Low Sodium Beef Stir Fry Recipe with Vegetables
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Jump to RecipeThis low sodium beef stir fry recipe is made with tender slices of skirt steak, fresh steamed vegetables, and cooked in a sweet & tangy stir fry sauce.
Mix it all together and serve it over steamed white or brown rice, or with cooked lo mein noodles for a great dinner the whole family will love. This salt-free stir fry has a great flavor from the marinade, and uses a great trick for tenderizing the meat for melt-in-your-mouth steak in each bite!
Want more low sodium Asian-inspired recipes? Try our low sodium fried rice, low sodium cashew chicken, and low sodium sweet and sour sauce. Or try some with a bowl of low sodium egg drop soup!
I was recently back home with my family in Chicago (finishing up my first book Low Sodium Dinners which you can purchase here!) and this great recipe is compliments of my brother Jack. It’s one of his go-to recipes, so we made it together and gave it some great low sodium swaps.
The secret to this recipe is a flavorful marinade for the steak, made with: crushed pineapple, garlic, freshly squeezed lime juice, cumin, and chili flakes. The marinade adds great taste to the steak, and I add the reserved marinade back into the sauce making it extra flavorful.
Why This Recipe Works
- It’s a great low sodium adaptation of a take-out classic!
- Make it your way – this versatile recipe can be made with your favorite stir fry veggies!
- This low sodium stir fry has a great tangy sauce that is made from the marinade.
- Once the steak is marinaded, it’s a quick recipe that can be made in under 30 minutes.
- It’s medium-complexity, so cooks of any skill level can successfully make this dish.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Beef – I used skirt steak for this recipe, which is a great cut of meat to use once it’s tenderized.
- Pineapple – you can use fresh pineapple or canned crushed pineapple with the juice.
- Stir Fry Vegetables – I used a mix of bell pepper, onion, carrots, and broccoli. See the recipe note below for other great veggies you can add in.
- Garlic – adds a great flavor to the marinade, and also to the stir fry sauce.
- Cumin – my brother added cumin to his stir fry so I gave it a try and it was amazing! I highly recommend using the cumin in the marinade for a spicy, almost smoky flavor.
- Fresh lime juice – with many low sodium recipes, adding a bit of citrus is a great way to get some fantastic flavor in your dishes without adding salt.
- Corn Starch – the secret to getting a thick stir fry sauce! Mix the corn starch with cold water before adding to the sauce so you don’t get any clumps of corn starch.
Additions and Substitutions
- For the stir fry veggies – add your favorites in – add or swap in cauliflower, zucchini, peapods, water chestnuts, or those adorable baby corns!
- Try a different cut of beef – or even pork or chicken. If you substitute the meat, it may need to be cooked longer, so make sure it’s cooked thoroughly before eating.
- If you don’t like cumin, you can add in another spice to the stir fry – paprika, a bit of Chinese 5 spice, or chili powder would be great substitutions.
How To Make This Stir Fry
Step 1: In a large bowl, add the skirt steak. Add in the chopped garlic, crushed pineapple, fresh lime juice, cumin, and black pepper. Mix well to combine. Cover the beef with plastic wrap and marinate 1-4 hours.
Step 2: Once ready to cook, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet. Remove beef from the marinade and add to the pan, saving the pineapple marinade for later in the recipe.
Step 3: Sear the steak on one side for 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes until cooked through. Remove beef from the pan and allow it to rest on a plate. Repeat until all the steak is cooked.
Step 4: Slice the steak against the bias and set aside. In the same pan, add the vegetables and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add half cup of the unsalted beef broth, cover the a lid, and steam the vegetables 7-8 minutes until tender.
Step 5: In a separate bowl, take the corn starch and mix it with the cold water until dissolved. Set aside. Remove the lid on the steamed vegetables. Add the cooked beef, reserved pineapple marinade, and the remaining 1 cup vegetable stock to the pan, and bring to a boil and cook for 3-4 additional minutes. And the corn starch slurry, and mix until sauce thickens.
