Spicy Beef Stir Fry without Soy Sauce

I like stir fry, but I’ve struggled with making one that I want to make a second time. I’ve finally figured it out. this soy sauce-free stir fry is one that my whole family is excited to eat, which is a rare thing.

You might be wondering can you even make stir fry without soy sauce? You can and it tastes exactly the same. I tested it with soy sauce and with coconut aminos and you can’t taste the difference. Coconut aminos in this stir fry tastes exactly the same as soy sauce, but with no soy or gluten. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with soy or gluten. If it works for you use it.

I’ve read some reviews that say coconut aminos don’t taste as rich as soy sauce. This may be the case if you are using coconut aminos as a dipping sauce alone. In a stir fry sauce with lots of other ingredients, you can’t taste the difference.

Ingredients for Soy Free Stir Fry

1.5 lbs thinly sliced flank steak
Sesame oil
2 TB arrowroot (or corn starch) – I’ve made without this
2 TB coconut aminos
2 cups broccoli chopped
2 Carrots sliced (or you can use shredded)
1 Yellow onion sliced
1 Green onion thinly sliced

For Sauce:

1 TB Brown Sugar
5 TB coconut aminos for sauce
2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
2 tsp grated (or chopped) ginger
2 cloves chopped garlic
2 TB rice wine vinegar
2 TB Srirachaca sauce (cut in half if you don’t like spice)
3 TB water

For Serving:

Jasmine rice, Asian noodles or cauliflower rice. I’ve served this stir fry all three ways with success.

Steps to Prepare Stir Fry

About 30 minutes before I’m ready to start looking I slice the flank steak into thin strips and toss with coconut aminos and arrowroot. You can skip this step if you’re short on time.

Slice broccoli, onion, carrot, green onion and set aside. Chop garlic and ginger for the sauce (or you can grate it). Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and set aside.

In a wok or skillet (I use my Always Pan) add sesame oil. Turn heat to medium and cook flank steak until browned in two batches. Set aside.

Add vegetables to wok or skillet. Add 1/2 cup of water and cook until desired tenderness. I sometimes put the cover for a few minutes to get them going. You should be able to scrape up all of the browned goodness from the beef into your veggies.

Add the beef and sauce to your veggies. Stir to combine. Serve over your desired base – rice, noodles or cauliflower rice. Add sliced green onions for garnish.

What’s The Difference Between Coconut Aminos and Soy Sauce?

Soy sauce is a popular condiment because it adds that umami/savory taste. Coconut aminos is made from fermented sap of coconut palm, but it has NO coconut flavor (just in case you don’t like coconut). Soy sauce is made from fermented soybeans.

Coconut aminos has less sodium than soy sauce, but not much. It’s the perfect swap if you have anyone at your table who has issues with gluten or soy. If you love your soy sauce, you can swap it for the coconut aminos.