Spicy Stir-Fried Broccoli

Name: Spicy Stir-Fried Broccoli
Ingredients: 1 bunch of broccoli (cut into florets); 3 cloves garlic (minced); 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar; 2 tablespoons water; 1½ Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1½ teaspoons avocado oil; 1½ teaspoons sesame oil; 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; ¼ cup pine nuts (toasted)

by Pam Fullenweider, MS, RD | Jan 21, 2022 | Recipes, Sides

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Our spicy broccoli is a tasty and easy recipe to serve as a side dish, to mix into a salad, or for meal prep.

This ginger garlic spicy broccoli stir fry is quick to prepare and packed with Asian flavors thanks to the soy sauce and sesame oil. The spice comes from crushed red pepper flakes so you can always adjust the amount used to your preferred level of heat. We love it spicy! If you’ve been steaming broccoli or skipping the spices, this flavorful, sauteed broccoli with soy sauce will win you over.

Stir-frying is an easy cooking method that gives veggies a nice texture and tons of flavor, depending on what oil you use in your stir fry. If you have an airfryer, that would also work great for this recipe!

What You’ll Need to Make This Asian Broccoli

Broccoli florets
Fresh garlic
Rice wine vinegar
Water
Low sodium soy sauce or tamari
Sugar
Avocado oil
Sesame oil
Crushed red pepper flakes
Toasted pine nuts

How to Make Our Spicy Broccoli

Begin by washing and cutting your broccoli into florets. In a small bowl, mix together rice wine vinegar and water. If you don’t have rice wine vinegar, feel free to swap in white wine vinegar. In another small bowl, combine the soy sauce and sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

Heat your large, non-stick skillet over medium-heat with both the avocado oil and sesame oil. Add your minced garlic and chili flakes to the skillet and saute for about 15 seconds. Turn up the heat to high and add in your broccoli. Mix well in the skillet and then add in the vinegar and water mixture.

Cover the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes or until the broccoli is cooked to your preferred texture. Finally, pour in the soy sauce mixture and top with pine nuts. Stir fry for another minute to toast the pine nuts. Enjoy!

Which Oil to Use for Stir Fries

Choosing the right oil for cooking can be confusing because there is so much information out there. Cooking with oils is an important component of the Mediterranean diet because the fat content helps your body absorb nutrients, increases satiation, and helps us stay full longer. So keep adding healthy fats in moderation to your salads and stir fries!

Which oils do we recommend? We chose avocado oil for this recipe because it’s full of healthy fats and it has a high smoke point. Avocado oil is high in monounsaturated fats which are heart healthy, support a balanced lipid profile and help regulate blood sugar levels. If you don’t have avocado oil, olive oil is a great replacement with many of the same health benefits.

We included sesame oil in this spicy asian-style broccoli to complement the soy sauce and create that nutty, umami flavor. Sesame oil is another great oil to cook with because it’s high in immune-boosting antioxidants. If you’re bored of steamed broccoli, this spicy stir fried broccoli will give you that crispy outside with the perfect bite.