I think I’ve told you before that Ben’s and my favorite Chinese joint from way back in the day, who had THE BEST ORANGE BEEF EVER, switched owners a few years ago and all their awesome recipes, including our favorite one for crispy orange beef, went with ’em. I hate when that happens! Since then we’ve been on the hunt for a copycat recipe to make at home but all the ones we’ve tried have been too greasy, too orangey, too…just not the same.
That being said, last week I got an orange beef craving so I decided to conquer this bad boy once and for all. The recipe had to be perfectly orangey – not overwhelming or underwhelmingly so – and NOT deep fat fried. I mean don’t get me wrong, crispy, deep fried beef is the bees knees but it’s just not practical for me to deep fry at home.
The good news is that orange beef doesn’t have to be deep fat fried to be fantastic. Lighter Orange Beef and Broccoli is stir fried in just 1 Tablespoon oil – total – which gives the beef a mouthwatering taste and texture that I know you’ll love.
Swapping deep fat frying for stir frying was the easy part. The sauce is what I really needed to master, so I made this dish 3 times in 5 days to make sure I really nailed it. The result is killer. Perfectly orangey, not too sweet, not too heavy – as Goldilocks would say, it’s just right!
Start with da beef! You’ll need 1-1/2lb flank or sirloin steak cut very thin and against the grain – almost shaved, if you can swing it. I bought a big flank steak then sliced it in half, and then sliced each half into…slices.
Pop the beef into a big ziplock bag then add 1 Tablespoon each cornstarch and soy sauce or gluten-free Tamari. Seal the top then squish to coat the beef as evenly as you can.
Pop the beef into the fridge to marinate for 20 minutes or so.
Next make the sauce. In a bowl combine 2 teaspoons orange zest with a bevy of orange-sauce-inspired ingredients like orange juice, of course, chicken broth (just trust me,) soy sauce or gluten-free Tamari, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, sugar, red chili pepper flakes, and sesame oil.
A note on orange juice: I’m recommending that you use pre-made orange juice (like Simply Orange) or juice made from concentrate in this recipe vs fresh-squeezed, and here’s why. The orange I buy today will taste different tomorrow, and the next day and the day after that. Furthermore, the oranges I buy here in Iowa are probably going to taste different than the oranges you might buy in Florida, for instance. The only way to make sure this recipe turns out tasting the same for both of us is to use pre-made juice, which is carefully blended to always taste the same, similar to how wine companies take careful measures to make sure their cabernet always tastes like their cabernet.Â
Already long story short – use fresh squeezed if you desire (I have with this recipe and it still tasted great!) but just know that fresh oranges vary in sweetness and sourness levels depending on age and location.
Aaaaanway, add 2 teaspoons cornstarch, which will help thicken up the sauce, then set it aside.
Time took cook! Heat a large wok or nonstick skillet over high heat then add 4 cups broccoli florets and 1/4 cup water then stir fry until the broccoli is crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes. Remove the broccoli to a plate then set aside. Broccoli isn’t necessarily typical in crispy orange beef, but I like it…so I added it!
Next heat 1 Tablespoon grapeseed or vegetable oil in the wok then add half the beef in one even layer. Let it sit undisturbed for 30 seconds before flipping and cooking quickly on the other side. The thinner the beef, then faster it will cook. Make sure not to overcook the beef or else it can turn tough. Remove to a plate then repeat with the remaining beef, and then add that to the plate.
Add the sauce to the skillet then let it bubble for 5 minutes, or until thickened and reduced, then add the beef and broccoli back in.
Toss to warm everything back up, then you’re done!
Scoop the orange beef and broccoli over cooked rice and serve.
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Lighter Orange Beef and Broccoli
Description
Gluten-free Lighter Orange Beef and Broccoli is healthier but just as delicious as the restaurant version!
Ingredients
- 1-1/2lb flank or sirloin steak cut very thin (shaved if you can!)
- 1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoons soy sauce or gluten-free Tamari, divided
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch, divided
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup orange juice (for best results use pre-made or from concentrate, not fresh)
- 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 Tablespoon grapeseed or vegetable oil
- cooked rice, for serving
Directions
- Add steak to a large ziplock bag then add 1 Tablespoon each soy sauce or Tamari and cornstarch. Seal then squish to evenly coat and then place in the refrigerator to marinate for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine remaining 1/4 cup soy sauce or Tamari and remaining 1 Tablespoon cornstarch with chicken broth, orange juice, rice vinegar, sugar, orange zest, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and red chili pepper flakes then set aside.
