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April 8, 2021 Asian

Beef Pad Thai

This quick and easy take on beef pad Thai gives you juicy beef sirloin, slippery pad Thai noodles, and an incredibly flavorful sauce tied together in a delicious, complete meal in less than 30 minutes.

Close up photo of beef pad thai

What Makes This Beef Pad Thai So Good

  • First things first, this easy beef pad Thai is based on westernized, Americanized pad Thai, so it’s not what you’d find if you were to eat authentic pad Thai in Thailand. For a truly authentic pad Thai recipe, I recommend checking out Hot Thai Kitchen or RecipeTin Eats.
  • My favorite thing about cooking at home, from scratch, is that you are in 100% control over what goes into your meal and how strong (or mild) your flavors are. This beef pad Thai is no different! Feel free to play with the ingredients and quantities to perfect your pad Thai.
  • It’s super easy to make, and comes together quick. All you need is 30 minutes to create a full meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights. Skip the drive-through and opt for this instead!

Key Ingredients for Beef Pad Thai

Pad Thai Noodles – These medium-ish flat noodles are an important component to pad Thai. If you’ve never had them before, don’t expect an Italian style pasta. Since these are rice flour noodles, they’re cooked differently than wheat flour noodles. They have a different texture once they’re cooked, too. On their own, their flavor is pretty neutral, but they absorb the sauce in the dish so every bite of noodles contains the perfect amount of pad Thai sauce.

Sirloin – Sirloin steak is a juicy, flavorful, lean cut of meat that’s perfect for recipes like this one where you’ll be pan-frying your meat. The cook time will vary a little depending on how thick you slice your sirloin, but only by a minute or two. When you’re slicing it, be sure to slice across the grain.

Beef Pad Thai

Chef’s Tips

  • No coconut sugar on hand? You can use 3 packed tablespoons of light brown sugar instead.
  • Obviously this recipe is for beef pad Thai, but you can use any protein you’d like if you’re not into beef. Chicken, shrimp, tofu, and pork would all be fantastic options!
  • Traditional pad Thai sauce uses tamarind pulp or paste to give it its tang, but we weren’t able to find any tamarind paste locally. Instead, we substituted lime juice and rice vinegar. It’s not quite the same flavor, admittedly, but it’s delicious.

What Do We Mean By Healthy?

Our recipes focus on real ingredients and homemade elements. We try to avoid processed flour and sugar, like white flour or white sugar. Our recipes often swap less healthy options (like a commercial, deep-fried tostada) for an easy homemade version.

Our recipes are not necessarily low fat or low calorie, and we aren’t afraid of fat or carbs! Some of our recipes will be “skinny,” low carb, keto, paleo, dairy free, grain free, gluten free, Whole30, or vegan, and they will be labeled when they qualify for any of these diets. All our recipes are easy and family friendly!

Overhead photo of beef pad thai on a plate

Other Asian-Inspired Recipes You’ll Love

  • Beef with Garlic Sauce
  • Chicken Gyoza
  • Instant Pot Orange Chicken
  • Chinese Vegetable Soup
  • Instant Pot Sushi Rice
  • Best Ever Tom Kha Gai Soup (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)

We hope you loved this recipe as much as we did! We’d love for you to give us a star ★ rating below, and follow us on Instagram! For more delicious, healthy recipes, be sure to check out 40 Aprons.

Close up photo of beef pad thai
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Beef Pad Thai

This quick and easy take on beef pad Thai gives you juicy beef sirloin, slippery pad Thai noodles, and an incredibly flavorful sauce tied together in a delicious, complete meal in less than 30 minutes.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time30 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Asian, Thai
Keyword: noodles, stir fry, takeout
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 545kcal
Author: Cheryl Malik

Equipment

  • Small bowls (2)
  • Large skillet

Ingredients

For the Pad Thai Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 3 tablespoons coconut sugar

For the Pad Thai

  • 8 ounces pad thai noodles
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 red chili sliced
  • 1 1-inch piece ginger grated
  • 4 scallions sliced, white & green parts divided
  • 1 pound sirloin thinly sliced
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups bean sprouts
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • peanuts without shells, for garnish

Instructions

  • In small bowl, mix together ingredients for sauce. Set aside.
    Pad Thai sauce in a small glass mixing bowl
  • Cook noodles according to instructions on package. Drain and set aside.
    Pad Thai noodles in a saucepan
  • Heat avocado oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, red chili, ginger, and white parts of scallions to pan. Sauté one minute, or until fragrant.
    Garlic and red chilis in a skillet
  • Add sirloin to pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 1 to 2 minutes on each side, depending on thickness.
    Thinly sliced beef in skillet with garlic and red chilis
  • Once sirloin is cooked, push everything to edges of pan to create well in center. Break egg into well and scramble, then mix everything together.
    Beef and scrambled egg in large skillet
  • Add noodles to pan, followed by pad Thai sauce. Cook until noodles absorb sauce, approximately 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently.
    Noodles and pad Thai sauce in large skillet with beef and red chilis
  • Once noodles absorb majority of pad Thai sauce, stir in bean sprouts. Cook another 2 to 3 minutes.
    Beef pad thai with bean sprouts in large skillet
  • Portion beef pad Thai onto plates. Garnish with peanuts and green parts of scallions. Serve hot.

