Black Pepper Beef & Onions
Black Pepper Beef & Onions is a simple stir fry of beef, onions, green onions and a deliciously spicy sauce that’s packed with flavour. This is a great weeknight dinner that comes together in under 20 minutes. It’s Paleo, Grain/Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free, SCD Legal.
I used to always make stir fry or Asian dishes with store bought sauces like hoisin, black pepper or Szechuan sauce, but if you check the ingredients you will find that they are usually packed with sugar as well as a long list of additives and preservatives. I quickly learned that all you need is fresh ginger and a few simple ingredients to make an incredibly flavourful stir fry sauce that will ensure you never use store bought sauces again.
So the secret to this sauce is all in the name. Black pepper. Lightly ground on a dish, it’s a great seasoning, but when you increase the amount to a teaspoon and add it into a sauce, it becomes spicy, rich in flavour and so delicious.
Paleo Black pepper has an amazing number of health benefits. It helps with the speed of digestion by causing the stomach to secrete more hydrochloric acid, increases metabolism and helps your body break down fat cells. It is also a great source of magnesium, iron, fiber and vitamin K, which the body requires to help with blood clotting and strengthen bones.
OK so back to the recipe. Strips of beef are quickly cooked with chunks of ginger, garlic, thinly sliced onion and a delicious sauce of honey, coconut aminos, Chinese Five spice and black pepper. The result is an easy Paleo Beef & Onion stir fry that is bursting with salty, sweet, spicy and rich flavour.
I like keeping this dish simple with just the addition of chunks of spring onion, but feel free to toss in mushrooms, asparagus or broccoli for a bit more variety. I recommend serving it with some quickly sautéed cauliflower rice that can be used to soak up any excess sauce.
Love healthy versions of takeout dishes? Here are a few others you might enjoy:
- Sweet & Sour Pork
- Spaghetti Squash Chow Mein
- Spicy Orange Chicken
- Pork Fried Rice
- Thai Basil Beef
- Moo Shu Pork
- Black Pepper Chicken
If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Black Pepper Beef & Onions
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 tsp Chinese 5 Spice
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos (or tamari/soy sauce)
- 2 tbsp honey (sub with 2 medjool dates for whole30)
- 2 tbsp beef stock
- 1 1/2 tsp freshly crushed black pepper
Stir Fry
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 yellow onions thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp ginger finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 6 green onions cut into 1 inch pieces
- 500 grams sirloin beef cut thinly into strips
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro
Instructions
- In a bowl whisk together all of the ingredients for the sauce and set aside. If making it whole30, combine the ingredients along with the dates in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Heat the sesame oil in a wok or cast iron skillet on high heat and add in the sliced onion, ginger, garlic and green onions. Cook for about 3 minutes until the onion becomes translucent, stirring constantly to ensure it doesn’t burn.
- Add in the beef and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until just seared. Transfer the beef and onion mixture to a plate and set aside.
- Pour the sauce into the pan and let it simmer for about 4 minutes until it begins to thicken. Once the sauce has become thick return the beef and onion mixture to the pan, toss in the sauce and heat for just 20 seconds or so until everything is warmed through. Sprinkle with cilantro before serving.
Nutrition
I made this for dinner and it was fantastic! The sauce is so simple but so flavourful! Will definitely make this again.
I just finished eating a big plate of this, it was so tasty! Love this recipe.