Beef Stir Fry Recipe (2024)

Beef Stir Fry is always a surefire success at the dining table. Simple but delicious, stir fry’s combination of soy sauce and oyster sauce is fragrant and can easily make your mouth water. Stir fry is the perfect go to dish for those who don’t have a lot of time to spare in the kitchen.…

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By: Vanjo Merano 4 Comments Updated: 2/3/21

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Beef Stir Fry is always a surefire success at the dining table. Simple but delicious, stir fry’s combination of soy sauce and oyster sauce is fragrant and can easily make your mouth water. Stir fry is the perfect go to dish for those who don’t have a lot of time to spare in the kitchen. In record time, you can still prepare yourself a dish that feels like home.

Beef Stir Fry Recipe (1)

Stir frying refers to a Chinese method of cooking that involves cooking several ingredients in a pan with high heat and little oil. Because of its popularity in China, the method of stir frying has spread to other cuisines around the world. With its versatility as a cooking method, there are several ingredients you can toss into a stir fry, all tasting equally delicious.

  • You can use any meat of your choice in a stir fry. Take, for example, my recipe for 15 Minute Pork Stir Fry. This utilizes pork tenderloin loom instead of beef, but is also perfect for those who are after a quick but hearty meal.
  • The vegetables in stir fry are adaptable, too. For this beef stir fry I’m only using bell peppers. But if you’re a fan of baby corn and snap peas, you can try my other recipe for Beef and Baby Corn Stir Fry. In that recipe I used a sirloin cut instead of tenderloin, but both are tender and would work once thinly sliced.
  • Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry is another popular stir fry dish you can find in Chinese restaurants worldwide. The sweet, crunchy broccoli always goes well with the tender beef and the umami flavor of soy and oyster sauce. In my recipe I used the flank steak portion of the beef, and also included cooking wine to the initial marinade.
  • And if you don’t want meat at all? My Chopsuey Stir Fry might be more to your liking. Delicious and nutritious, this dish is packed with vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower and carrots. This includes tiny pieces of shrimp, but you can also choose to use tofu.

You can enjoy stir fried meat and veggies with a steaming plate of rice or noodles. Either way, its complex flavor will make it a winner at any household. Follow this recipe to make it a winner at yours!

How to cook beef stir fry

Beef Stir Fry Recipe (2)

Before we begin the cooking process, it’s important to assemble all your ingredients beforehand. Luckily, for beef stir fry, there aren’t many ingredients that require preparation. Cut your 1 lb. of beef tenderloin into thin slices. This recipe calls for two bell peppers –– one red and one green. These should be chopped too, but the slices can be much thicker.

Put your thinly sliced tenderloin into a bowl. For your marinade, add in 3 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Mix it well, then let it sit for 5 minutes. By then, the beef should be soaking up the delicious flavors of the sauce.

Once the five minutes are up, add 1 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch to the bowl, too. Continue mixing them together and distributing them well. Then, set it aside.

Heat ½ cup of cooking oil up in a pan –– when making beef stir fry, it’s important to keep the heat on high. Fry your thickly sliced bell peppers for 1 minute, and stir it every once in a while in the oil. Afterwards, remove your bell peppers from the pan and set them aside.

With the remaining oil in the pan, stir fry your marinated beef until it becomes a beautiful brownish color. Again, it’s important to keep your heat on high. Not only is beef stir fry meant to be cooked that way, but it also helps ensure that the meat soaks up all the juices. You might be wondering how the meat will manage to stay tender even under high heat. Several Asian cuisines have incorporated a process called “velveting.” This is when they toss the meat of stir fry (be it beef or chicken) in a combination of cornstarch, rice vinegar or soy sauce, and egg whites. It’s then cooked in oil or water while still maintaining its velvety taste.

Since there’s isn’t a lot of time to do the whole process of velveting, tossing the beef in cornstarch should do the trick. This even helps thicken the sauce in your pan, and gives the outside a texture both velvety and crunchy! And by now, that beef stir fry smell is even harder to resist.

Add the fried bell peppers back in the pan and stir all the ingredients together. Keep tossing until they’ve all been distributed well. Once that’s done, your beef stir fry is ready to serve! Transfer your hot dish to a serving plate and straight to your dining table.

Beef Stir Fry Recipe (3)

And there you have it –– a delightfully scrumptious beef stir fry to share with your loved ones! Enjoy, and let us know what you think!

Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag us on Instagram at @panlasangpinoy or hashtag #panlasangpinoy so we can see your creations!

Beef Stir Fry Recipe (4)

Beef Stir Fry

Quick and easy beef tenderloin stir fry with bell peppers.

Prep: 5 minutes minutes

Cook: 9 minutes minutes

Print RecipeRate Recipe

4 people

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. beef tenderloin thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1- piece green bell pepper sliced into thick strips
  • 1- piece red bell pepper sliced into thick strips
  • 1/2 cup cooking oil

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • Combine beef, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and ground black pepper. Mix well. Let it stand for 5 minutes.

  • Add cornstarch into the bowl. Mix until all ingredients are well distributed. Set aside.

  • Heat oil in a pan. Fry bell peppers for 1 minute. Stir once in a while. Remove bell peppers from the pan. Set aside.

  • Using the remaining oil, stir fry marinated beef until it starts to brown.

  • Add fried bell peppers and toss until all ingredients are distributed.

  • Transfer beef stir fry to a serving plate.

