Valentina's Corner
This beef stir fry recipe is a quick and easy dish that explodes with flavor in every bite. This classic asian-inspired dish is made with tender beef and colorful vegetables, all bathed in an incredible homemade sauce.
Complete this 30-minute meal by serving it over a bed of fluffy white rice with the saucy beef stir fry. We also suggest trying it with noodles just like in our vegetable chicken stir fry!
We love experimenting with stir fry by swapping out the meat and vegetables and creating a new dish that’s so incredible. Our shrimp stir fry, for example, combines juicy shrimp with a similar sauce and is divine.
| What is Stir Fry? The name “stir fry” actually refers to a cooking technique. Cooking your choice of meat with vegetables in a pan, over high heat results in meat that is slightly charred but juicy and tender. Of course, no stir fry is complete without the sweet and salty sauce to compliment it. |
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ethnic flavors – This dish is deep with flavors that resemble something you would get at an authentic Chinese restaurant.
- Customizable – The options are endless with how you can personalize this dish and make it your own!
- Easy – With minimal ingredients, this dinner will come together in less than 30 minutes! This makes it a great meal for busy weeknights!
Ingredients for Beef Stir Fry
- Steak – thin slices of your favorite cut of steak.
- Vegetables – we use a combination of red bell peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, green onions, and carrots.
- Garlic & ginger – aromatics that give this stir fry its authentic flavor.
- Sauce – a combination of brown sugar, soy sauce, broth, and cornstarch as a thickening agent.
For a full list of ingredients and quantities, see the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations
All of the add-ins, substitutions, and different variations to the recipe you can make to personalize the dish to your family’s desires.
- Protein: Not a big fan of beef? Try making this recipe with chicken, shrimp, or even salmon!
- Vegetables: You can opt out of using vegetables entirely. However, they do add a lot of great flavor and texture to the dish. You can also add in more of your favorite vegetables!
- Add heat: Take the dish to the next level by taking the spice up a notch. Garnish the stir-fry with red pepper flakes or fresh chili slices!
How to Make Beef Stir Fry
This recipe comes together really quickly once everything is prepped so be sure to have your side dish prepped as well.
Step 1 – In a skillet or a wok, heat oil and sear steak on all sides and season. Once meat is cooked, cover and set aside to keep warm.
Step 2 – In the same skillet, cook the vegetables until they are to your desired doneness. You don’t want to overcook them.
Step 3 – Add butter, garlic, and ginger to the skillet, and cook until the garlic is fragrant. Meanwhile, whisk together the sauce ingredients in a bowl.
Step 4 – Add the beef back to the skillet and pour in the sauce. Cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens. Garnish and enjoy, friends.
Expert Tips:
- Slicing meat: Freeze your steak for 10 minutes before slicing. With a sharp knife, you will be able to get thin and uniform slices. Make sure you are slicing against the grain, meaning you are cutting against the muscle fibers.
- Use correct oil: When it comes to stir fry, choosing the right oil is important. You will want to use an oil with a high smoke point such oils include canola oil, peanut oil, olive oil or avocado oil.
- Extra sauce: Double the portion of the sauce to make your stir-fry saucier. You can also store leftover sauce in the fridge to add to other dishes!
- Good sear: The key to a good stir fry is fast cooking over high heat. Don’t walk away when cooking to prevent burning as the thin meat cooks quickly!
- Mushy Vegetables: Don’t cook your vegetables too long when adding them to your skillet, so that they don’t become mushy in the sauce. You want a little bit of crunch from them!
Serving Suggestions
- Appetizer: Serve with pork potstickers as an appetizer for the beef stir fry! The crunchy and juicy dumplings make for a great precursor to the main entree.
- Sauce: Drizzle your beef stir fry with our delicious homemade yum yum sauce for an extra kick!
- Rice: The saucy beef tastes great over some fluffy white rice, but why not take it up a notch with some japanese hibachi fried rice!
Faq’s
You can use just about any cut of steak, as long as you’re making thin uniform slices. We recommend flank steak or skirt steak, but you can also use chuck steak or sirloin steak!
If your sauce is too runny, try cooking it longer over medium-high heat. Once it is lightly bubbling, it’ll begin to thicken.
Although a wok is the traditional way, it is not required to get the authentic flavors of stir fry. The key is high heat and quick cooking!
Store & Reheat
- Storage. Store leftovers of beef stir fry in the fridge for 3-4 days. Be sure to use an airtight container.
- Reheat. Warm up your refrigerated beef stir fry on a skillet over medium heat until hot.
- Freeze. Freeze your steak stir fry by putting cooled stir fry in a freezer-safe container and storing it safely for up to 3 months. Reheat: Let the stir fry defrost in the fridge, and warm up on a skillet until it is hot. Use low-medium heat to prevent vegetables from overcooking and getting mushy.
More Asian Recipes
If you enjoyed this beef stir fry recipe, be sure to try our other popular homemade asian recipes, here are some of our favorites:
If you tried this Beef Stir Fry Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below – we really appreciate it!
Beef Stir Fry Recipe
Ingredients
stir fry –
- 1 lb steak thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 red pepper cubed
- 6 oz white mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 large carrot sliced
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
sauce –
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup beef broth
- 2 tsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Slice the steak into thin slices.
- In a large skillet or a wok, heat 1 Tbsp oil over high heat. Once hot, sear steak and saute until the steak is fully cooked. Salt & pepper to taste, remove the steak from the heat and cover to keep warm.
- In the same skillet, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Add in the vegetables, and saute to desired doneness.
- In a bowl, combine the sauce ingredients and whisk them together.
- Add butter, garlic, and ginger to the vegetables. Once the garlic is fragrant, add the beef back in and saute together.
- Add the sauce to the hot pan and cook until the sauce has thickened.
- Serve, and enjoy friends!