, however, there are lots of substitutions you can make.
Cornstarch or tapioca flour can be used in place of arrowroot starch. Whichever one you have in your gluten-free pantry.
Double-check that both your soy sauce and Gochujang is gluten-free as both are a common source of hidden gluten.
If you need this Korean beef and broccoli recipe to be paleo-approved, use coconut aminos in place of soy sauce and omit the gochujang sauce. Likewise, ensure you use coconut palm sugar and not regular brown sugar.
Expert Tips To Make It
You can either steam the broccoli in a separate steamer or pop it into the ground beef once it’s almost cooked after it’s been coated in the arrowroot powder. Just pop a lid on the skillet to steam it. You’ll need to chop the broccoli small for this to work though.
Make the rice the day before and just reheat it to save you time in the kitchen.
How To Make Korean Beef and Broccoli
Step 1: Brown the beef until no pink remains before coating it in arrowroot powder.
Step 2: Whisk together the sauce ingredients.
Step 3: Pour the sauce over the ground beef and add in the steamed broccoli.
Step 4: Give everything a stir and cook for 2 more minutes before serving.
How To Serve Them
Truthfully, I enjoy this recipe as-is without any grains for lunch all the time. If you make a big batch, it’s amazing for meal prep. However, as a quick dinner recipe, we most often serve it over top of:
- Whole30 cauliflower rice
- Gluten-free quinoa noodles
- Steamed rice
- Portioned into lettuce wraps
How To Store It
Once cooked and cooled, store the mixture in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. You can store it with the rice or separately.
Reheat it in the microwave until warmed through or in a skillet over low heat with some extra water to freshen it back up.
I haven’t tried freezing the mixture yet so not sure about that.
Flavor Variations
Below are a few healthy ways to adjust the flavor to give your taste buds something new if you’re making it a lot.
Vegetables: Add in some julienned carrots or very thinly sliced bell peppers to beef up the mixture and stretch it.
Spice: If you like it hot, using a jalapeno or red pepper flakes is a great way to spice it up.
Protein: You could easily use ground venison or ground turkey in place of ground beef if you have some on hand.
Tacos: Skip the broccoli and just make the Korean beef mixture, then portion it onto gluten-free tortillas with a few taco fixings.
FAQs
Sure! Typically, Korean beef and broccoli are made with top sirloin cut into strips. Grabbing stir-fry beef from the grocery store will work as well.
Other Gluten-Free Recipes
- What’s for dinner tonight? 30 healthy recipes
- 45 Dairy and gluten-free dinner ideas
- Dairy-free slow cooker recipes
- Slow cooker beef fajitas
Gluten-Free Korean Beef and Broccoli
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 1 Tablespoon Arrowroot powder
- ¼ cup Gluten-free soy Sauce or Tamari
- ¼ cup Coconut palm sugar
- 4 Garlic Cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons Sesame Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Gochujang optional or to taste, confirm gluten-free
- 3 cups Broccoli Florets
- 2.5 cups Cooked Rice for serving
- Sesame Seeds optional, for serving
Instructions
- In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until well-browned and no pink remains, about 5-7 minutes.
- Meanwhile, steam the broccoli in a steamer basket over boiling water for approximately 4 minutes.
- Stir in the arrowroot powder until the ground beef is well-coated and cook for 3 additional minutes until beef is dark brown and crunchy.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the soy sauce, coconut palm sugar, garlic cloves, sesame oil and gochujang until sugar is completely dissolved. Pour the mixture over the beef and stir to combine.
- Cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the steamed broccoli and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes until sauce is completely absorbed by the beef and broccoli.
- Serve on rice and garnish with sesame seeds.
Notes
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Shelby S says
This has become our new favorite dinner recipe! It's easy to whip up and the kids love the flavor.