Gluten Free Vegetable Beef Stir Fry
Beef Stir Fry with Vegetables is a quick dinner that you can make on busy nights and know that the entire family will love it. It is easy to prepare, cooks fast, and is packed with juicy steak and crisp-tender fresh vegetables, all coated in a savory-sweet sauce. And with a couple of simple swaps, you can easily make the stir fry sauce gluten free!
Table of Contents
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: Asian
- Primary Cooking Method: Stovetop
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free option, Dairy-free
- Skill Level: Easy
Asian-inspired dishes are always a hit in my house. Whether it’s Egg Roll in a Bowl or a Chicken Stir Fry, almost every week, you’ll find my boys digging into a bowl filled with rice or noodles, meat, veggies, and a flavorful sauce. So, of course, this beef stir fry with colorful veggies is one of my go-to quick and easy dinner recipes when we are running between work, school, sports, and other activities.
It’s faster than waiting for takeout, and with just a couple of simple swaps, I can make it gluten free so that I can enjoy a stir-fried dinner right along with them. A few minutes to prep, marinate while you get everything else ready, and a quick toss in the pan is all you need!
Why You’ll Love this Beef Stir Fry
- Always a favorite. You can never go wrong with a sweet and savory stir fry sauce that brings everyone to the table. Plus, you can customize it with any veggies your family enjoys.
- So quick. By the time you call, order, and wait for delivery or go pick it up, you can have dinner ready, and maybe even with fresher ingredients.
- Easily made gluten free. We’ve replaced the regular soy sauce and plum sauce with simple swaps that won’t have anyone suspecting you’ve changed anything at all.
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s a list of what you’ll need to make this gluten free beef stir fry, plus some notes about the ingredients. Keep reading for additional helpful information and serving ideas. You’ll find all of the amounts and detailed directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Bottom round steak: Cut it into strips across the grain into 1/4 inch x 2 inch slices.
- Duck sauce: Stir fry sauce often contains plum sauce, which is not gluten free. Duck sauce usually is (read the labels!) and gives you the same sweet-and-sour flavor and thick texture.
- Soy sauce: Make sure to use gluten free soy sauce, or another alternative such as tamari or coconut aminos. I like to use Kikkoman gluten free soy sauce because I can easily find it in the grocery store.
- Rice wine vinegar
- Toasted sesame oil
- Garlic: Fresh is best, and make sure it is finely minced or crushed.
- Ginger: Again, you’ll want to opt for fresh, and then mince or grate it.
- Cornstarch: If you avoid cornstarch, you can try tapioca starch, though you may have to use a little extra.
- Vegetables: I use a mix of carrots, yellow bell pepper, and green beans, cut into approximately 2-inch stripes or pieces, all about the same size so they cook evenly.
- Green onions: Slice your scallions and set some of them aside for garnish.
- Avocado oil: You can also use canola or another neutral oil.
🍴 In the Cupcakes & Kale Chips Kitchen…
- Stainless steel wok – I usually pull out my stir fry pan for recipes like this. If you don’t have one, a high side skillet is perfect to fit the beef, veggies, and sauce.
- Tongs – I’m not sure it’s what everyone does, but you’ll usually find me grabbing a pair of tongs because it’s easy to toss everything quickly in the pan since it cooks so fast. I like the ones with silicone tips.
How to Make Beef Stir Fry
- Prep your ingredients. Cut the steak and vegetables into strips all about the same size.
- Make the marinade and sauce. Whisk together the sauce ingredients and separate some into a small bowl. Either now or right before you begin to cook, whisk cornstarch into the reserved stir fry sauce.
- Marinate the steak. Pour the remaining sauce (the portion that does not have the cornstarch) over the steak in a shallow dish or ziploc bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Brown the beef. Heat oil in a pan or wok over high heat and stir fry the steak in batches for just a couple minutes until browned. Remove it from the pan and set aside.
- Stir fry the vegetables. Add the vegetables to the skillet or wok and saute for several minutes. until crisp-tender. Add the reserved stir fry sauce with the cornstarch to the pan. Toss and cook for another few minutes.
- Finish the stir fry. Finally, return the beef to the pan and toss to coat everything evenly with the sauce. It will take just a minute for the sauce to thicken
Tips for Success
- Cut your veggies to a similar size. This will ensure it all cooks evenly. Since the recipe has green beans, you’ll want to base the size of the strips of peppers and carrots on the thickness of the green beans.
- Customize the veggies. Feel free to swap in broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, snow peas, or whatever you love or have on hand. Just follow that “same size” rule.
- Get your pan nice and hot. If you want to keep your stir fry beef tender, you want to stir fry it at a high temperature very quickly to avoid overcooking it.
