My family adores Asian-inspired dinner recipes. I know I can always bring them to the table with recipes like Keto Mongolian Beef or Thai Peanut Chicken. And these easy Asian Steak Bites are tender, juicy, and oh-so-easy to make. It’s a deceptively simple keto dinner recipe that the whole family loves.
I am steak girl. A serious, serious steak girl. I grew up on a beef cattle farm until I was 7 and I think steak might have been my first solid food. Okay, I might be making that up but it could happen.
And while I adore a big juicy ribeye, I am loving these little steak bites lately. They are so easy to whip up and such a family friendly meal. Seared on the outside and juicy pink in the middle, they take only minutes to cook. Add a flavorful marinade or sauce and you can guarantee dinnertime happiness.
What readers are saying
“This recipe is a definite keeper. I served this over cauli rice and had a complete meal on the table in minutes. Easy prep, a tasty meal and easy clean up. It doesn’t get any better than this!” — Jennifer
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Incredible flavor: These steak bites have a fabulous Asian marinade for that unique savory-sweet experience.
- Quick and easy: Once you marinate the steak, they take just minutes to cook!
- Super juicy: The marinade tenderizes the steak for melt-in-your-mouth bites.
- Versatile: You can serve these as an easy appetizer or as a full meal.
- Keto and sugar-free: Unlike many Asian dishes, these steak bites have no added sugar and are ideal for low carb and keto diets.
Ingredient Notes
- Steak: Start with a tender cut of steak for this recipe. I like to use top sirloin as it’s less expensive, but you can also use New York strip, flank, or skirt steak.
- Tamari: I prefer this gluten-free soy sauce as it has a more intense flavor. But soy sauce also works.
- Brown sugar replacement: This helps give the sauce a bit of depth and a touch of sweetness. You can use my homemade brown sugar substitute or a store-bought version. If you don’t have those, you can use any sweetener you like best.
- Sesame oil: Use toasted sesame oil for the best flavor.
- Sesame seeds: Give them a quick toast by heating them in the skillet before preparing the steaks.
- Fresh cilantro: I add a little fresh cilantro for garnish. You can skip this or use green onions instead.
- Kitchen staples: Garlic, ground ginger, and red pepper flakes.
Overview: How to make Asian Steak Bites
- Cut into bites: Cutting the steak into even bite-sized pieces ensures quick and even cooking.
- Marinate the steak: Whisk the marinade ingredients together and pour over the steak bites. Let marinate from 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- Sear in a hot pan: Get the pan very hot before adding the oil and the steak bites. Sear each side for about 2 minutes.
- Make the dipping sauce: Remove the steak from the pan. Add the reserved marinade and bring to a boil until thickened.
- Garnish: Serve the bites with the dipping sauce and garnish with toasted sesame seeds and chopped cilantro.
Tips for Success
Hot skillet. The key to a good sear on your steak bites is to make sure your skillet is very hot. I like to use a cast iron skillet, but a good stainless pan will also work.
Work in batches. Another key to a crispy sear is to not over crowd the pan, otherwise you will steam the meat and not brown it. So if you are doubling the recipe, work in batches.
Even sizes: For even cooking, make sure your steak bites are cut into equal sizes. Also the cooking time will vary depending on the size you cut and how hot your skillet is.
Frequently Asked Questions
Steak bites are made with good cuts of tender steak. Don’t substitute cheaper cuts like chuck steak, as they will turn out tough and chewy. You want a cut like top sirloin that can handle a fast sear for browning and yet stay juicy and tender.
This Asian steak bites recipe has 1.5g of carbs per serving. And with 33g of protein, it’s a fabulous low carb high protein recipe.
To store leftovers, place in an an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. You can also freeze leftover steak for up to six months, but note that the longer it sits in the freezer, the drier the meat will get.
What to serve with Asian Steak Bites
This recipe goes well with any number of keto side dishes. A few favorites include:
- Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
- Coconut Cauliflower Rice
- Sautéed Keto Vegetables
- Keto Sesame Noodles
- Crispy Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
Looking for more easy keto dinners? Well I’ve got a book full of them! Check out Easy Keto Dinners now.
Asian Steak Bites
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs (680.39 g) sirloin steak
- 1/4 cup (59.15 ml) tamari, or soy sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar substitute
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Cut the steak into small cubes no more than 1 inch in size. Try to do this as evenly as possible so the bites cook evenly. Set the steak bites in a medium bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the tamari, sweetener, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Pour over the steak bites and toss to coat. Let marinate 30 minutes at room temperature or 2 hours in the fridge.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil. Using a slotted spoon, add half of the steak bites in a single layer. Let them cook undisturbed for about 2 minutes, then quickly flip them over and cook on the second side for another minute or so. They should be seared on the outside but still a little pink and tender in the center.
- Transfer to a bowl and repeat with the remaining oil and the remaining steak bites.
- Once all the steak is cooked and removed from the pan, pour the reserved marinade into the pan and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced and thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Pour over the steak bites or serve on the side.
- Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and cilantro.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Oh my goodness Caroline , that Asian steak Was
Absolutely delicious! Followed your easy recipe, snd it is a WINNER! It was as good as
Prime rib !! Tyty
Blessings Linda
I took two flat iron steaks out of the freezer and then had to find a recipe! Thank goodness I found this one!
I used toasted sesame oil as it has the more “Asian” flavor, coconut aminos, garlic and ginger paste, and marinated it for about 3 hours. Served it over Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice…your recipe.
This was SO good! Thank you for the recipe!
Pay attention to recommendations. Start with a quality steak. Don’t add salt if you are using soy sauce. Added to my favs.
Super yummy! I’m always scared to try new recipes, especially when entertaining guests. But this did not disappoint! I did use toasted sesame oil instead of regular because I only had regular sesame seeds. Also, the recipe called for brown sugar substitute which I didn’t understand, so I used plain dark brown sugar. Still delicious!
I am so glad to hear it. The brown sugar substitute is linked in my recipe. It’s also discussed in the blog post, so you should always look there for more info.
Best appetizer ever. My friends love it and asked for the recipe. Best part, they didn’t even know that it was low carb. Thank you
Great to hear!
Stop it, Carolyn, I can’t just sit here all morning reading your delicious looking, highly rated recipes to try. I’ve got to go. But man…
sorry, not sorry!
could you use stew meat and the crock pot?
Seems you want to significantly change the recipe so I really can’t advise since I didn’t make mine that way.
This recipe is a definite keeper. I served this over cauli rice and had a complete meal on the table in minutes. Easy prep, a tasty meal and easy clean up. It doesn’t get any better than this!
Made this yesterday and it was delicious. I tripled the Swerve brown as we like our Asian/teriyaki flavors on the sweet side. Loved the kick from the red pepper (we had powder vs flakes) and ground ginger. Nice how quick steak cooks and gets a beautiful caramelization. Served with your cauliflower coconut rice. Will definitely be making this again!
Amazing! The whole family loved it. We used Braggs Aminos and Spenda Brown since it was the only one we could find. Top sirloin was so tender and it was perfect with some steamed broccoli. We will definitely be adding this to our frequently cooked meals. Thank you for these wonderful recipes.