Step 6: Serve hot, over rice or noodles if desired, and enjoy!
Recipe Notes & Expert Tips
- Pineapple isn’t just added for flavor. It has an enzyme that helps break down the tough membranes in meat, making it a great tenderizer.
- When chopping your stir fry vegetables, make sure they are roughly the same size so they cook evenly in the pan. If using a frozen stir fry veggie blend, make sure it’s thawed before adding to the pan.
- Mix the corn starch with cold water before adding to the sauce so you don’t get any clumps of corn starch.
Recipe FAQs
This low sodium beef stir fry recipe has 135 mg sodium per 1-cup serving, as it uses great no-salt-added ingredients and lower sodium swaps. If you are eating stir fry out at a restaurant, the sodium content will vary based on the ingredients used in other kitchens – so always ask your server for more information.
This low sodium stir fry recipe has skirt steak marinated in a tangy pineapple-lime mixture, and tossed with freshly steamed veggies like broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, and onions! See our recipe notes for other veggie suggestions you can add in.
I love serving this stir fry with freshly steamed jasmine rice, it makes a great meal. You could also serve this stir fry over cooked rice noodles or lo mein noodles – or better yet add the cooked noodles in to the stir fry in the final step to get them extra saucy!
More Low Sodium Beef Recipes
- Low Sodium Steak
- Low Sodium Burger Patties
- The Best Low Sodium Beef Bourguignon
- Low Sodium Tacos
- Low Sodium Pot Roast
Let’s keep in touch – don’t forget to follow over on Instagram, Facebook, & my Youtube channel for more easy low sodium recipes.
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Low Sodium Beef Stir Fry with Vegetables
Equipment
- Wok
- Cutting Board
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb skirt steak
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 cup crushed pineapple
- 2 limes juiced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cups stir fry vegetables broccoli, bell peppers, corn, onions, and carrots.
- 1.5 cups no-salt-added beef stock divided
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon cold water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the skirt steak. Add in the chopped garlic, crushed pineapple, fresh lime juice, cumin, and black pepper. Mix well to combine. Cover the beef with plastic wrap and marinate 1-4 hours.
- Once ready to cook, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Remove beef from the marinade and add to the pan, saving the pineapple marinade for later in the recipe.
- Sear the steak on one side for 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes until cooked through. Remove beef from the pan and allow it to rest on a plate. Repeat until all the steak is cooked.
- In the same pan, add the vegetables and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add half cup of the unsalted beef broth, cover the a lid, and steam the vegetables 7-8 minutes until tender.
- In a separate bowl, take the corn starch and mix it with the cold water until dissolved. Set aside.
- Remove the lid on the steamed vegetables. Add the cooked beef, reserved pineapple marinade, and the remaining 1 cup beef stock to the pan, and bring to a boil and cook for 3-4 additional minutes. And the corn starch slurry, and mix until sauce thickens.
- Serve hot, over rice or noodles if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
-
- For the stir fry veggies – add your favorites in – add or swap in cauliflower, zucchini, peapods, water chestnuts, or those adorable baby corns!
-
- Try a different cut of beef – or even pork or chicken. If you substitute the meat, it may need to be cooked longer, so make sure it’s cooked thoroughly before eating.
-
- If you don’t like cumin, you can add in another spice to the stir fry – paprika, a bit of Chinese 5 spice, or chili powder would be great substitutions.
Nutrition estimate (for 1 serving)
*Please note, all nutrition content is estimated based on the ingredients we used in our kitchen. It will vary based on your ingredients. Always check your nutrition labels to verify your nutrition content and sodium amounts.
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Great flavors. Better than carry out
Do you have a suggestion for something other than pineapple? I’m allergic
Hi Kathy,
You can try orange juice instead of the pineapple – or slice up an naval orange. That will give you similar sweetness and flavor. If you try it, let me know how it turns out with the orange!
– Kelly