- Prep ahead. You can chop your veggies the night before or in the morning and keep them covered in the refrigerator. And while the beef only needs to marinate for 30 minutes, you can always start marinating it in the morning so all you have to do is stir fry it when it’s time to make dinner.
- Meal prep lunch. This dish stores and reheats well, so it’s great to make in advance. You can make a batch on the weekend and pack it in containers with your favorite base (rice, noodles, etc.) to reheat for lunches all week. See the storage info below. Just be sure you microwave it until it is steaming so that the rice is safe to eat.
Storing Leftovers
- Refrigerate – Leftover beef stir fry can be kept in a covered, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 or 5 days.
- Reheat – You can then reheat it in the microwave or in a skillet on the stove until hot. Then serve as you like it.
Make it a Meal
There are many wonderful ways to serve this beef stir fry while still keeping your meal gluten free. Of course, rice is gluten free so you can serve it spooned onto white, brown, basmati, or jasmine rice. Keep it a bit lower in carbs with cauliflower rice or in lettuce wraps. Or go with brown rice ramen noodles, which are my boys’ favorite. These are the basics, but you can also add even more deliciousness…
- Give it a drizzle of Peanut Sauce.
- Add even more veggies with a side of Sesame Broccoli.
- Put a twist on surf and turf with Shrimp Rice Paper Rolls.
- Add a side of Sesame Zucchini Noodles.
More Easy Gluten Free Beef Recipes
Beef Stir Fry with Vegetables – Easily Made Gluten Free
Beef Stir Fry with Vegetables is a classic quick and easy dinner for busy nights. Tender steak and fresh vegetables are coated in a savory-sweet sauce. A couple of simple swaps make it gluten free!
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 lb bottom round steak
- 1/4 cup duck sauce
- 1/4 cup gluten free soy sauce tamari, or coconut aminos
- 2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 Tablespoon peeled and minced ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1/4 inch x 2-inch strips (about 1 cup)
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper cut into 1/4 inch x 2-inch strips (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 4 oz whole fresh green beans snapped into 2-inch pieces
- 4 green onions chopped (including tops)
- 2 Tablespoons avocado oil or canola oil
- cooked rice, gluten free ramen noodles, or cauliflower rice , prepared as directed.
Instructions
- Cut 1 lb bottom round steak across the grain into 1/4 inch x 2 inch slices and place in a plastic zipper-top storage bag.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the 1/4 cup duck sauce, 1/4 cup gluten free soy sauce, 2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, 1 Tablespoon minced garlic, and 1 Tablespoon peeled and minced ginger.
- Pour 1/4 cup of the mixtue into a separate small bowl and whisk in 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch. Set aside for later.
- Pour remaining marinade over meat in the bag and marinate at least 30 minutes.
- While it marinates, cut 2 medium carrots into 1/4 inch x 2-inch strips, 1 medium yellow bell pepper into 1/4 inch x 2-inch strips, snap 4 oz whole fresh green beans into 2-inch pieces, and chop 4 green onions. Set aside.
- Remove beef from marinade using a slotted spoon and pat dry. Discard excess marinade.
- Heat a nonstick skillet or wok over high heat. Add 2 Tablespoons avocado oil to the pan and stir-fry beef in two batches for 2 to 3 minutes, and set aside.
- Add carrots, bell pepper, green beans, and green onions to the pan, stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Stir in reserved sauce mixture, tossing constantly for an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.
- Return beef to the pan and toss to coat.
- Serve immediately over cooked rice, gluten free ramen noodles, or cauliflower rice.
Notes
Nutritional information does not include rice or noodles for serving.
Recipe slightly adapted form Certified Angus Beef® brand Beef & Garden Vegetable Stir Fry.
Nutrition Facts
Beef Stir Fry with Vegetables – Easily Made Gluten Free
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 317
Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Fat 14g22%
Saturated Fat 2g10%
Cholesterol 70mg23%
Sodium 1002mg42%
Potassium 735mg21%
Carbohydrates 18g6%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 28g56%
Vitamin A 5470IU109%
Vitamin C 63.3mg77%
Calcium 64mg6%
Iron 3.7mg21%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Disclaimers: Please discuss your individual dietary needs (i.e. gluten free) with a physician. Even when not specified, be sure to verify all ingredients are gluten free, if needed, by reading labels on all packaging and/or confirming with the manufacturer this varies by brand and can change at any time. Nutrition information shown is an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.
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Fantastic. The photo also came out really well. I am not a fan of corn starch, what with all the GMO stuff in it. But this is so useful because you list all the ingredients that are essential for something like this. Did not know what Tamari sauce was. Good tip. It’s not Keto diet perfect, but all in all a healthy meal. Great job.