Jump to Recipe· 5 from 36 reviews

This ground beef and broccoli is a simple and cost-effective one-pan meal. It’s gluten-free, soy-free, paleo, and AIP-friendly.

Ground beef and broccoli in a bowl with cauliflower rice.

Beef and broccoli is a flavorful restaurant classic! It’s one of my favorite dishes to make at home, but buying sirloin or flank steak can get expensive. I love cooking with ground beef for simple and cost-effective cooking in recipes like gluten-free hamburger helper and my ground beef ramen stir fry! So, I made a beef and broccoli copycat with ground beef!

Not only is it cheaper than buying steak, but it’s easier to cook, and comes together much more quickly than traditional beef and broccoli. It’s the perfect easy, one pan weeknight meal.

Table of contents

Why you’ll love ground beef and broccoli

  • A one-pan wonder! No extra dishes, just everything in one pan!
  • Protein and veggies all in one meal. This recipe is protein-packed and has extra nutrients and fiber from the broccoli.
  • Beef and broccoli are a flavor match made in heaven. I love my recipe for gluten-free chicken and broccoli too, but beef and broccoli is just perfection.
  • Ground meat is the ultimate meal prep hack. Not only does it cook faster than roasts or whole cuts of meat, but it requires zero chopping.

Recipe Ingredients

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Ground beef and broccoli ingredients in separate bowls
  • Ground beef. A cheaper and easier alternative to using steak!
  • Broccoli. I like to chop the broccoli into small florets for this recipe 
  • Coconut aminos. This is a soy sauce alternative that’s the base of the sauce.
  • Broth, coconut sugar, apple cider vinegar, ginger, and garlic. These are the rest of the ingredients for the sauce.

Substitutions and modifications

  • Sugar snap peas, zucchini, etc. These would all be great additions to this recipe. I love using snap peas in recipes like my honey garlic beef stir fry, and they’d also work well in this recipe if you want some more green.
  • Teriyaki sauce. This recipe uses a homemade sauce, but you can likely make this with a storebought teriyaki sauce. You may have to add some extra broth to thin it out, but that will just depend on the brand.

How to make Ground Beef & Broccoli

Here are the simple steps, with photos, to make this recipe. Find full instructions in the recipe card.

Sauce for ground beef and broccoli in a bowl with a whisk.

Step one. Prep the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Broccoli sautéing in a pan.

Step two. Saute the broccoli until lightly crisp.

Ground beef and broccoli cooking in a pan without sauce.

Step three. Crumble the ground beef until cooked through. Add the broccoli back to the pan.

Ground beef and broccoli cooking in a pan with sauce.

Step four. Add the sauce and allow to simmer to thicken. Toss to coat the beef and broccoli in the sauce.

Tips & Tricks

  • Use a leaner cut of beef. I don’t like to use 80/20 beef for this recipe as it’s just too much extra fat in the sauce, which impacts the flavor a bit. I much prefer 85/15. You can even use a lower fat beef, but keep in mind that it does dry out much more quickly.
  • Take a shortcut with pre-cut broccoli florets. A lot of stores will sell precut broccoli florets, and that will speed up this recipe even more. I do prefer fresh, but if you use frozen, you should defrost it before you use it and be careful of the excess water. It won’t be as crispy as fresh broccoli, but it’ll work!
  • Adjust the sauce to your liking. I find that sauce can thin out or thicken a lot more quickly depending on what type of cooking surface I’m using. To thicken the sauce further, combine 1 tsp of arrowroot starch with about 1-2 tsp of water in a small bowl. Whisk well and add to the pan. Allow to thicken, and add another mixture if a thicker sauce is desired. If you’d prefer a thinner sauce, add splash of broth and stir to thin out the sauce.
  • Add a side. This recipe is excellent with cauliflower rice, or regular rice if you can tolerate it! It’s also great with a side of vegetables like roasted bok choy. 

Recipes FAQS

Can you cook ground beef and veggies at the same time?

The rule of thumb is to make sure that everything is cooked through to 165 F. However, for this particular recipe, I recommend cooking them separately, as you really want to make sure the ground beef is crumbled thoroughly and that will be harder to do if there are large pieces of broccoli.

What is the best cut of beef for beef and broccoli?

Traditionally, flank steak is the best cut for beef and broccoli. But using ground beef in beef and broccoli cuts down cook time and cost!

Can you meal prep this recipe ahead of time? How should you store it?

Yes! You can make it ahead of time and easily store it for 3-4 in the fridge in glass Tupperware. You can even freeze it for up to a month.

Ground beef and broccoli in a large green pan.

If you tried this Ground Beef and Broccoli  or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!

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Gluten Free Ground Beef & Broccoli

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 36 reviews
  • Author: Michelle
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 15
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Main Dishes
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: Chinese Inspired
  • Diet: Gluten Free
Print Recipe

Description

This ground beef and broccoli is a simple and cost-effective one-pan meal. It’s gluten-free, soy-free, paleo, and AIP-friendly.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1/2 cup coconut aminos
  • 1/3 cup beef broth
  • 2 tsp rice vinegar (sub apple cider vinegar)
  • 1 tbsp coconut sugar
  • 1 tbsp arrowroot starch
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp ginger powder
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil
  • 2 cups broccoli florets
  • 3/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper (omit for AIP)
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 2 tbsp green onion, chopped

Instructions

  1. Whisk the coconut sugar, coconut aminos, broth, apple cider vinegar, arrowroot, garlic powder, and ginger powder together and set aside.
  2. Using a large pan, heat the avocado oil over medium heat. Add the broccoli and lightly season with salt and pepper. Saute for 5-6 minutes or until crisped to your liking. Set aside.
  3. Add the ground beef to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Use a wooden spoon to crumble the beef and brown. Once browned, drain some of the excess fat.
  4. Add the broccoli back to the pan and pour the un sauce mixture. Reduce the heat and stir for 1-2 minutes to allow the sauce to reduce. Toss to fully coat the beef and broccoli in the sauce.
  5. Remove from heat and serve topped with green onion.

Notes

To thicken the sauce further, combine 1 tsp of arrowroot starch with about 1-2 tsp of water in a small bowl. Whisk well and add to the pan. Allow to thicken, and add another mixture if a thicker sauce is desired.

If you’d prefer a thinner sauce, add splash of broth and stir to thin out the sauce.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 275
  • Fat: 10.6g
  • Carbohydrates: 17.6g
  • Fiber: 1.6g
  • Protein: 26.7g