Sheet Pan Beef and Broccoli (Whole30, Low Carb, Gluten Free)

May 23, 2023

Need a fast and tasty paleo dinner? Just toss thinly sliced beef and broccoli onto a sheet pan along with my indispensable All Purpose Stir Fry Sauce, and bake it all in the oven for about 15 minutes! This weeknight winner isn’t just a meal prep superstar—it’s also gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, Whole30, and low-carb!

An overhead shot of sheet pan broccoli and beef topped with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

Prep the ingredients

Pro Tip!

The easiest beef and broccoli!

This sheet pan beef and broccoli recipe is my healthy spin on one of my favorite Chinese takeout dishes. Just slice up some beef and broccoli, throw everything on a sheet pan, pop it in the oven, and dinner is ready in a flash—no need to dirty a large skillet or wok! Best of all, your family will beg for seconds!

A smiling Asian woman is holding a sheet pan filled with Chinese beef and broccoli right out of the oven.

Tips on how to make the best sheet pan beef and broccoli

All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce and Umami Stir-Fry Powder are my secret flavor boosters for this recipe! They impart the perfect balance of umami, tang, and sweetness to the dish without the need for soy sauce, brown sugar, shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, or a cornstarch slurry.
To keep the beef tender, slice it across the grain! No one likes gnawing through leathery beef, so make sure to cut the meat in uniform ¼-inch thick slices AGAINST the grain. One of the main reasons I prefer flank steak for stir-fries is because it’s easy to cut the correct way!
Broil at the end! When the sheet pan is mostly cooked, pour on the sauce and pop the tray under the broiler. This final blast of high heat will thicken the sauce and brown the beef and broccoli stir-fry. (Obviously, you should still keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn!)

Ingredients

Flank steak: My favorite cut of beef for this recipe is flank steak, but flap steak, sirloin steak, and skirt steak also work.
Broccoli florets: Yes, you can substitute or add different vegetables (e.g., mushrooms, bell peppers, carrots, snow peas, snap peas, etc.) but we are making beef and BROCCOLI, people. Get with the program!
Umami Stir Fry Powder: Longtime Nomsters know how much I love using my versatile seasoning salt in all of my Asian-inspired dishes. This seasoning salt recipe is featured in our green cookbook or you can buy it on Amazon or at The Spice Lab. If you can’t manage to make or buy some, you can use an equal amount of Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce: This amazing sauce (made with coconut aminos, fish sauce, orange juice, rice vinegar, ground garlic and ginger, and sesame oil) is my favorite shortcut to paleo-friendly Asian dishes! Always keep a bottle in the fridge for dinner emergencies.
Avocado oil: This is my favorite high temperature vegetable oil.
Arrowroot powder: To keep this recipe grain-free, I use arrowroot powder in place of cornstarch to help thicken the sauce. You can also use tapioca starch if you don’t have arrowroot powder.
Toasted sesame seeds (optional garnish)
Green onions (optional garnish)

How to make Sheet Pan Beef and Broccoli

Prep the ingredients

Heat the oven to 425°F convection roast or 450°F conventional with the rack in the upper-middle position.

Pro Tip!

While the oven is heating up, chill the flank steak in the freezer for about 15 minutes. This’ll make it easier to slice.

A hand is holding a white plate with a raw piece of flank steak that is headed for the freezer.

Cut the flank steak in half lengthwise, along the grain of the meat. Next, cut the beef crosswise, against the grain, into thin slices that are ¼-inch thick.

Four sequential photos of an Asian woman cutting a raw piece of flank steak in half before cutting the meat into thin strips, against the grain, and putting them into a bowl.

In a large bowl, season the sliced flank steak with 1 tablespoon of arrowroot powder, ½ teaspoon of Umami Stir Fry Powder (or Diamond Crystal kosher salt), and 1 tablespoon of avocado oil. Toss well to combine.

Four sequential shots that show someone adding arrowroot powder, Umami Stir Fry powder, and avocado oil to a bowl of thinly sliced raw flank steak.

Grab a large rimmed baking sheet and lightly coat it with avocado oil or avocado oil spray.

An Asian woman is brushing a sheet pan with some avocado oil.

Arrange the seasoned meat in a single layer on about two-thirds of the pan.

A spoon is arranging sliced raw flank steak in a single layer on half of a sheet pan.

Toss the broccoli with ½ teaspoon of Umami Stir-Fry Powder (or Diamond Crystal kosher salt) and the remaining tablespoon of oil.

Four photos of an Asian woman tossing broccoli florets with Umami Stir Fry powder and avocado oil in a clear bowl.

Bake the sheet pan beef and broccoli

Arrange the seasoned broccoli in a single layer next to the beef and pop the tray in the oven for 10 minutes.

An overhead shot of sheet pan beef and broccoli ready to go in the oven.

Prepare the sauce

While the sheet pan is cooking, whisk together All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce and 1 teaspoon of arrowroot powder.

Whisking arrowroot powder into All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce in a liquid measuring cup.

When the cooking time is up, the beef and broccoli should be mostly cooked through.

Someone lifting a sheet pan filled with sliced beef and broccoli out of the oven so sauce can be added to it.

Take the pan out of the oven and pour the sauce on top of the sheet pan…

An Asian woman is pouring a brown sauce onto a sheet pan filled with sliced beef and broccoli.

…tossing everything well. Rearrange the beef and broccoli so that everything’s in a single layer again.

A pair of tongs is rearranging the beef and broccoli on the sheet pan before putting it under the broiler.

Broil the sheet pan to finish

Turn on the broiler of the oven and broil the sheet pan for 3 to 5 minutes…

An Asian woman is putting a sheet pan beef and broccoli under the broiler in an open oven.

…or until the sauce thickens and the meat and broccoli are browned in parts.

A rimmed baking sheet filled with Chinese beef and broccoli right out of the oven.

Garnish and serve!

Sprinkle on the toasted sesame seeds and sliced scallions, if desired.

An Asian woman is sprinkling sliced green onions onto a rimmed baking sheet filled with Chinese beef and broccoli.

Dig in!

A side view of a ready to serve sheet pan beef and broccoli.

What do you serve with it?

Like any traditional Chinese stir fry, you can serve my sheet pan beef and broccoli with white rice or jasmine rice. If you’re eating low carb, paleo, orWhole30, you can serve it with a simple cauliflower rice, Golden Cauliflower Fried Rice, or on top of salad greens.

How do you save leftovers?

Leftover sheet pan beef and broccoli can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can reheat leftovers in an Anyday bowl in a microwave for about 90 seconds on high or until heated through.

More paleo sheet pan dinners!

Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).