Non Asian Beef and Onion Stir Fry
Tender slices of beef with a velvety texture and caramelized onions and peppers in a generous amount of flavorful sauce. This is a delicious and easy meal you can put together in less than 30 minutes!
Jump to:
- Why you'll love this recipe
- What you'll need
- Ingredient notes and substitutions
- How to make this recipe
- Frequently asked questions and tips
- The key takeaway
- Watch how I make it here
- More beef recipes you may like
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why you'll love this recipe
- Stir-fries are quick and easy to make at home. This one takes less than 30 minutes!
- Hot, delicious, and better than Chinese food takeout.
- Velveting the meat by adding baking soda and cornstarch is a technique used in Chinese restaurants to make them tender and "velvety."
I've also updated this recipe, just as delicious but with lots of sauce! Your rice will thank you for it.
What you'll need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Beef: My go-to cuts for stir-frying are flank steak and flat iron steak (also called top blade steak). They're full of flavor, tender, and are reasonably priced. A similar cut would be skirt steak or flap meat (also called sirloin tip). A more economical choice would be chuck steak. It comes from a larger chuck roast that you can divide and freeze for future use. They come with extra fat, so you will need to trim them. If you don't mind spending more, a good option would be boneless short ribs. Its deep marbling makes it tender and flavorful. Beef sirloin (both top sirloin and bottom sirloin or tri-tip) is another option.
- Baking soda: Also known as sodium bicarbonate, a key ingredient in "velveting" the meat, along with cornstarch. It's the same ingredient used in baking, cleaning, or neutralizing odors.
- Soy sauce: Use a regular, all-purpose soy sauce or light soy sauce. Do not use dark soy sauce for this recipe.
- Shaoxing wine: It is an amber-colored Chinese rice wine that enhances the flavors in the dish. It adds depth to stir-fries like Tofu & Asparagus Stir Fry, braises/stews, and sauces like Asian Chili Garlic Shrimp. To substitute in this recipe (though it won't taste exactly the same), you can use another Chinese cooking wine, dry sherry, or Japanese rice wine (sake).
- Oyster sauce: It is a thick, umami-rich brown sauce used in Asian cuisine. It is an all-purpose type of sauce made from oyster extractives that adds flavor and depth to dishes. It tastes sweet and salty, with a mild briny flavor like that of oysters.
- Sesame oil: Use the rich and nutty dark-colored variety made from toasted sesame seeds. It has a strong flavor and aroma used for seasoning (as opposed to the light variety used like regular oil) and is added in the last minutes of cooking. It can be overpowering in excess, so use sparingly.
- Oil: Use a neutral-tasting oil that can withstand high heat, like canola or vegetable oil. Or combine with another type of oil like olive oil. Find out more.
- Baking soda: "Velveting" is a technique used in Chinese restaurants that involves adding baking soda (along with cornstarch) to break down the tough fibers of an inexpensive cut of meat and make them tender and "velvety."
How to make this recipe
Make the stir-fry sauce: (1)In a cup or a bowl, mix the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, sugar, cornstarch, sesame oil, and ½ cup of water. Set aside.
Prepare the meat: (2)Divide the slab of meat into 2"-thick sections along the grain or the same direction as the muscle fibers. (3)Slice each section thinly (about ¼ inch) at an angle and against the grain or across the muscle fibers. This is important to ensure that the meat is tender and easy to chew.
TIP: Partially freeze the meat for about an hour to make slicing easier.
(4)Place the meat in a bowl and add two tablespoons of the stir fry sauce. Mix them up. (5)Add the baking soda and cornstarch. (6)Combine them well so they get evenly distributed. Set aside and let the "velveting" take place for about 15 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Prepare the aromatics & veggies: (7) Grate or mince the ginger. (8)Mince the garlic as well.
(9)Slice the red bell pepper into thin strips. (10)Slice the onion the same way. (11)Cut the scallions into 2-inch sections.
Stir fry: Set your wok or skillet or sauté pan over high heat. When the pan is hot and almost smoking, add a little oil to coat the bottom. (12)Add the meat and spread it in a single layer. Don't touch them for about 2 minutes so they can sear properly. (13)Flip the meat or swirl them around the pan and give it another minute to brown some more. Transfer to a plate.
TIP: Searing the meat quickly over high heat creates that smoky flavor reminiscent of delicious Chinese takeout.
(14)Add the onions and red bell peppers. Leave them alone for a minute until slightly blistered. Mix them up. (15)Throw in the scallions and push the vegetables to the side of the wok or pan. Slightly lower the heat at this point. Add a little oil then add the ginger and garlic. (16)Sauté for about 30 seconds — careful not to burn them. Toss them all together.
(17)Take the seared meat that was set aside. (18)Bring them back to the wok. (19)Pour the prepared sauce in. Let it cook for about 30 seconds to slightly thicken the sauce.
(20)Add some ground pepper then toss them together. Turn off the heat.
Serve: Beef stir fry goes best with white rice or plain noodles.
Frequently asked questions and tips
Do I have to use a wok?
If you have a wok, use it! It has its advantages and is ideal for stir-fries and fried rice like Crab meat fried rice. You can also use a skillet or a sauté pan that's large enough where the ingredients get lots of contact with the hot pan. They say you won't achieve wok hei this way, that unique smoky flavor and aroma you get from cooking in a wok, but it will work just fine.
Can I make this in advance?
Absolutely! You can prepare the meat, the vegetables, and the sauce (separately) in advance and keep them in the fridge. Velveting the beef can be done in just 5 minutes, right before cooking. When you have everything ready, it will only take less than 15 minutes to stir-fry and get hot, delicious food on the table.
The key takeaway
To have tender and soft slices of beef for stir-fries, it's essential to pick the right cut of (inexpensive) meat, slice them against the grain, and "velvet" them by adding baking soda and cornstarch.
