Easy Beef Stir Fry is the perfect Chinese-restaurant-inspired dish that you can make at home. To get delicious flavor use lots of been, your favorite vegetables, and of course a great sauce.
So, what kind of beef is best for stir fry? I use either sirloin or flank steak in my beef stir fry recipe because it is tasty, affordable, and can be easily tenderized. You can use chuck steak as well. The secret to making the best beef stir fry using flank steak is all in how you slice the meat. Thin slices, across the grain is the key. Here’s how to do it:
This dish requires a little more prep time than many recipes, but it’s so worth it! Prep your veggies ahead of time and place them in a container in the fridge. To make things super easy, our grocery store sells stir fry veggies cut and prepped.
You know how Chinese food always has the most tender pieces of beef and chicken? They use a technique called velveting which makes the meat so … velvety!! This involves tossing the beef (or chicken) with cornstarch and usually rice vinegar/soy sauce and egg white and let it marinate a while. It’s then usually cooked in either oil or water to complete the process and then it’s used in stir-fries.
I always toss my beef (or chicken for chicken stir fry) with cornstarch while I prepare the rest of the ingredients. While it’s not the exact same velveting technique as found in Chinese restaurants, it does change the texture of the meat and tenderize it. The little bit of cornstarch on the outside also gets a nice crust and helps thicken the sauce. Win-win-win!
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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Easy Beef Stir Fry
Beef stir fry is the perfect stir fry recipe to make at home.
Prep: 20min
Total: 50min
Yield: 4
Serving Size: 1 serving
Nutrition Facts: calories 423 kcal, Carbohydrate 43 g, Protein 31 g, Fat 15 g, Saturated Fat 8 g, Cholesterol 68 mg, Sodium 681 mg, Fiber 7 g, Sugar 10 g, servingSize 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
- 1 pound flank steak (thinly sliced)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 cups mixed vegetables
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- ⅓ cup orange juice
- ⅓ cup water
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instruction:
- Season steak with salt & pepper. Toss with cornstarch and set aside while you prepare the vegetables.
- Place 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan or wok. Cook the beef in 2 small batches over medium high until browned, about 2-3 minutes (beef does not need to be cooked through). Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add vegetables to the pan and cook about until tender crisp, 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside with the beef.
- Combine sauce ingredients except corn starch in a bowl and stir well.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the sauce. Bring to a simmer. Combine cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water (or broth) and add it the sauce a little bit at a time while whisking to reach desired consistency. Let simmer 2 minutes. Add vegetables, beef (and any juices) to the pan and cook until heated through.
- Serve with noodles or over rice.
Beef Stir-Fry
“The best thing about a stir-fry is that you can substitute the vegetables you like most.”
Prep: 0 15min0
Total: 0 30min0
Yield: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts: calories 450, Fat 22 grams, Saturated Fat 6 grams, Cholesterol 110 milligrams, Sodium 650 milligrams, Carbohydrate 24 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 41 grams
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak, cut into 4-inch-long pieces, then cut against the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 serrano chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (1 to 2 limes)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
- 6 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1/4 pound snow peas or green beans
- 1 12-ounce can baby corn, drained
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced (optional)
Instruction:
- Season the steak with salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, chile pepper, sugar and lime juice until the sugar is dissolved. Add the beef, toss to coat and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering, about 1 minute. Add the beef and cook, stirring, until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Remove the beef from the skillet and set aside. Allow the liquid in the pan to reduce until thickened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and scallions and cook 1 minute more. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the snow peas, baby corn and bell pepper and continue cooking until all the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Return the beef to the skillet and toss to combine.
Beef Stir Fry
Steak and veggies tossed together in a savory, yet slightly sweet sauce is a quick and easy dinner you’ll crave all week long.
