Low Carb Steak and Green Bean Stir Fry
⏲ ~19 min total · prep 4 · cook 15 · 4 servings
Dinner⏱ 35 min total🔥 7.4g net carbs⚡ ≈372 kcal/serving~8% of calories from carbs
By the KFI Test Kitchen · Tested & approved by Jason Lieu, KFI recipe editor
Published Sep 15, 2026 · Updated Nov 2, 2026
Ingredients
- 1 lb flank steak, sliced 1/4 inch thick against the grain
- 8 oz green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
- 3 tbsp coconut aminos, divided
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil, divided
- 1 tbsp arrowroot powder
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp avocado oil, divided
- 1 tsp sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- Toss the beef slices with 1 tbsp coconut aminos and the arrowroot powder in a bowl; let it sit 15 minutes while you prep. The arrowroot is the velveting — it protects the beef and thickens the sauce later.
- Blanch the green beans in boiling water 2 minutes exactly, then drain and run under cold water until cool; they should be vivid green and still snappy. Dry them on a towel.
- Heat 1 tbsp avocado oil in a wok or 12-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat until it just begins to smoke. Add the beef in one layer and sear 60 seconds without moving, then stir-fry 60 seconds more until browned but blush-pink inside. Transfer to a clean bowl.
- Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil, then the green beans; stir-fry 2 minutes until blistered in spots and lightly charred at the tips.
- Push everything up the sides, add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes to the hot center, and stir 20 seconds until fragrant.
- Return the beef with its juices, pour in the remaining 2 tbsp coconut aminos and the sesame oil, and toss 45 seconds until the sauce glazes everything — it should cling, not pool.
- Plate and scatter sesame seeds on top. Serve right away; the beef carries-over cooks to medium as it rests.
Why this recipe works
- Arrowroot velveting Fifteen minutes tossed with coconut aminos and arrowroot powder protects the beef as it sears and turns into the glaze later. It is one ingredient doing two jobs.
- Blanch before the char Two minutes in boiling water, a cold rinse, and a towel-dry set the beans up to blister in the wok without going gray. Raw beans char outside before they tenderize inside.
- Staged high heat Beef sears hard for 60 undisturbed seconds, comes out, and returns only for the final 45-second glaze. Everything cooks at its own pace and nothing boils.
Tips for making this recipe well
Slice against the grain
Cut the flank steak 1/4 inch thick across the grain so the muscle fibers stay short. With-the-grain slices chew like rubber bands no matter how fast they cook.
Dry the beans twice
After the cold rinse, spread the beans on a towel and pat them dry. Water on the surface kills the blistering and thins the sauce.
Leave the beef alone for 60 seconds
Set the slices in the oil and don't move them for a full minute so a crust forms. Stirring early shreds the velvet coating and steams the meat.
Watch for blush-pink
Sixty seconds still, sixty seconds stirring should leave the beef browned outside and blush-pink within. It carries over to medium as it rests, so trust the pull.
Serving suggestions
This is the weeknight stir-fry we reach for when takeout sounds good but the carb count does not. At 6.7 net carbs, it plates over cauliflower rice without apology, and the sesame seeds go on at the table so they stay crunchy. Eat it immediately; the beef finishes carrying over onto the plate and is best in the first ten minutes. Give everyone plenty of rice, because the glaze is the part worth catching.
Storage and meal prep
Leftovers hold up better than most stir-fries because nothing in the pan is delicate. Cool the wok contents, then refrigerate airtight for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a hot skillet for 2 minutes so the glaze re-tightens; the microwave works but softens the beans. This freezes for 2 to 3 months, and the honest trade-off is texture: the beans lose their snap after thawing even though the beef stays good.
Variations worth trying
- Skirt steak swap Skirt or flat iron works in place of flank with the same slicing rule against the grain. Timing stays identical.
- Broccoli instead of beans Blanch florets 2 minutes like the beans, then blister. The florets catch more glaze in their branches.
- Double heat Double the red pepper flakes to 1/2 teaspoon, or add chili-garlic paste with the aromatics. The coconut aminos rounds the burn.
- Mushroom add Tear 4 ounces of creminis in with the beans. They brown in the same window and drink up the sauce.
Frequently asked questions
Can I skip the arrowroot powder?
The beef will still cook, but the sauce loses its body and runs off instead of glazing. Cornstarch behaves the same way if that is what the cabinet holds; the amount is small either way.
Why blanch the green beans at all?
Two minutes in boiling water sets their color and gets them most of the way to tender. Straight into the wok, they blacken before the insides catch up.
How do I keep the beef tender?
The 15-minute arrowroot toss, a smoking-hot pan, and pulling the meat at blush-pink do the work together. Crowding the pan is the fastest way to lose all three.
Is coconut aminos sweeter than soy sauce?
It is milder and a little sweet, which is why the recipe balances it with ginger and red pepper flakes. No extra sweetener goes in.
Can I prep this ahead?
Slice and velvet the beef up to a day ahead in the fridge, and blanch the beans in the morning. The actual cooking takes under 10 minutes at dinner time.
Related keto recipes
As an Amazon Associate and affiliate partner, Keto Food Ideas earns from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. Nutritional values are estimates. Recipes are developed with AI assistance and reviewed by our editors before publishing.
← More Dinner recipes · Home
