Beef Stir Fry
Better than take out, this Beef Stir Fry is made with tender steak, crisp veggies, and a savory garlic and ginger sauce. Ready in 30 minutes!
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If you’re craving a fast, flavorful dinner that rivals your favorite takeout, this Beef Stir Fry is just the recipe. Made with thinly sliced steak, colorful bell peppers, onions, crisp snow peas, and a savory stir-fry sauce, it’s the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and just a hint of spice.
Served over white rice or noodles, it’s a complete meal that comes together in just 30 minutes like this Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp and Broccoli. It's ideal for busy weeknights when you want something quick but still delicious.
Why You'll Love This Stir Fry?
This is one of those easy recipes that is great if you're making Beef stir-fry for the first time. This classic beef stir-fry recipe doesn't have to be hard, and it's super easy to make with ingredients you already have on hand. You can swap out veggies for ones you have on hand like in this Black Pepper Chicken.
Let's Gather The Ingredients
- Oyster sauce: Adds a rich savory flavor.
- Beef broth: or you can use water
- Soy sauce: you can use regular soy sauce or light soy sauce
- Sesame oil: Adds a ton of flavor.
- Brown sugar: Light or dark will work.
- Spices: red pepper flakes, kosher salt, black pepper, minced garlic
- Ginger: Fresh grated or ground.
- Steak: You can use skirt steak or flank steak. Slice it against the grain so it's very thin
- Cornstarch: Coast the meat and also helps thicken the sauce.
- Oil: Vegetable, canola, avocado oil will all work.
- Vegetables- red bell pepper, sliced onions, trimmed snow peas, and green onions for garnish
How To Make Beef Stir Fry
- Step 1: Add all sauce ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together. Set savory sauce aside.
- Step 2: Slice beef against the grain into strips. Add tender strips of beef to a bowl with cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Mix until combined.
- Step 3: Heat oil in a wok or skillet and add meat to the hot skillet, cook in batches if needed. Cook meat and remove promptly.
- Step 4: Reduce heat and add onions and peppers with a bit more cooking oil to the skillet and cook until soft.
- Step 5: Add snow peas and garlic and cook for a few more minutes.
- Step 6: Add beef back to the cooked veggie mixture and simmer. Serve over white rice, brown rice, or noodles and garnish with green onions.
Recipe Tips
- Using a hot pan is key to making the best stir fry. The tender beef cooks quickly and will get a nice sear on it if cooking over high heat. I like to use a cast iron skillet or a wok.
- Cook the beef in batches if needed. Don't overcrowd the pan or the meat will not cook evenly.
- You can make this spicy if desired. Add extra red pepper flakes, chili oil, or sriracha for more heat.
- Try broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, baby corn, green beans, water chestnuts, or snap peas if that’s what you have on hand. Any of these different vegetables would be a great addition to this healthy meal.
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat for the best flavor and texture.
Recipe Faq's
Flank steak and skirt steak work best because they cook quickly and stay tender when sliced thin against the grain. Either of those are my best recommendations for this classic beef stir fry.
Yes, this is the best beef stir fry recipe for making ahead of time! You can slice the beef and prep the veggies up to 24 hours in advance. Store the sauce separately in the fridge until ready to cook. This should work for any of your favorite stir-fry recipes
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Yes, but it’s best frozen before cooking. Prep the beef with cornstarch and the sauce, freeze separately, then stir fry fresh veggies when ready to make.
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Beef Stir Fry
Ingredients
For The Sauce
- 1/4 cup Oyster Sauce
- 1/4 cup beef broth or water
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger or 1 teaspoon ground
Stir Fry
- 1 lb skirt steak or flank steak sliced against the grain very thin
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
- 2 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 cup red pepper sliced
- 1 cup onion sliced
- 2 cups snow peas trimmed and cut in half
- green onions for garnish
Instructions
For The Sauce
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
Stir Fry
- Slice beef into thin slices against the grain and place in a bowl. Add the cornstarch salt and pepper and mix until combined. Set aside
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wok or skillet on high heat (see notes). Add meat (in batches if needed, you don't want to overcrowd the wok or skillet) and cook 1-2 minutes and remove to a plate. Repeat until all the meat is cooked.
- Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the remaining tablespoon of oil and onions and peppers, and cook 2-3 minutes just until soft, add in snow peas, garlic, and cook another 1-2 minutes.
- Add the beef back in with the sauce mixture toss until combined. Simmer 1-2 minutes.
- Serve over white rice or noodles. Garnish with green onions
Happy you enjoyed it Chris the recipe has been fixed thanks for letting me know 🙂
Tasty recipe but no instructions for the sauce.
Yay so happy you enjoy it, thanks for the great review 🙂
I made this recipe like 3 times I cannot stop! deliciousssssssss. omgggggooodness!! thank you for this recipe.
You passed it! It's above where you posted this comment:)
Where's the recipe? All i can see are ads and the same thumbnail picture