Notes

 
Recipe yields approximately 4 servings. Nutritional values shown reflect the information for 1 serving out of 4. Macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands of ingredients used.
To determine the size of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed, then weigh the entire finished recipe. Divide the total weight of the recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by 4. Result will be the weight of one serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 545kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 1168mg | Potassium: 825mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 301IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 130mg | Iron: 3mg | Net Carbs: 22g

March 2, 2021 Asian

Beef with Garlic Sauce

Our beef with garlic sauce is the easy, hearty dish you’ve been looking for! This simple stir fry gives you tender, juicy beef and crisp broccoli in a flavorful garlic sauce. Serve it on a bed of rice or noodles for a delicious Asian-inspired meal.

What Makes Beef with Garlic Sauce So Good

  • It’s ready to eat in no time at all. Less than 20 minutes on the stovetop is all you need to come up with a delicious, filling, healthy dinner you’ll enjoy eating!
  • There’s really very little work involved. You can make your prep even easier by using pre-minced garlic and pre-chopped broccoli, too.
  • It’s naturally low carb! Pair it with a side of this cauliflower fried rice for an incredible Chinese takeout copycat that won’t mess up your macros. Keto: If you’re keto, know that this recipe contains cornstarch, which is not keto-friendly due to its high glycemic index. Since it’s a small amount, you may decide it’s fine for you, or you may be more comfortable substituting. We haven’t tried them, but you may be able to use very small amounts (less than 1 tablespoon) of almond flour, xanthan gum, psyllium husk, or glucomannan powder with success.
Beef with Garlic Sauce

Key Ingredients for Beef with Garlic Sauce

Beef – The key to the best beef with garlic sauce is to use the best beef. Flank steak and sirloin will be way more tender than cheaper cuts of beef.

Cornstarch – You might be tempted to skip this step, but don’t! It really makes a difference. Velveting coats the beef in a protective layer of cornstarch so it doesn’t overcook, and no one wants overcooked, tough, dry beef with garlic sauce.

Chef’s Tips

  • If you’re serving your beef with garlic sauce on a bed of rice, cook your rice before starting the beef recipe. The beef and broccoli will cook faster than the rice, so if you start them at the same time, you’ll be waiting a while to eat!
  • When you slice your beef into strips, make sure you cut against the grain of the meat. This way, you break up the muscle fibers and end up with tender meat. Cutting with the grain leaves you with chewy, tough meat.
  • Garlic burns quickly, so keep a close eye on it and never stop stirring. You only want it golden and fragrant before you move on to the next step.

What Do We Mean By “Healthy?”

Our recipes focus on real ingredients and homemade elements. We try to avoid processed flour and sugar, like white flour or white sugar. Our recipes often swap less healthy options (like a commercial, deep-fried tostada) for an easy homemade version.

Our recipes are not necessarily low fat or low calorie, and we aren’t afraid of fat or carbs! Some of our recipes will be “skinny,” low carb, keto, paleo, dairy free, grain free, gluten free, Whole30, or vegan, and they will be labeled when they qualify for any of these diets. All our recipes are easy and family friendly!

Beef with garlic sauce in a bowl with chopsticks

More Asian-Inspired Recipes You’ll Love

  • Instant Pot Sushi Rice
  • Keto Egg Drop Soup
  • Simple Asian Cucumber Salad
  • Egg Roll in a Bowl with Creamy Chili Sauce (Keto, Whole30, Paleo)
  • Whole30 Chicken Lo Mein
  • Szechuan Chicken

We hope you loved this recipe as much as we did! We’d love for you to give us a star ★ rating below, and follow us on Instagram! For more delicious, healthy recipes, be sure to check out 40 Aprons.

Print Recipe

Beef with Garlic Sauce

Our beef with garlic sauce is the easy, hearty dish you've been looking for! This simple stir fry gives you tender, juicy beef and crisp broccoli in a flavorful garlic sauce. Serve it on a bed of rice or noodles for a delicious Asian-inspired meal.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time25 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: chinese food, stir fry, take out
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 219kcal

Equipment

  • Large bowl
  • Large skillet or wok

Ingredients

  • 1 pound flank steak or sirloin cut into small, short strips
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch plus more as needed
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon garlic minced
  • ½ tablespoon ginger grated
  • 2 cups broccoli chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • ⅓ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 cup rice cooked, optional, for serving
  • white sesame seeds optional, for garnish
  • green onions optional, for garnish

Instructions

  • Place beef in large bowl and add cornstarch. Toss until beef is lightly coated, then set aside.
    Beef strips in large bowl
  • In large skillet over medium-high heat, warm sesame oil until it begins to shimmer, then add garlic. Stirring frequently, cook garlic until golden and fragrant, approximately 1 minute.
    Garlic and sesame oil in a large skillet
  • Add ginger to skillet. Cook approximately 1 minute.
  • Stir in beef. Cook approximately 4 minutes, then add broccoli, soy sauce, garlic powder, and pepper. Stir to coat. Cook until meat is browned and broccoli is bright green.
    Beef and broccoli in large skillet
  • Remove from heat. Serve alone or over rice or noodles. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions (optional).

Notes

Recipe yields approximately 4 servings. Nutritional values shown reflect the information for 1 serving out of 4. Nutritional information shown does not include rice, sesame seeds, or green onions. Macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands of ingredients used.
 
To determine the size of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed, then weigh the entire finished recipe. Divide the total weight of the recipe (not including the weight of the bowl, pot, or plate the food is in) by 4. Result will be the weight of one serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 219kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 579mg | Potassium: 565mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 284IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 2mg | Net Carbs: 5g

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Hey y’all!

I'm Cheryl Malik, blogger at 40 Aprons. I started Easy Healthy Recipes to share delicious recipes that are quick, simple, and easy, making it easier than ever to feed your family healthy meals without the fuss! Privacy Policy

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