  • Serve with rice. Share and Enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 593kcal (30%) Carbohydrates: 8g (3%) Protein: 22g (44%) Fat: 53g (82%) Saturated Fat: 12g (60%) Cholesterol: 79mg (26%) Sodium: 511mg (21%) Potassium: 460mg (13%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 2g (2%) Vitamin A: 1042IU (21%) Vitamin C: 62mg (75%) Calcium: 15mg (2%) Iron: 3mg (17%)

© copyright: Vanjo Merano

Watch How to Cook Beef Stir Fry

Beef Stir Fry Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient in stir-fry? ›

According to Food & Wine, ketchup is the ultimate way to take the flavor of homemade stir fry up a level, thanks to its sweet and sour flavor profile. It just might be the easiest cooking hack to elevate your home cooking to that of your favorite take-out.

How do you make stir-fry beef so it's tender? ›

How to tenderise beef – easily!
  1. Sprinkle 3/4 tsp baking soda (bi-carbonate soda) on 250g / 8oz sliced economical beef cuts.
  2. Toss with fingers, leave for 30 minutes.
  3. Rinse, pat off excess water.
  4. Proceed with stir fry recipe. It can be marinated with wet or dry seasonings, or cooked plain.
Feb 23, 2019

What are the 3 rules of stir-frying? ›

Food & Dining

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 can I add to stir-fry to make it taste better? ›

5. Add flavour.
  1. Herbs: basil, oregano, cilantro.
  2. Spices: cumin, coriander, cardamom.
  3. Reduced sodium or no sodium added broth.
  4. Fresh lemongrass, garlic or ginger.
  5. 100% fruit juice.
  6. Citrus zest.
  7. Lower sodium soy sauces (<600 mg sodium per tablespoon)
Sep 16, 2019

What can I add to stir-fry to make it better? ›

8 Tips to Make Your Stir-Fry More Exciting
  1. Nuts and seeds. Peanuts might already be regular stir-fry toppers, but it's time to expand your nutty horizons. ...
  2. Fresh ginger. Ginger will add some serious zing to your stir-fry. ...
  3. Put an egg on it. ...
  4. Marinate your protein. ...
  5. Skip the rice. ...
  6. Vinegar. ...
  7. Seaweed. ...
  8. Fresh herbs.
Aug 5, 2015

What is the secret ingredient to tenderize meat? ›

Less than a teaspoon of baking soda ensures that your steak remains juicy and tender—even after a speedy marinade. While other recipes demand hours of marinating, this baking soda hack makes a flank steak or any other fibrous cut of beef ready to sear after just an hour.

How do you make beef stir fry without it being chewy? ›

Toss With Corn Starch

The corn starch helps keep the beef moist and tender while cooking. It's very noticeable when cooking meat tossed with vs. without corn starch — the meat without corn starch will exude liquid as it cooks, whereas meat coated with corn starch will retain its liquid content, making it more tender.

How do you make beef super tender? ›

Instructions
  1. Place the beef in a bowl and sprinkle over the bicarbonate of soda. ...
  2. Rub the bicarbonate of soda into the beef so it's thoroughly coated.
  3. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  4. Thoroughly rinse the beef in cold water, drain, then pat dry with kitchen towels.
  5. Use as per your recipe.
Jul 11, 2023

What should you not do when stir-frying? ›

Read on for the 10 most popular mistakes people make when stir-frying… and how to avoid them.
  1. But first… ...
  2. #1: Using the wrong pan. ...
  3. #2: Slicing ingredients too large or thick. ...
  4. #3: Being unorganised. ...
  5. #4: Not getting the wok hot enough. ...
  6. #5: Adding the oil before the wok is hot. ...
  7. #6: Throwing every ingredient in at once.

When should you add soy sauce in stir-fry? ›

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok, then fry the chilli and garlic for 1 min. Add the veg and toss to coat in the oil. Fry for 2-3 mins, then add the soy and chilli sauce, mixing well. Cook for 2-3 mins more until the veg are tender.

Should I add soy sauce to stir-fry? ›

Soy sauce, sesame oil, a bit of vinegar, or store-bought stir-fry sauces are easy to add to the dish and most stir-fry recipes will include a suggested mixture of liquid. If you don't really have a sauce planned, a bit of bottled soy sauce and some diced garlic or ginger will make a nice basic stir-fry sauce.

What are the seven common ingredients in a stir-fry? ›

The main ingredients to a stir-fry are: Proteins – chicken, beef, pork, seafood, tofu, tempeh, seitan. Aromatics – garlic, green onions, shallots, ginger.

What thickens stir-fry? ›

Cornstarch! In his book How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, Mark Bittman recommends mixing 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch with the same amount of water, and tossing this into the stir fry just when it's almost done. It thickens in seconds, picking up the flavors of everything already in the dish and coating evenly.

What is the best oil for stir-frying? ›

So many different oils, the good news is you can stick with what you know – canola is great! The best oils for stir frys are the oils with the higher smoke points. These tend to be the “thinner” oils such as peanut, grapeseed or canola.

What is the crunchy thing in stir-fry? ›

What are those crunchy things in your stir-fry? They're water chestnuts, and they're surprisingly good for you! You probably already know a few things about water chestnuts. They're white and crunchy, and you'll find them in a ton of Asian-style stir fry dishes.

How to make stir-fry like restaurants? ›

How do I make stir fry like in an asian restaurant?
  1. Use a hot seasoned wok. ...
  2. tenderize/velvet your meat by letting it sit in a egg white/corn starch mixture before boiling/deep frying. ...
  3. Cook your meals on high heat and do not add too much at once.
Jul 24, 2016

What are the secrets to perfect stir frying according to a Chinese restaurant chef? ›

Add the Ingredients That Take the Longest to Cook First

When stir frying, timing is key. The ingredients that take the longest to cook or tenderize should go in first to give them more time. “Very broadly, the order should be aromatics, meat, hearty vegetables, soft vegetables and seasoning,” says Sin.

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