Prep: 30min
Total: 60min
Serving Size: 1 serving
Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 serving, calories 362 kcal, Carbohydrate 26 g, Protein 31 g, Fat 15 g, Saturated Fat 3 g, Trans Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 68 mg, Sodium 1539 mg, Fiber 4 g, Sugar 14 g, unSaturated Fat 10 g
Ingredients:
- 1 pound flank steak
- 2 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons cooking oil
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 cup snow peas
- 1 red bell pepper (sliced)
- 1 green onion (sliced)
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 2 Tablespoons sesame seeds (toasted)
Instruction:
- Cut beef thinly across the grain (no more than ½ inch thick, 2 inch long strips). Place it in a freezer bag (or medium bowl). Stir in 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce and the 2 Tablespoons cornstarch and set aside. Allow this to marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
- Prepare the vegetables and set aside.
- Prepare the sauce: Whisk together ½ cup soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, and ginger. Set this aside.
- Heat the oil to high heat in a large deep skillet or wok.
- Add half of the meat to the skillet and fry for 3 minutes. Remove this meat from the skillet and fry the other half. Then remove it from the skillet. (You don’t want to crowd the meat or it will not sear properly.)
- Add the vegetables (except the green onions) to the skillet and fry for 2 minutes.
- Then add the beef back to the skillet. Stir in the sauce and heat through.
- Sprinkle the green onions and toasted sesame seeds over top.
- Serve over noodles or rice.
30-Minute Steak Stir Fry Recipe
This 30-minute Steak stir fry recipe is filling, tasty, and brimming with veggies. It’s the perfect addition to your weeknight dinners.
Prep: 10min
Total: 30min
Yield: 6
Serving Size: 1 serving
Nutrition Facts: calories 453 kcal, Carbohydrate 10 g, Protein 34 g, Fat 31 g, Saturated Fat 11 g, Trans Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 92 mg, Sodium 1100 mg, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 7 g, unSaturated Fat 19 g, servingSize 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs Beef Steak
- 1 red bell peppers
- 8 oz broccoli
- 1 medium onion
- 1/2 bunch green onions
- 2 tbsp oil, (avocado or olive )
- 6 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger
Instruction:
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and ginger to create the stir fry marinade. Set aside.
- Chop the bell peppers into strips and cut the broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Slice the onion into half rings and chop the green onion
- Slicing against the grain, cut the Steak into thin strips.
- Preheat a wok or deep-frying pan with oil. Add veggies (except green onion) and cook on medium-high until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- In the same wok or pan, add Beef strips over high-heat until the Beef turns golden brown.
- Add cooked veggies and green onions back into the wok with Beef. Pour the marinade in, give it a good toss, and cook on low for 2-4 minutes or until sauce slightly thickens.
- Serve as-is or along with your favorite side. Enjoy!
Easy Beef Stir Fry Recipe
FAQ
How do you make stir-fry beef so it’s tender?
- Sprinkle 3/4 tsp baking soda (bi-carbonate soda) on 250g / 8oz sliced economical beef cuts.
- Toss with fingers, leave for 30 minutes.
- Rinse, pat off excess water.
- Proceed with stir fry recipe. It can be marinated with wet or dry seasonings, or cooked plain.
What are the 3 rules of stir-frying?
The first is to cook your protein and your vegetable separately, and combine them only after both are fully cooked. A second rule of thumb for stir-frying: Choose one vegetable per stir-fry. Finally, always remember to add liquid only after everything is more or less finished cooking.
What makes stir-fry taste better?
- Nuts and seeds. Peanuts might already be regular stir-fry toppers, but it’s time to expand your nutty horizons. …
- Fresh ginger. Ginger will add some serious zing to your stir-fry. …
- Put an egg on it. …
- Marinate your protein. …
- Skip the rice. …
- Vinegar. …
- Seaweed. …
- Fresh herbs.
Why is my beef stir fry not tender?
The thinner the beef, the more tender it will taste and the less chewy it will be. Thicker strips require longer cooking times, which usually means the outside is overcooked by the time the inside is cooked. It’s easier to accidentally overcook a thicker strip of beef than a thinner one.