Watch how I make it here
More beef recipes you may like
-
Kare Kare with Beef Shank (in Peanut Sauce)
-
Beef Caldereta
-
Filipino Beef Tapa (Tapsilog)
-
Korean Beef Stew
Did you make this recipe? I would love to know! Your feedback helps me make better recipes. Please rate, review, or comment below. Questions about this recipe are welcome, too!
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📖 Recipe
-
A wok or large skillet or sauté pan
Stir-fry sauce:
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce (see note)
- 1 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (see note)
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce (see note)
- 2 teaspoons sugar any kind
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil (see note)
- ½ cup water
For the Stir-fry:
- 1 pound (454 grams) flank steak (see note)
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 medium onion sliced intro strips
- 1 medium red bell pepper sliced into strips
- 3 scallions cut into 2-inch sections
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- Ground pepper to taste
- Oil for searing and sautéing
Make the stir-fry sauce:
-
In a cup or a bowl, mix the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, sugar, cornstarch, sesame oil, and ½ cup water. Set aside.
Prepare the meat:
-
Divide the slab of meat into 2"-thick sections along the grain or the same direction as the muscle fibers. Slice each section thinly (about ¼ inch) at an angle andagainst the grainor across the muscle fibers. This is important to ensure that the meat is tender and easy to chew.
TIP: Partially freeze the meat for about an hour to make slicing easier.
-
Place the meat in a bowl andadd two tablespoons of the stir fry sauce. Mix them up.
-
Add the baking soda and cornstarch. Combine them well so they get evenly distributed.
-
Set aside and let the "velveting" take place for about 15 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Prepare the aromatics & vegetables:
-
Mince the ginger and garlic.
-
Slice the red bell pepper and onion into thin strips.
-
Cut the scallions into 2-inch sections.
Stir fry:
-
Set your wok or sauté pan over high heat. When the pan is hot and almost smoking, add a little oil to coat the bottom.
-
Add the meat and spread it in a single layer. Don't touch them for about 2 minutes so they can sear properly.
-
Flip the meat or swirl them around the pan and give it another minute to brown some more. Transfer to a plate.
TIP: Searing the meat quickly over high heat creates that smoky flavor reminiscent of delicious Chinese takeout.
-
Add the onions and red bell peppers. Leave them alone for a minute until slightly blistered. Mix them up.
-
Throw in the scallions and push the vegetables to the side of the wok or pan.
-
Slightly lower the heat at this point. Add a little oil then sauté the ginger and garlic for about 30 seconds — careful not to burn them. Toss them all together.
-
Bring the seared meat back in and add the prepared sauce. Let it cook for about 30 seconds to slightly thicken the sauce.
-
Add some ground pepper then toss them together. Turn off the heat.
Serve and Store:
-
Serve with hot white rice or plain noodles.
-
Store leftovers in the fridge or in the freezer to extend its shelf life.
- Beef: My go-to cuts for stir-frying are flank steak and flat iron steak (also called top blade steak). They're full of flavor, tender, and are reasonably priced. A similar cut would be skirt steak or flap meat (also called sirloin tip). A more economical choice would be chuck steak. It comes from a larger chuck roast that you can divide and freeze for future use. They come with extra fat, so you will need to trim them. If you don't mind spending more, a good option would be boneless short ribs. Its deep marbling makes it tender and flavorful. Beef sirloin (both top sirloin and bottom sirloin or tri-tip) is another option.
- Baking soda: Also known as sodium bicarbonate, a key ingredient in "velveting" the meat, along with cornstarch. It's the same ingredient used in baking, cleaning, or neutralizing odors.
- Soy sauce: Use a regular, all-purpose soy sauce or light soy sauce. Do not use dark soy sauce for this recipe.
- Shaoxing wine: It is an amber-colored Chinese rice wine that enhances the flavors and adds depth to the dish. To substitute in this recipe (though it won't taste exactly the same), you can use another Chinese cooking wine, dry sherry, or Japanese rice wine (sake).
- Oyster sauce: It is a thick, umami-rich brown sauce used in Asian cuisine. It is an all-purpose type of sauce made from oyster extractives that adds flavor and depth to dishes. It tastes sweet and salty, with a mild briny flavor like that of oysters.
- Sesame oil: Use the rich and nutty dark-colored variety made from toasted sesame seeds. It has a strong flavor and aroma used for seasoning (as opposed to the light variety used like regular oil) and is added in the last minutes of cooking. It can be overpowering in excess, so use sparingly.
- Oil: Use a neutral-tasting oil that can withstand high heat, like canola or vegetable oil.
- Baking soda: "Velveting" is a technique used in Chinese restaurants that involves adding baking soda (along with cornstarch) to break down the tough fibers of an inexpensive cut of meat and make them tender and "velvety."
Make Ahead: You can prepare the meat, the vegetables, and the sauce (separately) in advance and keep them in the fridge. Velveting the beef can be done in just 5 minutes, right before cooking. When you have everything ready, it will only take less than 15 minutes to stir-fry and get hot, delicious food on the table.
THE KEY TAKEAWAY
To have tender and soft slices of beef for stir-fries, it's essential to slice the meat against the grain and "velvet" them by adding baking soda and cornstarch.
Calories: 317 kcal Carbohydrates: 14 g Protein: 27 g Fat: 16 g Saturated Fat: 3 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 4 g Monounsaturated Fat: 8 g Trans Fat: 1 g Cholesterol: 68 mg Sodium: 1135 mg Potassium: 565 mg Fiber: 2 g Sugar: 5 g Vitamin A: 1022 IU Vitamin C: 43 mg Calcium: 51 mg Iron: 2 mg
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