- Heat a large wok or nonstick skillet over high heat then add broccoli and water. Stir fry until broccoli is crisp tender, 3-4 minutes then remove to a plate and set aside.
- Heat oil in wok then add half the marinated beef in one layer. Do not disturb for 30 seconds, or until bottom is golden brown. Flip slices then saute until second side is golden brown. This should go very quickly if your beef is cut thin enough. Also, don't overcook the beef or it can turn tough. Remove to a plate then cook remaining beef and then add to plate.
- Add the sauce to the wok then cook until thickened and reduced, about 5 minutes. Add cooked beef and broccoli back into the wok then scoop over cooked rice when warmed through.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Luuuuscious! Perfectly orangey and much healthier than the deep fried restaurant version. By the way, I have made this recipe with chicken and it’s just as delish. Either way, you can’t go wrong. Enjoy!
Amanda 04.21.2014
This was AWESOME! Made it tonite. :)
Kristin 04.22.2014
That’s awesome!
Candy 04.21.2014
Arrowhead Mills makes yummy gluten-free organic sprouted corn flakes that taste better than the real thing!
Elicia 04.21.2014
How was the Grandma’s Holiday salad modified for your new diet? Did you use homemade whipped cream? To my knowledge Cool Whip is not GF.
Kristin 04.21.2014
No modifications to the recipe needed – Cool Whip is gluten free!
Emily @ Life on Food 04.21.2014
This is one of my favorite Chinese take out orders. I love that you made a light version and it is super simple. No more take out for me.
Polly @ Tasty Food Project 04.21.2014
Looks like you had a fun Easter!
That orange beef and broccoli dish looks delicious! I like how you added orange zest to it!
holly beltran 04.21.2014
O-M-G I need to try this. It looks so good! Thanks for posting!
Jodi 04.21.2014
Here in Ohio we use potato chips on top of that casserole. Those are gluten free! :)
Alexandra Aimee 04.21.2014
Oh my gosh Lincolin is already so big!
— Alex at Cashmere Kangaroo
Katya 04.21.2014
I love the lighter version!!! not breaded and fried. Yeay to that! Looks absolutely delicious. Thanks for sharing !
Tammy 04.21.2014
I know that you found a good substitute for the cream of chicken soup, but I just thought I would share what I use in case you ever want a ready-made solution. This brand seems to be in most HyVees in the area:
Jackie 04.21.2014
Can’t wait to try this recipe!
eat good 4 life 04.21.2014
This looks terrific. Lucky you that your family was able to visit from out of town, that makes the holidays even more especial. My family is all scattered around in Europe so I wish I could have spend it with them. Maybe next year. Great pictures by the way!!
Tom @ Raise Your Garden 04.21.2014
Greetings from Buffalo!
Love this recipe. Just what I needed after all that chocolate I ate yesterday….need to lighten up a bit. Still feeling a little sick from too much sugar.
Thanks! =)
Kelly Mitchem 04.21.2014
Looks like you all had a great Easter!
heather 04.21.2014
They’re not quite crumbled corn flakes, but a quite decent amount to try as substitute. Hope this is worth looking into for next time!
heather 04.21.2014
(PS I totally dont work for them, my sister was born allergic to most things in life.)
Lyndall 04.21.2014
You can get GF cornflakes here in Australia…. sure you can get then in the US too ;)
P.s. love the blog
sarah 04.21.2014
we use the gf chex in place of cornflakes on casseroles-and although not quite as crunchy, it definitely is better than no crunch at all
Kristin 04.21.2014
That’s what we’ve been using in place of panko. I’ll have to give it a try on the potatoes sometime!
Ashley @ Coffee Cake and Cardio 04.21.2014
What a great weekend! Happy Easter. I’ll definitely have to add this to my dinner list!
Chicago Jogger 04.21.2014
So sweet, happy Easter! I’m going to try this recipe but sub chicken instead. Love anything orange-flavored in a stir fry.
Maghan 04.21.2014
I made your Kale and Wild Rice salad for Easter, sans chicken, as a side and it was a HUGE hit. We even conquered a non kale lover with it. Great job, it was deeeelicious! This looks awesome too….adding it to my recipe box right now!
Maghan
Kristin 04.21.2014
So glad to hear you all liked it!! :)